Cirrhosis - Reducing liquid intake

[CRSA]

hello - any tips to reduce my lquid intake to under 2,000 ml a day?

[AyrshireK]

Have you been told that you HAVE to do this by your medical team? Living in what I presume is a hot climate country what intake you need may be higher than us in Europe in order to keep hydrated and make sure your kidneys remain happy.

If this is a fluid limit instructed by your doctor then they should give you guidance on it

When hubby was on a restricted fluid intake it was a case of recording the contents of every drink he had during the day and in hospital they were including the fluid contemt of his yoghurts and everything.

Katie

[CRSA in reply to AyrshireK]

Hello, yes as per my internist, I should take between 1,500 and 2,000 ml a day.

[AyrshireK in reply to CRSA]

Do you have ascites? Is this the reason for the limit?

Try to eat more protein and reduce salt intake and that may also help. But it'll be a case of measuring your drinks and keeping a note of what you've had through the day - it's the only way to stick to your limit.

If you notice your urine becoming very dark though i'd be checking with your consultant whether this is appropriate in your climate to make sure you are taking in enough not to become dehydrated which can cause other issues with cirrhosis and also to protect your kidneys.

This is a link to a UK / NHS Hospital guide to managing a fluid intake limit which may be of help. mkuh.nhs.uk/patient-informa...

Katie

[Ericabear]

Hi, CRSA,

We too are in a hot climate and last summer my husband had to restrict to 1500ml due to Ascites. He found that eating fruit helped, I also used to freeze grapefruit or orange segments so they were slower to eat and helped keep thirst at bay. Natural sharp flavour boiled sweets or sour jellies ... Be mindful of the ingredients though, these were a last resort. I cannot say whether this was the "right" thing to do, but it helped at the time. We persevered and thankfully he no longer has a restriction on fluids.

Wish you luck

Liz

[CRSA in reply to Ericabear]

Thx very much, appreciated

[looby24]

My husband is still restricting fluids as he has very mild ascities. Also no salt. He has been given different limits though. The gastro team say 750mls per day. The transplant centre where we started assessment said 1.5 liters. Quite a difference really. I think the main thing is that you don't retain water. We were told to keep an eye on the ankles. Press and if it causes an indent it means you are retaining fluid. We are not so careful with factoring in fruit intake and the fluid part of other foods but if you eat lots of high water content food like vegetables it would make a difference if you have to be precise. Like cucumber for example. If it were me, 1.5 l per day is a lot as unfortunately I don't drink a lot of water (lots of tea though) But it's probably a case of being more conscious of it when you are told that you have to restrict water. PS where we live is very hot in summer and cold in winter but have not been told to adjust for that.

[Male47]

Make every ml of fluid count.. I.e. drink shakes, fruit juice, something beneficial. I was on 1ltr a day with no sodium for 6months throughout summer.. is very do-able