staying hydrated : hi all staying hydrated is... - CLL Support

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staying hydrated

CLLpa profile image
37 Replies

hi all staying hydrated is important for overall health, has anyone got any advice on taking supplements for hydration? Electrolyte drinks or tables?

This forum is amazing!! Having been diagnosed over a year now and still on watch and wait , it seems when im anxious about something with my cll someone is going through the same .

Suppot is fantastic on this forum.

Thanks

🙏

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CLLpa profile image
CLLpa
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37 Replies
Pin57 profile image
Pin57

Hi CLLpa - I’m on w&w like you (4+ yrs in) n I work on the staying hydrated along with working out 4 days a week plus a “fresh healthy food diet” basically eat what’s sold on the outer edge of a grocery store.

That’s made a huge difference in itself in how I feel. No more inner grocery store box foods for me, less sugar intake, less salt intake m, less toxic chems too! Instead… it’s fresh simple n enjoyable eating foods like; salad greens (n other veggies), fruits, meats (lean), poultry, n fish… n I grill the later ones noted, NO frying. N my two mini long hair wiener pups get grilled tiny pieces too, oh how they like that! 😀

That’s changed my health CLLpa from fatigueness-city. The workouts focus on light weight lifting (for strength building) n of course cardio is a simple part of that too, like cycling or treadmilling or brisk outdoor walking.

Got off track abit per your question (sorry) talking general healthy stuff I try to do n recommend (just my opinion for what that’s worth).

This forum will provide you with lots of great feedback from the many wise ones.

My now healthy success credit goes to the healthy eating/workout coach I paid for a months worth of coaching awhile ago to get me out of my “largesse/fatigue funk” n it was best couple hundred dollars I ever spent. Sounds strange to say but true. Good health IS everything.

Coach provided a month long of very simple to prepare daily recipes, all good stuff to eat so that it’s easy to stick to, plus the workout regime. She was there to kick me in the butt to be sure I stuck with it n answer questions. Now been on my own and I kick my own butt if I don’t “do it right” 90% of the time. I give myself a 10% cheat buffer… say like eating a pizza once in awhile or having that one beer (or glass of wine) a week. Call me reckless, lol.

Regarding hydration, coach said drink 10 glasses of water a day… n when I asked if I could add in my fav electrolyte drink, she said sure, but keep it to a bottle a day. So… my go to is Gatorade Zero (no sugar) electrolyte drink. I think it helps.

Oh n I subd out my alcohol intake with a promagrante n sparking water mix drink, great juice for ya in many ways per research. Guess I should add a research link at this point but this thread reply is long enough as-is.

Like I said “I was” a one beer (sometimes 2, I admit) a day guy, drinking it at every dinner… like I was on auto-pilot? I did like a good beer everyday have you admit that too, but now …. that I don’t drink everyday, it’s maybe THE biggest change of em all for better health.

Hydration, yes important too, n as for supplements, I take a few (D3, B6&12, n magnesium. Thinking of adding in K2 per my cardiologist suggestion … he told me research says it helps the ole ticker n its arteries… hmmmm) n … to answer your question again, I drink a daily mini bottle (10oz) of Gatorade Zero.

Good luck staying in w&w CLlpa. I’ve learned to live with it in large part to this awesome forum n everything I’ve learned from it. I also know firsthand (unfortunately) that there are waaaay worse BigCs out there than my so far CLL. It’s been a hellish past 5 months CLLpa, losing my wife of 36 yrs of marriage to breast cancer (shiiiiiit!!!!), the grieving part is a real dealio … n now, … cripes!…. my fav pup has metastasis terminal cancer.

WTF?🤬 .

But life, as Forest Gump said, is like a box of chocolates … you never know what you’re gonna get. Ain’t that the truth? So live life large each day while you can CLLpa, cus you never know when it’ll be the last day. Good luck forward.

Danny

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply toPin57

Hi Pin57

Thanks for replying and sharing your experiences with me , this is why this forum is so good ! you get to talk to people like you .

Im so sorry to hear about your loss of your wife😞 .

Your journey so far sounds very similar to mine , I to like a beer and the diagnosis soon got me to start changing my lifestyle, from seeing a nutritionist who advised me to go on a anti inflammatory diet which meant sticking to the outside isles too ! I aslo cut down with alcohol which i found hard as im from uk and grew up in social clubs and pubs and beers after watching the football (soccer)😊

I try to be active as i can and still work onsite as a bricklayer supervisor so get alot of steps in , i had a phase of trampolining when i was returning from work but i found this very tiresome after a days work🥴

I respect that most people who have a form of cancer try to change their lifestyle to raise the chances of longevity, i have however fell at times with my mind telling me to go on enjoy yourself have some beer as when i start treatment i wont be able to !!

Well thats the hard bit staying motivated , i do count myself lucky in a way though ,having CLL as it has made me value time and i dont want to waste my time on worrying and thinking how bad i got it and why me ! I have huge respect for this group of people on this forum and i do hope and pray that one day there will be a cure!!

The drinking water bit is challenging as it goes straight through me 😮but do try to get 6 to 8 glasses a day.

That was the reason i was asking about the electrolyte drinks or tablets as i had seen a lady Barbara o’Neill talking about if you drink too much water it doesn’t hydrate you ,you need celtic or Himalayan salt.

I too take Vit D and K2 also b12 , have read so much trying to find that natural way to overcome CLL but internet and social media is overwhelming with snake salesman.

Even tried sour sop tablets .Not sure what good they did .

Pin57 keep your head up mate !

Youve had a tough time 😞 stay strong!

And yeah your right life is like a box of chocolates ! You just never know .

all the best

🙏

Pin57 profile image
Pin57 in reply toCLLpa

I get everything you texted n the part ya gotta life life along the way even if that means enjoying abit of the stuff they tells us to quit/do without.

Each person decides what’s best for them n what works.

I told my coach I knew I’d cheat some on the diet n you know it’s good for the morale in my opinions. Other might disagree n that’s ok. I respect those that can 100% stay the course on any regimen.

Yeah the 10 glasses is hard for me to get close too as well. I just pee it away or… if I have say the last two big glasses of water before bedtime that just forces me to wake up n go pee in the middle of some good REM sleep. Uggggh.

When I type out REM I think of the band R.E.M., liked their music a lot. Wish they’d get together again n tour.

Speaking of music … post dx of CLL, I was in shock n dismayed until a month later my wife was dx w/stage4 BigC … then suddenly my whole focus turned to be her caregiver. I bring up music in that in my spare time, I decided to learn electric guitar w/o knowing how read music. Wild idea, eh?

Took some lessons, which really fired me up, n learned some chords n a few fav riffs and even a couple rock songs to play, albeit easy ones like “smoke on the water”, lol. But it was learning guitar/music that helped me deal (mentally) with our two cancers.

So IMO, it’s not only go out n improve one’s diet, exercise, n hydration intake … but learn a new hobby to refocus the mind off of the BigC.

It’s a challenge dealing with Big C that’s for sure. This forum does offer a great outlet n learning opportunity on CLL. The folks here are priceless sharing their experiences.

Take care CLLpa in the UK. We may be a big sea apart n in different countries, but much in common with having CLL n dealing with it via our body, our mind, and our soul.

Danny

craterlake profile image
craterlake

hi CLLpa ,, i like lemon in my water ..i used to buy real lemons but i wasted more then i used by letting them spoil .. i do not like the lemon juice that you can buy in the bottle .. so i found a product on amazon that is freeze dried lemon or lime juice in a small shaker ,, it does not take much to give the identical flavor of 1/4 of a squeeze lemon per glass ..i really like it in the summer with ice ... i am also a vegan so i get more liquid in the fruits and veggies i eat ..i still have to actually work at drinking enough water .. my wife helps to remind me shes a water drinker ...🙂 james

Zoy2004 profile image
Zoy2004 in reply tocraterlake

Hi JamesCould you give an amazon link to this lemon please?

I purchased Hydrogen water bottle, even 2 of them to keep at work and at home.

Anyone heard of it?

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toZoy2004

amazon.com/dp/B07BVGXSHD?re...

Zoy2004 profile image
Zoy2004 in reply tocraterlake

Thank you xx

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toZoy2004

👍

Thursdaymorning profile image
Thursdaymorning in reply tocraterlake

Just purchased! Thank you!

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toThursdaymorning

👍

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply tocraterlake

Thank you so much for this. I can’t wait to try it and some of the other flavors except for the grapefruit because it doesn’t agree with the Calquence I’m on. I love, love grapefruit juice 😕

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toBobby9toes

👍

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply tocraterlake

I love lemons James so that would work for me 😊

I have. Varied diet with lots of veggies too .

Reading a bit more about how water is absorbed into a cells so think im going to have celtic salt crystal with water too but not too much !

Trevor

msnik profile image
msnik in reply toCLLpa

hello,

I have been drinking different kinds of bottled water since my diagnosis but I am feeling guilty about the environmental impact....

I used to drink "tap" water before my diagnosis but over the years had noticed that if I drank a lot of it, I got diarrhea. (sorry if TMI)

And because my medications were giving me diarrhea, I was afraid to magnify that problem with the "tap" water.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the type of water they think is best to drink?

I live in U.S. My husband buys the water, most recently 3L bottles of "Ice Mountain" 100 % Natural Spring Water.

thank you for all of the interesting comments and ideas about water, food, exercise and hobbies.

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply tomsnik

Have you thought of buying a water filter. My mother in law lived in an area where the water was undrinkable. She bought a $20 Brita and it made all the difference. You can find that and many others on Amazon. It would be way less expensive than bottled water.

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply toBobby9toes

Yes i have water filter aswell . Having read more on the subject of hydration you have to be aware that too many electrolytes have negative symptoms, so its important to have the right amount.

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toCLLpa

yes the lemon actually helps a little with digestion as well .. i also take just a couple of crystals of the celtic salt once a day just for good measure .. that is when i remember ..

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply tocraterlake

I have never heard of Celtic salt. How does it help with hydration and where did you find it.

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply toBobby9toes

I watched a lady call Barbara O’Niel talk about it .

This is the link , maybe worth a watch.

youtu.be/cBuK73K7t_0?featur...

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply toCLLpa

Thank you.

SofiaDeo profile image
SofiaDeo in reply toBobby9toes

Celtic salt is a type of sea salt. Although some have advocated it as a good source of minerals, it's "salt" thus contains sodium, so the extra minerals are more easily ingested through other foods IMO. Especially if one is in the US, excess sodium is a major concern with the amount of processed food available.

Different salts (Celtic, Himalayan, etc.) may have slight taste differences and people may prefer one over another. But none of these salts are a concentrated source of electrolytes.

webmd.com/food-recipes/celt...

Many retailers sell Celtic sea salt. If you like the taste, and your doc isn't concerned about excess sodium levels, having some daily in water to flavor it could make the drink more enjoyable. Or just salt another food item less, saving it for the drink.

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply toSofiaDeo

Thank you.

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toBobby9toes

read whittyapricots comment below .. my wife buys it at a supermarket in the city .. it is right next to himalayan pink salt .. probably in the health food section ..it helps you absorb the water and replace electrolytes .. it only takes a little bit of it

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply tocraterlake

Thank you. My water comes from a very deep (480 ft) well so probably has a lot of minerals. The water also tastes fantastic.

craterlake profile image
craterlake in reply toBobby9toes

nice !!! ours comes from a gravity fed spring ..but we still use a charcoal filter just in case there is any crud in the water pipes..

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply tocraterlake

My refrigerator has a filter for water, but my water is colder coming from the faucet especially in the winter.

SofiaDeo profile image
SofiaDeo

Love water, highly recommend it.

LaneOShea profile image
LaneOShea

hi - I was having random dizzy spells and was diagnosed as dehydrated. I now drink two Propels a day - and buy the powdered version so I can take them with me. I also increase the water required to dilute as they were a bit strong/sweet for me. And drink water in between.

goyo457 profile image
goyo457

Also, make sure you are properly hydrated prior to blood draws. Dehydration or over-hydration can mess up our numbers

Mwagner profile image
Mwagner

Need confirmation here, but don’t high water content fruits and veggies count toward keeping hydrated? In other words, holding to drinking many glasses of water may be too much?

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply toMwagner

Yes i believe so .

Bobby9toes profile image
Bobby9toes in reply toMwagner

Yes and I read that even though coffee makes you pee more, it counts as well.

Snakejaw profile image
Snakejaw

I’ve struggled with hydration, and have become more sensitive to caffeine. I can get light headed pretty quick if I’m not careful. Coconut water has been helpful, but it does have some sugar, so it’s not perfect. A lot of the electrolyte rich drinks are really sweet, and I try to avoid.

Zigster49 profile image
Zigster49 in reply toSnakejaw

I add Vitalyte to some of the water I consume, on the advice of my doctor. I dislike sweet drinks, and the lemon flavored tastes fine to me.

WittyApricot profile image
WittyApricot

I drink a ton of water—-that and herbal tea are main drinks. I found I still felt dehydrated at times so I spoke with my naturopathic oncologist and she recommended adding an electrolyte powder that doesn’t have sugar to my water once a day or drops of trace minerals into my water. That made all the difference in the world because I wasn’t just drinking and peeing it all out my body was able to absorb it and use it better.

Here is a link to the drops I use:

amazon.com/trace-minerals/s...

CLLpa profile image
CLLpa in reply toWittyApricot

Thanks for the link 👍

Mwagner profile image
Mwagner

Another point that needs confirmation. As we age our sense of thirst is lessened, so regardless of our CLL condition we need to be vigilant in staying hydrated.

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