Is it OK to take hydrolytes when you have PMR?

[Pr0jection]

We live in Cyprus and are currently going through a heatwave with temperatures reaching 40C. I've had PMR since August 2020 and have been on 7.5mg of prednisolone since October 2020. In the past I've taken hydrolytes in very hot weather as I suffer badly from head sweating. Strangely enough, nowhere else. I'm sure I read somewhere that hydrolytes contain sodium and therefore could be a problem. Can anyone comment? Thanks very much for all the help these past few years. Enjoy your day......

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is often advised to limit salt when on pred as it can cause fluid retention and weight gain. That tends to be less of a problem in high temps when you are sweating it out in quantity so using electrolyte replacement drinks is a good idea, They contain sodium and potassium to replace the ions lost in sweat.

[Pr0jection in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro. Just taken my first one and I hope I can sleep tonight without waking up with a soaking pillow (I know, too much information!)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pr0jection]

Rarely TMI for me ... Could be worse - the wet patch could be lower down!

[Pr0jection in reply to PMRpro]

Could indeed be worse. Won't go there......

[Lyndaki]

Hi, I live in Spain & have awful head sweats. I’m intrigued… do the hydrolytes help with this? Or are they just used to replace lost ions etc? Thanks.

[Pr0jection in reply to Lyndaki]

Hi Lyndaki. I'm not sure, to be honest, as I've only just started to take them. What I've found helpful, though, is to have a cold gel pack under the pillow I lay on, then turn the pillow over when I go to sleep so your head hits the cold spot. The gel pack I use is a wine bottle cover so it's not very big but a perfect size for your head. I bought 4 of them a couple of years ago, keep them in the fridge and my hubbie and I swap them round during the night if we wake up with the dreaded sweats. Hope this helps.....