Those frequent trips to the loo~!.....I've been experimenting and studying my findings!

[Grammy80]

Sunday, I spent so much time in the bathroom, with the likes of Niagra Falls. I wasn't just buying stocks in Depends; I was buying the Company!!! $17US for 14! So I researched, and it has helped me, and maybe it will help somebody else, too.

PMRpro, our resident scientist, will probably explain this more clinically and precisely than I do. There was a lot of info on the effects of what we drink when taking prednisone. According to the 'internet,' the average person urinates 2.5 liters daily. Heck...I was WAY over that, way over! I love iced coffee and iced tea. Even though many sites, including teaching hospitals and Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic in the States, feel 'the amount of caffeine that is ingested is watered down by the volume of the drink itself.'....my 'studies' 👩🏻‍🔬👩🏻‍🔬did not agree...or my plumbing didn't for sure.

DAY #1 Because I anticipated a caffeine headache, I had just one mug of coffee on Monday and nursed it slowly. I drank several bottles of water, which I do most days—I just always have one around. I felt like a scientist myself and had a very close-to-normal kind of day—I was able to spend time in rooms other than the loo!!

DAY #2: I'm Thinking of all my wonderful friends in England with their cuppas. Tea has caffeine. Thanks to one of those friends, I had authentic English Tea, though I made it like the American I am. I saw nothing on the boxes regarding caffeine, but I drank tea and water all day. There was a bit of an increase, but I didn't have to pay rent in the loo like I did on Sunday. Hail to Your Tea!!

DAY # 3 My husband got me an iced coffee. I drank half along with water and a bit of iced English tea. My output definitely increased, but not by the same volume. The coffee had less of an effect because I drank lots of water, too.

Caffeine was my culprit, along with the prednisone...what I and others have experienced was indeed influenced by what I drank....there was material about prednisone and adrenal and kidney involvement. Still, I didn't understand it sufficiently to attempt to convey it.

I DID IT FOR THE FORUM..... 💂🏻

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Keep up the good work…. And hopefully out of the loo! 😊

[Koalajane in reply to DorsetLady]

I have read somewhere that caffeine is not good for kidneys so have changed to decaffeinated green tea. I drink about 3 mugs of tea and plenty of water. I still seem to visit the loo quite often! Thank you for experimenting!

[Bluey-1]

Excellent experiment. I have one cup of normal tea first thing then it’s decaf all the way for rest of the day. I tried Zero alcohol Guinness last night. It was very nice. I recommend Corona 0 as well, very refreshing.

[Sophiestree in reply to Bluey-1]

Just watch the sugar content on alcohol free drinks, they are often much higher. But the odd one is fine...

[Bluey-1 in reply to Sophiestree]

Thanks for the tip. More of an occasional treat as I can’t drink alcohol anymore with all the meds I’m on. I do admit to the rare port and glass of red on holiday but I don’t want to feel any more rubbish than I do!

[Sophiestree in reply to Bluey-1]

I have a friend who can't drink due to health (Irish and loved a whisky) and she is an expert on the best non alcoholic gin etc.... Sainsbury's nonsecco is good apparently too

[Bluey-1 in reply to Sophiestree]

Forgot to mention the non alcoholic gin. Partial to that. Must try the nonsecco. Thanks

[Grammy80 in reply to Bluey-1]

Me too!!!! I've missed a glass of wine..but now I know I have quite a variety of non-alcoholic drinks available to me ! I hope they have them in the States...I know they have the beer🍻💞

[Fatsiajaponica]

I drink copious amounts of tea all day and currently on 17.5 mgs pred and no issue. When I was on 60mg and 40 mgs I was not only weeing all the time but leaking more than usual. I guess it affects us all differently. Thanks though for the research, if I have to go up again (hopefully not) I'll cut down on the tea.

👍❤️

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is a misapprehension - caffeine doesn't make you pee MORE, it makes you pee any excess out FASTER. There are very complex mechanisms in the body to keep your fluid balance right. If you drink a lot more than you need, these mechanisms make you pee more over time to get it back where it should be. If you drink caffeine - you will get rid of the excess faster but not get to a dehydration status unless there is something wrong.

You can go the other way and become dehydrated if you don't drink enough or you are sweating a lot or have diarrhoea. And actually you CAN drink too much water - you dilute the sodium in your body and you can become quite unwell. Just drinking plain water and nothing else isn't always a good thing - electrolyte drinks are better. In Germany they market alcohol-free beer as a fluid replacement for athletes ...

[Grammy80 in reply to PMRpro]

Now I know three things for sure...first, you will always come along and untangle me, two, I do not even resemble a novice of a scientist and three........Germany, here I come for alcohol-free beer.💞

[Grammy80 in reply to PMRpro]

I was a sad mess today...feeling worse than usual with the 60mg. My head usually starts to clear late afternoon, but today my head was hurting and feeling like pins and needles with some eye pain and pain up the back of my head....why? Then it hit me, the coffee my husband got me yesterday (#3) was the requested decaffeinated iced coffee. I then realized, for a regular coffee drinker, I'd gone without caffeine since Monday. Cutting caffeine abruptly was my problem....GCA gets a symptomatic pass. I practically inhaled some caffeine about two hours ago and now feel like I usually do at this hour. I'm staying out of the lab~!!! Moderation! Balance! Discipline?💞

[Bluey-1 in reply to PMRpro]

Good to hear that my foray into non alcoholic beers are a good move. The non alcoholic wines are a different tale - grim

[Grammy80 in reply to Bluey-1]

☹️☹️

[Angelsmummy]

Morning Grammy,but you are in bed as I am tapping away with this reply!Regarding your “ problem/ our problem,you are definitely trying to take one for the team aren’t you eh to help us all in our quest for a pee free life!I drink 1 cuppa of normal tea first thing in the morning,then the rest of the day I have only ever drank de caff.Not a lover of squash,fizzy drinks etc ,so I am not sure if your findings relate to me and my record breaking sprints to the loo!Have had 2 bladder ops but guess after having kids,hysterectomy, probably cannot expect too much from my poor old bladder.DEFINATELY seems worse since being on Pred but I just “ go with the flow” so to speak!I buy ALDIs pads ,in the blue packet.Cheap but very effective.Not sure if they would cope with your Niagra falls experience as you describe it,but a long way to come from the States to get them anyway!🤣Carry on researching dear Grammy,will watch your research with great interest.You take good care of that good eye now won’t you?xx😜🐈💧💧💧💧

[Grammy80 in reply to Angelsmummy]

🤣😃😂 I thiink our bodies figure many issues out for us. 🫢🫢I sure have been 'wordy' in my posts on this dosage💞