IBD and Dehydration

Our bodies are made up of mostly water, it is essential for all life.  Becoming dehydrated is a concern for everyone, but if you have IBD, your risk of dehydration may be higher.  This can be due to a few factors.

To better understand IBD and dehydration we will discuss

• My personal experience with IBD and dehydration

• Signs of dehydration

• Causes of dehydration

• How to resolve dehydration

 

My Experience

At my last doctor’s appointment, before I even sat down on the chair.  The doctor said to me “you look dehydrated”.  I was shocked.  He pointed out the dry skin around my chin.  Had a look at my tongue, and it appeared pasty and dry.  I also noted that I had been waking up in the middle of the night so thirsty and drinking a whole cup of water.

He was right, I was dehydrated.  I am currently in a flare, and getting most of my calories from Elemental Gold.  So I am not eating much hydrating food.

The Doc told me that I need to be making sure that I am drinking a minimum of 2L of water per day.  And closer to 3L per day while I am working (as I work outside in the Australian summer sun).

Signs of Dehydration to Look Out For

There are a variety of symptoms that can indicate that you are dehydrated.  This can range from moderate symptoms of dehydration, which include:

• Thirst

• Headache

• Dry mouth

• Dry tongue

• Dry skin

• Darker yellow urine

 

To more severe symptoms of dehydration:

• Dizziness upon standing

• Sunken in eyes

• Confusion, or lose of cognition

Causes of Dehydration

Dehydration is essentially caused by losing more water than you are taking in.  We lose water through our urine, poop, sweat, tears, and breath. 

There are a few factors that can make dehydration worse for anyone.  These include:

• Drinking alcohol

• Drinking coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages

• Hot weather, which causes excessive sweating

• Not drinking enough water

If you have IBD there are a few things you need to be aware of with IBD and dehydration. 

The main way that IBD sufferers lose extra water is through diarrhea.  If you are having constant, loose bowel movements, this may cause dehydration.  It is recommended to drink one extra glass of water, for each loose bowel movement you have per day. 

Normally we get about 20% of our daily water intake from food.  This includes water from fruits, and vegetables, and especially juicy fruits.  If you are having an IBD flare up, then you may have reduced your intake of fruits and vegetables.  This will decrease your overall water consumption from foods.  Possibly reducing your water intake by up to 20%, without you even noticing.

Some people with IBD may even find that drinking water can worsen your IBD symptoms.  If you are really sick, then drinking water may have you running to the toilet.  If this is the case, try sipping water slowly.  Or try changing the temperature (warm or cool, vs cold) of the water to make it easier to digest. 

Even if water is causing you symptoms, in the long term it is essential that you still drink water.  Focus on small amounts at first to ease yourself into it.

Surgery related to IBD can also increase your risk of dehydration.  These surgeries can include removal of the colon, or an ileostomy.  This is because much of the water we drink is absorbed in the large intestine.  If this is removed, or shortened, it will affect our ability to absorb water.

An interesting thing to note, is IBD and dehydration has been found to be more prevalent in females.  So, if you are female, you need to take extra care not to get dehydrated.

How to Resolve Dehydration

There are a couple key things that you can do to resolve dehydration.  The most important step is to avoid becoming dehydrated.  To do this you must maintain fluid water intake levels of at least 2L per day. 

If you have become dehydrated there are a few helpful steps that you can take.  The best tip that I have found is taking a water bottle with you everywhere you go.  This encourages you to sip water all day.

Monitoring your water intake is also important.  To do this you can fill a 1L or 2L water bottle in the morning.  And drink all the contents throughout the day to ensure your fluid intake is enough. 

You can also select a glass, or jar that you will drink all of your water from.  Put eight elastics around the cup, and remove one, each time you drink a full glass of water.  This way you can keep track of your fluid intake.

If you are very dehydrated you may find that plain water is not enough to rehydrate you.  Try having some coconut water which is naturally full of electrolytes.  Or adding a bit of salt to your water to help with rehydration.  Soda water is also a good option, if you are easily bored with still water.  Try adding a squirt of fresh lime juice to the soda water, it is delicious!

Remember to take small sips of water if you are very unwell and not tolerating it well.  If this is the case for you, make sure that you always have water with you.  This will make it easier to keep your fluid intake up throughout the day.

Eat hydrating foods!  Watermelon is 92% water! Strawberries are 91%, and cantaloupe is 90% water.  Eating hydrating foods will help to rehydrate your body.  If you are struggling to eat these foods, try adding them to a blender!  This will make them more digestible, and more easily absorbed by your body.

 

The most important aspect of IBD and dehydration is to avoid becoming dehydrated to begin with.  But if you have already become dehydrated, there are plenty of steps that you can take to rehydrate the body. 

Remember that if you are very sick, start slow, and always listen to your body.