Rehydration drinks etc

[ianabc]

United Nations /W.H.O. re hydration ....

http://www.wanterfall.com/Travel-Health/Oral-Rehydration.htm



scroll down for three receipes

 

[Tricia]

Best bet is just to keep drinking water/orange squash etc. But, if badly dehydrated, sachets containing glucose and essential minerals for dissolving in water are available from chemists and are generally better and much cheaper tha branded energy drinks.

+1

Used these a lot in Dubai. Rob was working there and would get home and just curl up from cramp - he looked like a giant insect with his arms and legs curled up - a doctor friend recommended getting hydration sachets from the chemist. Mind you, Rob's prob wasn't so much dehydration, but over hydration. He was drinking so much water that he was flushing electrolites(not sure that is the correct term, but salts etc) out of his body, hence the bad cramps.

 

[GrahamM376]

+1

Used these a lot in Dubai. Rob was working there and would get home and just curl up from cramp - he looked like a giant insect with his arms and legs curled up - a doctor friend recommended getting hydration sachets from the chemist. Mind you, Rob's prob wasn't so much dehydration, but over hydration. He was drinking so much water that he was flushing electrolites(not sure that is the correct term, but salts etc) out of his body, hence the bad cramps.

Was he flushing salts or, did he never take any in due to de-salinised water there? Have heard this can be a problem with long term use of watermakers.

 

[nigelmercier]

See here

 

[Keen_Ed]

Don't overdo it. Much hype about dehydration. If you're thirsty, have a drink.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2013/01/dangerous-exercise-hype-of-dehydration.html

 

[Tricia]

Was he flushing salts or, did he never take any in due to de-salinised water there? Have heard this can be a problem with long term use of watermakers.

He was drinking a lot of water, especially in July and August as temps would sometimes top 50 degrees around midday. It was hell.

We did mostly drink bottled water, which in theory should have all the minerals and salts already in them.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I'd try drinking some of the rehydration drinks available before you decide to start dosing a significant amount of your water supply. To me the things taste so disgusting they're all but undrinkable and are more likely to be the cause of the dehydration in the first place.

 

[Niall1975]

unless you re dealing with special cases, e.g. small children, patients with other issues such as kidney disease, then a general mixture as above, administered by mouth, is fine. Some variation in the sugar seems to be advocated by some authorities:-



http://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm#recipes
"Preparing 1 (one) Litre solution using Salt, Sugar and Water at Home

Mix an oral rehydration solution using one of the following recipes; depending on ingredients and container availability:

Ingredients:

* Half (1/2) teaspoon of Salt

* Six (6) teaspoons of Sugar

* One Litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled"

There is a concensus, however, on not drinking too much too quickly. Perhaps a cupful an hour for someone who is severely dehydrated allows the stomach to absorb fluids better than just swallowing a whole litre in one go.

Much depends on the body mass.

This is much the same as we use during the high summer in Greece. If we are out all day we use 1 1/2 litres with 6 sugar and 1 salt and some diluting juice to give it some flavour. Spread it out over the course of the day drinking normal water the rest of the time. Replaces the electrolytes you lose with sweating. Other option is to eat a couple of packets of crisps during the day and just drink normal water.

Niall

 

[Seajet]

I suffer an ilness - CVS, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome - which causes me to be ultra violently sick for 3 day periods, food is impossible and water comes straight back up, so re-hydration is something I've learned about; when going through this I am so desperately thirsty, but can't keep water down...

Once the really bad sickness has subsided, ' Dioralyte ' is the stuff to take to restore the body's minerals and salts, along with fruit juice; I find diluted tomato juice the best as straight juice is too sharp on the throat.

Contrary to popular belief, water alone is not the best stuff for re-hydration.

This also applies to seasickness; if having water, the best bet is the mineral water bottles which have a teat to suck, much easier when a boat is moving around, aircraft crew use them for the same reason.

As these bottles are usually small and the 'wastage' into a bucket high, re-filling the bottle from a larger source will usually be necessary.

Dioralyte is pleasant tasting, I use blackcurrant flavour; about £4.40 for 4 sachets, every boat first aid kit should have a box or two - it has to be asked for in chemists but doesn't contain anything nasty.

 

[Seajet]

I was commenting on times of severe sickness, when food of any kind if even mentioned is likely to cause a setback, let alone the smell of cooking; which is of course sometimes necessary for the rest of the crew.

I might have CVS, but count myself lucky as I don't get seasickness; but I've had crew who did, and tried to care for them as it's a truly awful feeling.

Rossynant seems to have suddenly appeared on various YBW forums with smartarse comments, while not having experienced the subjects involved in any of them...

 

[Seajet]

Rossynant,

it would have been helpful if you'd explained your views are based on personal illness.

Mine are, after years of really severe sickness and rehydration and lots of advice from specialist Doctors, so I was a bit miffed when you seemed to be undermining all I said; I and I'm sure yourself just seek to pass on the maximum help to people, in the hope all that gut-wrenching suffering may have some positive result for others !

So, to recap;

if suffering severe seasickness, a water bottle of the type with a teat to suck is a godsend.

The term 'mineral water' is irrelevant and just means clean untainted water.

These bottles are small and will need topping up for the casualty.

When the sickness subsides, Dioralyte ( or a home made substitute ) is a good idea; one sachet mixes with a tumbler of water, and the pleasant taste will be welcome to anyone who has been very sick.

Talking of pleasant taste, weak orange squash or similar may also be welcome.

Fruit juice has a lot of the salts and sugars one needs and is the first thing recommended by Doctors, but may be a bit sharp on a torn throat, so I use diluted tomato juice, then undiluted when I can manage it.

Sickness like this leaves the casualty feeling very cold, so plenty of sleeping bags, a duvet and / or even a space blanket are a good idea.

A radio may help keep the casualties' mind off it, a little at least !

To non sufferers, please remember severe sickness like this ( mainly seasickness in this forums' case ) is truly awful, way beyond ' feeling a bit dodgy ' ...

"At first you're afraid you're going to die;

then as it goes on you're afraid you might not ! "

 

[Seajet]

Rossynant,

as I explained earlier on I don't get seasickness either, but was trying to offer, from first hand experience of prolonged sickness, help to those who do suffer; and I really mean the term ' Suffer ' !

 

[Seajet]

Rossynant,

good grief !!!

I for one welcome your input, it's just the way you put it that seems to decry previous posts ( most importantly, mine ! ) if there's a club of established contributors - no such thing I'm sure -, I'm as far on the outside as yourself !

 

[Marsupial]

Any advice on the best ones to take away?

you dont say where you are going, but in my experience in Saudi where 98% humidity and 55 deg is common place, water is the best option and you need lots of it. At least 2 ltrs per person per day but I would not be surprised if you drank double that.

IF you find you are feeling a bit run down the trots sachets mentioned above are good in moderation, example one every couple of days.

The rehydration drinks tended to make us feel more thirsty, water is a definite winner by a large margin - IMHE.

 

[Seajet]

Marsupial,

was that actually 're-hydration ' drinks ( if so the make would be handy to know please )

or ( legal ) ' sports go-faster ' stuff ?!

Water alone is known not to be the best thing for re-hydration, ask a doctor.

 

[Marsupial]

Marsupial,

was that actually 're-hydration ' drinks ( if so the make would be handy to know please )

or ( legal ) ' sports go-faster ' stuff ?!

Water alone is known not to be the best thing for re-hydration, ask a doctor.

I have to say that we didn't suffer dehydration but others did, we were prepared and drank enough to keep the shivers and fainting at bay. The treatment for dehydration (that we did see) involved an overnight stay in hospital and constant monitoring of bloods and lots of saline drips, its not a malady to be taken lightly or treated DIY. Having seen the effects of dehydration and its treatment I am convinced that best approach is be prepared and don't get dehydrated.

sorry cant give you the maker of the potions we sampled, we tried the sports drinks and re-hydration drinks and despite what the doctor says we felt better with old fashioned water; being Saudi it was all bottled.

Some people did mix honey or glucose with fizzy bottled water but I am not sure if that was to make cheap lucosade? (however you spell it) or if they thought it was better for them.

As for minerals it is now acknowledged that unless the mineral content is very high there is no benefit or harm in the mineral content of bottled water; there is not enough mineral to make a difference. If you are deficient in a mineral is generally a dietary deficiency. See the case for and against RO water makers, the water and minerals thing was an global sailing myth that was busted some years ago.

I concede that here in Turkey kidney stones and gall stones are often attributed to the minerals in the mains water but I have no medical evidence to support that, its what the local population say. That said out here kettles fur up at an alarming rate, hardness is off the scale, far worse than say Kent in UK.

On board we keep tabs on how much we drink (as you can over do it) but between 1 and 2 litres a day per person is our normal intake, if the work rate goes up so does the water consumption.

 

[sailorgirl]

Was he flushing salts or, did he never take any in due to de-salinised water there? Have heard this can be a problem with long term use of watermakers.

Here in DXB the expat community mostly drink bottled water partly because the tap water tastes awful, partly because the quality can't be guaranteed in some areas and partly because bottles are more easily portable. In extreme heat we use isotonic powder (lemon flavour is best) to supplement the salts we get from things like crisps.

Interestingly we took part in a study into dehydration and its impact whilst marshalling in a desert rally last April. Our team of experienced desert drivers, all used to looking after themselves for long periods in the heat, turned out to be one of the best hydrated groups of the lot. Amazingly our salt levels etc were normal despite having being on our 4th successive day in 40 deg plus heat! We habitually drank rehydration drinks made up as required by adding powder to bottled water as well as plenty of plain "room temperature" water and salty snacks. The doctor taking our samples & testing us congratulated us on our little and often approach, some of the other teams had had virtually black urine!

The problem here is the amount of sugar we take in via canned drinks in our attempts to vary the liquid intake!

 

[Seajet]

Sailorgirl,

that's interesting stuff thanks and backs up all I've been told.

Marsupial,

if I mentioned 'minerals' - ie salts, electrolytes - it was in proper treatments like Dioralyte and the sugars one gets from fruit juices; ' mineral water ' is just handy pure untainted stuff, no minerals of any use at all, just useful if one is sick or otherwise thirsty, as mentioned the bottles with a teat to suck are very convenient if on a moving boat.

You are right about dehydration being serious, when on a barge in Burgundy I was working on deck in 30 degrees C, and no water was available; I felt dreadful and I'm sure any Doctor would have insisted on a saline / glucose drip.

 

[Conachair]

In the tropics I used just water with half a lemon squeezed into a litre bottle kept in the fridge. Very refreshing, got through prob couple of litres a day

 

[Pete7]

Slight drift, but the best I ever came across was lime crystals we used to get from RN contacts when the family lived in Malta (not yesterday).
It came in MOD issue gallon tins. Just add a tablespoonful of crystals in a pint of water and you have rehydration and enough salts to keep you going.
I have never come across the stuff since which is a shame because it was nowhere as sweet as lime cordial.

Known as screech, far more bitter than lime cordinal. Chefs used it to make lemon sorbet for starters at mess dinners.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Screech_Powder

Another quote from the internet:

"SkRREEEchh, orange or Lemon guarrenteed to give you and Ester Ransen first try ( ie such so hard your top lip retracts showing all your front teeth ) mind you if you had eaten enough Cheese possesed they where probably worn away. Today they just get issued powdered fruit drinks in sachets now any old Skreetch packets have to be handed in for disposal at Porton Down"


Pete