Thirst Quencher

[BurnitBlue]

I have a continuous thirst all the time while in Greece during the summer. I recall folk saying that plain Tea is a good thirst quencher. Not for me, too hot to brew it and drink it and no patience to wait a few hours to cool. I don't have Diabetes so I guess it is just the heat that causes my thirst. I have tried Water, and coffee and Tea, with no long lasting relief. Fruit juice is Ok but expensive to drink all day, beer is out of the question as I would be legless by noon. Coke and Sprite is the worse as it only gives a temporary (but very pleasant) respite only to return after a few minutes worse than before.

Can anyone recommend a long lasting thirst quencher please. Obtainable in Greece. What the heck do Greeks drink?

Just had a thought that maybe I am the only one who suffers this continual thirst.

 

[daveyw]

Lipton's lemon tea?

 

[NornaBiron]

Plain water is best. How much do you drink each day? Does your output match your input? Are you sure that you are not diabetic? It might be worth discussing it with your doctor as excessive thirst can indicate problems other than diabetes mellitus.

 

[ChattingLil]

try PLJ. I find it very thirst quenching especially in carbonated water.
have you tried tepid water?

 

[abraxus]

When I used to play football I used to get very thirsty, and water and fizzy drinks didn't seem to work. The best thing I found was Lucozade sport.

 

[BurnitBlue]

When I used to play football I used to get very thirsty, and water and fizzy drinks didn't seem to work. The best thing I found was Lucozade sport.

Liptons lemon tea is good to drink but still thirsty, Plain water is useless because if I drink a lot my stomach gets bigger, there is so much water in there when I poke my stomach with a finger it feels like a water bed so why my brain insists that I need to drink more when I am obviously full of the stuff is a puzzle. No Diabetes because it only happens in Greece when it is hot. I have only been visiting Greece for the last three years so I suspect the local Ionion water is maybe too hard.

Lucozade sounds great and I note that water did not solve your thirst either, abraxus. I can get Lucozade at home but I don't need it there. No problem, coffee or tea in the morning and I am set up for the day.

Previously to this cruise, I sailed about five years in the Atlantic, then Caribbean and USA (Florida). I used to carry a crystal powder called "Tang" an American dried orange that is mixed with water (one or two teaspoons to taste) and that worked very well. I haven't seen it for sale anywhere since. It was an American product.

Thanks for the replies, I did not really expect a magic drink here in Greece because I have seen what is available on the market shelves and I have tried most of them.

 

[abraxus]

My problem with water is the same as yours, in that I get full before my thirst is quenched, and the lucozade seems to solve that problem. Make sure it's the sport though, which is still, and not the fizzy stuff.

 

[BurnitBlue]

My problem with water is the same as yours, in that I get full before my thirst is quenched, and the lucozade seems to solve that problem. Make sure it's the sport though, which is still, and not the fizzy stuff.

I am also thinking that the brain demands more liquid because there is something missing in plane water that the brain thinks I need while plain water, coke, Sprite etc does not contain this stuff. Salts, come to mind, potassium, manganese or some thing like that. I think I take in enough salts via food but maybe not. Certainly I sweat a lot more in Greece than in Northern Europe.

Next time I am in town I will ask at the chemist if there is a sensible supplement. Maybe there isn't one known to him as Greeks have a metabolism that copes with this climate without the need for supplements.

Any way this thirst problem is not cronic just uncomfortable. The more I think about this the more I think that Greek water does not supply the minerals my body needs hence the constant thirst.

 

[Davy_S]

I simply drink more water when its hot, we drink it from the tap, but carry bottled water if we are out and about. Peeps don't pee as much when its mad hot, you sweat more. There is no magic drink or snake oil!

 

[Carmel2]

V8 works for me.

 

[stromboli]

My husband had the same problem when we were in Greece and he started to feel unwell as he was unable to drink any more fluids we had on board a sachet of Dioralyte which is readily available and within half an hour he was feeling fine .Dioralyte is a fast and effective replacement of lost water and body salts.In the four years we were in the Med he needed to take them twice.

 

[prv]

Sounds like possibly the early stages of heat exhaustion? I know part of that is that you can keep drinking water but it does no good, just goes straight through you. You need salt, which is what is actually missing, having been excreted in sweat and not replaced.

Pete

 

[duncan99210]

The reason you're drinking a lot is to replace body fluids lost by sweating. Sweat contains lots of salts, which also need to be replaced, which is why a rehydration product like Dioralyte is a good idea. Mixing half a teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar in a litre of water is about the same as a sachet of Dioralyte and it's a lot cheaper. That should ease the feeling of thirst: if it doesn't, try repeating. Be very wary of drinking too much water, it can cause as many problems as too little. Provided your urine is fairly clear and colourless at least once a day, you're probably drinking about enough.

If the problem persists beyond a few days whilst you acclimatise to the temperature, then you should seek medical advice as it may indicate a more fundamental problem.

 

[OldBawley]

Greeks ( And I ) drink cold coffee. I also remember that a long time ago the men in the field mowing corn by hand drank cold ( Not iced ) coffee.

 

[rivonia]

I have the magic answer...........Robinsons Orange BARLEY Water. Simply mix with good old tap water.

Your problem was my problem and this works for me, I reckon it is all down to the amount of dust in the air in Greek waters.

Hope that it works for you

Good luck

 

[BurnitBlue]

Thanks for all the suggestions, most seem to be quite pleasant to drink. Robinsons orange Barley water. I think I have seen bottles of this on the supermarket shelf here in Preveza. Also I will watch out for heat exhaustion, I recall reading somewhere that one of the symptoms is excessive thirst.

I like the idea of table salt and sugar to mimic Dioralyte.

Cold coffee and cold tea are easy to brew at breakfast if left until noon before drinking.

Anyway, I will get back to this thread in a few days to let you know which worked. I will also go to the chemist (there are at least a dozen of them in the high street) and buy some re-hydration sachets mentioned above (assuming they sell them).

Lucozade sport already mentioned is not available where I shop which is the French chain Carrefours. Lidl is out of range, miles out of town.

Thanks again.

 

[alant]

I have a continuous thirst all the time while in Greece during the summer. I recall folk saying that plain Tea is a good thirst quencher. Not for me, too hot to brew it and drink it and no patience to wait a few hours to cool. I don't have Diabetes so I guess it is just the heat that causes my thirst. I have tried Water, and coffee and Tea, with no long lasting relief. Fruit juice is Ok but expensive to drink all day, beer is out of the question as I would be legless by noon. Coke and Sprite is the worse as it only gives a temporary (but very pleasant) respite only to return after a few minutes worse than before.

Can anyone recommend a long lasting thirst quencher please. Obtainable in Greece. What the heck do Greeks drink?

Just had a thought that maybe I am the only one who suffers this continual thirst.

Have you been checked for diabetes?

 

[alant]

My husband had the same problem when we were in Greece and he started to feel unwell as he was unable to drink any more fluids we had on board a sachet of Dioralyte which is readily available and within half an hour he was feeling fine .Dioralyte is a fast and effective replacement of lost water and body salts.In the four years we were in the Med he needed to take them twice.

Can't you get the same result, by drinking a sugary drink with some table salt in it?

 

[Davegriff]

It sounds to me as if you're simply not drinking sufficient fluids to sustain loss from sweating, and thus ending up deficient in fluids and the necessary salts. I'm sure I read somewhere that once your body becomes under hydrated, it takes several days to recover, so bear in mind that any remedy you try won't be instantanious. You may just get away with a low fluid intake at home, and you may be thinking that by comparison you're drinking loads in Greece, but kidney troubles caused by low fluid intake can be very painful - don't ask how I know.

 

[Davy_S]

I think that PRV has the right answer, if you cannot handle the heat (it could be any Med country) your body cannot control its needs, it needs to be corrected one way or another. We had a heatwave a few years ago, temperatures hit 46c, some elderly Greeks in Athens died through having a heart attack taking cold baths, a lot of Greeks die through swimming every year (over 70s age group) you need to slow down, avoid AC if you can, Athens has dark rooms with aircon to help the elderly who cannot cope. I get fed up of stepping over tourists who have collapsed on the pavement in fur coats, their last words were, Thomson never said it would be so hot!