TOPIC:

Hello all,
I know this gets mentioned all over the place here in different threads, but for me it has turned out to be such an important part of how I feel during tx I thought it was deserving of it's own thread.
For me, the one thing that almost always works to help ward off the side effects of the meds is drinking insane amounts of water. I am probably drinking 8 to 10 litres daily. It helps with the headaches, sore muscles, indigestion etc. More than any med I have taken to alleviate symptoms. Besides the fact that I am insanely thirsty all the time.
I know this is not news to most everyone here, but again, I thought it deserved it's own thread. So drink up and feel better!

Hi Ken,

Seems to work for me too! My experience has been much like yours in that keeping well hydrated seems to make a big difference to the sides particularly things like headaches which I can feel fading away as I increase my water levels. I don't drink quite as much water as you but at least 2.5 - 3 litres plus other fluids such as coffee, juices, etc. (plus I eat a lot of fruit) but that increases a lot in hot weather.
What I do is drink enough water to be just this side of being really annoyed by having to pee all the time, so if I'm going every hour or so I figure that is acceptable from both a comfort and hydration level.

Besides the fact that I am insanely thirsty all the time

Get your blood sugar checked. Finger prick or urine dipstick - there should be no sugar in your urine.

There are much higher rates of diabetes in HCV patients, and treatment can set it off in some.

Thirst is the most common symptom of diabetes.

From the SVR point of view if you are diabetic ask for metformin to start. SVR rates are better if diabetes is managed properly.

Thanks Doc! I actually am type 2 diabetic for the last 10 years or so. The weird thing is that I never have high blood sugars anymore, but I do crash quite a bit and get hypoglycemic. This started about a year ago when the hep c made me lose my appetite and I lost a lot of weight. Now on tx it is even more pronounced. I wonder if the exaggerated thirst is a symptom of diabetes whether ones blood sugars are high or not. I test myself regularly. I never even get prediabetic readings anymore. I control the diabetes with diet and exersise.
In my other post you mentioned taking vitamin B12, supplements which I am doing. The thing is my haemoglobin count came on the high side on my 4 and 8 week blood tests. Is it still a good idea to take B12 if your haemoglobin count is high?

wow, 10 litres a day of water seems a HUGE amount!!

Sometimes you can drink too much water, I wonder if the doc thinks that's excessive?

I believe the amount should be not in excess of around 3.7 liters for a bloke & a little less for a female.

If you can drink some sports drinks containing sodium, that can help to balance out all that increased water intake so one doesn't get hypernatremia.( think that's how it's spelt?)

Cindi x

OH!! maybe NOT energy drinks are good!!

Just saw Doc James's post about Taurine & saw that the energy drinks contain Taurine

So while on tx probably steer clear....sorry
x

Yeah, Kenbadsman, as CJ pointed out there is such a thing as drinking too much water - hyponatremia which causes the sodium levels to drop too much and therefore 'hold' water in cells in response - apparently anything over 4 ltd a day. On average we need around 2.5 l, varies by size, sex and health factors. We get a lot of water from food and other beverages. If we're sweating a lot, or diarrhoea, then we're losing water and body salts which is why electrolytes are recommended.
I'm thirsty all the time too and have a water bottle constantly at hand even at night.
I don't think i've been tested for diabetes, so I might get that checked.

Like everything else - Moderation - you can have too much of a Good Thing

Lots of people with hep seem to get Insulin Resistance , it must be caused by the virus, It's got nothing to do with weight as I had it & I wasn't over weight.
But I got rid of the IR quickly by doing MORE exercise & going on a low G.I. diet.

Now that I'm hep free, I still do plenty of exercise, but I'm not as strict with diet as I allow myself some Gelato now and occasional drink, but once you cut down the sugar, you'll find the cravings cut down as well!!
so not so hard really.

Also I've continued with drinking more water & always have a water bottle with me.
A good habit to have!

Cindi x

Thanks for the info on too much water everybody. I had no idea. I will start water withdrawal tomorrow. Lol. Only 2.5 weeks left of tx and then I assume my water cravings will lessen....

Here's what the Mayo Clinic suggests is an adequate intake of water:

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day.

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nut...h/water/art-20044256

Anything over 4-5 litres is a worry as it can cause low sodium (which can be a real health hazard) and if it is driven by thirst can represent a sign of diabetes in particular.

When I had those tricky blood tests and they couldn't get blood, I was told drinking water helped. (I have found it does) but the 1st time , I went a bit OTT just before the blood test and my sodium came up low !

An infectious deseases nurse friend of mine said "Keep hydrated but don't over-hydrate" .

Thanks Doc.,I started slowing down on the water some weeks ago after reading how it could be problematic in this very thread. Luckily in the last couple of weeks of treatment my intense craving for water has diminished as well. I stopped feeling like a dried out old husk, so backing off the water wasn't such a big deal. But nonetheless drinking water has helped with lots of the sx to a surprising degree...

I was advised by members of another forum to drink loads of water whilst on DAA treatment. I mentioned it to my hepatologist and he said that he wasn't aware of any medical reason why one should have to drink more fluids on DAAs but said it was generally a good thing to keep well hydrated.

My experience has been that for the first few weeks of treatment I needed to drink more fluid and I felt thirsty a lot of time. I'm not a big fan of water but I made myself drink 3 litres or more a day. But from week 4 onwards the need for water lessened and I only went back to drinking my usual amount with not ill effect or return of side-effects.

I'm 1 week away from EOT and still get thirsty. Drink water as I need it.

Hi everyone
I'm nine weeks past EOT and still keeping my hydration at a premium and intend on continuing same. It's a great habit to carry a water bottle.

My skin is slightly dry from Harvoni after Peginf damage to it and I was advised by my GP to continue my water intake and I wear a moisturiser too now with spf50+ it is organic and cost a lot. The combination of good hydration and the creme has helped achieve glowing skin by comparison to b4 this tx.

Re liver health, which is the most important thing:
My ALT is <9 at mo and I truly believe that the daily water intake has helped achieved this amazing healthy function.

My gums have been affected by Harvoni. They are still sore. This may be because of my earlier tx or just the DAA I won't ever really know. Again, water rinse is soothing and cleansing.

I think it's great how the Harvoni made me thirsty.... it's improved my habits because I used to drink a lot of electrolyte drink but now just water to hydrate. So, happy H2O friends

Bottoms up!
Cheers!
Ariel