Why you shouldn't restrict fluid intake

Why you shouldn’t restrict fluid intake

            Indiana pouch patients quickly become aware that restricting fluid intake lets them go an hour or two longer between catheterizations, a useful device to avoid interrupting travel or a social event. That’s OK for special times but it shouldn’t become a habit.

            Inadequate intake of fluids is an invitation to dehydration, especially among older persons, the group that is more likely to have had bladder replacement surgery. Don’t rely on thirst to let you know when you need fluid. The thirst mechanism is quite unreliable in persons over the age of 60. Dehydration causes fuzzy thinking, poor concentration and it increases the risk of falls. In IP patients it causes mucus to become thicker.

            In normal persons as well as in those with an IP, inadequate fluid intake over time increases the risk of stones within the pouch or the kidneys. If you have a personal or a family history of kidney stones you should take extra care to avoid dehydration.

            Whether from an Indian pouch or a normal bladder, urine should always be light yellow and there should be only a mild odor. There are so many factors that affect urine volume (food and fluid intake, ambient temperature, humidity, physical activity, altitude) that the oft-quoted “8 glasses  day” doesn’t make sense. If you’re lounging outside on a cool day it’s too much; if you’re doing yard work on a hot, humid day it’s too little.