dehydration

[kman]

I ended up at the hospital yesterday with dizzyness, a little chest pain and sweating, I went just in case, this was the first time I have experienced any kind of chest pain so I thought better safe than dead, my cardio was able to fit me in, he noticed I had clammy hands and did an electrocardiogram which looked the same as my last one,ox was good too, I heard what I wanted to, that Im o.k. for now. He thinks I got dehydrated based on the symtoms and that people with our problem are susceptable to it. I have always been very active and am wondering how much dehydration may have played a part in my overall fatige and dizzy spells over the last few years. After reading about dehydration I have to say it sounds very similar to what Ive been dealing with. I have a ct scan scheduled for monday to look at my root and then I meet with the surgeon to discuss possible surgery. I wonder it dehydration was an issue for anyone prior to having the surgery.
Thanks,Kman

 

[Marguerite53]

Definitely, better safe than dead! I liked that!!

Dehydration is stressful on your body. Your body is already under some stress with the heart condition. So, my guess is that if you stress your body with "activity" and don't compensate adequately for it, the dehydration could certainly affect you more negatively.

It is always difficult to discern which symptoms are coming from where. That is why we all play the numbers game and are grateful for the "measuring devices" which allow us to do the dance with the cardio and the surgeon. Eventually, the surgeon wins in the end!!!

I am a very dry person, and yet water runs right through me. I'm post surgery now and that has not changed at all. Definitely, though, when I'm dehydrated I know it. Dry mouth and headache.

Good info. Thanks for sharing that!!

Marguerite

 

[Cooker]

Definitely, better safe than dead! I liked that!!

Dehydration is stressful on your body. Your body is already under some stress with the heart condition. So, my guess is that if you stress your body with "activity" and don't compensate adequately for it, the dehydration could certainly affect you more negatively.

It is always difficult to discern which symptoms are coming from where. That is why we all play the numbers game and are grateful for the "measuring devices" which allow us to do the dance with the cardio and the surgeon. Eventually, the surgeon wins in the end!!!

I am a very dry person, and yet water runs right through me. I'm post surgery now and that has not changed at all. Definitely, though, when I'm dehydrated I know it. Dry mouth and headache.

Good info. Thanks for sharing that!!

Marguerite

It is very easy for me to go all day without drinking the fluids that I should. As posted in another thread, sometimes we mistake hunger for thirst....that would explain my belly
Marguerite.......I don't think you are dry

 

[Marguerite53]

Cooker....we are not going to hijack this person's thread!!
Though it is true, you will not catch me singing.....how dry I am....especially not on the weekend!

I am curious, though, Kman.... I don't know why we would have a tendency to be dehydrated necessarily. I would enjoy hearing others' comments about it.

Marguerite

 

[Cooker]

Cooker....we are not going to hijack this person's thread!!
Though it is true, you will not catch me singing.....how dry I am....especially not on the weekend!

I am curious, though, Kman.... I don't know why we would have a tendency to be dehydrated necessarily. I would enjoy hearing others' comments about it.

Marguerite

Hold on there No hijack intended I am serious....mant people confuse thirst with hunger. Right after my OHS I was careful/worried about fluid intake due to my problem with fluid around the heart etc. Maybe we as OH people hold back on fluids on a subconscious level

 

[hensylee]

IMHO, I would have to ask questions before I took this as the answer.

1. Had you been involved in heavy activity, perhaps in hot weather or got overheated, that caused you to sweat a whole lot?

2. Are you one of those who does not like water, does not drink water, does not drink many liquids at all, drinks very little water.

Water is the most important thing we take into our bodies. If we don't get but a very little, then we are upsetting lots of things under our skin; actually, from the skin into the rest of our body.

There was an email that went around telling how important water is for us and the things it helps to relieve. I have heard that it isn't necessarily water that we must drink if we don't like it but put it in something that we do like. Water is in coffee, milk - so many things we consume. Sister and I worked together for 8-9 yrs and each of us had a glass of water on our desks all the time and we actually drank it, too.

There is a test you can do yourself. Press your thumb on some soft tissue, like just above your knee, on your arm, your ankle and leave it for a moment or so. If an indentation stays there for a time, you are probably dehydrated.

It's the best drink in the house.

Glad it was not your heart causing the chest pains. Blessins........

 

[kman]

reply

reply

hensylee
just my usual activities and I drink more coffee than water. My question is, are we really more susceptable to dehydration prior to surgery, when your in severe dehydration there is not enough fluid to pump the blood to the extremities of the body, Im guessing that severe stenosis creates much the same problem, so is he suggesting that because I am already having a hard time getting the blood out there that even getting a little dehydrated is more of a problem for me?
My surgeon called this morning and we scheduled a meeting for oct 9th, at this point the decision will be based on symtoms so thats why Im trying to identify whats dehydration, stress, heart disease or hypocondria. My echo and cath were conflicting but based on the fact that my echoes six months apart showed significant change and my something or other is 6.6 my cardiologist is suggesting surgery and a mechanical valve, this is a big deal so I want to be certain I,m making my decision based on the right info (hard to do) Thanks for the input Kman

 

[Susan BAV]

I had a couple of fairly severe instances of dehydration pre-op and before I realized my valve was as in as bad a state as it was.

But I also think I'm still at least somewhat more vulnerable to dehydration now, even with the new valve, than I was many years ago.

Hope you're feeling better now. I've read a person should drink a glass of water for every cup of caffeine they have.

6.6 what?! You need to find out what that is because that sounds like it could be very serious.

 

[hensylee]

I can't answer about the susceptibility part. I just don't recall anyone ever mentioning dehydration in their reports unless they had other issues as well - like fever, etc. Maybe some others will comment and help us out here.

 

[Bina]

Kman, don't worry, you are probably just nervous and stressed. But it is always a good idea to cut down caffeine and drink more water, or even juice is fine. You want to keep your kidneys working.

 

[francie12]

For sure, if you have regurgitation you have to keep your blood volume high--our cardio says 10 glasses of water a day. When your heart is trying to get the necessary amount of blood out to the body, it is much more efficient with what he calls a "full tank." Also anyone taking a blood pressure mediaction needs to stay hydrated to prevent dizziness on standing up. Matt has had a few episodes of extreme dizziness when he has forgotten about the water on a hot day or after exertion.