Always Thirsty

I know others have mentioned it before but I wanted to find out how many people other than me are always thirsty? I always need to be within arms length of something to drink and carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. It's been like this my whole life. I know I'm on the extreme end but I wonder how common this is with other Chiarians....

I'm usually not thirsty. It can take me a full 8 hours to drink a 16oz bottle of water. I do have a cup of hot tea and sometimes a cup of coffee thrown in there but I can go a really long time without drinking anything. Everyone thinks I'm strange because I don't really drink anything with my meals. I'll have a glass of iced tea or something after I eat but not during.

Most of the time I have to really try to force myself to drink more often. Every once in awhile I go through a period where I'm insanely thirsty for a few days but it's rare.

ME!! I'm not sure if I've been thirsty my whole life or not, but constantly for the past 20 years at least (I'll be 36 next month). I drink sips of water all day long... and several times/night too. I tried drinking larger amounts less often, but it did nothing for the thirst and just made me need to be even more... even though I have to pee almost constantly anyway.

So weird I too drink water all the time,constantly thirsty.Never associated with chiari.

Denise x

I always have a cup of something with me and gum for ER didn't know untill I read up on Chiari

Thirsty..and have dry lips...I am a nurse and always have stethoscope, pen, glasses and at least two types of lip gloss in my scrub pocket..I may forget to take a pen to work..but never the lip gloss. I attributed this to moving to TX 5 yrs ago..but I guess i've always been this way.

Teresa,

Nothing quenches my thirst for any period of time either. If I take gulps it just makes me go more often. I just keep drinking and drinking and drinking! LOL Water that is.
Wendy
Teresa said:

ME!! I'm not sure if I've been thirsty my whole life or not, but constantly for the past 20 years at least (I'll be 36 next month). I drink sips of water all day long... and several times/night too. I tried drinking larger amounts less often, but it did nothing for the thirst and just made me need to be even more... even though I have to pee almost constantly anyway.

Emmaline,

I am going to talk to my PCP about POTS. I'm so glad it's better for you since surgery. Mine helped with bladder control but not thirst. I get very cranky if I forget to take a water bottle with me. My kids now make sure we have a few if we go out together. : /

Wendy

Emmaline said:

The last couple of years were the same way for me. It is a symptom of POTS. I HAD to have water with me always. Since surgery it's better, and now I don't have to have it with me in the car like if I go to the grocery store.

Now that the weather is cooler it's even better for me. It was so weird....

Beeba,

I have giant cups that I use at home and I take them with me if we go anywhere to stay. Small cups are useless. I don't drink anything anymore but water, coffee and tea. I like to have those big bottles of Evian when I go out so I don't have to think about pacing myself. It's my luxury every once in awhile. My thirst is never quenched and I don't retain it either.

Wendy

Beeba said:

I have been thirsty my whole life. I buy a car based on how many cup holders. I never leave or am without a drink. When I was a small kid my aunt commented to my mother - most kids ask for water for attention but she always drinks it all. And the funny part is I am always dehydrated. Every time I went to the hospital even when I wasn't vomiting they give me two bags of fluid because I show dehydration. I have ashy dry skin year round. Been tested for diabetes - always negative and normal. After recently wearing a holter it pulled my skin off my chest.

Anglyn,

That is completely foriegn to me. It's actually hard for me to understand when people tell me that. I can't imagine. Or if someone says they don't drink water...Wow! Can't imagine. I'm sure it's much easier on your bladder though. : )

Wendy

Anglyn said:

I'm usually not thirsty. It can take me a full 8 hours to drink a 16oz bottle of water. I do have a cup of hot tea and sometimes a cup of coffee thrown in there but I can go a really long time without drinking anything. Everyone thinks I'm strange because I don't really drink anything with my meals. I'll have a glass of iced tea or something after I eat but not during.

Most of the time I have to really try to force myself to drink more often. Every once in awhile I go through a period where I'm insanely thirsty for a few days but it's rare.

Yep. Water is the only thing that 'helps' at all. I drink a mocha (caffeine free) every morning and the occasional cup of milk or juice, but otherwise it is water, water, water. My ex didn't drink water all that often and it was just foreign to me. He could actually drink other things and STOP being thirsty. Weird concept. ;) lol

My 16 month old daughter was recently diagnosed with CM 1 and is always thirsty. Ever since her diagnosis I always wondered if her thirst was related to Chiari, but I just blew it off thinking her sippy cup was sort of a comfort item to her, so it's interesting to hear others that are thirsty.

I can't speak for wendyanne, but I've, personally, been tested for diabetes at least a half a dozen times.... among many other blood tests. Excessive thirst is listed as a symptom of Chiari.

I have dry mouth which I never had before, which at first docs though was thrush. So I'm always thirsty and dry. Also have to scrub my tongue extra hard to get off all the gunk it can't rid its self of :( It's nasty. But even after surgery I'm still the same way, very very thirsty and w/in arms length of a drink as well.

No, I don't take topomax. That's for headaches right? My headaches are different now, and weird, but I think it's more stress related, because I notice I don't get them until I'm really stressed or tired/physical stress.

Wendyanne,

Also check out EDS symptoms. Another Member mentioned to me being thirsty is a symptom of EDS & many Chiarians have EDS also.