Spiro and amounts of water

[melanie2009]

I know that we're suppose to drink loads of water when on spiro, but how much is 'lots of water'? Im like 176 pounds and drink about 2 litres (3 and a half pints) a day.

Melanie

[Muffin]

Yeah sounds like a good amount, when I was on spiro I was drinking 2-3L/day, 2L of it were first thing in the morning to avoid late night/early morning stumblings to the loo.
Monitoring your urine colour helps as well

[melanie2009]

Monitoring your urine colour helps as well

How so Muffin?

melanie

[sarahb]

Monitoring urine color could tell you if you're drinking enough water. If the urine stream comes out white, or mostly white, then you're probably drinking enough water. However, if you're not drinking enough, then the urine stream will come out more yellowish.

When I go to Burning Man each year, this is always a vital piece of information the organization tries to get out to people. Being out in the desert and becoming dehydrated from lack of water is not a good thing. It's also make me aware of it back here at home too.

~Sarah

[Cyndigurl45]

Everyone should be drinking 1/2 there body weight in ounces of water, you are 176 lbs so 88 ounces of water a day then I round up to the nearest 50 on sipro so you should be drinking 100 ounce of water a day AND monitor the urine color AND output should be every couple of hours a good solid white, light yellow stream for a few seconds should be fine.......

Also remember you get hydration from food as well, don't try to count it, it's a bonus.

[Asfsd4214]

I simply found I just wanted to drink more water while on spiro.

The body "usually" tells you when it wants more food or water. 

[Nicky]

I think it is a bit of a myth that you need a lot more water. I guess it partly depends on how diuretic you find spiro but I have not noticed much difference in my water intake. I'm in the drink water when you're thirsty camp. 

2 ltrs sounds like a heck of a lot of water. You must be peeing all the time. 

[AweSAM!]

I found that at some points I was drinking a crazy amount just because I was afraid to get dehydrated from spironolactone; though rarely up past the 4L/day mark (I had/have to pee quite often). I have taken to drinking much, much more water than I did previously, and now it's as if I constantly am trying to determine my level of hydration and keep hydrated. Also, I don't usually drink coffee, so on HRT, I quit drinking it, since I don't need another diuretic. Formerly, I had a diet which was fairly low in salt, so I ramped up my salt consumption to increase hydration/water retention.

Yeah sounds like a good amount, when I was on spiro I was drinking 2-3L/day, 2L of it were first thing in the morning to avoid late night/early morning stumblings to the loo.
Monitoring your urine colour helps as well

I try and consume as much water as early in the day as possible. As Muffin said about the 'stumblings', I assume that's a reference on having to pee. I also became concerned that I would experience incontinence in my sleep due to the lack of those dreaded, but now absent morning erections combined with the diuretic power of spiro . I'm glad that my fears are unfounded/not entirely accurate .

[Muffin]

This is something my endo told me about spiro: Aldactone is only a diuretic in patients with high aldosterone* levels secondary to some other condition.

*Aldosterone is a mineralocorticoid hormone, a type of hormone that is essential to life because it regulates the amounts of electrolytes in the body. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex and responsible for the reabsorption of sodium into the bloodstream. Aldosterone also stimulates the excretion of potassium.

The adrenal cortex, where aldosterone is produced, is part of the adrenal gland. Aldosterone simultaneously regulates sodium and potassium levels, helping to maintain both blood pressure and bodily fluids. If aldosterone levels in the body are out of sync, symptoms can result.

So the more salt you intake the more you pee?? I used to pee like a dog out for a walk when on spiro, but I was also addicted to salty food >_>

[Dana_W]

I haven't switched my water intake a heck of a lot on spiro. Perhaps I'm a bit less hydrated than otherwise, but it's not a hugely noticeable thing. I do note that when I drink a lot of water (or tea or lemonade or whatever) I can't hold it in as long since the spiro. But it's really not that big a day to day difference to me.

[Muffin]

I recently had a thought about spiro and TS girls that find it hard to put on weight. Like my housemate. I Thought fat is basically mostly water right and spiro is a diuretic, I wondered if there was a link. But I guess metabolism can throw that out the window as I'm sure people on spiro can still put on weight :S

[melanie2009]

Ive found it hard to put on wieght since starting spiro. Mainly because it restricts me from eating a lot of potassium rich products.

Melanie

[V M]

I noticed that I felt more dehydrated when I started spiro 

When I get thirsty, I drink a glass of water   

Stay hydrated 

[Nicky]

I can't help but think that a lot of spiro issues are self inflicted. I think the diuretic effects and potassium retention effects are exagerated.

Dehydration is not something to worry too much. You will know you are becomming dehydrated if you feel thirsty, or your pee is really dark.  If you are low on salt you will crave it (you might get muscle cramps if really depleted, in which case lick a bit of salt), If your bloods says potassium is high then do something about it. Untill then I don't think there is much to worry about.  Pre-empting it all just sounds like a hastle with not too much to gain.

(though if you have kidney issues etc. don't listen to me, take the advise of your endo or doctor and get regular bloods to be sure)

[Abby]

As a cyclist I drink  salt water solution before I ride.  Every day really.  I use "lite" salt which is 50/50 NaCl and KCl.  Especially in the summer, like in SoCal, invaluable.  I think salt is the reason people over eat.  They keep cuttin salt from the diet more and more.

Now that I take spiro is it safe to take salt.  Maybe just NaCl?  I don't have a blood pressure issue (but now I have a salt retention problem and ED). 

[Nicky]

I would avoid the KCL (potassium choloride). Body tends to retain potassium on Spiro and it can be bad if you have too much.

Salt itself (sodium chloride) is fine on spiro, your body tends to get rid of it more readily. In fact if you are training hard you might want to think about taking more, otherwise you could get depleted (especially if you start noticing muscle cramps). But then you said you have salt retention issues, mmm maybe your salt drinks are not such a good idea.

I would check with your prescriber though. Worth getting expert advise on such things.

[Muffin]

I noticed on spiro that the veins in my hands would be bulgy but now on androcur they are back to normal, which happened almost over night. Plus not having to pee on the hour every hour is awesome ^_^