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Constant thirst

constant thirst

Hi everyone

I am new to this forum. Was just wondering if anyone who has UC have constant thirst no matter how much water you drink. I have had my UC under control for a good many years but am still taking Pentasa i stopped two days ago because i cant stick the thirst but after stopping i am still thirsty. anyone else have this problem

thanks in advance
 
Hi Esther12!

I'm no expert on UC or Crohn's as I'm only newly diagnosed myself.

I would certainly see my family doctor for unexplained persistent thirst, though. IBD can affect your absorption (and metabolism?) of various nutrients, and so there could quite feasibly be some chemical imbalance causing your thirst.

Also, and I don't mean to scare you but it is important, thirst can be a common symptom of diabetes. That's not to say that unrelenting thirst=diabetes, but it is very important to check that out, just in case.

Let us know what you find out. Good luck.

Nitty X
 

KWalker

Moderator
Water is extremely important for a persons body. When they say you're supposed to drink the equivalent of 8 bottles of water each day, its really the truth. You should have a drink every single time your mouth or lips start to feel dry as that's a sign you need to drink.

Try this. Pinch the skin on the top of your hand. What happens? Does it drop back down instantly, is it slow, or does it stay up there?
 
thanks nitty i was thinking the same it might be diabetes so i have make an appointment with my doctor for monday sort it out . Really hope it is nothing as im getting married in may and really dont need to be sick

thanks Kwalker i pinched skin on hand and it went back down instantly what does this mean?
 
Hi Cupcake

No craving just dry throat and mouth the whole time always needing water no matter if i take a drink straight away i need another
 
I haven't heard of dry mouth as a side effect, but I'm not any kind of expert.

I've had many other IBD patients over the years tell me how they often craved ice. It was often attributed to inflammation and iron deficiencies.

I've heard that patients with ulcers often are constantly thirsty as the raised levels of acid in the stomach cause the thirst. Not sure if this is true, though.
 
going to the doctor on monday and hopefully will be sorted out. the thing im worred about is that it is something different as ive been in remission for a few years now
 

KWalker

Moderator
Esther, that means you're not dehydrated which is a good thing. Its called elasticity and if you pinched your skin and it stayed there that would mean you were dehydrated. You want it to go back down instantly.
 
ok thanks for that i didnt know that at all.

ok looks like im lacking something maybe need vitamins

worse case im diabetic
 
Many of my medications list dry mouth as a possible side effect. Perhaps you could read up on the meds you are on? There are times when I couldn't spit if you paid me to.
 
UC affects the large colon which has a major job of removing fluids from your stool. If you have any Diarrhea well that would explain it. Also some pain killers will make you really thirsty also
 
Hi Esther,

I have had the same issue as you. Some days I feel that my mouth is incessantly dry and drink bottle after bottle. Its odd because it seems like my body is not absorbing the water and its going right through me. I had my bloodwork done and know it is not diabetes related. And it is not necessarily related to bowel movement for a particular day (I have UC). I have read that thirst can be influenced by stomach acid, diet, etc but have yet to figure it out. Did you ever figure out your thirst issue? Would love to know...
Congratulations on the wedding!

Thanks
 
Dry mouth too

I'm also having dry mouth issues and constant thirst. I think perhaps it's a sinus issue with me. Does anyone else have a tendency to get bunged up nose all the time?

I went for a diabetes test and am delighted to says it was negative!
 
I have the same problem, though I have Crohns rather than UC. No matter how much water I drink I'm constantly thirsty - I can easily have a few glugs of water and 30 seconds later I feel thirsty again. I thought it might be due to a deficiency of some nutrient but I'm yet to discover what. I'm currently on enteral nutrition so I shouldn't be too deficient any more but I still have the constant thirst. It would be so nice to know the cause. I too am on Pentasa.

Sarah
 
Try sipping more and use a sports drink with electrolytes in it. From what I understand we tend to need more salt then others.
 
Hi Sarah

Hi Sarah , I've got crohns too rather than UC. I'm new to this forum stuff but have had crohns since mid teens and I'm now 30 ( how depressing a thought). I've been on the same meds as you over the years and am currently rebelling and taking nothing. Don't feel any worse or better than normal. The dry mouth thing is relatively new but doesn't coincide with being off the meds.

I've been reading up and it might be diet related. Got to say I'm eating more processed food at the moment because of work/ family time pressures.

Have you just developed this prob too?

PS. Sorry to hear about misdiagnosis. Locam GP referred me to GI on a whim after years of 'food poisoning' incidents. At uni the docs were convinced I was making up my crohns because they could see nothing on the colonoscopy. I'm not a mad fan of docs as a result.
 
Does anyone have Crohn's along with Sjogren's? I understand it causes dry mouth, among other things. Just curious.
 
Hi
I went to doctor after and i dont have diabetes thank god , he done blood tests and nothing so ive still had no cure the only thing i can put it down to is the pentasa. looks like its just something we have to put up with. Also we are going to start trying for a baby does anybody if pentasa will effect us
 
Gosh dang. I'm never thirsty but my mouth is always dry so I force myself to drink and drink and drink. My crohn's is in remission without meds but for some reason I still need tons of water. I'm currently being tested for pituitary tumor (acromegaly) :(
 
The thirst is because you are not absorbing water through your gut wall properly - too much of it is passed out, especially when you're flaring and have diarrhoea.

The UC meds also cause dry mouth.
 
I heard once that thirst means that you are already semi dehydrated! So you should be drinking little sips throughout the day. I think it's very hard to overdo water, unless you're a marathon runner! But yes, I would caution you on the diabetes...that could be an indicator.
 
I have "Steroid Induced Diabeties". The higher my Prednisone dosage, the higher my blood sugar. I couldn't drink enough water and couldn't pee fast enough. Doc said it was the diabeties. Was up all night standing before the toilet instead of sitting. (guess I should have been grateful). Before it was diagnosed, my sugar levels were in the 500/600's. My meter couldn't register it. At this time, I am on a lower dosage of Prednisone, (30mg), so my levels are in check. But when I raise the dosage, (40mg or higher), I must take Lantis and Humalog. At this time, I am taking 30mg Prednisone, 4000mg Sulfasalizene, 100mg 6-MP. Have had UC for 4 1/2 years. The meds arent doing any good. Am starting Vedo study on Monday. It's in the 4th phase, and sounds promising. The next step would be removal,,,, but we'll get to that point when the time comes. Will keep ya'll updated. Good luck to everyone.
 
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