Can my problems be due to mild dehydration?

[withtalent]

I am beginning to wonder if problems I am having is realated to dehydration. I have been tired all the time...it doesn't matter if I had 3 hours of sleep or 10 hours of sleep. Therefore, I am lazy, It seems to be a chore for me to clean. I get hot and weak/nauseous fairly quickly. I can not handle heat, I get feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous. I have stomach cramps from time to time, I believe I am constipated often. I rarely can get myself to go do anything other than work. I think the only reason I do that is because I know if I don't, we would have major money problems. I get weak/exhasted very quickly when I have to do anything that requires physical activity. When I wake up (I have trouble getting out of bed), I feel...almost like I have a hangover, minus nausea.

I think it is. Ever since I was a kid, we drank A LOT of Soda. I never drink water. I basically have nothing but caffienated drinks (Tea, soda, coffee). I believe this has caught up to me (I'm 28 yrs old). I have done some research and it listed a lot of these symptoms for mild dehydration. I RARELY drink water. (For the most of atleast 15 years) I also saw that it could cause a rapid pulse. My pulse has been high as long as I can remember. Normally upper 80's to lower 100's.

Do you think all of this could be caused by dehydration. Am I dehydrated all the time?

[fullmergavin]

There are a lot of websites now selling complete urinalysis strips. One of the better tests that you could probably do is an early morning urine sample after an overnight fast. if the specific gravity comes back above 1.02, than there's a fairly good chance that you're dehydrated. You would have to fast for 7 hours for the test to be accurate.

If you don't want to spend the $30 on strips, you can always try to just pinch the lower part of your arm once. If the tissue takes the least amount of time to go back down, the chances are strong that you're dehydrated. If it "Bounces right back," at least you know that it's probably not an urgent situation.

I've never been one that's believed in the caffeine/dehydration possibility all too much, to be honest. I think that it's the first thought for most of us, but testing seems to rarely ever prove it to be true.

The problem I DO HAVE with ALL carbonated beverages is that they contain "Engineered strains" of Asperigillus. Mycotoxins are the 3rd most carcinogenic substance known to man, and they mainly come from Asperigillus.

The thought process in the food and beverage industry is that a few cans of soda per day isn't going to ever turn into Asperigillosis, and they're probably right. Over time, however, there just aren't enough studies available to prove anything either way.

Beyond that issue, caffeine itself has been known to disrupt the TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone), and it has been indicated w/ adrenal insufficiency. Those studies are at least fact. I'm still convinced that half of these thyroid issues are related to short term metabolic  toxicities, and it's fact that the stuff that usually goes along with caffeine isn't all too good for ya.

Over the years I've come to the conclusion that the brain is usually the enemy for our health, and more often than not such problems arrive due to over stimulating the poor guy.

[withtalent]

Thank you for your response. I realize that I need to drink water. It has been so many years of not drinking water, it is sooo hard to get myself to drink it and not to drink caffiene. I did try to quit at one time. I didn't drink any caffiene that day and by 1:00 pm (getting up at 6 am) I had a massive headache, that didn't go away until almost 8 hours later drinking caffiene again (plus I had taken pain medicine). I'm going to try to reduce my caffiene gradually. Hopefully I can do it that way in time. Thanks again.

[mowie]

I hate drinking water too - but love it when I add a few drops of lemon juice to it. It makes it quite refreshing. Try it!

[Angie O'Plasty]

One idea, to see if the caffeinated drinks/dehydration are contributing to your problems would be to eliminate them for a period of time (you might have some withdrawal symptoms for a few days) and drink lots of water, and see how you feel.  The symptoms you describe do sound like they could be caused by mild dehydration.  However, it would be prudent to talk to your doctor about this as well rather than just going by what I or anyone else says on this forum, helpful though some of the information may be.  Hope you feel better soon!