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How to combat initial thirst?.?

Keeleyweely

Keeleyweely

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all.. My boyfriend has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and has been put on metformin twice a day. He is yet to see a diabetic nurse or a dietician, but his blood sugars are running quite high. The ability to quench his thirst is the hardest thing for him at the moment and so was wondering if you had any ideas on how to combat this. He is used to drinking full fat fizzy pop, so is finding it quite hard to move on to water, tea etc. if you have any suggestions of sugar free sweet drinks, and not just diet sodas it would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
Water.

As his body can't process glucose properly, he feels he needs sugar. But in reality the kidneys are working overtime to flush the glucose away, hence the trips to the toilet. He then gets de-hydrated, so feels the need to drink, and fizzy sugary pop fits the bill nicely for both.as well. And so it goes on. It was something I drank in gallons as well.

So lots of water, then he'll have to try with every diet drink, every tea known to mankind, and anything else that you see I'm afraid.

But get him off the pop asap.
 
Thanks for that. He is trying but keeps complaining that the water feels like it burns he's drinking that much! How long does this thirst go on for?
 
short answer is until his blood sugars are down below the threshhold (about 11m/mol)
he needs to do some exercise and lower his carbs as well to reduce his blood sugar - he'll feel better for doing so even if he doesnt want to do it.
 
Hi,

There is some usueful information for you on the Newly Diagnosed board. It explains the role of carbohydrates and other useful information.

You could try water with slices of lemon and lime in, very refreshing.
 
Thanks I think he's willing to try anything at the moment. When you are so used to drinking fizzy pop it's hard for him to adjust. I'm actually a diabetic retinal eye screener/ grader so know a lot about diabetic eye disease but only know the basic information on good and drink.


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I lived on lucozade until I was diagnosed!
 
i remember the terrible thirst, i would stand at the sink, drink a pint of water, refill it and take that into the living room within 5 minutes id feel like id spent 2 years in the desert and was up getting another pint, its awful, he needs to reduce the sugars, the thirst is unquenchable imo good luck,

strangely as soon as the sugars came down i was never thirsty, and i do mean never, i could have gone days without a drink, i had to force myself to drink
 
Andy12345 said:
i remember the terrible thirst, i would stand at the sink, drink a pint of water, refill it and take that into the living room within 5 minutes id feel like id spent 2 years in the desert and was up getting another pint, its awful, he needs to reduce the sugars, the thirst is unquenchable imo good luck,

strangely as soon as the sugars came down i was never thirsty, and i do mean never, i could have gone days without a drink, i had to force myself to drink
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Yes that's what he's like at the moment. May go a day of drinking normally, but others like there's gunna be a drought. Glad I'm not on a water metre!


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you i suppose have to look at the thirst as a signal, its actually a good thing, if he tried to not drink he wouldnt be flushing out the sugar which wouldnt be a good thing, so definatly combat the sugar not the thirst
 
I never had the excessive thirst, and my sugars were waaaay up there. But I remember when I was in my early 20's , I just didn't drink very much at all and could go all day without having anything at all. Then in my mid-20's I changed jobs and somehow taking 2litres of water to work every day seemed like a healthy normal thing to do. In 2012 I branched out to 2 litres of water, 1 small bottle of lucozade (which I hated but craved). Then the full sugar Redbull became a necessity about 4 weeks before I was diagnosed. I thought I was knackered due to lack of sleep!! lol.
As soon as my glucose levels came down, the thirst vanished. Like Andy, it's a problem because I just don't get thirsty ever.

Sugar free cordial is a good thirst quencher -get it in different flavours so he doesn't get bored.
 
luceeloo said:
Sugar free cordial is a good thirst quencher -get it in different flavours so he doesn't get bored.
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We're trying all the above so hopefully something will work soon! On a side note have just gone through my cupboards and am absolutely amazed at the rubbish manufacturers put in our food. It's a disgrace.


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He needs to avoid putting more sugars into his body in the short term. His thirst is because his body is trying to flush out the excess glucose so he'll be thirsty and making lots of trips to the loo. In the short term avoid carbs of any kind including fruit juice, lucozade etc. Drink just water if he can. Also when eating try to just eat minimal carbs for now until the thirst subsides. Instead try to eat mainly protein.
 
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