Dehydration and fatigue

[kdub]

Hi Everyone,

This is not meant as a complaint thread... I'm just wondering what other donor's experience is regarding dehydration, fatigue, headache, etc, post-donation.  Basically, wondering if my experience is normal.

Pre-donation, I hardly ever drank water.  I know that's not good for me, but I really didn't experience any negative side effects.   I worked out a ton, and it was never an issue.

Post-donation, if I don't drink a lot during the day (maybe 3 liters), I start to get really tired, headaches, etc.  This is just anecdotal... I see a correlation, but I'm not sure my fatigue is caused by dehydration.

Has anyone else noticed an increased sensitivity to dehydration?  Cheers!

kdub

[Fr Pat]

       Although I have not seen any medical articles on the topic, I have heard that after kidney donation we are not more prone to dehydration, but will feel the effects of dehydration faster and more strongly than we used to. So it is a good idea to keep properly hydrated. I continue to do long-distance running 11 years after kidney donation (I'm now 67) and so far have not had problems with dehydration. One of the nice effects of kidney donation is that it may prompt us to take even better care of out remaining kidney.
     Fatigue seems to be a problem for many donors. In most cases it seems to get back to normal with time, although some donors have noted problems with long-term fatigue.
       best wishes,
          Fr. Pat

[Orchidlady]

I, as well, find that being dehydrated seems to affect me moreso post donation. I get sluggish, but also found out the hard way that I get faint if I am not drinking enough water. I was traveling for work the summer after donation. Normally, when I travel for work, I don't drink quite what I should or I end up stopping at every bathroom along the way! Fortunately I will with a co-worker when I started feeling faint. We stopped at a café and I drank about 4 glasses of cold water. The faintness stopped and I immediately began to feel better.  Alcohol seems to also have more of an affect on me too.
Don't really know that they are tied to donation but, as you said, awfully coincidental that I never had either issue before donation.

[kdub]

I also have noticed that alcohol effects me a little differently post-donation.  I get hangovers after only a beer or two.  I figured that was also due to dehydration, but really not too sure.  Good to know that others are seeing similar issues, and its not necessarily that something is wrong!

kdub

[PastorJeff]

My wife an RN asks if you've had your adrenal function tested?

[kdub]

No, I don't think I've ever had my adrenal function measured... Is that something I should be concerned about?  Is that something that can be affected by kidney donation?  Until recently, I have NEVER had any energy issues at all; quite the opposite.  Thanks!

_kdub

[Fr Pat]

Dear "kdub",
     From what I have read, when the left kidney is removed the blood vessels through which the left adrenal gland sends its hormones to the blood stream can be compromised. So even if that adrenal gland is left untouched it may perhaps not be able to get its hormones into the bloodstream. If the other adrenal gland does not pick up the slack, the reduction in the hormones might account for some symptoms such as prolonged fatigue. There have been other postings on this topic that you may be able to find. Hope this info helps.
     Fr. Pat

[Tom]

Dehydration became a problem for me after my kidney donation.  I noticed that I was getting headaches more frequently and was also experiencing light-headedness.  In addition, I started to experience silent migraines (aural sensations without any headache pain).  Once I increased my intake of water, all of the symptoms stopped.  I now drink 100-120 ounces of water each day.  Any less than that and the symptoms begin again. 
Tom

[Mizchelle]

Here on the East Coast, we are experencing a heat wave. I have certainly notice a faint headache, dizziness, fatigue and periods of shallow breathing after walking a bit within the last week. I'm guessing it may be a bit of dehydration. Haven't really experienced it much before.

I'm drinking a lot more water which has helped but at the same time...the water seemingly goes right through me...so I drink even more. It seems that I can now gauge when my body "needs" fluids, which of course is a good thing. 

[Snoopy]

Hi, kdub.
    I don't know if I actually get dehydrated faster, but I'm certainly more aware of it, having been reminded by several docs not to let myself get dehydrated.  I tended to drink a lot of water even before my donation, but I definitely notice when it's been a bit too long since my last drink.  I know that, before the donation, I would often wait to get home, rather than buy a terribly-overpriced bottle of water in town.  Now, I've trained myself simply to pony up whatever necessary, if I happen not to be carrying a water bottle in my brief case.  On the scale of things.... 
   Actually, I do think that I get knocked-out a bit faster, since the donation, if I haven't been drinking enough water.  Especially first thing in the morning, I just seem to "run better" if I have a glass or two of water.
   In any case, it's good to drink lots of water.  But, if you notice significant changes, etc., don't be afraid to check with the doctor.
   Be kind to your (one) kidney, and hopefully it will be kind to you!
       Stay healthy,
       Snoopy

[kdub]

Thanks for all the great comments!  It does seem that quite a few people get dehydrated faster post-donation.

I finally got a regular nephrologist outside of the dr. I'd been working with at the transplant center.  I described to him what I was feeling, and he ordered a PTH test.  Turned out my PTH was high, and my Vitamin D was low.  He thought this might explain my symptoms, so he has me taking 1gram of vitamin D each day.  I'm doing labs again in 2 months to see if this brings my PTH down. 

This is a test that the transplant center nephrologist never bothered to give me.  Actually, I had to really argue with the donor coordinator to get them to pay for the test.

Still feeling pretty decent most of the time, but I'm hopeful this will help me get closer to 100%!

kdub

[Fr Pat]

     Just to add 3 more things on dehydration:
--- I have read that older persons are more prone to dehydration because we (I'm 67) tend to not FEEL thirsty when dehydrated as much as we used to when younger. As the thirst "danger signal" may not be working well for us we older donors have to be more pro-active in keeping hydrated
--- Folks who have a problem with frequent/urgent urination (likewise perhaps more common as we age) may make the mistake of limiting fluid intake in order to reduce urination. Can contribute to dehydration. (Here in Japan one of the lessons learned from recent earthquakes is that there were too many deaths from dehydration among older evacuees AFTER the disaster. Elderly survivors living in  temporary shelters or in their cars were embarrassed to have to urinate without bathrooms, so they deliberately cut back on drinking. Local disaster training here now includes the insistence that plenty of hole-in-the-ground temporary latrines with minimum cardboard privacy screens of some sort be dug immediately, even before trying to arrange food distribution.)
--- One little trick that I have found helpful: since I drink coffee several times a day, and that can increase urination, I try to drink a cup of water after each cup of coffee to help balance it out.
         Just wanted to add these points as we are on the topic.
                 Fr. Pat

[Kidney Bean]

A question for all those that feel they need more water post-donation: if you DON'T drink enough, do you get very bloated? That's the issue I'm having. My energy levels are normal, but I get very bloated unless I drink a ton of water- at least 14 cups of it a day. It took me awhile to figure out what was causing/ alleviating the bloating, but I'm sure it's water consumption now. I'm going in for my one-year post check-up on Friday, so I'll bring this up. It's nice to have other donors' experiences as evidence for the doctors. Sometimes it feels like they write off certain things because they haven't seen them in their patients before.

[Snoopy]

A question for all those that feel they need more water post-donation: if you DON'T drink enough, do you get very bloated?

Hi, Kidney Bean.  Over the past 23 months since my surgery, I haven't noticed any bloating at all, certainly not in connection with drinking or not.  Feel good! Snoopy