Lemon or Lime squash (not sure about blackcurrant)
Adding fresh Lemon or Lime juice
See comment on changing
the sodium bicarbonate with the same quantity of sodium citrate.
You may find the solution tastes salty. This can be improved by:
Storing the drink in the refrigerator and taking it chilled. It can also be frozen and taken as a slush
Sipping it through a straw
Adding a small amount of squash, fruit juice or cordial to improve the taste. This is best added
while making up the solution rather than adding to each glass so that the salt content remains high
Adding fresh lemon or lime juice
If mum finds the solution bitter in taste due to the sodium bicarbonate. This can be minimised by storing the solution in the refrigerator and/or by the addition of a small amount of fruit juice or lemon or lime squash and sipping through a straw. If this continues to be a problem, the sodium bicarbonate can be replaced by the same quantity of sodium citrate.
Hi Ian, she is still in hospital, struggling, and they won't chill the solution even though I ask. I also asked for ice but they said they are not allowed. In the end she just tolerated some peach squash. They are trying to stop kidney damage as her stoma is just putting out floods of liquid!!.Even loperamide isn't fixing it yet! I hope she dosnt need it for too many days!!
When I was in Hospital I needed to drink lots and couldn’t tolerate hot drinks. If I drink cold it has to be very cold. My husband bought in frozen water. He put a bottle of water half full, in the freezer and used an insulation bag, picnic style, to bring it in.
I would then add water and it lasted a good 12 hours.
Hi Knowledgeispower20. Could she have diarolyte instead? I was given it by the hospital in case I got diarrhoea during my radiotherapy and the black currant one was quite drinkable? It is designed to replace lost salts and rehydrate and can be just bought in the supermarkets etc?
Makes you scream doesn't it, most hospital wards have a fridge but it means the nursing staff keep having to run back and forward with drinks for your mum and I can't see any reason for not supplying ice.
I know from experience how difficult it can be to get water replaced during the day without a relative having to go the water cooler to collect it - yet they tell us we must keep drinking for various reasons but getting water is a different story or it could be that I'm in the wrong hospitals!
Do you have a thermos flask or jug at home that you could full with ice and take into mum and she can make up drinks with it.
Or you could make the drink up at home and freeze it into cubes, then you could fill a thermos flask with them and mum can drink the solution as it turns into liquid again
I think as Karen mentions dioralyte is good alternative but expensive when purchased over the counter perhaps you could ask the nursing staff if they can supply, it does come with warnings about the length of time it can be taken.
The main thing is that mum keeps drinking, diluted squash should help would she be able to manage a packet of plain salted crisps per day to up her salt intake.
Hopefully the Neurology team are looking after mum and checking her kidney function.
Hi Chemteacher , I am on diarolyte now and have been for months , I take ST marks mix aswell I used to add blackcurrant to it and loads of ice from the ice machine in the day room , the secret is to drink in slowly make it last for a couple of hours and keep adding ice , I drink milk as that helps to settle my stoma , everyday is small steps and things slowly improve
That is so good to know.......its all really hard to get your head around!! They are trying max dose of imodium.....but it's still noisy and squirty!! She did manage better today as they seemed to make it up slightly differently and she is tolerating it with peach squash. Early days yet!!
Hi Ian....I having been living in a bed and breakfast near to the hospital as we live too far away to keep commuting and the roads are appalling!! They told her not to drink water....said it was the worst thing ever!! Tea is ok....and squash too...but at home she only likes water and redbush tea. And luckily she is consuming lots of baby Bel cheeses ....which they told her was good for the salt.
What a journey!!! Chemo next ......then reversal!!
Hi Ian....I having been living in a bed and breakfast near to the hospital as we live too far away to keep commuting and the roads are appalling!! They told her not to drink water....said it was the worst thing ever!! Tea is ok....and squash too...but at home she only likes water and redbush tea. And luckily she is consuming lots of baby Bel cheeses ....which they told her was good for the salt.
What a journey!!! Chemo next ......then reversal!!
