Missing the symptoms of mild dehydration

I drink water all day long and carry a reusable water bottle with me. I even have an app that reminds me to drink water so I don’t forget. I take all my medications with water and never leave the house without it.

It turns out, however, that despite my efforts, I’m suffering from dehydration. I learned this recently during some routine blood work when the phlebotomist had trouble accessing my veins. They explained that the most common reason for this is dehydration.

After talking with several members of my medical team, I realized that I had many symptoms of dehydration, despite not having some of the most common signs, such as darker urine. I also passed the “pinch test,” in which you pinch the skin on the back of your hand and then release it. Hydrated skin will snap back immediately, while dehydration may cause the skin to remain “tented” and take a few seconds to return to normal.

My dehydration was chronic and mild, so it showed up in ways I didn’t recognize. I had such a dry mouth that I needed prescription toothpaste. I had fatigue, but as someone with Cushing’s disease, I’m always fatigued. I’d also been experiencing lightheadedness, but chalked it up to headaches and my pituitary tumors.

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All of these symptoms can be associated with Cushing’s disease, so I brushed them off. But combined with constant thirst, difficulty accessing my veins, and elevated creatinine and hemoglobin levels, my team realized I was mildly dehydrated.

The signs of dehydration can be easy to miss, especially if you’re living with a chronic illness that can cause overlapping symptoms. You may not notice the problem until it’s escalated.

I’m not really sure why I’m dehydrated, given all the water I drink. I’m on a ton of medications and supplements that might be affecting it, or perhaps my electrolyte levels are low. I’m starting by drinking more coconut water, adding electrolytes to regular water, and minimizing my sweating. This means cutting back on saunas, which I’d been using to treat inflammation.

It’s just one more thing to deal with, but I hope I can resolve it quickly so it doesn’t become a long-term issue. If it worsens, my team will need to take a more invasive approach, which would be a drag.

You can also follow my journey on TikTok and YouTube. 

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