European Heat Wave: Doctors Recommend That People on Tirzepatide Skip Doses to Avoid Dehydration-Related Kidney Failure

JohannesSweden77

JohannesSweden77

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Wouldn't it make more sense to simply be extra careful about staying hydrated rather than skipping doses? Just putting that out there. Telling people not to take their medication instead of just drinking more water seems like dumb advice.
 
Apart from one very specific scenario, I can't recall ever coming across anything about GLP drugs leading to kidney issues. In fact, they tend to slow the progression of renal failure, and they can improve renal function while lowering protein excretion.

If someone has that exact condition in which these drugs can trigger renal failure, then the guidance will always be to stop taking it, since the sole problem is dehydration brought on by uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhoea as a side effect, or from overdoses, where that dehydration can then lead to acute kidney failure.

So overall, not solid medical advice.
 
Umm, what? As far as I know, the main thing is that appetite suppression or nausea can lead people to drink fewer fluids without realizing it. But if you're paying attention to how much you drink, I don't see the issue.

Sure, there's an extreme possibility that I'm missing some symptom that people get, but I'd call myself an endurance athlete and I've never run into trouble on long mountain bike rides or rucks in the heat.
 
lessthanhalf said:

Apart from one very specific scenario, I can't recall ever coming across anything about GLP drugs leading to kidney issues. In fact, they tend to slow the progression of renal failure, and they can improve renal function while lowering protein excretion.

If someone has that exact condition in which these drugs can trigger renal failure, then the guidance will always be to stop taking it, since the sole problem is dehydration brought on by uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhoea as a side effect, or from overdoses, where that dehydration can then lead to acute kidney failure.

So overall, not solid medical advice.
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That was my reaction too. Fake news! Going on TV and frightening people into skipping doses rather than simply drinking more water is the dumbest thing I've heard in a while
 
GLP medications may lower how much fluid someone drinks, and researchers are studying them as a possible therapy for primary or psychogenic polydipsia — a condition where people consume extreme quantities of water. In my case, it cut my daily intake from 8 litres down to 4. That said, thirst is governed by numerous regulatory mechanisms under ordinary conditions, and this drug's influence isn't potent enough to overpower them and trigger real issues from insufficient fluid. Were it producing dehydration on a broad scale, kidney function would not get better — yet it does.
 
gusterbuster said:

Umm, what? As far as I know, the main thing is that appetite suppression or nausea can lead people to drink fewer fluids without realizing it. But if you're paying attention to how much you drink, I don't see the issue.

Sure, there's an extreme possibility that I'm missing some symptom that people get, but I'd call myself an endurance athlete and I've never run into trouble on long mountain bike rides or rucks in the heat.
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lessthanhalf said:

GLP medications may lower how much fluid someone drinks, and researchers are studying them as a possible therapy for primary or psychogenic polydipsia — a condition where people consume extreme quantities of water. In my case, it cut my daily intake from 8 litres down to 4. That said, thirst is governed by numerous regulatory mechanisms under ordinary conditions, and this drug's influence isn't potent enough to overpower them and trigger real issues from insufficient fluid. Were it producing dehydration on a broad scale, kidney function would not get better — yet it does.
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Other medications, ibuprofen among them, were brought up too, yet hydration was never addressed even once. Speaking for myself, I have to set a timer as a reminder to drink water, since — exactly as you pointed out — tirzepatide leaves me far less thirsty. Waking up to urinate around 4 times each night isn't great, but eventually you figure out how to do it while barely awake.
 
Would the same advice be given to diabetics — to skip their insulin? It seems like an odd suggestion, especially since starting and stopping these medications can reduce how well they work.
 
CathyGoesFar said:

Would the same advice be given to diabetics — to skip their insulin? It seems like an odd suggestion, especially since starting and stopping these medications can reduce how well they work.
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If they went ahead and did that, it wouldn't shock me at all.
 
There's a particular brand of arrogance in doctors instructing patients that they must drink enough water. Do they really believe people reached adulthood without figuring out that they need to drink water?!
 
BrightCandle said:

There's a particular brand of arrogance in doctors instructing patients that they must drink enough water. Do they really believe people reached adulthood without figuring out that they need to drink water?!
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ZetsuM said:

Why do people act like drinking water is hard.
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The issue isn't needing to drink water — it's that you don't consume enough when you never feel thirsty. Because of that, I need some kind of system to keep myself properly hydrated. A water bottle comes with me everywhere I go. Tirz masks my body's thirst signals. Early on I ended up fairly dehydrated, since for 40+ years of my life I had only ever drunk water when thirst hit. That was the whole system. These days thirst doesn't come, so I don't drink. The side effects I got were itchy legs and fatigue. My doctor never brought any of this up. The only things I was told about were reduced appetite and food thoughts. Nothing at all about water. Now I drink and piss like a race horse.
 
JohannesSweden77 said:


It's not the fact that you need to drink water that's the problem it's that you don't drink enough of it when you don't feel thirst. I need a system so I get enough hydration because of it. Always carrying a water bottle where ever I go. My body hides the fact that it's thirsty because of Tirz. In the beginning I got pretty dehydrated because up to that for 40+ years of my life I have drank water when I get thirsty. That's it. Now I don't get thirsty so I don't drink. Got side effects like itching legs and fatigue. My doctor never said anything about this at all. All I heard was less appetite and thoughts about food. Not a word about water. Now I drink and piss like a race horse.

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Even when I'm not thirsty or the weather is ordinary, getting through 2l of water daily isn't hard for me. Water doesn't have much taste or make you feel full, so at any place I visit I ask for water rather than soda or similar drinks. I'm on Reta too, at a fairly low dose (1.5mg). So far I've lost 4.5 kg and I'm still putting away 2l each day. If remembering to drink is an issue, there are lots of apps that can remind you. I use my Garmin app to track how much water I drink.
 
ZetsuM said:


I can easily drink 2l of water a day even if i'm not thirsty or with normal weather conditions. It's not like water is filling or has a specific taste, wherever i go i order water instead of softdrinks ect. I'm also on Reta, but a pretty low dose (1.5mg). Dropped 4.5 kg now and i'm still drinking 2l a day. And if you can't remember to drink, plenty of apps to help that. I log my water intake in my Garmin app.

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Wow, that's fantastic. Well done! Yep, these days I've got things managed thanks to alarms and the water bottle I haul everywhere with me, clutching it like Gollum. My Preciousssssss!!!
 
Yawn, I'm from the deep south — we know exactly how to stay hydrated when it's hot, air so thick you could wring it out and drink it! Nah, I'm not skipping any doses.
 
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