I am curious about the amount of water myeloma patients should be drinking each day. I know that dehydration is to be avoided because of potential renal issues; however, I also wonder what impact drinking a lot of water may have on washing out chemo drugs. Perhaps this is not a problem at all; just wondering.
In any case, I would be interesting in learning what others do regarding water consumption. I drink at least eight cups a day (64 oz = 1.9 l). Perhaps this is too little?
My doctor just said that drinking water was good, but did not offer a maximum or minimum amount. I think she just thought that I could figure it out myself how much was enough, and I did not pursue the matter any further because there were so many other matters on the agenda.
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Re: Daily water consumption
I was not much of a water drinker, per se, prior to my diagnosis, I would drink to avoid being thirsty. I would consume to avoid dehydration when working out or if I was in an extreme environment (hot, cold). I would drink more to avoid being lightheaded.
I've learned now after diagnosis to drink at least eight cups of water a day to ensure good kidney function, and have limited my coffee intake.
Kully
I've learned now after diagnosis to drink at least eight cups of water a day to ensure good kidney function, and have limited my coffee intake.
Kully
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kullybunnny1 - Name: Kully
- Who do you know with myeloma?: me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 48
Re: Daily water consumption
Husband was advised to drink at least 2 liters a day. I have noticed that if my husband fails to keep sufficiently hydrated, then his light chains and creatinine will bump up. Staying hydrated helps to protect your kidney function as well as flush the chemo drugs out of your system.
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Melanie - Name: Melanie
- Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Daily water consumption
I drink ~2.2 L of water daily plus milk and some other juices. In the past I have had renal failure and acute GVHD of the liver. This amount of water keeps my kidneys and liver function close to normal. If I don't drink this much, my creatinine increases.
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LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Daily water consumption
Thank you all for responding.
Melanie, is "flushing the chemo drugs from the system" a good thing or a bad thing? Presumably, we are taking the drugs in the dosages we are told because we want them IN our systems, no? Why would it be good to flush them out (unless we are being asked to ingest more than is good for us)?
That is still a question that puzzles me.
I think the two plus liters of water per day sounds right, and I will try to increase my intake. Again, thanks to all for providing your input.
Melanie, is "flushing the chemo drugs from the system" a good thing or a bad thing? Presumably, we are taking the drugs in the dosages we are told because we want them IN our systems, no? Why would it be good to flush them out (unless we are being asked to ingest more than is good for us)?
That is still a question that puzzles me.
I think the two plus liters of water per day sounds right, and I will try to increase my intake. Again, thanks to all for providing your input.
Re: Daily water consumption
Hi mrozdav,
Flushing the chemo drugs from the system is a good thing.
Flushing the chemo drugs from the system is a good thing.
Excretion [of chemotherapy drugs from the body] occurs mainly either via the kidneys or the bile. Kidney health and capacity is important for renally excreted drugs. This is termed clearance, which is a measurement of renal excretion ability and is important in estimating correct long-term drug dosing. Measurements of clearance are per unit time.
The processes of renal clearance include secretion, filtration by the glomerulus and passive reabsorption of the drug back into the blood. Passage through the liver makes metabolites more polar and therefore more water soluble; the resulting metabolites are then more easily excreted via the kidney system."
From: http://chemoth.com/metabolism/indent
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LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Daily water consumption
I think the idea is to flush the drugs from the system AFTER they have done their work, to reduce side effects. You will not dilute the effectiveness of the drugs by drinking a lot of water. On the contrary, you may help increase their effectiveness. You may also feel better in general after hydrating.
Two foods that are known to aid renal function are red grapes and red kidney beans.
Two foods that are known to aid renal function are red grapes and red kidney beans.
Re: Daily water consumption
Like others, I was advised to drink lots of water when I was undergoing induction chemotherapy three years ago. I do not remember how much water I was drinking, but it was a lot. I put a two liter bottle next to my bed at night and it would often be empty by morning, so I was drinking at least 2 liters at night on top of what I was drinking during the day. I was up using the bathroom a lot, but so what? That was just part of the inconvenience of having myeloma. I was having trouble sleeping anyway because of dexamethasone and neuropathy.
Just after I was diagnosed with myeloma, I was admitted to the hospital for a week with kidney failure, and it was touch and go if my kidneys would recover or if I would be on dialysis for the rest of my life. The IV pumps were giving me saline solution at the maximum rate for several days. After that scare, if I was told to drink water because it was good for my kidneys, I was highly motivated to do so.
Just after I was diagnosed with myeloma, I was admitted to the hospital for a week with kidney failure, and it was touch and go if my kidneys would recover or if I would be on dialysis for the rest of my life. The IV pumps were giving me saline solution at the maximum rate for several days. After that scare, if I was told to drink water because it was good for my kidneys, I was highly motivated to do so.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
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