Well, I'm jumping on that band wagon too!
With the advent of bottled water becoming the craze over 15 years ago, it has become perfectly acceptable to run around town with one's "personal bottle" in tow.
There are tons of studies that will show you that your average adult weighing in at under 200 lbs should be consuming at least 1 gallon a day of life giving, life sustaining water. Adding at least a cup for each additional 10 lbs.
Now most of us can handle that. And not only will that amount flush out the toxins our bodies love to hang on to, but it will also keep us hydrated which is a huge problem for liver compromised patients.
Most people will agree that drinking that much fluid in the form of plain water is boring. So the experts have altered their recommendation, stating that any clear fluid is acceptable. Sports drinks like Gatorade are acceptable in small doses. But their sodium content may be a little high for exclusive use.
Other drinks such as coffee or, carbonate and caffeine laced sodas are discouraged because the effect can have the opposite of what the patient is trying to accomplish. Sodas can cause head aches and coffee can increase diarrhea.
For patients that are on any type of therapy, whether it be mono or combination, it is vital that they consume as much water as they can handle. The Interferon works best if it is flowing through out the body by way of hydration. It assists the toxic chemicals out of the body instead of holding on to them and making the patient feel bad.
In fact it is common for Schering-Plough's "Be in Charge" program representative to suggest drinking 2 gallons of fluids a day, especially for the larger patients.
Over 25 years ago the saying "Don't leave home without" used to refer to the American Express card, now it's the motto of all Hepatitis patients and their water containers!
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