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Unable to drink


Trev57

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Has anyone come across a condition where a person is unable to drink water and as a result is often dehydrated, which in itself is a serious condition. The problem is not so much physical as psychosematic. If anyone has experience or knows of some one who suffered this condition I would love to hear from you.

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Hi FMW and thanks

The condition is not dependent on other drinking habits and she doesn't smoke. She is affraid of choking when she swallows liquids, she can drink in very small sips but has to be in a very quiet place, ie, her bedroom, and she also has to get into a particular state of mind. She is drinking an average of 1 litre a day at the moment but she also passes this every day so there is little or no water retention. There is a fear that her kidneys will suffer because of this condition. There is also the added pain of a migraine, usually twice a week which prevents her from working or keeping appointments. The migraines have blighted her life for 10 years or so and are now possibly triggered by lack of water intake. The underlying cause of her dehydration is fear and she is trying to work through this with her psychotherapist but there has been no progress to date. I'm at a loss as to what else might work for her.

Edited by Trev57
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Hi Trev, a swallow study in a hospital might tell you if she has mechanical issues such as an overreactive gag reflex, or some such thing. There are conditions that result in having to add thickener to thin liquids because the thin ones leak down into the lungs. Now if it's purely a phobia we are dealing with here, isn't that about anxiety, and the person unconsciously latches on to the phobia in preference to knowledge of what's REALLY bothering them? That needs to be handled very carefully. Yes, lack of water can cause headaches. I'd say she needs lots of special care. The mouth is an extremely sensitive area, physically and psychologically!

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