Yeah, I dehydrated every month until takedown, to an extent that each occasion I was rushed to Hospital by Ambulance for IV fluids, think IV fluids was even administered in Ambulance too.
The dehydration totally crept up on me and even after the second time, I knew exactly what to expect.
I dehydrated to the point that I wasnt able to consume enough fluids orally to rehydrate.
I'm all too aware of the importance and need of a sufficient fluid intake, especialy during exertion and activities, as before my UC diagnosis, I'd always participated in some kind of fitness activity, also an avid cyclist during my early teens and weight lifting from 16 till my mid 20's, yet dehydration still caught me out.
I can never recall ever feeling thirsty, I tend to consume fluids because I'm hot or feeling exhausted, sensations that I don't associate with thirst.
At all other times. I believe I confuse thirst with hunger, which I've only come to such a conclusion since my bouts of dehydration (also read about it) and, after a lifetime of such confusion, it's a difficult habit to break.
The loss of electrolytes is the danger; much worse than a dry mouth or feeling thirsty. I guess the onset can be described as being similar to that of a hangover, although far more extreme, such as feeling groggy, irritable, fighting tiredness and longing for bed.
I've never experienced a hangover but I believe the symptoms of a hangover occur because the night before more fluids than normal have been consumed, which results in the need to urinate more often, which flushes away the much needed electrolytes.