Deb wrote:I had the flu this year and made a home-made electrolyte solution and took one drink and almost threw up.
nerdhume wrote:I thought that electrolyte recipe tasted like the prep stuff too. Kind of salty sweet.
This is associated with the paradox that surrounds electrolytes. I've never seen anything written specifically about this issue, so maybe it's time for someone to write something about it.
Since they are essential for many normal life-sustaining processes, electrolytes are capable of potent effects, and multiple uses. One of these uses occurs when the body determines a need to purge the digestive system. Whether the reason for the action is due to infection, disease, toxic chemicals, a fight or flight response, severe chronic stress, or simply poor digestion due to some other cause, the agents of choice for executing the command are electrolytes. The enteric nervous system floods the lumen of the small intestine with electrolytes, and inhibits their re-absorption. The result is the fast-track development of D. In many cases, nausea/vomiting will also be triggered. This is especially true (the development of nausea/vomiting) if the stomach is not empty at the time, because the enteric nervous system will seek the fastest way to purge the system.
Cleanout solutions are loaded with electrolytes. For example, in addition to polyethylene glycol, GoLYTELY contains sodium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride. Of course, in this case the gut-wrenching D is due primarily to the polyethylene glycol, and the electrolytes are included (according to conventional medical knowledge), "for electrolyte replacement". But trust me, the chances of the electrolytes included in a cleanout solution actually replacing any electrolytes lost by the body, are about as good as my chances of winning the lottery (which is pretty slim, considering that I haven't bought any lottery tickets in many, many moons.
). Instead, IMO, those included electrolytes serve to enhance the development of nausea and D. They won't be absorbed, not only because of the rapid transit problem, but primarily because the development of D provides a signal that causes the inhibition of the absorption of electrolytes. It would be illogical for the body to flood the lumen of the small intestine with electrolytes, and then reabsorb them, so IMO once the D develops, electrolyte re-absorption (a normal function of the colon also) is inhibited throughout the GI tract).
Conventional medical knowledge says that D causes the loss of electrolytes. I say that the evidence is pretty clear that they've got it bass-ackwards. Electrolytes in the fecal stream cause D, and as long as either the brain or the enteric nervous system sees the need to continue the D (and as long as supplies remain available), copious amounts of electrolytes will be purged into the fecal stream, in order to continue the D. Actually, it's the "decision" by the brain and/or the enteric nervous system to purge the digestive system that causes the infusion of electrolytes. At any rate, it definitely is not the D itself that causes the loss of electrolytes. The electrolytes are intentionally purged by the body, in order to promote D.
So this is why (IMO) ingesting electrolytes (especially liquid electolytes, since liquids are presented to a much larger surface area of the lining of the intestines, almost instantaneously) triggers sensory responses of nausea (and D, if enough is ingested). It's a natural response.
At least that's the way that I see it.
Tex
