PREPS - Home-made fluid replacer

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I remember that Pedialyte and similar fluid replacers have a very limited shelf life, even in powder forum. And I also remembered a thread on the old forum about some home-made stuff that came from a reputable source. It turned out to be from Doctors for Diaster Preparedness and the pertinent thread is here.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001

Answers

Why can't you use regular salt or sea salt?

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001

One teaspoon of "Lite Salt" (by Morton, 1/2 iodized potassium chloride, 1/2 sodium chloride in a blue cylinder); 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate); 10 teaspoons of table sugar (sucrose); one quart of water.

Regular (or sea) salt doesn't do it because it's just sodium chloride. What you want to achieve is a more balanced combination of sodium to potassium.

The Lite Salt containers are fairly small. I have two, one in the y2k stash and one with the first aid materials. I printed out the formula and taped it to each container. I never tried it. It may not taste great. In which case you might be able to mix it in a drink of some kind instead of just water, but bearing in mind that that you may mess up the electrolyte balance when you do that.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001


The thread recommends non-sugar Kool-Aid as the sugar will indeed screw up the balance.

I remember when we were giving that special liquid to Sooty, you know, the rehydration fluid, damned if I can remember the name, Ringer's Solution, that's it, by God! Anyway, I remember the bags of fluid were good for about a year or so--until they were opened. (It was administered subcutaneously, not too difficult.)

I had to get a prescription from my vet to get the stuff from drsfostersmith.com (I could get it from my vet but it was much more expensive), so if you want to stash some of this stuff, talk to your vet. I believe the tubes and needles were non-prescription but can't swear to it. I think this stuff is good for humans, someone correct me please if not.

Saw their aquarium antibiotics listed last in the catalogue--250mg tabs of penicillin, tetracycline, amoxycillin, erythromycin, etc., ranging from $15/100 on up.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001


A big heads up, stay away from anything like Gatorade as a fluid replenisher. It is much too concentrated (with sugars) and will cause more harm than good.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

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