DripDrop - Blood Volume Enhancer That Works

[Cort]

I was just given some samples of DripDrop a powdered blood volume enhancer which is based on the World Health Organization oral rehydration formula.

[fright]

[/fright]This stuff really works! I immediately feel more clarity, more energy and less pain. I'm really surprised at how effective it is. It's a bit sweeter than I would like but nothing like sports drinks and its not too much for me to handle.

Unfortunately it's pretty expensive; the best price I could find on Amazon was about 1.30 a packet; figure two or three packets a day - that's about a hundred bucks a month. Probably well worth it but it made me think about making my own oral rehydration solution.

Check out Health Rising's resource on how to do that here. Since its basically just salt and sugar it should be easy and cheap to make. Apparently a little bit of sugar really helps with fluid absorption. It may not be as good as Drip Drop which contains several different kinds of sugars and salts.....but who knows. I will report back.

From their website:

Perfecting the Science of Oral Hydration

To be effective, an ORS must contain a precise ratio of electrolytes. Too much or too little salt or sugar limits the solution’s hydrating potential. For instance, an ORS with too much salt can lead to an electrolyte imbalance, spiking blood sodium levels and exacerbating dehydration. On the other hand, a solution with too little sugar or salt, limits how quickly water is absorbed.

Conversely, if the correct ratio is met, water absorption is maximized. In fact, one early test following Crane’s discovery suggested that an ORS with the right ratio of sugar and sodium could increase water absorption 2-3 times.[iv]

Since the discovery of ORS, the recommended ratio of electrolytes and sugar have been updated. Standard WHO-UNICEF ORS in early years contained more sodium, which was thought to maximize hydration. But more recently, the amount of electrolytes and glucose in the formula has been reduced.[v] Essentially, WHO found that a “reduced-osmolarity” ORS – which means there is less sodium and glucose – achieved the same outcomes, while reducing the severity of diarrhea and vomiting.[vi]

DripDrop: An Advance in ORS

Many “rehydration drinks” don’t contain the right ratio of electrolytes for medical-grade hydration. Sports drinks are the perfect example. Many of them contain an inconsequential amount of salt. Why? The amount of salt is minimized to improve taste, and instead, these beverages are loaded with sugar. The ratio is flawed. Many ORS, on the other hand, contain more sodium, but due to this, their taste is very salty. This makes it more challenging to get children to drink them when sick.

DripDrop ORS represents an evolution in the standard oral rehydration formula. Our doctor-developed rehydration powder contains a medically relevant level of sodium, while tasting great enough to drink every day.

 

[San Diego]

This has been on my try-it list for over a year. I used Nuun tablets for a long time even though I didn’t really notice any different. Nun, however, contains no sugar.

Thanks for the reminder. Drip Drop is back on my list, in my Amazon cart, waiting for me to hit “Proceed to checkout”.

If I remember, I’ll check back with results. I’m eager to try this on a migraine day.

 

[Cort]

This has been on my try-it list for over a year. I used Nuun tablets for a long time even though I didn’t really notice any different. Nun, however, contains no sugar.

Thanks for the reminder. Drip Drop is back on my list, in my Amazon cart, waiting for me to hit “Proceed to checkout”.

If I remember, I’ll check back with results. I’m eager to try this on a migraine day.

Apparently sugar really helps - another weirdness of our body...

If you're moved to - buying through Health Rising's Amazon account sends us some money - but you have to take it out of your cart first.

But darn! We don't have our Amazon store on the Forums - only on the website I will get it on here.

Good luck! ...

 

[Remy]

It isn't weirdness...it's the sodium/glucose transporter.

I just think 33 g/l of sugar is way too much for most of us with the metabolic disturbances that are so common with ME/CFS. The WHO recommended dose of ORS for a mildly dehydrated person is 2-4 liters...that's an enormous amount of sugar.

If you have any signs of diabetes, pre diabetes or metabolic syndrome, I would try to get IVs if you are dehydrated and avoid this product.

 

[San Diego]

Apparently sugar really helps - another weirdness of our body...

If you're moved to - buying through Health Rising's Amazon account sends us some money - but you have to take it out of your cart first.

But darn! We don't have our Amazon store on the Forums - only on the website I will get it on here.

Good luck! ...

Well, shoot! You could retire on my Amazon orders alone. Make it easy and I’ll do my best to remember? Thanks.

 

[Cort]

Well, shoot! You could retire on my Amazon orders alone. Make it easy and I’ll do my best to remember? Thanks.

I will. I'll let you know what we get it on here

 

[Cort]

It isn't weirdness...it's the sodium/glucose transporter.

I just think 33 g/l of sugar is way too much for most of us with the metabolic disturbances that are so common with ME/CFS. The WHO recommended dose of ORS for a mildly dehydrated person is 2-4 liters...that's an enormous amount of sugar.

If you have any signs of diabetes, pre diabetes or metabolic syndrome, I would try to get IVs if you are dehydrated and avoid this product.

Now that I'm on my paleo diet this is off my list. It's nothing like Gatorade but it's still got some sweetness.

 

[Hip]

This stuff really works! I immediately feel more clarity, more energy and less pain. I'm really surprised at how effective it is. It's a bit sweeter than I would like but nothing like sports drinks and its not too much for me to handle.

Unfortunately it's pretty expensive; the best price I could find on Amazon was about 1.30 a packet; figure two or three packets a day - that's about a hundred bucks a month.

Looking at the ingredients of DripDrop here, they are:

Sodium 665 mg
Potassium 390 mg
Chloride 140 mg
Citrate 5040 mg (= 80 mEq)
Magnesium 83 mg
Zinc 3mg
CARBOHYDRATES 16g (as sucrose and fructose, I presume)

My guess is that sodium, potassium, citrate and sugar are the most important ingredients, given that the other ingredients (magnesium, zinc and chloride) are only there in pretty small quantities.

So it looks to me that you could make your own DripDrop by buying some trisodium citrate and some tripotassium citrate (both can often be cheaply sourced on eBay: eg, 1 kg of trisodium citrate will cost around $10). One packet of DripDrop would be roughly equivalent to 2.5 grams of trisodium citrate mixed with 1 gram of tripotassium citrate, in terms of the sodium, potassium and citrate provided.

Trisodium citrate is 27% sodium by weight, and the rest is citrate. Tripotassium citrate is 38% potassium by weight, and the rest is citrate.

The 16 grams of carbohydrates found in each packet of DripDrop I think is just sugar, as sucrose and fructose.



It is interesting that trisodium citrate and tripotassium citrate are strong alkalizers, used by people wanting to alkalize their body (for alkalizing, you can either do an alkalizing diet, or take alkalizing compounds like bicarbonate or citrate).

So as well as providing sodium, potassium and sugar, the citrate in DripDrop will have an alkalizing effect on the body, and this might have an effect on ME/CFS all of its own. I was actually using trisodium citrate 3 grams once or twice daily as alkalizing agent in an experiment to alkalize my body. Unfortunately, I seem to become very lightheaded as soon as I alkalize, which does not feel nice, and so I end up abandoning the alkalizing protocol. But most people don't get this side effect from alkalizing.



I did not know about the need to add sugar to oral rehydration solutions, as you detail in the WHO oral rehydration solution. I've tried salt for my POTS, but never salt mixed with sugar, in the ratio specified by WHO. I will have to try this.

 

[Nico]

I was just given some samples of DripDrop a powdered blood volume enhancer which is based on the World Health Organization oral rehydration formula.

[fright]View attachment 1946 [/fright]This stuff really works! I immediately feel more clarity, more energy and less pain. I'm really surprised at how effective it is. It's a bit sweeter than I would like but nothing like sports drinks and its not too much for me to handle.

From their website:

I tried Drip Drop yesterday. I used about 1/2 packet in 16 oz. of water after a very light meal. (They say 1/2 packet in 8 oz., but I'm super sensitive to stuff.) The effect was very intense. I was with a friend, and we were on a mini road trip. (I have to add that I also take Ritalin, which may have affected the way Drip Drop worked and some side effects). After drinking it I asked her if I could try driving her car, and she said yes. (I hadn't driven in 4 years). I was able to drive for 45 minutes on a quieter truck route, good reaction time, etc. After that outing we went to the grocery store. (So far this is equivalent of me waking up one day and deciding to do the Iron Man Triathlon!). At home I was still wired physically. I was very worried about the PEM. Side effects: I felt a little hypo-manic and a little OCDish until about 7:30 (which is when the Ritalin has worn off). That may have been a spin-off from the Ritalin mixed with Drip Drop. I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to sleep because I still felt quite alert at 12:30 am (I drank it around 4). Luckily, I fell asleep and it was a pretty normal night's sleep for me.
Today I'm in PEM, and know I have to really take it very easy. One effect that I have after - let's call it excessive exertion - is my legs can get very weak. Well, my whole system gets weak of course, but my legs really get it.
I bought the Drip Drop because of this thread... Like Cort, while driving my mind felt very clear. My friend and I were astonished at all of this.
I don't think I can use this product daily, at least not in that dosage. I have 2 packets left, and will revisit trying a minuscule dose at a later date. I also bought 10 packets of straight up ORS formula (no extra sugars, coloring, etc.) from Chinook Medical supply in Colorado. (I wanted to find a product made in the US.) I only added the Drip Drop because of their $25 minimum purchase amt. (and that coincided with me seeing Cort's experience). The straight up ORS requires 1 liter of water (Drip Drop is much less). I will experiment with the ORS in 1 liter next week.
I will say this was worth the experiment as long as I don't suffer any very long-term PEM effects.

 

[ritasheart]

I take Nature One's PediaVance. It's for children, but I have taken it for years. At first it was so pure, they compared it to an oral IV. I guess children get too much junk food to like it, so it gets worse each time they "improve" it. It's not cheap either. Amazon carries it now I think. I get the grape. This is liquid in single serving vials.

I tried Ultima Replenisher Electrolyte Powder which was a powder in single doze paper vials, and it was about 75 cents a vial/ Ny daughter and husband likes it better than PediaVance but it has minute amounts of some minerals in it, and I could not tolerate the nutrients. No sugar.

Hope this helps someone. I would love to find the perfect one and affordable.

 

[SarahTee]

For those who don’t want to mix their own, and are in the US, I thought I would mention that TriOral is a “bare bones” oral rehydration product. It follows the UN formula.

 

[photolisa]

I just looked and they do a Zero DripDrop without sugar

 

[Mary58]

For those who don’t want to mix their own, and are in the US, I thought I would mention that TriOral is a “bare bones” oral rehydration product. It follows the UN formula.

I use TriOral as well, as it is cheaper and one packet makes a liter. My cardiologist okayed it and it seems to help. I drink it first thing in the morning and before taking a walk, a total of about two liters a day.