Urine retention can be from other things besides the diet. =

The keto diet can cause kidney stones to form. I am not = certain but=20 from my typing emergency reports, it seems to be common to also have = bladder or=20 urethral stones. These are very painful (is your child in severe=20 pain?) and can cause urinary retention. The people that I = have typed=20 for usually have a CT KUB performed at the hospital. They can see = very=20 small stones and note if there is any other obvious reason for the=20 retention.

One of the other reasons has been a blockage in the ureters that = can be=20 cleared when placing a foley catheter.

My Brian had a simple bladder ultrasound done while we were in the=20 emergency room. His bladder was very full. They never did = find a=20 stone, but in the process of doing the foley, they were able to empty = his=20 bladder and relieve the pain (and the urine).

If your child is retaining his urine, he could also have a simple = urinary=20 tract infection. This is suprisingly, not uncommon in = children. I=20 type at least one report each week. UTIs are often accompanied by = lower=20 abdominal and or low back (flank) pain. A fever is also = common, but=20 not always noted at the beginning. They sometimes feel sick to = their=20 stomach.

If your child is covered by Medicaid, I would not hesitate to have = the=20 doctor and or the emergency room check this out. From the reports = that I=20 have written, a stone or infection can put down a pretty big man and = make him=20 wimper like a baby. It is definitely not fun. Simple = antibiotics=20 make them new again within 24 hours.

Note to Isabel: Millie is writing a = new book? =20 When is it due out? laurel

----- Original Message -----

From: Isabel Walcutt

To: lissencephaly@yahoogroups.c= om=20

Cc: ketogenic Diet

Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 = 11:21=20 AM

Subject: Re: Urine retention = and the=20 ketogenic diet/fluid monitoring

Hi Mary
The topic you raise is an important one for = those on=20 the ketogenic diet (KD).
If urine is not voided in a timely = fashion, =20 waste acetoacetic acid builds
up with resultant = aciduria.

Hopefully=20 the many techniques to trigger urination described on the Liss =
Loop will=20 allow Thomas to urinate efficiently in the future.
Since I'm = sending this=20 post to ketogenic@squish.com and to=20 my own
Neurodiet@yahoo.com,=20 anyone on these lists who needs to know about these
techniques for = addressing neurogenic bladder disorder need only ask and
I'll pass = them=20 on. I remember getting no useful information from any of the =
neurologists=20 with whom I discussed urine retention. (I hope that Linda
Furlotte = has=20 found the time (LOL) to set up her own site of unique
practical=20 information for severely handicapped kids. Such a site would =
surely be a=20 godsend to many). I always had the feeling that Roberta's =
tonic/clonics=20 with urinary incontinence had something to do with urine =
retention.=20 Voiding at regular intervals, I suspect, is likely to improve=20
seizure control since any form of excess acidity in the body may = upset=20
delicate pH balances beyond our capacity to measure, but = nonetheless=20
necessary for proper functioning of the KD.

This topic is=20 intimately tied in with that of optimal fluid consumption on
the = KD.=20 Having just returned from a working session with "the mother of the=20
ketogenic diet" , I need to report that the number one issue of = priority,=20
according to the ketodietician with fifty years experience, is = fluid=20
monitoring. In Milly Kelly's new book the term fluid "restriction" = will be=20
deleted, to be replaced by fluid "monitoring." Restriction = is a=20 misleading
term, even a dangerous one. It tends to suggest that = fluids are=20 bad; when,
in fact, the opposite is true. Fluids are everybody's = first and=20 vital
nutriment. For a person on the KD, fluids prevent = life-threatening=20
acidosis. Anyone travelling in the heat with a child on the = KD needs=20 to be
watching for dehydration, which is particularly dangerous to = a child=20 on the
KD. Dehydration can come about quickly in a small child, = with coma=20 ensuing.
A dehydrated child on the KD needs to be taken = immediately to an=20 ER for IV
hydration.

Too much fluid on the KD, on the other = hand,=20 can upset optimal functioning
of the diet. Hence the = appropriateness of=20 the concept and the term: "fluid
monitoring".

Love, Isabel = and=20 Roberta
At 11:38 AM 7/26/03 +0000, you wrote:
>Thomas has now = been=20 holding
>his urine for over 12 hours, and he's well hydrated so = I know=20 he
>should go. He has NEVER held it this long. I gave him 8 = ounces=20 of
>water in his tube last night at 6pm. He was dry at that = time. Then=20 I
>went to change him, and he was dry all evening. I gave him = another=20 8
>ounces of water last night at 10pm; still dry. Then he woke = up=20 this
>morning DRY! I am sort of afraid to give him more water = because=20 I
>don't want his bladder to burst. Why is he holding it? Should = I=20 be
>worried that it's been this long, or is this normal with our = kids?
>Thanks for any help with = this.
>Mary
>(Thomas, ILS, 5=20 years old, keto diet, Baltimore, MD)

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