Kratom Dehydration: Symptoms & How To Stay Hydrated

Conventional medications have benefits and address the respective conditions they are designed to do. The same is true for natural therapeutic substances such as kratom. For this plant, one of the lesser known side effects is kratom dehydration.

If you have been consuming kratom for a while or if you have been doing your research before diving in, you probably know that it has similar impacts. Some of the most common side effects include constipation, lack of appetite, extreme weight loss, insomnia, and possible dependency.

Those who are not aware of dehydration being a secondary impact of this herb will be glad to know that this can be countered with the right practice. Keep reading to know more.

What Exactly Is Kratom?

Before we talk about kratom side effects, let’s take a look at what the plant is and what it has to offer. The National Center for Complementary Integrative Health describes it as a tree in the coffee family.

Mitragyna speciosa, the scientific name for kratom, and the Coffea genus fall under the Rubiaceae family, making kratom and coffee cousins of some sort. This is why the two offer a few similar impacts.

The alkaloids present in kratom and coffee both interact with the central nervous system. Both can give consumers a much-needed energy boost, cognitive enhancement, mental performance improvement, focus, and alertness. 

What makes kratom unique is that its alkaloids – especially the most dominant ones, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (HMG) – bind to various receptors in the human body. These are the mu, kappa, and delta receptors, as well as serotonin and dopamine receptors. 

These cells are located in different parts of the nervous system aside from the central region. They are also present in the peripheral and supraspinal areas, as well as the spinal cord and limbic system.

When these receptors interact with the chemical compounds contained by Mytragina speciosa, it can cause improvements in energy, mood, and cognition, as mentioned. Moreover, it offers pain, inflammation, and stress relief.

However, it is important to take note of the possible side effects of the plant. Before we delve into this, keep in mind that every person can have varying experiences depending on their body size, shape, and tolerance. 

Given that you consume a moderate amount and are responsible about your consumption, you can safely intake kratom, but this does not mean that would not have secondary effects.

For most people, kratom can cause constipation, nausea, itching, loss of appetite, and a few other negative impacts. It can also cause dry mouth and dehydration, which many consumers are not aware of.

Kratom Dehydration And Its Causes

The thing about dehydration is that many people suffer from it even without kratom. According to studies, 75% of the American population suffers from chronic dehydration. This condition can worsen when combined with food and substances that can aggravate it.

Without consuming kratom, you can experience dehydration just by failing to drink the right amount of water for the day. If you sweat a lot through physical activities, hot weather, and other reasons, you are bound to be dehydrated, as well. 

Illnesses that cause sweating, urination, vomiting, and diarrhea can also result in this excessive loss of fluids leading to dehydration. The condition can be aggravated when you intake substances such as kratom. 

To fight kratom dehydration, it is necessary to find out exactly how this plant causes it. So, what causes this condition? The most important thing to consider is that kratom has diuretic impacts.

Just think about the times you drink soda, tea, alcohol, and coffee. You probably had to go and relieve yourself a few times. Frequent peeing can cause dehydration as it causes your body to dispel fluid more quickly than you intake.

If you have taken kratom, then you may have had a similar experience, except this plant is a stronger diuretic compared to the others.

Kratom Dehydration Symptoms

What makes this condition dangerous is that it is not easily detected until you have it in mild to moderate levels.

During this stage, some dehydration symptoms include fatigue, dry mouth, increased thirst, dry skin, constipation, dizziness, headache, decreased urination and tear production, and lightheadedness.

When left unaddressed, mild to moderate kratom dehydration can progress to a severe level. The symptoms are excessive thirst, lack of sweat production, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sunken eyes, dark urine, shriveled skin, and low blood pressure.

Kratom consumers need to understand that reaching this stage means that the situation is a medical emergency. It is important to get immediate help from professionals when you notice these symptoms.

Untreated, this condition can cause fatal complications like heat cramps, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, low blood volume, kidney failure, seizures, and coma. 

How To Efficiently Fight Kratom Dehydration

Because kratom dehydration can lead to serious medical situations, you want to make sure that you know how to fight it when you encounter it. 

The first thing you need to do is to know the symptoms of mild to moderate kratom dehydration. This way, you will know what is going on in your body. Look out for excessive peeing that can eventually lead to dehydration.

Once you observe that you frequently urinate after taking kratom, you need to take the right steps toward hydrating yourself. At this stage, your best bet is to intake electrolytes.

Some of the best sources of electrolytes are unsweetened coconut water, bananas, avocado, watermelon, and electrolyte-infused water such as sports drinks and diluted electrolyte tablets or powder. 

You can also make your own remedy by adding ½ teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar to one liter of water. 

During your kratom consumption, you might be tempted to use other food items and substances that can increase its potency and coffee is one of them. At this point, you want to avoid ingesting other diuretics to prevent further loss of fluids. 

If you are severely dehydrated, you might want to lay off kratom and other diuretics for a while. Consulting a doctor is also the best step. 

Tips For Staying Hydrated

Those who have suffered from dehydration at some point know that it is not a pleasant experience. It can affect their quality of life, at least for the day. However, those who suffer from severe and chronic conditions can see a diminishing of their quality of life for longer.

This is why any kratom enthusiast should take the necessary measures to minimize the chances of getting kratom dehydration. What you want to do is to address the causes of this condition even before taking kratom. 

If you are physically active and work or live in a hot environment, you want to make sure that you consume more water than you sweat and pee. Consuming electrolytes can improve your water retention after excessive sweating.

Wearing something appropriate for the activity or weather is also a great move. You want to wear something airy and breathable. You also need to get out of direct heat and move to a cooler room before taking kratom. 

Say, you are not always exposed to conditions that can cause you to sweat a lot. You might think that you can drink a minimal amount of fluids. The truth is, the best treatment for dehydration is water and you still need to intake the recommended amount.

The Mayo Clinic says that women should drink 92 ounces or 11.5 cups of water every day, while men should drink 124 ounces or 15.5 cups. 

Keep in mind that drinking the recommended amount is vital to keeping yourself hydrated. There is such a thing as overhydration, which is a condition in which people consume more water than necessary that it dilutes their body’s electrolyte content. 

To know if you are just hydrated enough, take a look at your pee. Transparent pee means that you are overhydrated and you need to take it easy on drinking water.

If the color is like lemonade to light beer, then your hydration is fine. However, if you find an amber hue, you might be mildly dehydrated, but it is nothing that a drink of water cannot fix. Dark orange means that you are dehydrated and you need to drink and retain more fluids.

You can help your body retain fluids by drinking electrolyte-infused water or electrolyte-rich fluids. Some of the best electrolytes to take include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.

So, you will do better when you drink milk, orange juice, coconut water, soy milk, and tomato juice. You can also eat fruits and vegetables rich in the aforementioned nutrients. Your best choices are leafy greens, sweet potatoes, avocado, squash, bananas, prunes, and apricots

Eating nuts and seeds, dairy products, beans and lentils, salt and salty food, and breakfast cereals are great sources of electrolytes, as well. If you opt to eat these food items, make sure to intake fluids.

Conclusion

Kratom dehydration is a serious side effect of consuming this plant. Now that you are aware of what you can do to fight this condition, you can start taking precautions before using your preferred product. To find the best kratom, check out Kratom Krush for high-quality choices.