Dehydration and Kratom: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It

If you ask one of the millions of people who swear by kratom, most will praise this plant’s benefits. You know we’re proud advocates of kratom and its unlimited potential. But, as with a lot of things, kratom use may also cause unwanted side effects. One of which is dehydration.

Thankfully, kratom causing or worsening dehydration is preventable and simple to fix. In this post, you’ll learn why kratom may dehydrate you, signs you’re dehydrated, and how to prevent future bouts of dehydration.

Does Kratom Cause Dehydration?

Yes, at least indirectly, because kratom is a diuretic. A diuretic is any substance that causes increased urination. When you urinate more, there’s less water in your body and a higher likelihood of you becoming dehydrated.

So it’s not guaranteed that kratom will dehydrate you. However, it’s likely to happen if your body is at or nearing dehydration before you consume kratom or if you take a large amount of kratom.

We’re currently unaware of any research-backed consensus as to why kratom causes diuretic effects. Some suspect that kratom’s alkaloid content could be to blame. Moreover, we don’t expect a bunch of studies to suddenly surface when there are more important kratom questions that need to be answered.

What Are Signs of Dehydration?

Dehydration ranges in levels of severity. Sometimes, slight dehydration is hard to notice. However, symptoms of severe dehydration are nearly impossible to ignore.

Light to moderate dehydration symptoms:

• Headaches
• Increased thirst
• Brain fog
• Dry mouth
• Muscle cramps
• Yellow-colored urine

Severe dehydration symptoms:

• Dropping blood pressure levels
• Increasing heart rate
• Dark yellow or light brown-colored urine

Tips for Staying Hydrated After Taking Kratom

As mentioned earlier, preventing dehydration from kratom or anything else is preventable. Here’s how to do it.

Avoid Other Diuretics

Kratom and medications aren’t the only diuretics in the world. Unfortunately for most people, caffeine and alcohol are two other commonly used substances that are also diuretics.

Ideally, it’s best to avoid alcohol and caffeine usage with kratom whenever possible. If that’s not a possibility, reduce your intake of either substance with kratom in the mix. Also, realize that your water consumption may need to increase to compensate for having more than one diuretic in your system.

Eat Foods Rich in Water

Water in foods? We know that sounds strange. However, for most people, nearly one-fifth of their water intake comes from foods rather than liquids!

If it’s difficult to reach your daily water intake goals or you continue experiencing the effects of dehydration, consider implementing foods known to contain considerable amounts of water. These are typically fruits and vegetables.

Water-rich foods can include:

• Watermelons
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Pineapples

Track Your Daily Water Intake

Some people enjoy the taste of water. However, they find it difficult to take hydration breaks throughout the day or night. If that sounds like you, start tracking how much water you drink each day.

You can go old school with this method by writing down your daily water goal and the amounts you drink. There are also many free smartphone apps dedicated solely to helping you track your daily water intake.

Add Flavoring to Your Water

Understandably, plain water isn’t something everyone finds appealing. If that’s the case, mix things up with the array of drink flavoring powder mixes on the market. Most of these products add little to no calories or sugar to your water. Plus, flavors like cherry, grape, strawberry, and many others make it easy for even the biggest water hater to stay hydrated.

Try Hydration Boosters

People aiming to get the most hydration from every drop of water they consume sometimes use hydration boosters. These products, like kratom drink mixes, typically come in powder or liquid form. Adding hydration-boosting mixes to your water may boost its hydrating properties.

Whether you enjoy kratom powder, capsules, or gummies, you will likely experience kratom-induced dehydration at some point. If that happens, remember that hydration is typically noticeable before becoming remotely severe or life-threatening. A key to avoiding dehydration is recognizing its early warning signs and knowing when to increase your water intake.

For Further Reading

D. Singh, et al. Evaluating the hematological and clinical-chemistry parameters of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) users in Malaysia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 214, pp. 197-206. March 2018.

J. C. Seaton, R. Tondeur, Léo Marion. The Structure of Mitraphylline. Canadian Science Publishing. July 1958.