Dehydration struggles — what's your electrolyte drink recipe?

Since starting on Reta, I have been unable to drink enough water — my eyes and mouth stay dry. I made the switch to TEN alkaline water not long ago, and in under a week the difference was drastic.
 
My hydration routine is pretty plain: I stick with Great Value bottled water in the 42 packs, Oikos chocolate protein shakes, and Lost and Found Grape Fizz.

If I feel like having a Coke and one's on hand, I'll go ahead and drink it.

Since I work outdoors, I keep an eye out, and I've had no hydration symptoms and nothing showing up in my lab work.
 
Here's the one I follow.

🧪 Snake Juice Recipe

Mix these in a big pitcher or bottle to make a standard 2-liter batch:

• 💧 Water: 2 Liters (roughly 8 cups)

• 🧂 Sodium Chloride: 0.5 teaspoon fine salt (Himalayan pink salt or regular sea salt)

• 🍌 Potassium Chloride: 1 teaspoon salt substitute (like NoSalt or Nu-Salt)

• 🍞 Sodium Bicarbonate: 1 teaspoon regular baking soda

• 💊 Magnesium Sulfate: 0.5 teaspoon food-grade Epsom salt (Make sure the label says it's safe for human ingestion — standard bath salts are not)

Personally, though, I get my Magnesium from Walmart.
 
woundcarping said:

My hydration routine is pretty plain: I stick with Great Value bottled water in the 42 packs, Oikos chocolate protein shakes, and Lost and Found Grape Fizz.

If I feel like having a Coke and one's on hand, I'll go ahead and drink it.

Since I work outdoors, I keep an eye out, and I've had no hydration symptoms and nothing showing up in my lab work.
That's awesome, man!!

Sadly, some of my lab work has come back showing signs of dehydration. I'm pushing myself to do better!
 
ssmith said:

Here's the one I follow.

🧪 Snake Juice Recipe

Mix these in a big pitcher or bottle to make a standard 2-liter batch:

• 💧 Water: 2 Liters (roughly 8 cups)

• 🧂 Sodium Chloride: 0.5 teaspoon fine salt (Himalayan pink salt or regular sea salt)

• 🍌 Potassium Chloride: 1 teaspoon salt substitute (like NoSalt or Nu-Salt)

• 🍞 Sodium Bicarbonate: 1 teaspoon regular baking soda

• 💊 Magnesium Sulfate: 0.5 teaspoon food-grade Epsom salt (Make sure the label says it's safe for human ingestion — standard bath salts are not)

Personally, though, I get my Magnesium from Walmart.
Snake Juice was all I needed to hear!!! LOL.

I'm checking this out as well!

(E) what's the purpose of baking soda in this?!?? Curious. I've used it to brush my teeth before, but… I can't say I've come across it being used for hydration. Wow!
 
Symmetry said:

Since starting on Reta, I have been unable to drink enough water — my eyes and mouth stay dry. I made the switch to TEN alkaline water not long ago, and in under a week the difference was drastic.
TEN Alkaline — what even is that?! Man… tonight's got me motivated!

(E) Dry eyes and dry mouth are hitting me too. Since I'm on low doses of Reta/Tirz, I'm sure that's pushing my hydration needs higher.

My eyes are dry all the time.
 
HouseCat said:

Yeah, it really is awful! The worst is when you're in the bathroom and can hear someone waiting outside, so you feel pressured to hurry — or when you're truly desperate… ugh. If it's a real emergency, I'll use the student bathrooms, which is a HUGE no-no because of (bad creepy things), but if I ever get caught and get a serious talking-to, I'll just tell them: "Look, it was either there or on the floor." 🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
 
Throttle883 said:

TEN Alkaline — what even is that?! Man… tonight's got me motivated!

(E) Dry eyes and dry mouth are hitting me too. Since I'm on low doses of Reta/Tirz, I'm sure that's pushing my hydration needs higher.

My eyes are dry all the time.
My eyes have been dry as well, though I just picked up some lubricating drops. It occurs to me that electrolytes might be the piece I've been missing.
 
woundcarping said:

What do the labs show?
The most recent one showed my eGFR (Cystatin C) way off. That said, I'm certain I was suffering that day because I hadn't been hydrating. My body was clearly asking for fluids.

I also take creatine every day… which I realize can throw my labs off too.

So I've stopped the creatine and stepped up my hydration. I'm taking it very seriously now.

Next week I'm getting labs done again.

On top of that, I've been putting on muscle… which I know can also skew my labs. That's why I'll take a three day break before the next blood draw.

Thanks for asking!
 
Throttle883 said:

TEN Alkaline — what even is that?! Man… tonight's got me motivated!

(E) Dry eyes and dry mouth are hitting me too. Since I'm on low doses of Reta/Tirz, I'm sure that's pushing my hydration needs higher.

My eyes are dry all the time.
TEN is alkaline spring water sold in bottles, with a pH of 10. I pick it up by the gallon for roughly $4.50 at the grocery store. And yes, I only take 1.5 mg of reta once a week, and my dryness problems — mostly in my mouth — began only after that.
 
Throttle883 said:

Appreciate all the responses! You all inspire me!

(E) I realize I should have included my products and described my electrolyte mix in more detail.

My brand is Bulk Supplements. I've used them for a while for creatine and whey protein, and now for this too. I also picked up a 5lb jug of Himalayan Salt. Everything came from Amazon. View attachment 14114

View attachment 14115

View attachment 14116
I follow the same approach, though Redmonds real salt is what I go with.

My measurements for 30 servings are:

  • 75 grams Redmond's real salt (fine grind — you can get it on amazon too)
  • 11.5 grams potassium chloride
  • 11.7 grams magnesium malate
 
I haven't gone through the comments yet. Personally, I can't stand electrolyte drinks or powders — Liquid IV, Powerade, all of those are off the table for me. Salty water doesn't appeal to me either, though I do enjoy plain water. What works for me is Salt Stick brand electrolyte capsules: take one pill with a glass of water and I'm set.
 
Throttle883 said:

Snake Juice was all I needed to hear!!! LOL.

I'm checking this out as well!

(E) what's the purpose of baking soda in this?!?? Curious. I've used it to brush my teeth before, but… I can't say I've come across it being used for hydration. Wow!
Sourced from the web.

What baking soda does for hydration

• Replacing electrolytes: Sodium from baking soda aids the body in holding onto water and keeping plasma volume where it should be when you sweat heavily or lose fluids.

• Absorption in the gut: A little sodium bicarbonate can help the digestive tract take in water.

• Buffering acid: When exercise is intense, baking soda neutralizes hydrogen ions and lactic acid, which can put off muscle fatigue. It also shows up often in homemade or clinical Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS).
 
Hydration timing makes the biggest difference for me. Each night before bed I fix a quart of water with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda, then leave it on my night stand. The moment I wake up, I drink the whole quart down. Water affects me differently right at waking than it does 5-10 minutes after I get up — I can't say why. Done this way, it stays in me for a few hours and I barely pee. If I instead sip it over 30 minutes or so after getting up, I pee 3 or 4 times.

I'll also be working in a few of the recommendations posted above.
 
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