Many people complain of feeling thirsty or dehydrated when they consume weed. Dehydration is a condition where the level of water in your body falls significantly below the normal level. It occurs when your body releases more water than it takes in. Does weed cause dehydration? Or if it does, how does it influence your body’s water level? Keep reading this piece by pureweedreviews.com, if you want to know whether weed causes dehydration and ways to prevent it.
What is a Cotton Mouth or Dry Mouth?
Xerostomia is commonly known as a cottonmouth or dry mouth. It is a condition where the salivary glands do not function well or produce sufficient saliva to keep your mouth wet. Cotton mouth can occur due to several reasons including weed consumption.
However, having a dry mouth is not a small issue that you can easily ignore. It can lead to several other side effects such as difficulty in speaking, swallowing, eating, bad breath, dry lips, and a changed sense of taste.
Does Weed Cause Dehydration: Effects of Cannabis
If you are wondering whether weed makes you dehydrated then you are not alone. While many people say cannabis does not cause dehydration others complain of dry mouth after smoking weed or consuming weed in any other form. The safest answer to the above question is marijuana does not cause dehydration directly but it can indirectly trigger the feeling of dehydration or cause certain conditions that lead to dehydration.
So, even though cannabis does not directly cause dehydration it can prevent your salivary glands from producing saliva leading to dry mouth (a common symptom of dehydration). So, it gives you a feeling of dehydration when the psychoactive compounds of cannabis bind with several human body receptors but do not dehydrate you.
How does weed affect the water levels of your body?
As we have already mentioned cannabis consumption results in dry mouth which we perceive as dehydration. People tend to get confused as dry or cotton mouth is a common symptom of cannabis and dehydration. But when you consume cannabis you feel dry mouth, light-headedness, and dizziness but does not affect the water or electron levels (which is the main cause of dehydration).
However, the overall symptoms make you feel dehydrated as THC makes you high and prevents the salivary glands from producing saliva. The only and rarest occasion when weed causes dehydration is CHS or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Symptoms of dehydration caused by cannabis
When you consume recreational or medicinal cannabis you not only feel high or dizzy, but it also comes with a list of after-effects that are similar to the common symptom of dehydration leads to this confusion. Also, if you are mildly dehydrated before consuming cannabis, the symptoms can become severe as your body’s water level is low. So, it is essential to maintain a healthy hydration routine before you consume cannabis.
Here is a list of symptoms of dehydration or, to be more specific, feelings of dehydration caused by weed:
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Intense thirst
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- White tongue
- Muscle cramp
- Back pain
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Confusion
Remember, Cannabis consumption and dehydration have similar symptoms, so if you are dehydrated while consuming weed, the after-effects or weed hangover symptoms can often get worse than others who are consuming weed in a hydrated body.
How to Manage Dehydration When Smoking Weed?
Smoking weed or consuming it in any other form can cause several symptoms that make you feel dehydrated. However, you can limit these symptoms of intense thirst, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, etc., by incorporating some healthy habits and precautions. Here are a few ways to manage the feeling of dehydration when smoking weed or consuming cannabis in any form-
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine: Combining cannabis with alcohol or caffeine can increase the intensity of dehydration symptoms. So, you must not consume them together.
- Healthy foods and snacks: Eating healthy foods and snacks also helps to maintain the body’s water level and makes you feel less thirsty.
- Drink plenty of water: The primary rule to prevent dehydration during cannabis consumption is to drink plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and reduce the intensity of a weed hangover.
- Hydrating drinks: If drinking too much water is difficult for you try alternative methods such as drinking hydrating drinks like fruit juice.
- Avoid processed food: Another crucial factor to remember while consuming weed is to avoid processed food. Processed food reduces body water levels and makes you thirsty.
Conclusion
A lot of stoners associate cannabis with dehydration as it causes dry mouth and light-headedness, which are common symptoms of dehydration. However, multiple research shows that cannabis does not affect the body’s water level but only makes you thirsty. Above, we have talked about why and how cannabis makes you feel dehydrated and ways to prevent it.
