While detox is often the first step in the addiction recovery process, it is usually accompanied by uncomfortable and sometimes evenly deadly withdrawal symptoms.

One of these possible side effects is dehydration, which, if severe enough and left untreated, can be fatal.

The Connection Between Detox and Dehydration

Dehydration in early recovery and detox is not uncommon. During detox, your body is attempting to adjust to no longer having the substance on which it has become dependent. The result is a slew of physical and even mental side effects. For many people, these physical side effects often include sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. All of these can cause dehydration as water is being removed from the body at a fast rate and may not be replaced as quickly as it should be. Also, with an alcohol detox, the body can experience an electrolyte imbalance that makes dehydration more likely.

Especially if you attempt to detox on your own, you are putting yourself at a high risk of severe complications, one of which is dehydration. For this reason, it is not recommended that you try to detox without medical supervision.

Signs of Dehydration During Detox

During the detox process, it is important to monitor your symptoms and look for signs of dehydration so that you can get the proper medical attention before matters become fatal.

  Some signs of dehydration to look for include:

• Headaches
• Dry mouth
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Very dark urination or none at all
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Mental confusion
• Fatigue
• Fainting

In severe cases, dehydration can also cause brain damage, seizures, organ failure, and eventually, death. Because of these serious complications, it is best to be mindful of dehydration during detox from the start.

Avoiding Dehydration in Detox

In order to avoid experiencing these negative symptoms, there are some preventative measures that you can try.

Drink Water

It is important to stay hydrated during detox and drink plenty of water. While obvious, some people neglect to do this during this process. Not only can drinking water help you to avoid dehydration during drug detox but drinking a lot of water may also help you flush your system of the toxins left behind by your substance use.

Change Your Diet

To ensure that you avoid dehydration, you will want to alter your diet to include the foods that will help you stay hydrated. This includes a lot of fruits and vegetables. You will also want to avoid anything that may dehydrate you like coffee and salty foods.

Professional Detox

The best way to avoid dehydration during detox is to get professional help with this process. At Banyan Heartland, we offer medically monitored detox in Gilman with trained professionals who will supervise the process and help manage your symptoms. They will be better able to recognize the early signs of dehydration and address the problem immediately. Our staff will also do their best to make the process as comfortable as possible.

Seek Medical Attention Early

If you do decide to try and detox on your own, it is imperative that you monitor your symptoms and seek medical attention sooner rather than later. Waiting or trying to rough it out could lead to serious health problems related to more than just dehydration.

Instead of risking a detox on your own, let us help you. Our Illinois drug rehab is equipped to handle your detox needs as well as what follows because detox is only the beginning of addiction recovery.

If you want to learn more, contact one of our admission specialists today at 888-280-4763.