Electrolyte deficiency can be surprisingly sneaky.
If you’ve felt tired, foggy, dizzy, cranky, weak or headachy lately, you’ve probably blamed it on stress, poor sleep, hormones, getting older, or whatever bug is making the rounds.
Sometimes you’re right.
But sometimes the explanation is much simpler. You may simply be low on electrolytes.
Electrolytes are minerals that carry tiny electrical charges throughout your body. Think of them as your body’s electrical wiring. Minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride help regulate hydration, nerve signaling, muscle contractions, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and even brain function.
Fun fact: Your heart is an electrical organ. That means every single heartbeat you have depends on a delicate balance of electrolytes – especially sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium – to generate and conduct the tiny electrical impulses that keep it beating in rhythm. When those minerals get too far out of balance, your muscles don’t work normally… and that includes your heart muscle. That’s why a lot of different types of palpitations can occur as a result of imbalanced or deficient electrolytes.
And as a whole, without enough of these electrolytes, your body simply doesn’t perform as well.
But here’s the part few people know: Dehydration doesn’t always feel like thirst. Most people assume dehydration means you’re thirsty, but again, it’s not always going to show up that way.
Over the years, I’ve seen mild dehydration masquerade as fatigue, headaches, constipation, poor concentration, anxiety, muscle cramps, weakness, irritability and as I mentioned a minute ago, occasional heart palpitations.
And then you’ll spend weeks (and lost of money) chasing complicated explanations or a new diagnosis when it’s just that your body is simply asking for more fluid with minerals.
Sometimes It’s Not the Disease You Think It Is
Doctors have become incredibly good at diagnosing diseases, and pharmaceutical companies have become incredibly good at providing pills for those diseases. And insurance companies have become incredibly good at collecting.
But sometimes a new illness is simply a nutritional deficiency. If you complain of headaches, leg cramps, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog or muscles that just won’t cooperate, it’s easy to get labeled with a syndrome or disorder and leave with a prescription for a new pill, probably the latest one advertised on TV. Meanwhile, nobody asked whether you’ve been sweating in 95-degree weather, drinking coffee all day, taking a diuretic, or using an anatacid.
Don’t get me wrong, restless legs syndrome, migraines and anxiety are real medical conditions. But electrolyte depletion can look remarkably similar, and it’s one of the simplest things to rule out before assuming you need another medication. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the one that’s overlooked.
If you have restless legs, you may want to read this article next, it’s one of my most popular blogs ever! Akathisias Make You Want to Jump Out of Your Skin
Summer makes everything worse
I’ll admit, I hate the heat. Like… hate it! I can’t stand laying on a hot beach, I despise walking outside when it’s hot and humid. I feel awful. I will do anything to get out of that. It’s probably half the reason I moved from Florida to Colorado where it’s a desert.
During the summer, we lose both water and minerals through sweat. If you’re exercising, gardening, hiking, golfing, playing pickleball, traveling, sitting at the beach, doing hot yoga, or simply spending more time outdoors, your requirements can increase dramatically.
Even coffee contributes. Caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, especially if you aren’t accustomed to it, and alcohol can increase fluid losses too.
Then there are medications.
Many Medications Quietly Deplete Minerals
One of my favorite topics is what I call “drug muggers”—medications that quietly rob your body of vitamins and minerals.
Certain diuretics prescribed for blood pressure can increase the loss of potassium and magnesium. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used for acid reflux *such as omeprazole and esomeprazole), along with some OTC antacid therapies, have been associated with lower magnesium levels in susceptible people. Laxative use can contribute too. Read this article next, it’s a biggie: How Laxatives and Stool Softeners Steal 6 Electrolytes And Trigger Heart Arrhythmias
This doesn’t mean you should stop taking your medication if you’re supposed to. (I’m not trying to get in the middle of you and your doctor), I am just trying to educate you because you deserve to understand what it may be doing behind the scenes so you can have an informed conversation with your practitioner about monitoring your nutrient status. That’s very easy to do.
I’ve spent years researching these interactions because they’re incredibly common and almost always overlooked.
If you’d like to learn more, you can download my free ebook, Outsmarting Drug Muggers, which explains how common medications can affect your nutrient levels and what you can do about it.
Not All Electrolytes Are Created Equal
Electrolyte drinks have exploded in popularity because many people genuinely feel better after replacing lost minerals. Some are higher in potassium than others, some higher in sodium than others. Some have dyes, some are dye-free, some have natural sugar, some have artificial sweeteners. There are thousands of options available.
Sometimes when you drink the electrolyte and restore lost minerals, improvement happens within hours.
And that part is great. But here’s the problem…
Most products are little more than brightly colored sugar water loaded with artificial dyes, excessive sweeteners, or marketing hype. Others contain mineral ratios that don’t make much physiological sense.
Personally, I’d skip the neon blue and fluorescent red beverages. Your body doesn’t need artificial colors to stay hydrated. Instead, look for products that provide meaningful amounts of sodium, potassium, magnesium and/or zinc without unnecessary flavors, colors and artificial dyes.
The Three Minerals I Pay the Most Attention To
The three electrolytes that deserve the most attention are sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Sodium often gets a bad reputation because of its connection with processed foods. But sodium is essential. It helps regulate fluid balance, supports nerve transmission and allows muscles—including your heart—to function properly.
Potassium works closely with sodium to maintain normal fluid balance, healthy muscle contractions and heart function. When you’re low in potassium, your blood pressure rises.
Magnesium may be my favorite mineral because it participates in more than 300 enzymatic reactions throughout the body. It supports muscle relaxation, sleep, energy production, nerve function and healthy blood sugar metabolism.
When magnesium intake falls short, you may notice muscle cramps, constipation, headaches, poor sleep, anxiety and fatigue. One of the first things they give you in the ER when you come in with heart rhythm disturbances is magnesium, did you know that? Most people don’t realize that the supplement of magnesium they take is sort of like chalk, it goes in and out of your tube. It doesn’t get absorbed through your intestinal wall into your blood stream (most brands). You have to be picky. I wrote a good blog about this over HERE.
It’s one reason I highly recommend my bioavailable magnesium threonate, MAGFOCUS, using highly absorbable forms of magnesium designed to nourish both the body and nervous system. For people who want capsules of magnesium, take a look at this easy-on-the-tummy FORM. By the way, magnesium with CoQ10 actually support muscle health, so much so, this combo can help your LEG CRAMPS.
Don’t Forget About Your Overall Nutritional Status
Here’s something many people overlook.
Electrolyte depletion and nutrient deficiencies often travel together.
Someone who is low in magnesium may also be low in certain B vitamins that support energy production. Poor dietary habits, digestive problems and some medications can affect multiple nutrients at the same time.
That’s why I prefer looking at the whole nutritional picture instead of chasing a single vitamin or mineral.
One product I reach for regularly is Yummy Greens®. While it isn’t formulated or marketed as an electrolyte drink, it provides a wide variety of nutrient-dense greens, vegetables, herbs and naturally occurring minerals that help support overall nutritional status. I like it because it’s an easy way to increase your intake of plant-based nutrients on days when your diet isn’t perfect—which, let’s be honest, happens to all of us.
It complements a healthy diet rather than replacing one.
My Personal Summer Routine
During the warmer months, I pay much closer attention to hydration than I do during the winter. Like today for example, I did an intense Level II yoga class that was heated, and when it was over, I walked to my car all sweat and it was 95 degrees outside. I was really hot. I came home took a cold shower and drank some ELECTROLYTES and restored my minerals before the leg cramps began that night. Just thinking ahead like that is a big deal in terms of your comfort.
Fulk disclosure, I always keep a few coconut-flavored Electrolit drinks in the refrigerator for particularly hot days, or when I’m working outside gardening, or hiking, or after intense exercise (like yoga or zumba) when I know for sure I’ve lost balance, and need electrolytes. I also like clear unfavored Pedialyte. Having had my parathyroid gland surgery has made more sensitive to losing minerals. If you want, you can read about my PARATHYROID JOURNEY.
It’s worth mention that I will also make sure to include potassium-rich foods like avocado, tomatoes, beans, leafy greens and fruit throughout the week. I also make magnesium a priority every single day because so many people simply don’t get enough. I take at least one of my own CHELATED MAGNESIUM capsules every night before bed along with one IMMUNE SCRIPT. (They help me sleep).
It’s a simple routine, but it works for me.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been dragging through the summer, don’t automatically assume you’re simply getting older. If you’ve been given a new diagnosis related to headaches, constipation, dizziness, arrhythmias or blood pressure, make sure it’s accurate and reasonable. It probably is, but checking your electrolytes is critical to making sure. It’s a simple, cheap blood test.
Don’t assume you suddenly have anxiety, chronic fatigue, or some mysterious illness. Sometimes your body is simply asking for water. Sometimes it’s asking for minerals. Sometimes it’s asking for both.
The solution is usually a lot simpler than you think.
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Suzy Cohen, RPh, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years, blending conventional medicine with natural approaches to help people feel better and live healthier. She is the founder of Script Essentials, a supplement company known for targeted, custom-formulated products, some with patented innovations.
With a special focus on thyroid health, functional medicine, and drug-induced nutrient depletion (what she calls “drug muggers”), Suzy is the author of several books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, and Diabetes Without Drugs. She also writes a nationally syndicated health column and shares practical, easy-to-understand guidance with readers around the world.
