Can dehydration cause brain damage?
 

So, for the past month, I've been vaporizing high CBD/low THC (60%:3%) marijuana concentrate, which in some respects I believe has been helping me a lot.

However, today I came to the realization that I've been neglecting to hydrate properly all this time, particularly in the evening. I drink a decent amount of water throughout the day, but in evening taper off so I don't have to wake up to urinate so much at night.

I vaporize throughout the day and a few times before going to sleep. Every morning I awake with very dry mouth. Lately, I feel I've been getting dizziness and a spinny feeling.

I don't know why it took me so long to make the connection that "vaping" can cause dehydration. I feel like a real idiot now for not drinking more water to compensate. I'll definitely do so now.

But how bad can all this month of dehydration to my brain/body be? I'm kinda nervous I've inflicted severe damage on my condition.

For example, I know alcohol is EXTREMELY bad for PCS. Is this because of the dehydration aspect? God, if I've been basically giving myself a hangover every night for the last month because of vapor, I can't imagine what kind of strain my brain has been through :(

Another anxiety post, I know.... I recognize it's out of control

My opinion only.....Dehydration does effect us greatly because of the injury initially, it cant create true "damage" because of it or lack of it....

I use MM and vape...I have more problems when I first go to sleep, not when I wake up.

If some one is dehydrated it takes a very long time through water, thats why IV's are so quick, it gets right to your blood stream.

If you wake with a dry mouth, it suggests you are a mouth breather, not necessarily dehydrated. If you are a mouth breather, is this because you have breathing obstructions if you try to breath through your nose ? Could you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, too? Sleep apnea will make any PCS symptoms much worse and will even cause PCS like symptoms.

You are vaping far more than you need. CBD has a half life of 24 to 48 hours. It stays in your system a long time. THC stays in your system even longer.

All the research suggests that the therapeutic level of CBD does not require frequent ingestion. Vaping gives the best absorption so you should have plenty in your system with twice a day dosing.

Your constant need to vape suggests to me that you need help with anxiety. THC can cause anxiety, even at low doses because it accumulates in the body quickly with frequent use.

It would be interesting to get a THC blood test and see how much is in your system. I bet it is quite a lot. This could be seriously contributing to your anxiety levels.

Maybe. I'm not sure if I have obstructive sleep apnea. Sometimes I feel like it's hard to breathe when im going to sleep. How does one treat obstructive sleep apnea?

I'll cut down on the vaping. Still hope I haven't messed anything up.

Does what I'm saying about possible dehydration have any merit?

No, minor dehydration will not cause damage. If you stayed severely dehydrated during the day, your symptoms may be worse.

You would not know you have OSA. Others would notice your breathing irregularities while you are asleep. You may wake up often during the night. Some people do not wake up fully. Just enough to change positions and start breathing better. People with sleep apnea are often tired during the day and can easily take a nap.

There are recording Pulse Oximeters that you can wear on your hand and wrist that tracks your oxygen saturation as you sleep. They cost $35 to $150. Google recording pulse oximeter.
A FitBit will tell you how often you move during your sleep and if your pulse varies.

My mother owns a Fitbit. Perhaps I could try that


On hydration, is that not the reason why alcohol is so bad for PCS for example though? The dehydration it causes?

Alcohol is a neuro-toxin. Has nothing to do with dehydration.

I use both a high CBD oil for pain and a regular THC oil at night to help with sleep. There are two consequences to these. First, I have difficulty peeing even with a full bladder. This isn't terrible, but it can be annoying (note: some people are affected this way and others seem to be okay). Second, while both cause dehydration, for me the THC oil results in pretty intense dehydration. It's profound enough that it has impacted my bowel movements (I take Lax-a-Day to counteract this.

Your dehydration is from the cannabis. Try and drink more after you use, but in my experience this doesn't make a huge difference. If you want to test it, lay off the weed for a bit and see.

I found this:

"Cannabis doesn't cause dehydration. The dry mouth effect colloquially called cotton mouth is caused by the activations of CB1/CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the sub-mandibular glands which inhibits the production of saliva."

Add mouth breathing and you get even more dry mouth.

Constipation from cannabis use is not from dehydration. It is from the effect cannabis has on the GI tract. The papers report both sides of this same problem, especially with frequent and sustained use.