Water Pills

[JackSteel4Life]

I understand that these pills removes excess water from your body, but do they dehydrate you as well? I want was interested in taking some, but I am not sure I need to. Gimme some feedback on this...thanks guys.

[shuttaLCD]

I understand that these pills removes excess water from your body, but do they dehydrate you as well? I want was interested in taking some, but I am not sure I need to. Gimme some feedback on this...thanks guys.

well i personally never took any..But i had a friend that tried them and they dehydrated bad..But i mean it just might be him..But i would ASSUME that if they take water out of your body...I would think they would dehydrate you..The only time i think i would them is if i had a weigh in for a tournement or sport..But as i said i never took them..I mean salt pills take out water from your body and i know they dehydrate you..

Shutta

[dinoiii]

Salt pills essentially dissociate post absorption. I would like to say into which constituent ions, but you have simply stated salt (no specification to whether you are talking a Potassium salt or a Sodium salt --> sodium and the term "salt" are neither analagous nor homologous). There is an attraction between electrolytes like water and salt (i.e. - water tends to follow respective ions where they go) to keep your osmotic gradient in homeostatic balance.


A "water pill" (i.e. - diuretic - not simply something like Spironolactone or Lasix, but also things as mundane as caffeine) creates a gradient through a number of ways. Your body's return to homeostasis while introducing these things strips water from the system and hence potentially leads to a devastating dehydration if used in excess. Again - there is POTENTIAL - it is not the rule.

[italndiesel]

Salt pills essentially dissociate post absorption. I would like to say into which constituent ions, but you have simply stated salt (no specification to whether you are talking a Potassium salt or a Sodium salt --> sodium and the term "salt" are neither analagous nor homologous). There is an attraction between electrolytes like water and salt (i.e. - water tends to follow respective ions where they go) to keep your osmotic gradient in homeostatic balance.


A "water pill" (i.e. - diuretic - not simply something like Spironolactone or Lasix, but also things as mundane as caffeine) creates a gradient through a number of ways. Your body's return to homeostasis while introducing these things strips water from the system and hence potentially leads to a devastating dehydration if used in excess. Again - there is POTENTIAL - it is not the rule.

how do bodybuilders keep these effects from becoming too drastic?

[dinoiii]

Provided you know the various properties of different diuretics - essentially classified into 5 or 6 different classes can ease your side effects.

Your question is a great one Diesel and for the sake of description, I will illustrate how intricate this process becomes with Potassium as my example. For instance ALL diuretics are Potassium-depleting EXCEPT ONE CLASS which works on the very late distal convoluted tubule of the nephron + collecting duct system - including things like Spironolactone (bb's know it as Aldactone, but there are other Potassium-Sparing options slowing becoming prevalent Diesel like Amiloride which doesn't work through the aldosterone receptor). You can start here and it is the choice of most bb to start with the potassium sparers for a very mild diuretic effect.

Secondarily, you usually will see one of two moves - going to a Thiazide or skipping this secondary efficacious agent and moving to the Loops. Thiazide are very potassium-wasting, so you may need to use a combo drug at this point which combines a Potassium-Sparer with a Thiazide or go it alone provided you keep a strict watch on your Potassium levels. One of the neat little Pneumonics I like to recall from the days of my first board exam is HyperGLUC, which stands for increased Glucose (HyperGlycemia), increased lipids (HyperLipidemia), increased Uric Acid (HyperUremia), increased calcium (HyperCalcemia) and everything else for the Thiazides is decreased including what we already mentioned Potassium, alongside imperatives like Sodium and Phosphate.

Usually you bump up to a class called loop diuretics next - the most common of which you may be familiar with is the classic drug Furosemide (more commonly known as a very friendly congestive heart failure drug - Lasix). This IS THE STRONGEST DIURETIC I would ever advise and likely would stop with the thiazides or a mediocre dose of this (i.e.- 10mg). I have known people to go as high as 40-80mg mind you which in case of the latter beats a Lasix challenge for people in kidney failure. Again, some of the stupid heresay that has become commonplace in the bb world based on frivolous miscalculation.

I am convinced that bbs know nothing when it comes to this though and come show time, they are SEVERELY DEHYDRATED and on the verge of seizure (due to hyponatremia) and arrhythmias (due to hypokalemia), amongst other things. You really must go backstage of a show to get the full effect of this if you have not yet guys.

Note: the other 3 classes while not very useful in bb world may have benefit in things like Glaucoma or altitude sickness but I won't mention them here b/c it was not in your question.




Summary:

Step 1: Potassium-Sparing Agent (ie. - Spironolactone or Amiloride)

Step 2: Thiazide or Thiazide (i.e.- Hydrochlorothiazide) + Potassium-Sparer .. alternatively move to Step 3 which I think is a move too quick

Step 3: Loop Diuretic or Loop + Potassium-Sparer

Alternatively, Steps 2 and 3 can be replaced by the current subset of combo drugs on the market.

[italndiesel]

thanks for the response dinoii

that is a lot of dangerous work to attempt in my opinion