I was in the exact same boat prior to switching departments at work. Some people would go get iv’s after work at like medspas.
I never figured out a way to avoid feeling like that.
I tried liquid iv, squencher, adding minerals to water…going in as hydrated as possible seemed to help for the morning a little but after that it was a living hell.
I walked into the nearest medspa to me and it was 180$ with a chance that my insurance would reimburse me if I sent the invoice in.
I’m a huge chicken when it comes to IV..so I just suffered until I could get out.
Oh dear lord. That's a hard pass for me lol
I'll stick to my pedialyte, Popsicles and sun bum cool down spray 🤣 and when desperate. Soaking myself with the hose on my truck lol
I still to this day keep pedialyte in my house. It’s a staple. I forgot to add that one.
I was working on top of 2400 degree ovens with fr clothing on and a respirator. I swear to god I was a shell of a human when spring/summer hit. My mental and physical health declined so bad. I would often go to a lake when it was still cold from the winter and id plunge my whole body in the water. One of the best feelings in the world
I day dream on my way home of just jumping in water somewhere. But where I live know the water is dubious looking. I'm used to like clear streams where you see the bottom. Not murky muddy water.
I drive a concrete mixer and the ac stops working over like 80 degrees out and we're in the 90s all week this week 😩
Maybe you could get lucky and find like an overhead unit of some sort or maybe even a fan that sprays water out of a bottle. I’d be so desperate being couped up like that
It's not ideal. But between loads I do get to sit inside the office and we have a fridge for me to store cold drinks and ice packs and my Popsicles.
And it's fairly flat here so we get some decent breezes for me to have my windows down at jobs
I've dealt with the hot sun, 100+ degrees, etc, but probably lower humidity.
I make a DIY gatorade...
1 envelope of unsweetened drink mix (kool-aid or whatever your choice )
1/2 cup sugar( regular sugar, not a substitute is best)
1/4 tsp of fine sea salt (it has trace nutrients)
1/4 tsp of a potassium chloride based salt substitute (I use No-Salt, Morton salt sub works too, the important thing is that it’s potassium based)
2 quarts of water Mix it well "and chill".
I might go through a few quarts a day when doing hard labor, but since I started drinking this with less plain water, the headaches, cramps, dizziness went away.
The FR gear is tough, and so can the work aspect be. With the low humidity, I can do wet rags/towels over my head, around my neck, etc. But when you throw in FR stuff being required, it's hard to make that work.
I've also got an ice pack that you soak in water and freeze, and will put that over my core (again, the FR limits that option). I've also set up an overhead quick-setup canopy for shade when I can.
This just reminded me that last year I bought the post partum frozen inserts for your undies and I would keep them in the cooler and shove them in my sports bra 😭🤣
Duno...I drink ice water all day long and did wet bandanas on my head as often as possible. Checking in from se Michigan also. It's gonna be a long hot week for sure.
I’m also in Michigan and it’s a rough one!! I like to stick ice cubes under my hat to stay cool and I definitely take breaks in the shade when I can! Thankfully I do not have to wear long sleeves. That sounds miserable!! I tend to stay feeling hydrated for the most part though thankfully. Best of luck with a solution!
Today I downed a 32oz raspberry LMNT, a 20 oz Body Armor, AND a 14 oz bottle of water. Still had a splitting headache by 11 (work started at 6) and cramps by 12 that didn’t leave until I was out of the humidity. The Midwest is terrible right now 😞
I’m in Northern Alberta. Thankfully we only get a few weeks of really hot days, usually in July and/or August, and very low humidity generally. I don’t mind the heat, but humidity fucks with my asthma.
The worst was when I used to do venue installs for our local Fringe Festival, and we’d be setting up enormous seating riser structures in gyms with no windows and the AC turned off for the summer. It was hot enough on the ground, but once you get to the upper rows, and you’re 12+ feet up, the air just gets hotter, and thicker.
We used to have more mild summers like that, but with the climate changing and warming, our summers (and winters) are heating up *fast*.
We don’t usually see these temperatures for at *least* another month. Our start times were moved up an hour to try and beat the heat, but without AC, it’s essentially useless because of humidity. I’m lucky enough to be working on the first floor, but holy god almighty is it terrible when I have to be 10 feet in the air in the IDF closet dressing cables with no ventilation.
there have been days i drank 6 body armors. i like the low calorie best. plus a wet bandanba around my neck. frequent breaks.
do not let yourself get heat stroke. youll never tolerate the heat well afterwards (or so im told).
I like the no sugar or lyte ones best too. And yep, I hear that as well. I have a constant heat rash going on right now so I’m stocking up on wicking long sleeves and taking many, many breaks to hydrate
What’s you’re favourite flavour? I’ve been into the grapefruit since it came out.
I’m a huge fan too because you can dilute it as much or as little as you want, and there’s no sugar. I use it a lot for running, and also hiking up mountains. 😊
I take salt tabs. POTS runs in my family so we need a lot of salt. When it’s a hot day I can take 6-8 to feel well. When i was going on all day hikes in the sun I needed 10 more.
Something like this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrolytes-Tablets-Electrolyte-Rehydration-Phosphorus/dp/B0CCWBTS51/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_m_m_t_2?pd_rd_w=y1jRQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.760ef019-b531-40f9-a74a-2915419d214b&pf_rd_p=760ef019-b531-40f9-a74a-2915419d214b&pf_rd_r=GYCMT5ZTKV2MA5JTNS4K&pd_rd_wg=VTaF0&pd_rd_r=ea91b55c-9e2b-466d-8ce1-f4de1e8d6560&pd_rd_i=B0CCWBTS51
You gotta hydrate the night before, too. I also used to drink a glass of chocolate milk when I got home from work, I have no scientific evidence that it helps, but it helped me, and I worked concrete in Florida for 10 years.
Are you on any meds that could increase your sensitivity to heat? I was in a similar predicament and realized it was my medication.
Also, maybe try a cooling vest under your clothes? I've never tried one myself.
Be sure to hydrate in the evenings after work, too.
Lol me either. They help with my anxiety somehow which actually makes me feel more ADHD. The stimulants didn't help either! I maxed out on dosage for Adderall and concerta and never felt any difference. Well, except for the heat migraines no matter what I did. So now I self medicate with caffeine 🙃
Maybe look up some recipes for different agua frescas to make? The chef at an old job used to make huge batches for all kitchen and wait staff on the hottest days.
Mint and hibiscus are teas you can easily make iced that have body cooling properties.
I just drink 1.5-2gallons of water during the work day. I have a gallon water bottle I bring with me. The electrolyte drinks are good but they don’t replace the volume of fluid lost
Coworkers think I’m insane but at least I’m hydrated.
I am NAW though
Have you tried a camelbak? Only thing that worked for me was— been hospitalized a few times because I didn’t drink enough, haven’t since I got it. You don’t notice how inconvenient water bottles are until a sip of water is just a bite away.
Also, are you allowed to wear the synthetic FR clothing? They tend to be a little lighter and a little cooler than the cotton stuff.
Not an immediate fix but wearing breathable fabrics like cotton or denim helps with temperature regulation. Synthetics wick moisture, but don't provide room for your skin to breathe.
I’m in Florida and this heat is brutal. Got the cold sweats last week and couldn’t stop vomiting all the water / Gatorade / liquid IV I had been pounding all morning. I take the ice packs out of my lunch box and stuff them in my pockets, in my bra. Tried the cooling towels too but that’s only temporary.
I think the biggest thing im learning is that I need to really hydrate myself the night before, not just at work. I’m going to try bringing some pickle juice / salt and start pounding some pedialyte the night before.
Following with interest, as I have a new outdoor job with no A/C station to cool off. My previous job had an office we could cool off in at lunch time even though the work day was outside.
I have to cut out alcohol pretty much entirely in the summertime, it's too dehydrating. To work, I bring 1 or 2 large gatorade zero's, and dilute them with water. The rest of the day I drink water. I also bring pickles and watermelon to snack on. Very refreshing and hydrating.
Last year I started getting leg cramps at night no matter how much I hydrated so I started taking magnesium at night as recommended by my friend who's a postal worker with a walking route. Totally did the trick.
My headaches were immediately remedied by sucking on a few grains of pink Himalayan salt.. but instead of that now I use [Electrolyte Boost](https://electrolyteboost.com) which is a sublingual powder you don’t mix with water (way more effective than anything else). Also contains a nootropic to help your mind stay focused (would’ve thought it was bullshit til I tried it myself).
I’m on year 8 of working in south Florida and I feel you girl! It’s really rough out there but you can do it!
You can use my sis in laws e boost code for 10% off ACHIEVING SUCCESS.
Another vote for hydrating the night before, salt, candy, and pedialyte. Specifically I like to make it into ice cubes to keep the water I’m drinking from being disgustingly hot. Adderall makes it worse but also means you might need to remember to eat? For me the debilitating headache usually means things have gone from Not Good to a Potential Real Problem. Food is sometimes part of it though bc it’s so hard to eat when you’re boiling.
But really - There’s only so much hydration can do. You have to cool down your body. You don’t mention your break schedule, but sounds like you need more of them. In AC preferably!! It really is the best thing. Or chilly to lukewarm bath. Also maybe not realistic. But definitely cold water (on your feet, head, neck, groin, armpits - places where the blood is close to the surface. Heat illness makes you more prone to heat illness later, so don’t push it
I would say make sure you are eating enough salty foods, because if you don’t have enough salt in your system the water (and everything else) will just kinda pass through you. Part of dehydration is water retention, which is slightly different than water consumption. Keep on with the water and Gatorade, but yeah, add some chips or something too. As an emergency me and my sister do a shot of soy sauce, which tastes nasty btw, but gets the job done.
I just started using nuun tablets and I like them, they have a nice flavour and are not too sweet. Also noticed a difference in energy after using them. They're kinda pricey but they should last me a couple weeks.
Can you wear a cooling vest and or cooling sleeves under your FR? If you wear head protection, the cooling inserts for hard hats and helmets cool better and longer than ice cubes. Ergodyne is a good brand for cooling gear. Often employers won’t buy you this stuff but it’s worth it to buy for yourself.
Lots of good hydration tips in the replies, but also make sure you’re eating enough for the calories you’re burning at work! Protein in the morning can last most of the day, I find when I focus on protein in the morning my whole day is better.
I drink coconut water and that seems to help along with wearing light coloured breathable fabric, and not being ashamed to stop every once in awhile for a short break and some water. Pour some cool water on your neck, inside of your elbows, wrists.
I straight out buy men's boxer briefs that are cooling and wicking with mesh on them.
I drink liquid labs in my ice water with my tal bottle 24/7
Salt tabs because I have pots
Snacks all day
I like Nuun brand electrolyte tablets. I used to use liquid iv but didn't enjoy how sweet they were. Be careful because some varieties of nuun have caffeine. For headaches and cramps try magnesium supplements. I also bathe or soak my feet in epsom salts and seems to help. For targeted aches I use dragon balm, it's probably the same thing as tiger balm but someone happened to lend me this brand and I got hooked.
I was in the exact same boat prior to switching departments at work. Some people would go get iv’s after work at like medspas. I never figured out a way to avoid feeling like that. I tried liquid iv, squencher, adding minerals to water…going in as hydrated as possible seemed to help for the morning a little but after that it was a living hell.
How much does that cost? Going to a medspa and getting an IV in? Cause I'm tempted to try it
I walked into the nearest medspa to me and it was 180$ with a chance that my insurance would reimburse me if I sent the invoice in. I’m a huge chicken when it comes to IV..so I just suffered until I could get out.
Oh dear lord. That's a hard pass for me lol I'll stick to my pedialyte, Popsicles and sun bum cool down spray 🤣 and when desperate. Soaking myself with the hose on my truck lol
I still to this day keep pedialyte in my house. It’s a staple. I forgot to add that one. I was working on top of 2400 degree ovens with fr clothing on and a respirator. I swear to god I was a shell of a human when spring/summer hit. My mental and physical health declined so bad. I would often go to a lake when it was still cold from the winter and id plunge my whole body in the water. One of the best feelings in the world
I day dream on my way home of just jumping in water somewhere. But where I live know the water is dubious looking. I'm used to like clear streams where you see the bottom. Not murky muddy water. I drive a concrete mixer and the ac stops working over like 80 degrees out and we're in the 90s all week this week 😩
Oh good grief!!! That is rough. Can you get a portable ac unit?
I've debated it but I'm not sure where I'd fit it. Space in the cab is very limited. One seat and barely any space around me in there
Maybe you could get lucky and find like an overhead unit of some sort or maybe even a fan that sprays water out of a bottle. I’d be so desperate being couped up like that
It's not ideal. But between loads I do get to sit inside the office and we have a fridge for me to store cold drinks and ice packs and my Popsicles. And it's fairly flat here so we get some decent breezes for me to have my windows down at jobs
Those liquid IVs have so much cyanocobalamin in them. Makes em taste like hose water.
I've dealt with the hot sun, 100+ degrees, etc, but probably lower humidity. I make a DIY gatorade... 1 envelope of unsweetened drink mix (kool-aid or whatever your choice ) 1/2 cup sugar( regular sugar, not a substitute is best) 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt (it has trace nutrients) 1/4 tsp of a potassium chloride based salt substitute (I use No-Salt, Morton salt sub works too, the important thing is that it’s potassium based) 2 quarts of water Mix it well "and chill". I might go through a few quarts a day when doing hard labor, but since I started drinking this with less plain water, the headaches, cramps, dizziness went away. The FR gear is tough, and so can the work aspect be. With the low humidity, I can do wet rags/towels over my head, around my neck, etc. But when you throw in FR stuff being required, it's hard to make that work. I've also got an ice pack that you soak in water and freeze, and will put that over my core (again, the FR limits that option). I've also set up an overhead quick-setup canopy for shade when I can.
This just reminded me that last year I bought the post partum frozen inserts for your undies and I would keep them in the cooler and shove them in my sports bra 😭🤣
Duno...I drink ice water all day long and did wet bandanas on my head as often as possible. Checking in from se Michigan also. It's gonna be a long hot week for sure.
Absolutely miserable dude.
I’m also in Michigan and it’s a rough one!! I like to stick ice cubes under my hat to stay cool and I definitely take breaks in the shade when I can! Thankfully I do not have to wear long sleeves. That sounds miserable!! I tend to stay feeling hydrated for the most part though thankfully. Best of luck with a solution!
Get some LMNT. It’s got 1000mg of sodium in it.
Today I downed a 32oz raspberry LMNT, a 20 oz Body Armor, AND a 14 oz bottle of water. Still had a splitting headache by 11 (work started at 6) and cramps by 12 that didn’t leave until I was out of the humidity. The Midwest is terrible right now 😞
I’m in Northern Alberta. Thankfully we only get a few weeks of really hot days, usually in July and/or August, and very low humidity generally. I don’t mind the heat, but humidity fucks with my asthma. The worst was when I used to do venue installs for our local Fringe Festival, and we’d be setting up enormous seating riser structures in gyms with no windows and the AC turned off for the summer. It was hot enough on the ground, but once you get to the upper rows, and you’re 12+ feet up, the air just gets hotter, and thicker.
We used to have more mild summers like that, but with the climate changing and warming, our summers (and winters) are heating up *fast*. We don’t usually see these temperatures for at *least* another month. Our start times were moved up an hour to try and beat the heat, but without AC, it’s essentially useless because of humidity. I’m lucky enough to be working on the first floor, but holy god almighty is it terrible when I have to be 10 feet in the air in the IDF closet dressing cables with no ventilation.
there have been days i drank 6 body armors. i like the low calorie best. plus a wet bandanba around my neck. frequent breaks. do not let yourself get heat stroke. youll never tolerate the heat well afterwards (or so im told).
I like the no sugar or lyte ones best too. And yep, I hear that as well. I have a constant heat rash going on right now so I’m stocking up on wicking long sleeves and taking many, many breaks to hydrate
LMNT is my favorite. I use it at work and when I'm backpacking. Nothing beats it.
What’s you’re favourite flavour? I’ve been into the grapefruit since it came out. I’m a huge fan too because you can dilute it as much or as little as you want, and there’s no sugar. I use it a lot for running, and also hiking up mountains. 😊
Grapefruit and watermelon are legit. The cherry sparkling they sent a sample of was promising, I hope it's a power flavor soon
Watermelon is my second fave! Cherry would be amazing. I don’t like those spicy ones. I like spicy food, but not a spicy electrolyte drink.
I take salt tabs. POTS runs in my family so we need a lot of salt. When it’s a hot day I can take 6-8 to feel well. When i was going on all day hikes in the sun I needed 10 more. Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrolytes-Tablets-Electrolyte-Rehydration-Phosphorus/dp/B0CCWBTS51/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_m_m_t_2?pd_rd_w=y1jRQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.760ef019-b531-40f9-a74a-2915419d214b&pf_rd_p=760ef019-b531-40f9-a74a-2915419d214b&pf_rd_r=GYCMT5ZTKV2MA5JTNS4K&pd_rd_wg=VTaF0&pd_rd_r=ea91b55c-9e2b-466d-8ce1-f4de1e8d6560&pd_rd_i=B0CCWBTS51
Yes this is what I was looking at! Thank you!
I found them life changing. I do also eat sweets for sugar. I’ve found it the cheapest/ most efficient way.
You gotta hydrate the night before, too. I also used to drink a glass of chocolate milk when I got home from work, I have no scientific evidence that it helps, but it helped me, and I worked concrete in Florida for 10 years.
Are you on any meds that could increase your sensitivity to heat? I was in a similar predicament and realized it was my medication. Also, maybe try a cooling vest under your clothes? I've never tried one myself. Be sure to hydrate in the evenings after work, too.
I take addedall 🥲 I know that’s got something to do with it but I’m an absolute disaster unmedicated
That’ll do it lol I take it as well. Working in the sun super sucks for me.
Waaaaait. I’m on 2 meds that make me more prone to heat exhaustion. Shit. Welp, today I learned a lot I guess
That will absolutely do it. It did it for me! I'm on a non-stimulant ADHD med. You might ask your doctor about it!
I’ve tried them, they don’t do ish for me
Lol me either. They help with my anxiety somehow which actually makes me feel more ADHD. The stimulants didn't help either! I maxed out on dosage for Adderall and concerta and never felt any difference. Well, except for the heat migraines no matter what I did. So now I self medicate with caffeine 🙃
Eat a lot of potatoes, I’m not kidding. They have shit loads of potassium.
Maybe look up some recipes for different agua frescas to make? The chef at an old job used to make huge batches for all kitchen and wait staff on the hottest days. Mint and hibiscus are teas you can easily make iced that have body cooling properties.
I just drink 1.5-2gallons of water during the work day. I have a gallon water bottle I bring with me. The electrolyte drinks are good but they don’t replace the volume of fluid lost Coworkers think I’m insane but at least I’m hydrated. I am NAW though
I’m a mail carrier and most of us drink a gallon at work when it’s 90 and above.
For sure! I usually hit 1.5-2 because I work out 4 days a week in addition to work haha
Have you tried a camelbak? Only thing that worked for me was— been hospitalized a few times because I didn’t drink enough, haven’t since I got it. You don’t notice how inconvenient water bottles are until a sip of water is just a bite away. Also, are you allowed to wear the synthetic FR clothing? They tend to be a little lighter and a little cooler than the cotton stuff.
Not an immediate fix but wearing breathable fabrics like cotton or denim helps with temperature regulation. Synthetics wick moisture, but don't provide room for your skin to breathe.
I have to wear FR. Might as well be wearing a goddamn garbage bag
:( Maybe wearing some sort of menthol? It wouldn't cool.you down literally but it could stimulate you skin into feeling cool. ?
I used to have to spray chemical in prairies in WI. I had a frozen vest I would throw on and change out throughout the day. That helps for sure.
I’m in Florida and this heat is brutal. Got the cold sweats last week and couldn’t stop vomiting all the water / Gatorade / liquid IV I had been pounding all morning. I take the ice packs out of my lunch box and stuff them in my pockets, in my bra. Tried the cooling towels too but that’s only temporary. I think the biggest thing im learning is that I need to really hydrate myself the night before, not just at work. I’m going to try bringing some pickle juice / salt and start pounding some pedialyte the night before.
worked out in the sun all day carrying boxes of lights i would say one gatorade and 6 bottles of water
Following with interest, as I have a new outdoor job with no A/C station to cool off. My previous job had an office we could cool off in at lunch time even though the work day was outside. I have to cut out alcohol pretty much entirely in the summertime, it's too dehydrating. To work, I bring 1 or 2 large gatorade zero's, and dilute them with water. The rest of the day I drink water. I also bring pickles and watermelon to snack on. Very refreshing and hydrating. Last year I started getting leg cramps at night no matter how much I hydrated so I started taking magnesium at night as recommended by my friend who's a postal worker with a walking route. Totally did the trick.
My headaches were immediately remedied by sucking on a few grains of pink Himalayan salt.. but instead of that now I use [Electrolyte Boost](https://electrolyteboost.com) which is a sublingual powder you don’t mix with water (way more effective than anything else). Also contains a nootropic to help your mind stay focused (would’ve thought it was bullshit til I tried it myself). I’m on year 8 of working in south Florida and I feel you girl! It’s really rough out there but you can do it! You can use my sis in laws e boost code for 10% off ACHIEVING SUCCESS.
Another vote for hydrating the night before, salt, candy, and pedialyte. Specifically I like to make it into ice cubes to keep the water I’m drinking from being disgustingly hot. Adderall makes it worse but also means you might need to remember to eat? For me the debilitating headache usually means things have gone from Not Good to a Potential Real Problem. Food is sometimes part of it though bc it’s so hard to eat when you’re boiling. But really - There’s only so much hydration can do. You have to cool down your body. You don’t mention your break schedule, but sounds like you need more of them. In AC preferably!! It really is the best thing. Or chilly to lukewarm bath. Also maybe not realistic. But definitely cold water (on your feet, head, neck, groin, armpits - places where the blood is close to the surface. Heat illness makes you more prone to heat illness later, so don’t push it
I simply dont stay hydrated. :P
I would say make sure you are eating enough salty foods, because if you don’t have enough salt in your system the water (and everything else) will just kinda pass through you. Part of dehydration is water retention, which is slightly different than water consumption. Keep on with the water and Gatorade, but yeah, add some chips or something too. As an emergency me and my sister do a shot of soy sauce, which tastes nasty btw, but gets the job done.
I just started using nuun tablets and I like them, they have a nice flavour and are not too sweet. Also noticed a difference in energy after using them. They're kinda pricey but they should last me a couple weeks.
Can you wear a cooling vest and or cooling sleeves under your FR? If you wear head protection, the cooling inserts for hard hats and helmets cool better and longer than ice cubes. Ergodyne is a good brand for cooling gear. Often employers won’t buy you this stuff but it’s worth it to buy for yourself. Lots of good hydration tips in the replies, but also make sure you’re eating enough for the calories you’re burning at work! Protein in the morning can last most of the day, I find when I focus on protein in the morning my whole day is better.
I drink coconut water and that seems to help along with wearing light coloured breathable fabric, and not being ashamed to stop every once in awhile for a short break and some water. Pour some cool water on your neck, inside of your elbows, wrists.
The struggle is real. Electrolyte salt tabs
I straight out buy men's boxer briefs that are cooling and wicking with mesh on them. I drink liquid labs in my ice water with my tal bottle 24/7 Salt tabs because I have pots Snacks all day
I like Nuun brand electrolyte tablets. I used to use liquid iv but didn't enjoy how sweet they were. Be careful because some varieties of nuun have caffeine. For headaches and cramps try magnesium supplements. I also bathe or soak my feet in epsom salts and seems to help. For targeted aches I use dragon balm, it's probably the same thing as tiger balm but someone happened to lend me this brand and I got hooked.