Homemade Electrolyte Drink for POTS Relief

Electrolyte drinks can be an important part of managing POTS and Long COVID, particularly for people with dizziness, palpitations and heat intolerance. This article explains why sodium matters, how oral rehydration solutions work, and shares a simple homemade recipe based on the same physiological principles used in clinical practice.

A homemade electrolyte drink for POTS changed things for me when nothing else had. When dizziness became my constant companion after Long Covid, I was close to fainting on an ordinary afternoon when my mum who genuinely deserves a medal suggested trying electrolytes. I picked up some Dioralyte from the chemist. It helped a little. That small moment of relief sent me down a rabbit hole of hydration research, patient forums, and a lot of trial and error in my kitchen.

What I found surprised me. The answer was not an expensive supplement or a special product. It was a simple drink I could make at home, with ingredients already in my cupboard, grounded in real science about how sodium and electrolytes support blood volume, nerve signalling, and autonomic function.

This article shares that recipe and more importantly, explains why it works, when to drink it, and what the research actually says about electrolytes for POTS and Long Covid.

During summer and periods of hot weather or heatwaves, many people with POTS and Long COVID notice that dizziness, fatigue, palpitations and brain fog become significantly worse. This is one reason electrolyte drinks become especially important at certain times of the year, helping to replace both fluid and sodium lost through sweating while supporting circulating blood volume.

Just here for the recipe? If you found this on a hot day and just need something cold and refreshing that will actually help you stay upright, scroll straight down to the recipe. Summer and heat are brutal for POTS warmth causes blood vessels to dilate, which makes everything worse. This drink is exactly what you need. Make a big batch, keep it in the fridge, and sip it through the day rather than gulping it all at once. Come back and read the rest when you have the energy there is useful stuff in here about why it works and how to get more out of it.

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Why Electrolytes Matter So Much for POTS

POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, is not just dizziness when you stand up. It is your autonomic nervous system failing to regulate blood flow properly when your body position changes. Blood pools in the lower body instead of circulating upward to the brain and heart. The result is that split-second of nearly blacking out when you rise from a chair, the heart pounding to compensate, the grey tunnel vision, the overwhelming urge to sit straight back down.

Electrolytes, primarily sodium address this at the root. Here is the key mechanism that most articles skip over:

Sodium expands blood volume. When you take in sodium, your kidneys retain water alongside it. More water in circulation means more blood volume, which means your heart has more to work with when you stand up. A clinical study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that after six days of increased salt intake, POTS patients had measurably reduced upright heart rate, reduced heart rate change on standing, and increased blood volume. That is not anecdotal that is a controlled clinical finding.

Plain water, by contrast, is excreted quickly. Drinking more water without sodium does not reliably expand blood volume. This is why staying hydrated with water alone often feels like it does very little for POTS symptoms.

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Why COVID Specifically Depletes Electrolytes

There is another layer here that is specific to Long Covid patients. Research has shown that COVID-19 infection affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system the hormonal system that regulates sodium and fluid balance in the body. Studies have found that COVID-19 patients had lower potassium and magnesium levels compared to patients with other respiratory infections, suggesting the virus itself disrupts how the body handles these minerals.

A 2024 study in 120 Long Covid patients found that calcium and magnesium levels were directly associated with fibro-fatigue scores the more depleted these electrolytes, the more severe the fatigue. A separate 2025 study found that potassium and magnesium supplementation was associated with better cardiac parameters in Long Covid patients with heart-related symptoms.

In short: your body may be chronically short on these minerals specifically because of what COVID did to your system not because of your diet or lifestyle.

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Why Oral Rehydration Solutions Work Better Than Plain Water

Many people assume that drinking more water is the best way to improve hydration. For people with POTS, the picture is more complicated.

Water on its own is absorbed quickly but is also excreted relatively quickly by the kidneys. Without enough sodium, much of that extra fluid simply passes through the body without producing a meaningful increase in circulating blood volume.

Oral rehydration solutions work differently. They are carefully balanced mixtures of water, sodium and a small amount of glucose. The glucose is not there simply to make the drink taste better. It activates a transporter in the small intestine called SGLT1, which moves sodium and glucose into the bloodstream together. Water follows this process naturally, allowing the body to absorb and retain fluid far more efficiently than with plain water alone.

This principle has been used for decades in World Health Organization oral rehydration solutions and is one reason products such as Dioralyte are often recommended for dehydration. For people with POTS, the same physiology can help support blood volume and improve orthostatic tolerance.

It also explains why many sports drinks are less effective. Although they contain electrolytes, they are often relatively low in sodium and much higher in sugar than oral rehydration solutions. A homemade electrolyte drink that provides adequate sodium together with a small amount of glucose more closely mirrors the mechanism that clinical oral rehydration therapy is based on.

When Electrolytes Are Not Enough

Electrolytes can make a remarkable difference for many people with POTS and Long COVID, but they are not a complete solution for everyone.

If increasing your fluid and sodium intake leaves you feeling noticeably steadier, this may suggest that reduced circulating blood volume is playing an important role in your symptoms. For others, however, the benefit is modest or short-lived, and some people notice very little improvement at all.

This does not necessarily mean you are doing anything wrong. Long COVID is a complex condition involving multiple biological processes. Alongside low blood volume, researchers are investigating endothelial dysfunction, impaired microcirculation, autonomic nerve injury, inflammation and altered blood vessel regulation as contributors to persistent symptoms. Some people also have hyperadrenergic POTS, where excessive adrenaline release rather than low blood volume appears to play a greater role.

In these situations, electrolyte drinks remain a helpful supportive measure but are unlikely to resolve symptoms on their own. Many people achieve better results by combining hydration with compression garments, pacing, physical counter-manoeuvres, avoiding excessive heat, improving sleep where possible, and working with a clinician experienced in dysautonomia to identify which mechanisms are most relevant in their individual case.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that your response itself provides useful information. If electrolytes consistently help, they are telling you something about how your body is functioning. If they do not, that is useful information too, and it may point towards other aspects of Long COVID that deserve further assessment.

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Why Heat Makes POTS So Much Worse

Many people with POTS and Long COVID notice that summer is one of the hardest times of year. A short walk that felt manageable in spring suddenly becomes exhausting, standing in a queue feels unbearable, and brain fog seems to arrive much faster. This is not simply because hot weather feels uncomfortable. There are real physiological reasons why heat can dramatically worsen symptoms.

When your body gets hot, your blood vessels naturally widen in a process called vasodilation. This helps release heat through the skin to keep your body temperature under control. For someone with a healthy autonomic nervous system, this is usually well compensated. In POTS, however, widening of the blood vessels allows even more blood to pool in the legs and abdomen when standing.

This means less blood returns to the heart, and ultimately less reaches the brain. The result can be increased dizziness, palpitations, blurred vision, brain fog, weakness and a feeling that you simply cannot stay upright.

Heat also increases sweating, which leads to further loss of water and sodium. If these losses are not replaced, blood volume falls even further, creating a cycle where symptoms become progressively worse throughout the day.

This is one reason many POTS specialists recommend increasing both fluid and sodium intake during hot weather. Rather than waiting until you feel thirsty or dizzy, drinking an electrolyte solution before spending time outside and continuing to sip fluids throughout the day may help reduce symptom severity. Combining this with cooling strategies such as staying in the shade, using cooling towels, wearing lightweight clothing and avoiding the hottest part of the day often provides more benefit than hydration alone.

Why doesn’t this help everyone?

Electrolytes work best when low blood volume is a major contributor to symptoms. Long COVID is highly variable, and not everyone has the same underlying mechanisms. Some people experience dramatic improvement, others only a modest benefit, and some notice very little change. That doesn’t mean electrolytes are ineffective it may simply mean other biological processes are playing a larger role in your symptoms.

The Recipe:And Why Each Ingredient Is There

This is the homemade electrolyte drink I came back to again and again. It is low sugar, natural, cheap to make, and based on the same principles as clinical oral rehydration solutions just adapted for everyday use at home.

Ingredient breakdown: what each one actually does

• Salt (sodium) The most important ingredient. Sodium is what expands blood volume. Without it, this is just flavoured water. Fine sea salt or regular table salt both work. Himalayan pink salt is fine too but offers no meaningful mineral advantage over standard salt.
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Adds a small amount of bicarbonate which helps balance pH and may ease the slightly salty taste. It also contributes a little extra sodium.
• Coconut water A natural source of potassium and a small amount of magnesium. Potassium works alongside sodium to regulate fluid inside and outside cells and supports heart rhythm. Use pure coconut water with no added sugar.
• Lemon or lime juice Adds vitamin C and makes the drink genuinely drinkable. On bad nausea days, the citrus note can actually help settle the stomach slightly. Fresh is better than bottled if you can manage it.
• Honey or maple syrup (small amount) This is not just for taste. A small amount of glucose triggers the SGLT1 transporter in your gut — a protein that actively pulls sodium and water into the bloodstream together. This is the same principle behind clinical oral rehydration solutions. The ratio matters: you want a small amount of sugar relative to sodium, not the other way around. (This is also why Gatorade is less effective for POTS it has far too much sugar and too little sodium.)
• Water Filtered or still. Sparkling water can cause bloating for some people, especially on symptomatic days.

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How and When to Drink It

Timing matters almost as much as the recipe itself. The moments when this drink helps most:

• First thing in the morning, before getting up This is the highest-impact window for POTS. Blood volume is at its lowest after a night of lying down, and symptoms are often worst in the first hour of the day. Sipping your electrolyte drink while still in bed, then sitting up slowly, can meaningfully reduce that morning dizzy spell.
• 20–30 minutes before planned activity If you know you need to cook a meal, go for a short walk, or attend an appointment, pre-loading with electrolytes gives your system a better chance of coping.
• When you feel a dizzy episode beginning Sit or lie down first. Then sip slowly. Gulping a large amount quickly can actually worsen nausea in some people.
• After heat exposure Heat causes blood vessels to dilate and worsens POTS dramatically. Sweating also depletes sodium. If you have been in a warm environment, replenishing with this drink as soon as possible can help.

Sip throughout the day rather than drinking it all at once. Most POTS specialists recommend spreading fluid and sodium intake evenly across waking hours, with slightly more in the morning and early afternoon. Drinking a lot in the evening can disrupt sleep for some people.

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How This Compares to Commercial Options

You may have tried or considered commercial electrolyte products. Here is an honest comparison:

• Dioralyte (UK) / Pedialyte (US) These are proper oral rehydration solutions with a balanced sodium-to-glucose ratio. They work well. The main limitation is that the sodium content, while better than sports drinks, may still be lower than what some POTS patients need to reach the target of around 3–5g of sodium per day recommended by many POTS specialists.
• Sports drinks (Lucozade Sport, Gatorade, etc.) Generally too high in sugar and too low in sodium for POTS. The sodium:glucose ratio is badly skewed, which limits how effectively they expand blood volume.
• LMNT, Precision Hydration, similar brands These are much higher in sodium and are genuinely helpful for some POTS patients. The cost per serving is significantly higher. The homemade version gives you comparable sodium content for pennies.
• Plain water Insufficient on its own for blood volume expansion, as described above.

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What Else Helps Alongside Electrolytes

Electrolytes are a crucial piece of the puzzle, but they work better alongside other management strategies for POTS and Long Covid:

• Compression garments — Compression socks or tights (ideally 20–30mmHg medical grade) reduce blood pooling in the legs when you stand. Many people find combining compression with electrolyte loading significantly more effective than either alone.
• Elevating the head of your bed — Sleeping with the head of your bed raised by 10–15cm (using bed risers, not extra pillows) helps your body gradually adapt to fluid shifts overnight. This is a standard recommendation from dysautonomia clinicians.
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals — Large meals divert blood flow to digestion, which can trigger or worsen POTS symptoms. Eating smaller amounts more often reduces this effect.
• Salty snacks — Crisps, olives, salted nuts. Not just allowed — often actively helpful. Eating something salty with your fluid intake improves absorption and helps maintain blood pressure between drinks.
• Position management — Rising slowly from sitting or lying positions, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing, and avoiding standing still (move your calf muscles instead) all reduce the impact of positional blood pressure drops.

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POTS Heatwave Checklist

• Drink before you become thirsty.
• Increase electrolytes rather than plain water alone.
• Wear compression garments if tolerated.
• Stay in shaded or air-conditioned areas where possible.
• Avoid prolonged standing.
• Carry an electrolyte drink when leaving the house.
• Consider cooling towels or ice packs around the neck.
• Plan demanding activities for the coolest part of the day.

When to Speak to Your GP

Increasing sodium intake is safe for most people with POTS, but it is not suitable for everyone. Talk to your GP before significantly increasing your salt or fluid intake if you have:

• Kidney disease or reduced kidney function
• Heart failure or any condition requiring a low-sodium diet
• High blood pressure that is not related to POTS
• Oedema (fluid retention or swelling)

It is also worth asking your GP to check your sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels, as deficiencies are common in Long Covid and can compound symptoms significantly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Disclaimer: This article is based on personal experience and published research. It is not medical advice. Always consult your GP or a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your fluid, salt, or supplement intake, especially if you have POTS, kidney disease, heart conditions, or any other chronic health condition. What helped me may not be appropriate for everyone.

Last reviewed and updated: July 2026.

This article combines lived experience with published research on POTS, autonomic dysfunction, oral rehydration therapy and Long COVID. Recommendations are based on current evidence and established physiological principles but should always be interpreted alongside individual medical advice.