Water intoxication?

kristn__

Hi Everyone,

I'm about 2 weeks into my weight loss journey and looking for a little advice. I've been told to drink as much water as I can in a day. According to most calculators for best weight loss I should be drinking about 100oz. I've been drinking about 130oz-140oz. Is this too much? I'm pretty sedentary, I work a desk job. Exercise a couple times a week. Looking to lose about 45lbs. I hadn't heard of water intoxication before but now that I've looked into it it seems pretty serious. Should I just stick to 100oz per day?

Thanks!

SnuggleSmacks

As long as you aren't drinking it all at one time, after losing a lot of the sodium in your body through sweat, then this isn't something you really have to worry about. Most cases of water intoxication happen during things like marathons or water-drinking contests, when a lot of water is consumed very quickly.

Azexas

No it isn't too much.

Water intoxication happens when someone drinks an astronomical amount of water in a short period of time. (like the woman in California who drank 6 liters in like 2 hours). It over loads the kidneys and causes the fluid to build up.

As long as you are consuming throughout the day and not all at once you should be okay.

kbeard26

It depends on your weight but you should be fine. Some people that are in the gym hardcore drink 2 gallons a day. Its more people that die from not drinking enough water than drinking too much.

beemerphile1

Agree with the others but want to mention, drinking water in no way makes you lose weight.

47Jacqueline

Water intoxication happens when someone drinks an astronomical amount of water in a short period of time, which I did once when trying to pee for a urine test. I ended up in the hospital on an IV, but that's an anomaly.

The guideline is 1 - 1.2 oz/pound of weight, but I drink about half that and have noticed definite differences in my skin, pee color, and regularity. As others have said, it doesn't increase weight loss.

jenglish712

I have seen it with dementia, psychosis and diabetes insipidus. The average person will feel sick way before it gets dangerous. Theres usually a few runners or cyclists a year thatpush too many fluids during endurance typed races.

ninerbuff

Hyponatremia is rare. Can happen, but it's usually an absurd amount of water to be consumed in a short time period. If it's taking you ALL DAY to drink a lot of water, then you're probably fine.
In most cases, people really don't need to consume more than the "recommended" 64 oz of water a day unless they are a pretty elite athlete.

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Amanda4change

The chances of you getting water intoxication are low, unless you are chugging a large amount in a short period of time (like those who drink multiple liters in contests), or if you are an elite athlete (such as running a marathon).


From Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill/

Hyponatremia, a word cobbled together from Latin and Greek roots, translates as "insufficient salt in the blood." Quantitatively speaking, it means having a blood sodium concentration below 135 millimoles per liter, or approximately 0.4 ounces per gallon, the normal concentration lying somewhere between 135 and 145 millimoles per liter. Severe cases of hyponatremia can lead to water intoxication, an illness whose symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination and mental disorientation.

Most cases of water poisoning do not result from simply drinking too much water, says Joseph Verbalis, chairman of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. It is usually a combination of excessive fluid intake and increased secretion of vasopression (also called antidiuretic hormone), he explains. Produced by the hypothalamus and secreted into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary gland, vasopressin instructs the kidneys to conserve water. Its secretion increases in periods of physical stress—during a marathon, for example—and may cause the body to conserve water even if a person is drinking excessive quantities.

AshC1023

My dog does this (not comparing you to the dog), he will guzzle gallons of water fast if it's hot out. I have to limit his water (he's 105 lbs) because if he does this, he will throw it up, and then have a massive seizure. The seizure will last up to 10 minutes, and I usually have to drag him into the shade until he recovers. He's an inside dog, but if i leave water out he will drink until it's gone. Nothing medically wrong with him, he is just obsessed with drinking.
I would say if drinking that much is making you feel ill, to cut back. Otherwise, you're probably fine.