Water - why am I NEVER thirsty??

jeansgirl

This may not apply, but I was always told that when we overeat..or we THINK we are hungry/ starved...It is actually that we are thirsty. We have trained a response to thirst to think food instead. Lots of people quench with diet sodas...which is just as bad as stuffing crappy foods. I weaned myself from sodas by sipping water thru a straw instead.

The alcohol thing may be related to the amount of sulphate..sulfides...not sure which it is..but wine has it. Sometimes it gets to me quickly too. Depends on the wine. My husband can't drink any at all! Instant headaches!

Good Luck!

wibutterflymagic

I've never been a big drinker. I have to make a point to drink. I always have a cup of water at my desk and sip throughout the day. I still only get about 5 glasses of water a day but that's ok. It really isn't important to be drinking "so many" glasses of water a day as long as your body is hydrated that is the important thing. You can get hydration from fruits and veggies and other things too. As long as your urine is a very light yellow your body is hydrated. The darker it gets the more dehydrated you are.

I think I read somewhere that when you are dehydrated that can also make you not thirsty. It's a viscous cycle.

freebirdjones

Okay so I don't have thirst, and one day listening to my grandmother she does not have thirst either. So this summer my uncle was talking and I heard him say he doesn't have thirst. So I started to google. Apparently your hypothalamus gives you thirst. After google search after google search I could find people with the same problem as us but no condition or doctor reply to a post. But there are us out there, I can go for days without having a brain reaction that tells me to have a glass of water. I forget to drink because I don't get thirsty.

This is not good for us because having adequate water helps us regulate temperature and organ function. So Ive been trying to keep bottles of water on counters, tables, in every room so when I walk past I take a sip. Its not working too well but I hope it's a start.

Good to know its a condition! I try to do the same thing...leaving water everywhere. Its a good tip!!!!

I never said it was a condition, but its very interesting to google because it has doctors stumped. Not drinking can lead to tons of symptoms and I have some of them like your body having a difficult time regulating temp, ever since I was a kid I get sunstroke often and get cold fast.

nareshgupta79219

I want to share my story on the forum in response to this thread. I am a 47 year old and I also don't feel thirsty. Infact, as growing up I don't remember when i felt thirsty. I probably did drink some water but don't remember drinking a lot of water anytime and I grew up in north india where summer temperature gets to 45C (110F). I am a fairly sporty person and played cricket for hours every day growing up and even now i play some intense tennis atleast 5 times a week.

Two years back suddenly I started to feel bad with metallic mouth taste. We then found out that my BP was very high and that my kidneys had failed. I have had no other physical problem before this incident, I rarely had been to hospital and this was was the first I was admitted to a hospital in my life. I got a transplant done in summer of 2011 thanks to my sister who donated her kidney.

We have not been able to find out the reason for my kidney failure. My hypothesis and guess is that I was perpetually dehydrated as I did not take much water and hence that put undue pressure on kidneys leading to their failure.

I don't feel thirsty even now but I have made it a routine to drink atleast 2L of water a day. Even now when I forget to drink the required water, i start to feel strange and my hands and feet start to burn. I immediately know that time to drink some H2O. Given that I am aware of this situation, I can clearly se the difference in being well hydrated and dehydrated.

My son is 10 years old and he also does not feel thirsty. I am working on him to get into habit of drinking water regularly.

I know what I am saying is not scientific (and I am a scientist) but my experience seems to suggest that not drinking enough water can be risky and harmful to the kidney.

My suggestion to people who are in similar situation, please make sure that you get your kidneys tested regularly and try to drink some water daily. It is better than a kidney problem later.

ebayaddict0127

I'm rarely thirsty or think to drink water. It's always been a struggle for me. I typically only drink anything if I'm eating. So when people say I should be downing water all day.. I can't even imagine. And when I do down water all day, I'm peeing all day too.

Everyone is different. If you're not severely dehydrated and otherwise healthy, I don't know why it would hurt you.

rosekittie

I am never thirsty. Ever. Which is not a good thing where I have lived, Texas, Montego Bay, and Thailand. I feel the same way when I try to drink a lot of water. My throat kind of swells and I can't drink much at a time. I find that drinking room temperature water sipping every few minutes is the easiest way to get water in me.

I have no idea how much damage I've done to myself going years only drinking water every few days, but I find drinking really helps my skin, weight, and how I feel.

wheird

I am the opposite. I am always thirsty.

CrazyWhiskers

I also never get thirsty, but I'm trying to drink more water lately and I'm on a new drug now so I guess I kind of have to. Very interesting read though

Amandawith3kids

i dont get thirsty often either, so i make sure to drink with each meal, it helps that sloshy feeling, and the only time i really get thirsty is when i exercise.

skinnyinnotime

If you're getting alot of headaches and feeling 'hungover' after a couple of drinks you are seriously dehydrated.

No idea why you don't feel thirsty, but really it's irrelevant, you need to keep your body hydrated. Try drinking a glass full every hour.

CameronCLC

Thirst is triggered by ADH, a hormone synthesized in the hypothalamus (control center of the brain) and excreted from the pituitary gland. A test can indicate whether there is an insufficient amount of this hormone. If your ADH levels are normal, take a look at your diet- foods have a lot of water in them, especially fruits and vegetables but meats as well. Remember, water is essential for life of plants and animals. The more of these things that you eat, the less you will crave water. Other posts suggest coffee, tea, and alcohol- these actually dehydrate you so they have nothing to do with the lack of thirst. If your ADH levels are normal and you tend to not eat many foods packed with water then your problem is merely psychological. Try adding flavor to your water (not caffeine) and instead of waiting for dehydration that leaves your brain literally bathing in dirty water (hence the headaches) drink water throughout the day or eat water rich foods to help you along. Many people walk around feeling tired, unable to concentrate, suffering from pains in their muscles and joints, daily headaches, and even nausea not knowing that all they need is more hydration. Habits are habits... some good; some bad.

wolfwarrior3

I have the exact same problem. In the last 3 days I've had maybe 16oz of water. I used to go to the hospital all the time for dehydration. I've been really good about keeping my fluids up for the last year but this week I just keep blowing it off. My kidneys are sore and the only thing I think that has kept me alive is the fact that I have instacial cystitis. So my bladder burns all the time but if I'm dehydrated it's crippling. If I'm well hydrated I can still function. I really thought I was the only one. I can't chug water either so I keep straws around. If I run out of straws or cold water then I just stop drinking all together. It's not a conscience thought. I just tell myself "time to get bottled water" then 3 days later when my bladder feels like it's going to dissolve I'll remember. This whole thing is very frustrating and exhausting to go through. I've tested positive for bladder infections every time I get checked for the last 8 years. I'm so over this.

Falcon

Nope, no tea or coffee or even alcohol.

When I have a bad headache I have an ice lolly or two to try get my fluids up.

Here is the wierdest thing. I can't even drink alcohol. If I have a glass of wine
or an alcopop or something, once I get to drink number 3 I start my hangover
immediately (no next day hangover for me just a ruined night). I often
wondered if this was because I was de-hydrated already and have had a
glass of water, then a glass of wine, then another water, then another wine
and then comes the headache!! So I just gave up alcohol altogether, there
is simply no point because I can't enjoy it.

When I was 18 - 22 I would have drank any guy under the table (can drink here
from age 18) so I don't know what on earth happened.

I would get your liver and kidney tested.
Especially after admitting to drinking that much in a day.

munabeierlein

yeah, same here! My mom is now in this obsession with water and she's forcing me to drink every second. i tell her i'm not thirsty and then she says that even if i'm not thirsty i have to drink..WHAT? so basically she claims that i'll day. yeah, water is important but for me too it's just so hard to drink it because i'm NEVER thirsty

MinMin97

I don't know why your doc thinks it's strange. You just stopped responding to your own thirst signal a loooooong time ago. To get that thirst drive back, simply determine to drink 8-10 glasses/jars of water tomorrow....keep track of it. YOu will probably pee a lot. After a day or so, you will start to feel thirsty/feel like drinking water. But be aware that you are in the HABIT of ignoring your thirst, so you will have to determine to respond to the thirst signal, or perhaps just keep track of your water intake for a while.

SomberG

I have no idea what thirsty feels like. I've had my kidneys and everything tested. I just drink stuff all the time and when I eat. I could go all day without drinking and not even feel anything. Most days I drink enough to keep my tinkle pretty clear.

BeaThomas

I don't feel thirsty ever either - I make myself drink water! I have just over come a stomach bug and everyone was saying drink water drink water!! I went to the doctor one evening as my stomach pains were so bad and he tested my hydration levels.. they were very good!

Baring in mind I hadn't had one glass of water that day and I was on the toilet every half an hour - I am very confused!

I don't suffer from headaches at all, I think I must retain water from my food or something?!!?

kevery2

I know I'm late to the party by a few years, but I also don't drink during the day. I have a glass of coffee In the morning, and nothing else until I get home around 5pm. Sometimes, not until I get to bed. I also quit drinking alcohol because I get a hangover while I'm drinking, headache and all. I have no want to drink, when I do it makes me feel so full. Not sure what it is or how to fix it.

WendyLeigh1119

I was also always like this PLUS I eat TONS of *sea* salt. And I mean "tons" by anyone's standards. I am good about water now because I just force myself to keep chugging (and I add fruit) by always having my water next to me whether car, home, literally anywhere. Now I'm drinking about 140 ounces to 200 ounces per day. But I still don't "like" it.

But I learned (after 30 years of not drinking water) to really pay attention to dehydration cues like not peeing much, dry lips, dry mouth, feeling of hunger, dizziness, headache, muscle fatigue, etc.

Honestly, I think if you're a person who's conditioned their body (in a negative way) over years and years... you start thinking the way you feel is "normal/fine" and your body doesn't really "cue" like people who drink a healthy amount. I don't know what the reason is, but I was the same way until I really held myself to drinking water. Now *finally* my body very clearly signals to me when I've not had enough. But I still have to force myself to drink. And yes, I always use some sort of sport bottle, straw, or infuser. Never a "glass of water".

bcrawford8

You're not as late as I am.

My little 7yo daughter doesn't drink anything. I have a good food diary and she can drink 100ml a day or 0ml and averages 300ml. I give her rockmellon for fluid and other foods with water but she won't drink. Sometimes I singer of she stops eating because the food has too much fluid in it. I get excited when she brushes her teeth and swallows

I wonder if it gives her insomnia, vomiting and nausea which we have blamed on other causes.

She doesn't look dehydrated with recessed eyes and she definetly knows how to cry. Her lips get dry and cracked but on 42c (115f) days she won't drink.

Did anyone find out why they don't get thirsty?

She sweats like a pig at night.