"Water Toxicity" or "Hyponatremia". Drinking too much water can kill you!

marymickaela
marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know we are constantly encouraged to increase our water intake, but I'm here to say it can be deadly to overdue water intake. Here's what happened.

Am posting this as it might help somebody else. I started the "Sugar Smart Diet" July 10th and detoxed off all sugar. I only had to stop sugar of any type for 6 days, including fruit. After that I could start adding fruit back in 3x's a day. July 20th I purchased my wonderful 30oz YETI cup and started drinking 3 of those a day on top of my morning coffee.

I hadn't been feeling well since at least May. Had started back drinking daily Protein drinks and vitamins, but it was when I increased my water intake drastically July 20th my symptoms got serious. I started having severe memory problems, difficulty thinking, terrible leg weakness, no appetite, nausea, and many other symptoms. Had already been having blurred vision to the point I couldn't read the TV Menu and was looking at 2 eye surgeries. This had become my norm thou so I was just blaming it on other things. Like "Oh, my thyroid level must be low, or I'm detoxing off a med and detoxing off sugar" and had lots of excuses so never thought it was serious.

Luckily I had my yearly physical 2 weeks ago on July 28th and when my blood work came back they called to say my sodium level was 124 (low end of normal is 135). They said I was in immediate danger of having seizures and had to stop drinking all free water and eat lots of salty type of food.

Saw a kidney specialist 4 days later and he said when I increased my water so drastically combined with some meds I take it caused my body to release a hormone telling my kidneys to start dumping salt from my body and retain water. Our body's cells are spongy, but the brain is encased in bone, thus when it swells with water you start having seizures, coma and/or die. He said I had to drastically cut my water to 1.5L or (50oz) a day and eat a normal well balanced diet.

I also found out what med was contributing to this and the dose was cut in half. When my next blood tests came back sodium was normal (136). The bizarre thing is my vision cleared last weekend and I was able to read the TV Menu after many months. Well I believe my sodium levels being low started going back to at least May after going back to messages from my girlfriend supporting me in getting healthy.

New blood test taken 5 days ago returned at 134. I had been restricting my water per dr's instructions, but after I got new blood test slowly started increasing my water intake. Yesterday I really overdid it drinking 4 of my 30oz YETI's (120oz + my coffee) and this morning the TV menu is blurry again. My kidney dr is on vacation so can't get feedback, but will try decreasing it again today to at least 60oz.
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Replies

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Yeah, it's also a serious concern for athletes, because you can sweat out a huge amount of sodium. That is particularly dangerous if you're just drinking plain water and not consuming any source of sodium.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,110 Member
    edited August 2017
    I average 100oz of water a day. It works for me. I also am sure to get my sodium in, am active, and increases my water intake over time rather than overnight.

    Yes, too much water can be dangerous but that amount will be different for everyone and how you increase your water intake is a factor too.
  • LynnJ9
    LynnJ9 Posts: 414 Member
    edited August 2017
    Remember around 2007, a California radio station did a contest where people competed on how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. Despite multiple calls to the station from doctors explaining the dangers they completed the contest A young mother drank 2 gallons of water and died from water intoxication.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    baconbutt1996 wrote: »
    Why the heck are you drinking so much water if you've experienced what complications can arise? Why can't you just stick to 1.5L - 2L of fluid?

    well that isn't a necessary amount either. The water you take in in food (most of food is water) also contributes to hydration so it is precisely advice about how "necessary" it is to drink litres of fluid that creates the problem under discussion.

    Because if a lot is good, more must be better ......
  • andysport1
    andysport1 Posts: 592 Member
    This is something that affects one person, I have always drank 60-80oz in the winter and 80-100 in the summer months.
    I have 20/20 vision
    Doc has never asked me to alter
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    Thank you! I have to add another amazing thing that has happened. Another symptom was severe memory loss to the point I thought I was getting early onset Alzheimers. This week memory's returning and I'm amazing myself and constantly telling my H. That's this person, or that or "you just don't understand, a week ago I couldn't have told you who this person was and now it's just there!!!" Truly feels like a miracle!
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    orangegato wrote: »
    You started the same thread on August 1st ("Warning to Others...."), but didn't mention Trileptal then. Why didn't you just continue that thread?

    Trileptal is notorious for causing hyponatremia, but as you said there is controversy over if your low sodium was from BOTH consuming EXCESSIVE amounts of water AND from Trileptal. Probably both. Nothing is ever really black and white, all or nothing.

    You should be getting routine and regular blood tests to monitor your sodium forever.

    I didn't mention the Trileptal because I have a tendency to be long winded, perhaps people wouldn't read this, and felt I wanted to give people a snapshot of what happened last week. However, after reading the responses, felt I needed to give you a more precise account. I've been taking Trileptal for several years, no problem. I was at no time told this might cause a problem. My psych did say at my appt he normally has his patients get regular blood work unless he knows they're under another Dr's care, which he assumed I was. Well, I do see quilt a few Drs due to various health problems, but never for this.

    I am also on a lot of other meds. I have no thyroid due to cancer at age 26 so see "Endocrinologist" he tests thyroid. RLS - See "Neurologist". 2 yrs ago started having hematuria in urine. See "Urologist", and of course my Internist for everything else, esp. High Blood Pressure which I finally agreed to start meds in March. Thinking back. When I started feeling so tired and lethargic in May I had many things I blamed it on so started back on Shaklee Protein & Vitamins after reconnecting with best friend. June, still not feeling good. Well, maybe I need to start eating better. So July, start new Sugar Smart Diet and the 20th increase my water. Hindsight is wonderful, but I had no reason to suspect the "Trileptal".

    I am just thankful for that already scheduled physical on the 28th, which found the low sodium. As I tell my family and friends "I try not to think of the "what if's"." or it scares the crap out of me. I would have continued drinking large amts of water, sodium would have continued to drop. I'm driving, pass out, killing myself and others." Those are my "what if's" I try and not think about.
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    edited August 2017
    Sorry, double post!
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    If I were in your shoes I'd never drink plain water again. Every cup would be doctored with gastrolyte.

    ....and why the obsession with increasing your water? It. Is. Not. Good.

    I really never felt I was obsessing. Remember I only started increasing the water the 20th and the physical was the 28th so a very short period of time. And I guess my thinking is "was it just the Trileptal?" Thus, the only way to find out is by increasing my water. It was a momentary laspe in judgment and as I said I'll wait to see what kidney specialist says and follow his orders.

    I am trying to add a fluid with electrolytes into my daily intake.
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    edited August 2017
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Or maybe not add some self prescribed item to the mix and listen to medical professionals.




    Well last week I had 4 medical specialists all giving me different advice so how do I handle that?

    Internist-"stop all free water and only drink Gatorade or start having seizure."

    Neurologist-"Oh, you're fine".

    ICU Nuse d who sees the worst of the worse-"mom, stop drinking so many fluids".

    Internist-"Don't listen to ICU nurse d regarding limiting fluids, drink as much as you want as long as it contains electrolytes and eat lots of salty foods like potato chips, in fact salt all food".

    ICU Nurse d-"you should follow your dr's instructions."

    Kidney Specialist "Limit fluids of any kind, drink 1.5L of free water and eat normal well balanced diet and d was right and Internist was wrong."

    Psych doc-"it's the Trileptal, not the water."

    So which medical professional do I listen to?
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    get them all on a call or email chain and deconflict...when you got all this advice - did you tell them the alternating advice that you got?

    were the internists different and 2 trips to the ICU (2 different nurses?)
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    edited August 2017
    I was posting on Facebook last week and friends were all giving me outrageous advice. My ICU nurse d is a very private person. She doesn't even want people to know she had a C-Section. However, she reads all the advice I'm getting. Such as "eat pickles, watermelon, or drink Tequila with salt chaser of course" and this is what she posts.

    “Everyone, please stop giving advice. Mary is under doctors instructions. Some of the advice I've read here could kill her. I understand you all have good intentions but stop. You are not physicians and have no idea what medications she is on nor what medical conditions she has.”


    Of course I wasn't going to take any of their advice and was cracking up and heading to Mexico to seek real medical care, get a cottage on the beach with my own Cabana Boy, drink lots of strawberry margaritas/with lots of salt of course." NO, I was seriously losing it due to all the advice I was getting from all these different doctors.
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    get them all on a call or email chain and deconflict...when you got all this advice - did you tell them the alternating advice that you got?

    were the internists different and 2 trips to the ICU (2 different nurses?)

    Yes, I was keeping them all up to speed, which is why it was driving me nuts. I told Neurologist day after Internist telling me about danger of having seizures. She downplays it. Of course, my ICU nurse d is in the loop. Wed - I inform my Internist of the new advice and she responds I'm to listen to her, not d. See kidney specialist and he's up to speed as I've sent all my records and a 2 page letter before appt. So kidney spec says limit water. My d was right and Internist was wrong. See psych dr next day and he was up to speed as he said he got my 9 min voice mail before appt. He says "it's the Trileptal, not the water."

    Now, kidney specialist is on vacation and my only Internist has turned this over to him instructing me to follow his directions since it involves my kidneys.

    So, Yes. That's why I was cracking up last week.
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    castlerobber wrote: »
    [quoteI just caught on to what you said about a psych dr...
    My husband worked for years at a state mental hospital. There was an entire ward of patients who had polydipsia (overdrinking), due to their mental illnesses. Their fluid intake was strictly monitored, and they were weighed several times a day, to keep them from making themselves physically ill by drinking too much water.

    I have done much research on this and boy have learned a lot regarding "water toxicity" topic. Regarding the mental patients I read that there are people that have a mental illness where they can't stop drinking water. However, that's not my problem. I take too many meds due to seeing a psych dr. I do trust this doc as he's the one that finally got me stable 7 years ago after taking over my care. Working together we're slowing getting me off so many meds. It's a slow process and it truly is a detox process as each time I lower the med dose my body has to readjust. I may not feel well for a few weeks until I stabilize and can make another cut.

    Even here on MFP they stress increasing water intake. And this may be well known to many, but sure wasn't to me.

    Thank you for taking the time for your insightful post to me.

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