Too much water?

MaryAnne1

Hey guys,

I have been upping my water daily, trying to make sure I'm getting enough (esp when i sweat bucket loads out during exercise), and I'm getting thirstier and thirstier the more i drink! I've been taking a large tumbler to work so I don't have to fill up my glass so often. It holds c.600 ml and on average I'm drinking around 8-10 of these a day. Plus I also feel bloated and sloshy from the amouth of water I'm drinking. Trouble is now I'm really thirsty and need more water!

Any help or ideas gratefully received!

azlady7

Are you eating very salty foods?

TheKitsune6

If this is a recent change it could just be your body adjusting.

TennVolsGal

Extreme thrist is a since of diabetes....I don't want to scare you but you should see your doc and get your blood sugar checked. I'm not a doc just a nursing student with alot of diabetics in my family. Good Luck!

mag50

are you buying bottle water, or using tap? some packaged water have extra sodium in them. check the bottles.

rml_16

Extreme thrist is a since of diabetes....I don't want to scare you but you should see your doc and get your blood sugar checked. I'm not a doc just a nursing student with alot of diabetics in my family. Good Luck!

I agree you should see your doctor. Drinking water should help flush excess water and you shouldn't feel bloated. Too much sodium can cause some retention, but this sounds pretty extreme. And you definitely should not be thirsty if you're drinking that much.

I did go through something similar once but it was because I ate an extremely salty meal at an Indian restaurant and it cleared up in a couple days.

AmandaB4588

This happens to me, too. I'm not sure why.

EDIT: I want to add that I do not eat a lot of sodium (don't eat processed foods,) do not drink bottled water, and am not diabetic. In my case, I think that my body has just grown accustomed to drinking a lot.

VeryKerri

There is another possiblity. There is a kidney condition that if you drink too much water it can make you sick, very sick. I am not saying that is what is happening with you, but I was drinking about 176 oz of water a day which is 1.5 gallons a day and I was having the same issue. Thirstier and thirstier all day. I was also getting headaches frequently. I went to the doc and he advised I was drinking too much water. He told me to drink no more than 80-100 ounces a day even when working out heavy. I dropped my water intake and not only do I feel better and have no headaches, but I am losing more weight. My body was holding on to all the extra water.

To sum it up, get with your doctor about this issue as there may be something going on you don't relalize.
Thanks

MaryAnne1

Thanks for the responses everyone!

I don't think its diabetes (well I hope not), it has literally only just been the last couple of days, since I upped my water intake. I don't really eat lots of salty food, and I don't add salt to my food (other than in cooking).

I'm hoping that it's just my body getting a bit freaked out by the sudden intake of water, but I suppose I will have to see how it goes over the next couple of days. Maybe I'll try to just sip my water, rather than properly glug it down!

fernelia91

Hi there,

If I read your post correclty, you're drinking 600 mL eight to ten times per day?? At the high end, you're consuming 6,000 mL of water, or about 24 eight ounce glasses of water a day. That's three times the recommended 8 glasses per day. Sounds like you're drinking way too much, and could be at risk for some serious health problems. I found this website, which suggests that it IS possible to drink too much water (water intoxication) and provides some pretty good guidelines on what level of water consumption is right for you.

http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

I also agree with the previous post -- if you're experiencing high levels of thirst, you really should consult your physician.

Hope this helps!

FrenchMob

If you get thirstier after drinking alot of water, you're drinking too much. What happens when you drink too much water is that you're throwing your electrolytes out of balance. More you drink the more you flush out sodium, potassium, etc etc. This is NOT good. It's explained better here: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

ashlee954

If you get thirstier after drinking alot of water, you're drinking too much. What happens when you drink too much water is that you're throwing your electrolytes out of balance. More you drink the more you flush out sodium, potassium, etc etc. This is NOT good. It's explained better here: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

Very true! You may also start to feel dizzy. Sign of vertigo. You are drinking an excessive amount of water. Unless your doctor has recommended this extreme amount I would lower it and maybe talk to your doctor about recommendations.

CoKaTieL

You shall do achick up..

wish you all the great..

rml_16

Hi there,

If I read your post correclty, you're drinking 600 mL eight to ten times per day?? At the high end, you're consuming 6,000 mL of water, or about 24 eight ounce glasses of water a day. That's three times the recommended 8 glasses per day. Sounds like you're drinking way too much, and could be at risk for some serious health problems. I found this website, which suggests that it IS possible to drink too much water (water intoxication) and provides some pretty good guidelines on what level of water consumption is right for you.

http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

I also agree with the previous post -- if you're experiencing high levels of thirst, you really should consult your physician.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for doing that math! I had no idea how much she was getting, but almost 200 oz of water a day is WAY more than you need. Water intoxication can be deadly, and I think you might be putting yourself at risk. I drink between 80 and maybe 110 oz at most a day (even when I do a workout in 100-degree Florida heat and sweat buckets) and I'm not thirsty and I don't have retention.

Anyway, there are a lot of conditions that can cause retention and some people are so sensitive to sodium that even a tiny amount can cause retention.

If cutting back on the water doesn't help, definitely definitely see a doctor. It could be something minor or nothing at all, but better safe than sorry, right?

ChellieIrish

That link http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html
is scary thanks for starting this thread something to really think about :noway:

MaryAnne1

Thanks for all the responses! Think I will def try to limit my water intake down now. Will switch back to my old smaller glass at work tomorrow and I'm having a rest from exercise this evening, so at least I won't need lots of water tonight! Hopefully this'll sort itself out once I stop drinking as much

xx

CeciHarper

Wow this is scary.... I too am SUPER thirsty when I am trying to cram in my 8 glasses of water a day... Def food [water] for thought!!!

Mindful_Trent

I just wanted to throw out there - it's very difficult for the average person (without any special medical consideration like kidney problems / electrolyte imbalances) to experience water intoxication. Our kidneys can process about 30 oz. of water an HOUR - only when you drink more than that are you risking running into problems, and even then, a little excess is not going to be a big deal. The big exception to this is when someone is doing extreme exercise like marathon running - our kidney's ability to process water slows, so if you drink too much you can dilute your electroytes to dangerously low levels - this is why most long-distance athletes drink gatorade or other liquids mixed with electrolytes rather than plain water.

Many people need to drink MORE than eight 8-oz glasses a day - I know I am one of them, because I started having dehydration-related medical problems despite drinking 7-9 glasses a day. I was told by my doctor to drink 12-16 cups/day. If you live in a dry climate or high altitude or are exercising heavily - your water needs are going to increase. Most people get more than enough sodium/electrolytes in their food to keep themselves in balance and make up for any salt lost through sweat.

The key is to spread your water out over the whole day - don't gulp a ton of it down all at once, even before/after workouts. If you're worried, replace one of your pre/post workout water cups with gatorate or another electrolyte drink.

Please don't let this scare you into drinking less than you should. So many people don't drink ENOUGH water - chronic low-grade dehydration isn't critical, but you really will feel so much better if you drink more. Drinking a little more than you need is MUCH healthier than not drinking enough.

willimh

You are drinking way to much water. We should be comsuming no more than 64 oz of water a day. Excessive thirst and frequent urination is a sure sign of diabetese but, it just sounds like you are drinking way to much water.

Mindful_Trent

You are drinking way to much water. We should be comsuming no more than 64 oz of water a day. Excessive thirst and frequent urination is a sure sign of diabetese but, it just sounds like you are drinking way to much water.

64 oz is typically considered the minimum people should drink, NOT a maximum. Many people need more than this.

AmandaB4588

I just wanted to throw out there - it's very difficult for the average person (without any special medical consideration like kidney problems / electrolyte imbalances) to experience water intoxication.

This is true. I read a lot about this after hearing about the person who died after the "Hold Your Wee For a Wee" contest.