Can't Retain Water...

CountryDevil

I hope they tested for diabetes, this is a classic sign of it. If they didn't you need a different doctor. I am absolutely serious about this. With all that water consumption you are likely low in sodium and potassium as well. This is something your doctor should have talked to you about.

I have been checked for diabetes... I am not diabetic. Maybe I should have them check again?

I would have your Doctor check your A1C (Diabeties Screening). I was drinking alot of water could not retain it either. Come to find out I was border line Diabetic. I have it under control now, but wiht you, I started showing the signs in less than a year of being tested previously.

cartern1

I think constant thirst can be an early sign of diabetes - I hope they have they checked for this ?

dragonflydi

I hope they tested for diabetes, this is a classic sign of it. If they didn't you need a different doctor. I am absolutely serious about this. With all that water consumption you are likely low in sodium and potassium as well. This is something your doctor should have talked to you about.

I have been checked for diabetes... I am not diabetic. Maybe I should have them check again?

There are many different kinds of diabetes. Most common is type 2, that is probably what they tested you for. It affects the pancrease. Diabetes insipidus affects the kidneys and their ability to retain water ... major signs are excessive thirst, light headed-ness and excessive urination ...

I knew someone who had issues with the 2nd (I thought she was crazy when she said diabetes was affecting her kidneys since I already knew diabetes affected the pancrease and insulin production ...). It took a while for her doctor to figure it out. If your doctor hasn't tested you for that yet, you might ask ... especially if they are going to do additional testing anyway. The worst it can do is positively rule it out, but it might also help figure out the issue. Good luck!!

brandiuntz

Definitely, definitely go back to your doctor and get tested more thoroughly. Not sure how you were checked for diabetes, but make sure you're get A1C1 tested. Any tests to check your kidney functions would also be good. Lots of diabetes in my family, so, can tell you it's important to make sure you're really okay.

And, if all that is okay, make sure they help you figure out what's going on. Too serious of a problem for your doctor to ignore.

Ranchan11

Maybe try weight training...I've learned that water is held in the muscle so more muscle would increase your hydration rate. Also, someone above asked why would we like to retain water. Water retention is important because all of our organs depend on it to function properly. Without proper hydration our organs do not operate at an optimal level. Dehydration is also linked to weight gain. I would also like to address the ketone comment above. Ketones are NOT toxic. They are a by product of fat burning. It means effectively that you are out of glucose so your body swtiches metabolic pathways and begins burning fat. Ketones are produced in the process. The body loves them. In fact they are preferred over glucose. I am in ketosis or the state of producing ketones right now as a matter of fact. A few weeks ago I started the Idealprotein.com diet and ketones are a big part of the plan. I've lost almost 45 pounds in 4 weeks. Back to water retention, your body will flush water if there is no where for it to go. Again, this is why building muscle is important. Otherwise the water you drink will go straight to your colon. Passing glucose in urine is COMPLETELY different from passing ketones.

Ranchan11

I think your water drinking habits are excellent. Our bodies are 70% water so 144 oz is not such a huge amount to drink. In fact most people drink too little water which is very problematic. I drink at least 130 oz a day.

Ranchan11

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/faq/f/whatisketosis.htm

floop1207

i suppose you have been tested for diabetes mellitus (type 1 or 2) as thats the common one. i have diabetes insipidus. this is nothing at all to do with sugar, insulin or diet. i have a tumor on my pituitary gland which means i don't make the anti-diuretic hormone needed to retain any water at all. i was pee'ing every 5 minutes, day and night. i was exhausted. fortunately i saw a locum doctor who got me tested for DI. i now take a synthetic hormone which has helped to alleviate the constant trips to the toilet and never ending raging thirst.

ask your doc about this too.

eta also, polydipsia (increased thirst) can be habit. maybe if you've been drinking a lot of water to stave off hunger, you think you are always thirsty.

SummerLovesPhil

Check with your doctor ASAP. A dozen donuts says you're diabetic

tamadrummer001

That doctor needs to do a 24 hour urine study on you and some simple blood work to see if you are either experiencing SIADH or Diabetes Insipidus or find another reason you are losing h2o.

This is the absolutely not the place to get advice about something as medically serious as this can be,

ashtinpetitt619

I know this reply is really late but i'm hoping you still don't drink 18 glasses of water a day. The reason you were feeling light headed and what not is because you are drinking toooo much water. You are only suppose to drink 8-eight ounce glasses of water. This should be the max; previously someone had died because of a water competition she was doing. The water flushed out all of her nutrients and she died. So with that many glasses a day you are flushing out a lot of your nutrients.
You should ask your doctor how you should retain water, they should have the right answer.

ATT949

How much water are you drinking?

I have had 18 glasses of water so far today

Our body has been figuring out how much water it needs for about 4 million years. The body is in a continuous struggle to achieve "homeostasis". The brain figures out what we need and it motivates us to get it what we need. We feel a hunger sensation in the stomach so the brain acquired food. We have a full sensation in our bowels so we have a bowel movement.

You get the picture.

When we respond to what our body wants, our body will tend to operate pretty well. Per above, we've been upright for about 4 MM years, right?

Along comes advice to drink a lot of water. The body doesn't want it but the "owner" is still pouring all of this water into the body. Since our species has no mechanism to store extra water, you get a full sensation in your bladder and out it comes.

While I understand the reasons why people are urged to drink water by every credible diet source, I also understand that the body doesn't need that water (again, by every credible source). Drinking a lot of water while dieting can help cut down on the urge to eat (since the stomach is full, it doesn't send the "feed me" signal to the brain): it reduces hunger pangs (the stomach has something in it so it stops sending the "feed me' signal); and some folks get constipated when they lose weight and drinking water can help with that issue.

Other than that, the best medical science that we have says you should drink to thirst* (understanding that, in seniors, the thirst mechanism starts to lose it's sensitivity but, please understand, humans have been dead decades before the age of what we call "senior").

Simple answer - let your body tell you when it needs water and you'll do fine.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/0bd1cf72-e411-2ee5-a4cdee3447e81c93/

Google this - heinz valtin in the american journal of physiology

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

For athletes, have a look at the book "Waterlogged", by Dr Tim Noakes. He covers a lot of ground on this topic but he does for good reason — people drink so much water that they end up dead.

But he also delves into why we are told that we should drink, drink, drink and that's compelling story, too.

Again, I understand the reason to drink, drink, drink but it simply doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny.

rileysowner

How much water are you drinking?

I have had 18 glasses of water so far today

Simple answer - let your body tell you when it needs water and you'll do fine.

If you read everything you would have seen OP is letting her body tell her, that is why she is/was drinking 18 glasses of water a day, she was always thirsty.

Iron_Feline

Zombie thread.

Hopefully the op has got answers by now :laugh:

jasonmh630

18 glass a day?? That's cute.

On a serious note, I typically drink over 200 ounces per day, which is about 25 - 8oz cups... give or take a couple, of course. I do it because I don't want to retain water, or keep retention to a minimal level. I don't do it because I'm simply thirsty. If you can't retain and are constantly thirsty, I'd suggest seeing a doctor as this may be a sign of diabetes (or "diabeetus", as Wilfred Brimley would say).

**NOTE: The parenthesis above was an attempt to inject a little humor into the thread. We've all seen the commercial.

mjudd1990

Just my two cents as to what it could be

1) Psychogenic polydipsia. Some people just have a compulsion to drink water excessively but if you are deprived of water for a few hours then your urine should start to concentrate again and turn yellow

2) Diabetes mellitus (most likely type 1 since you are young). Your body can't get glucose into your cells so it functions to pull water out and also prevent your kidneys from reabsorbing water due to the same effect.

3) Diabetes insipidus (most likely central unless you are taking meds like lithium or demeclocycline in which case, nephrogenic would be more likely). Basically your body either isn't making sufficient amounts (central) or doesn't respond properly (nephrogenic) to ADH/vasopressin.

You need to go see a doc. They need to do blood work to check your serum electrolytes and probably do an oral glucose tolerance test to assess for diabetes mellitus and a water deprivation test to check for diabetes insipidus.

likitisplit

because I am constantly thirsty and light headed and peeing every 5 minutes! LOL.... I dont retain much of it at all and its becoming unhealthy

I find that gatorade helps me when I feel constantly thirsty. If you're concern with calories, G2 or Pedialyte works well too.

thebigcb

Humans cant retain wtaer, we are not camels,

Not like extra food that turns in fat, water, once hydrated will simply be passed from your system

JoRocka

no.... i am just always thirsty!

Have you been checked for diabetes? Excess thirst in one of the main symptoms of diabetes. I experienced it before I got diagnosed and treated.

this.

I think "retain" isn't the proper word- I think she's always feeling dehydrated and therefore always drinking.

I would absolutely
1.) get a new doctor (that whole always thirsty thing- strong diabetic indicator... they should have checked that chit)

2.) have them check you for diabetes

seriously.

don't wait- go today or tomrorow.

Iron_Feline

from 2011!