At what point does fluid intake become excessive?

Shriffee

I often go over my goal of 8 servings of water a day. This morning I realized yesterday I had 96 oz of water, two cups of coffee, two glasses of unsweet tea, and a Monster Energy drink (0 calorie)... and a slim-fast shake, if that counts.

So my question to you all is when is it "too much"?

jillyt85

I drink about 120 ounces of water a day along with a cup of coffee and an energy drink. I feel better when I drink this amount. I figure if I start feeling sick, it's not good, but that has yet to happen.

Shriffee

Wow, Jilly!

katrinalarocque

Wow, I envy you! I can barely make it to 40 oz. I wish I liked drinking water more than I do. I'd say if you feel good, it's probably ok.

CarolynKlum

I drink an amazing amount of water too. Yesterday, I didn't as much (I had probably 9 glasses) and I was down one pound on the scale, and apparently my hydration levels were the same (my scale tells me that). If anything, it just makes you pee more because the water eventually just has to run through you if you're constantly drinking water I would think.

FitLink

I often go over my goal of 8 servings of water a day. This morning I realized yesterday I had 96 oz of water, two cups of coffee, two glasses of unsweet tea, and a Monster Energy drink (0 calorie)... and a slim-fast shake, if that counts.

So my question to you all is when is it "too much"?

96 ounces isn't too much. Around 4 to 6 gallons per day is enough to cause water intoxication.

Do remember that the average woman needs about 72 ounces and the average male 104 ounces per day FROM ALL SOURCES. The Mayo Clinic is clear that water is water, even in caffeinated beverages and food. Caffeine's diuretic effect is so mild as to make no measurable difference. Coffee is water. Soda is water. Juice and milk are water. Soup is water. JELLO is water. There is water in almost all food. The water we drink IS NOT pure H2O anyway and any water not mixed with alcohol counts as water intake.

avafrisbee

How much is too much?

way more than you're drinking, don't add dialectics (like tea and coffee) to the mix and then don't pee. That's water poisoning.

This article may be informative on the topic:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill

Italianyc84

That's fine. Keep in mind, I've read that a cup of coffee pretty much cancels out a cup of water, because it dehydrates you. I would imagine tea would be the same...

PinkEarthMama

I get "yelled" at every day my MF pals.

I drink upwards of FOUR LITERS of water a day. Yesterday, because I had a bit of a cold, WAS cold, and had a sore throat, I drank 233 oz... in plain water. Not counting my 4 cups of coffee and 2 cups of tea.

I think, personally, it depends on your body, where you live, etc. I live in a VERY dry climate, even though it's not a dessert. We are also a frigid -10* celcius. I work ( and sweat ) hard at the gym.

I feel good, my skin is clearing up, I don't feel bloated from sodium intake... and I have no signs of water poisoning.

cookieta76

I have really started upping my water intake lately too and definitely drink at least 120 or more ounces a day. I would like to know if there is any risks or if it would hinder any weight loss as well.

judypriv

I have been doing about 90 a day and I will say, TMI, that my constipation issues seem to be much better but I never hear of "too" much water although too much of anything probably is an issue.

beckys19

As long as it is spread out through the day and you have enough sodium/electrolite intake you should be fine. Water intoxication most often occurs when large quantities are consumed within a short period of time
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

If you are also going for a low-sodium diet, it might be best to consult your doctor about more than 96 oz/day of water.

FitLink

I get "yelled" at every day my MF pals.

I drink upwards of FOUR LITERS of water a day. Yesterday, because I had a bit of a cold, WAS cold, and had a sore throat, I drank 233 oz... in plain water. Not counting my 4 cups of coffee and 2 cups of tea.

I think, personally, it depends on your body, where you live, etc. I live in a VERY dry climate, even though it's not a dessert. We are also a frigid -10* celcius. I work ( and sweat ) hard at the gym.

I feel good, my skin is clearing up, I don't feel bloated from sodium intake... and I have no signs of water poisoning.

This is about 2 gallons. Well under the 4 to 6 needed for water intoxication. However, at twice your intake you could very well have problems since you also get water in food.

meerkat70

How much is too much?

way more than you're drinking, don't add dialectics (like tea and coffee) to the mix and then don't pee. That's water poisoning.

This article may be informative on the topic:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill

There is absolutely no evidence to support the view that tea or coffee presents hydration problems, unless you have health problems like recovering from congestive heart failure.

Yes tea is a diuretic. (I presume you mean this, not a dialectic, which is a kind of argument built to resolve apparently opposing logical positions...) So is water. So is coffee. Diuretic just means something that makes you pee.

Reckabek

I drink a gallon of water a day, plus 2-5cups of coffee! And i feel the water is the main reason to my 95 lbs i lost! Woohooo

FitLink

That's fine. Keep in mind, I've read that a cup of coffee pretty much cancels out a cup of water, because it dehydrates you. I would imagine tea would be the same...

That is nonsense. There isn't enough diuretic action from coffee to cancel the water in IT, let alone another cup of water. The difference is immeasurable. Per the Mayo Clinic's website: "Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

FitLink

I get "yelled" at every day my MF pals.

I drink upwards of FOUR LITERS of water a day. Yesterday, because I had a bit of a cold, WAS cold, and had a sore throat, I drank 233 oz... in plain water. Not counting my 4 cups of coffee and 2 cups of tea.

I think, personally, it depends on your body, where you live, etc. I live in a VERY dry climate, even though it's not a dessert. We are also a frigid -10* celcius. I work ( and sweat ) hard at the gym.

I feel good, my skin is clearing up, I don't feel bloated from sodium intake... and I have no signs of water poisoning.

-10 degrees Celcius is "frigid? Try -10 degrees Fahrenheit!!

therealangd

water "intoxication" happens, not from drinking too much water, but from an improper balance of water to minerals/sodium. Unless you have some underlying medical condition, an "intoxication" typically only happens to endurance athletes who don't replenish their sodium / minerals with their water intake

Drink up, it won't hurt you.

kiminikimkim

As soon as I found out on the Dr. Oz show that the 8 glasses of water a day was a myth, I stopped forcing myself to drink that amount everyday.

Now I only drink water when I am actually thirsty. Other than a couple of ounces of tea per day, water is the only thing I drink everyday (no milk, soda, coffee or juice). On a non work-out day, I only drink a glass of water per meal.

It would become excessive once you start feeling the symptoms of of hyponatremia:
nausea
vomiting
headache
confusion
lethargy
fatigue
appetite loss
restlessness
irritability
muscle weakness
spasms
cramps
seizures

kiminikimkim

That's fine. Keep in mind, I've read that a cup of coffee pretty much cancels out a cup of water, because it dehydrates you. I would imagine tea would be the same...

That is nonsense. There isn't enough diuretic action from coffee to cancel the water in IT, let alone another cup of water. The difference is immeasurable. Per the Mayo Clinic's website: "Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

I also heard that coffee as a diuretic is a myth.
From the Dr.Oz show.

meerkat70

Dr Oz got it right on those occasions. But do bear in mind he's generally as mad as a box of frogs. :-)

BerryH

I know two runners who have been hospitalised after falling into a coma with hyponatremia. It's very real and not massively uncommon if you drink a lot of plain water and sweat a lot. If you exercise long and/or hard, keep up your electrolyte balance with a sports drink that has them in or add a pinch of Lo-Salt to your water or drink.