too much water?

cailinlowe
cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was talking with a friend (who has a kidney disease) the other day and we were talking about how much water we drink in a day. she was told by her doctor that she needed to cut back on the water she was drinking because it was flushing out vitamins and whatnot too quickly.

have you guys heard this before? do you think this would just have to do with her kidney issues? I drink a ridiculous amount of water during the day so i am genuinely curious.

Replies

  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I was talking with a friend (who has a kidney disease) the other day and we were talking about how much water we drink in a day. she was told by her doctor that she needed to cut back on the water she was drinking because it was flushing out vitamins and whatnot too quickly.

    have you guys heard this before? do you think this would just have to do with her kidney issues? I drink a ridiculous amount of water during the day so i am genuinely curious.

    It might depend on your weight. I drink 1.5-2 gallons a day and it seems like a lot, but I feel fine and it doesn't seem to be hurting me so far. I've been drinking water like this for like over 30 years and so far I don't see any problems. Maybe like everything else we are all different. If ever in question ask your own doctor.
  • soleilxo
    soleilxo Posts: 202
    how much is a ridiculous amount for you?

    this could be true but how much water can you possibly have to drink to actually go overboard and flush out vitamins?!:S how much water does she drink?

    i can drink up to 25 but i dont do it too often.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    Everything changes when you have kidney disease so the doctor is the one who is best able to advise in this situation. More than likely he was talking about her electrolytes and blood chemistry (sodium, potassium, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine etc) which can be altered significantly in kidney disease. Even a healthy person with no kidney impairment can, in theory, drink too much water, i.e. water intoxication, but most of us do not drink anywhere near the amount to cause that problem.
  • cailinlowe
    cailinlowe Posts: 161 Member
    I'm sure I exaggerate when i say i drink a ridiculous amount. But i just have never heard of a doctor telling anyone to cut back on water, so i was just curious if anyone else had heard it. thanks! :]
  • Sweetsugar0424
    Sweetsugar0424 Posts: 451 Member
    My ex BF was told to cut down on his water for the same reason. He drinks a LOT of water and goes to the bathroom ALL the time. Though I don't think that is relevant at 12 cups per day or whatever around there.
  • reacat
    reacat Posts: 1
    Yes, you can drink too much water. Believe it or not, you can actually get "water poisoning". Google it.
  • cappri
    cappri Posts: 1,089 Member
    I have a friend who was actually poisioning herself by drinking to much water, her sodium levels got way to low and she got really sick. I think it's very rare though.
  • HardyGirl4Ever
    HardyGirl4Ever Posts: 1,017 Member
    I've read that over 16 cups in a day will do that.


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  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
    Kidney disease can significantly change your body needs so I can see her doctor cutting back on her water. I live in Texas and work on a farm. In triple digit weather it's recommended that you drink one ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. So there were points where I SHOULD have been drinking over 225 ounces (28+ 8 ounce glasses) of water.
  • lyndalpn
    lyndalpn Posts: 151 Member
    People with kidney disease need to restrict their water intake as it puts additional strain on their kidneys to filter that much. For normal people without kidney disease you dont need to worry too much - you would need to drink a LOT of water to get into trouble.
  • SarahtheJillianfanatic
    SarahtheJillianfanatic Posts: 117
    Famously in the 90s a girl called Leah Betts in England popped an ecstasy tablet, panicked and drank seven gallons of water. She was held up as a cautionary tale against illegal drug use, but it was in fact water intoxication that killed her.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Betts
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    People with kidney disease sometimes have to monitor the fluids they take in-- not just water, but foods with a lot of water in them, like cooked rice, soups, etc.
  • k011185
    k011185 Posts: 320 Member
    I had a friend back in high school that got a kidney problem from drinking too much water, according to her dr it was because she was drinking huge amounts in one sitting. She had one of those 'daily amount' bottles, holds 64 oz, and she would sit there and force herself to guzzle the whole thing in under half an hour . She would do that a few times a day.
    He said if she had spaced it out, instead of forcing it all in at once, she would have been ok.
    That was all second hand info, and about a decade ago, though.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    It is totally possible to drink too much water and there's no reason to drink huge amounts of water. It is totally a myth that it flushes out fat. You need a reasonable amount of liquid to maintain body functions but you get a lot just from your daily food intake. Fruits and veggies are usually about 85% water and if you have soups, tea, coffee, jello, etc those are all liquids. Drinking a lot of water does flush good water soluble nutrients out of your system and increases the work your kidneys have to do.
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 775 Member
    panicked and drank seven gallons of water.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Betts

    7 liters which equals to 1.8492 gallons :blushing:
    On 11 November, she took an MDMA ("ecstasy") tablet, and then drank approximately 7 litres of water in a 90 minute period
    --

    @ OP I do think the doctors orders was/is b/c of her disease
  • the_new_robin2016
    the_new_robin2016 Posts: 97 Member
    http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

    QUOTE

    It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.
  • hkulbacki
    hkulbacki Posts: 187 Member
    It's not easy, but yes, you can drink too much water.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/150718-dangers-of-drinking-too-much-water/

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
  • SarahtheJillianfanatic
    SarahtheJillianfanatic Posts: 117
    7 liters which equals to 1.8492 gallons :blushing:
    --

    You are quite right, I meant "litres." Anyway: a ludicrous amount. I doubt most people, in ordinary circumstances, would dream of knocking back so much.
  • AnjaZ89
    AnjaZ89 Posts: 235
    i have an overactive bladder and drink about 2-2.5 l a day and my doc told me to drink less, but I really cant cause I would be thirsty all day long. So I just have to keep up running to the restroom all day (and night...) long :(
  • tishka11
    tishka11 Posts: 76
    Drinking a lot of water all at once can be dangerous to your health, i know that from personal experience.
    I have done this a few times and the risk is that you can actually cause swelling around your brain - which i assure you you can feel happenning! It is a horrible feeling! - it also makes you feel like you want to through up
    You can also 'flood' your blood cells, so to speak, to the point where they swell enough to explode, thus releasing the nutrients inside and fragments of the cell out into the blood stream and causing problems
    The excess pressure can also affect heart rate

    It will also make you need to pee a lot
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I was talking with a friend (who has a kidney disease) the other day and we were talking about how much water we drink in a day. she was told by her doctor that she needed to cut back on the water she was drinking because it was flushing out vitamins and whatnot too quickly.

    have you guys heard this before? do you think this would just have to do with her kidney issues? I drink a ridiculous amount of water during the day so i am genuinely curious.

    Yep my mother-in-law had kidney disease for about 20 years & by the end she was allowed 250ml water a day cause it would flush more out than she could handle. Imagine not being able to drink at all after your one glass of water cause it's to much. If you are healthy you CAN drink to much water & drown. Sad but true.

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