Can you drink to much water?

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KellyBurton1
KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been wondering if it is possible to drink to much water. I know we need at least 8 glasses a day, sometimes I drink up to 15. Is that to much? Not because I 'm thirty or anything. I put in consideration that Im excerising so I need to replace some fluids.

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  • seventeenlucky77
    seventeenlucky77 Posts: 92 Member
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    I find that I get indigestion if I drink too much water. 6-7 glasses is my absolute limit per day. I like to switch it up with maybe a diet soda or diet tea or hot tea.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    Yes. People have died of water poisoning. Don't drink multiple liters of water in one sitting! Spread it out.

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

    I've read multiple times that you should drink half your body weight in ounces per day. For me that would be 16 cups. I've drinken that much once spread out over the whole day. I usually get 10-12.

    I've also read multiple times that the need to drink 8 a day is a myth. For me personally, if I don't get in at least 8 I'm very thirsty. I don't drink any other liquids.
  • workoutqueen628
    workoutqueen628 Posts: 220
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    15 seems a little much to me, but I don't know what you weigh. They say to drink half your body weight. For me that's about 8 glasses and I tend to drink 10-12.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
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    I'm sure you can but I think its an insane amount. 8oz really isn't that much and they also say 'half your weight in oz' so according to that, you'd be on track if you weighed 128lbs. So if you weighed 200lbs and you're exercising, 15 glasses wouldn't be overdoing it.
  • indybuddy
    indybuddy Posts: 2
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    I am not a dr. nor am I in the medical field, BUT, I can tell you that I just got chewed out by my doctor for consuming nearly 3 gallons of water a day. There are several reasons to only drink the recommended amounts, one of which is the fact that if you drink TOO much water you quite possibly would not ever expel all the water you are consuming. Yes, we work out, yes we urinate, yes we sweat...but in my case I was consuming too much and my body was HOLDING onto what it thought it needed. Once I cut back to a gallon a day (still more than I need, I know) I noticed a quicker loss of weight.....
    check out this link, I found it useful in answering some basic questions.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/nu00283
  • KellyBurton1
    KellyBurton1 Posts: 529 Member
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    Wow, I was very unaware of this. Thanks guys for the info, it really opened my eyes.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    120 ounces (15 cups) spread out over an entire day is definitely NOT too much water if you have healthy kidneys.

    I've had that much water on a regular basis for the last 7 months. Sometimes just a little more. I range from 80oz-140oz or so most days. 140oz would be on a day I run several miles or play tennis for a few hours. Or on a day I've had too much sodium.

    Like others have mentioned above, chugging a large amount (over a liter or 2) in one sitting is a bad idea. But, drinking 15 8oz cups over the course of a day should be just fine assuming you're healthy otherwise.

    A gallon is 128 ounces. That person was drinking like 48 cups a day. No wonder his doctor chewed him out! That amount of water will flush your body of essential vitamins & minerals (namely, electrolytes).
  • Tamishumate
    Tamishumate Posts: 1,171 Member
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    I drink a gallon a day, give or take a few ounces .
  • mommy2js
    mommy2js Posts: 196 Member
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    I drink about a gallon a day also - 1 Gallon = 16 Cups.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I often tuck away 120-150 oz and have had no problems. As long as it's spread out over the whole day, you're fine.
  • kelscross
    kelscross Posts: 11
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    Yes you can drink too much water, it's a condition called water intoxication and can be potentially fatal. Basically it throws your electrolytes off especially sodium. I've seen many patients come into the hospital with it and they have to have IV fluids to rebalance the sodium. Seems odd because they have consumed so many fluids already but it's the mix of the sodium in the particular IV fluids.
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
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    You will feel physically sick if you're drinking "too much" water. And it will take more than 15 cups for most grown adults, especially if you're exercising.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    A gallon is 128 ounces. That person was drinking like 48 cups a day. No wonder his doctor chewed him out! That amount of water will flush your body of essential vitamins & minerals (namely, electrolytes).

    My doc wasn't too happy with me either:blushing: , the poster above is right you really CAN throw off the electrolytes and it can effect your
    kidneys if you over drink water.

    I used to be a water pusher and tell everyone drink 1/2 your body weight in oz. Well at my highest weight (a few years back) I was doing that and kept the habit without thinking much about it. Yes I used to hear 'YOU COULD DIE' if you drink too much
    water, I closed my ears to that thinking, oh heck that's a bit dramatic I used to tell myself.:noway: :glasses: :blushing:

    Well since after of course it happened to ME:blushing: I would advise doing what you and your doctor feel is best for your body.

    Well I didn't die but my doc told me to cut way back as my body doesn't need all that and it's not an easy habit to break, I was very thirsty when cutting back and I think water was something I always grabbed so a bit of an addiction (ok a very very strong habit, don't want to be overly dramatic).

    I think after hearing how great water was, all the magical things it could do for our bodies, I took it to an extreme.

    Hope you find what's best for your journey,
    Becca:heart:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    Yes you can drink too much water, it's a condition called water intoxication and can be potentially fatal. Basically it throws your electrolytes off especially sodium. I've seen many patients come into the hospital with it and they have to have IV fluids to rebalance the sodium. Seems odd because they have consumed so many fluids already but it's the mix of the sodium in the particular IV fluids.

    That's why it was also hard for me to understand when my Doc checked my kidneys (used to take Naproxen alot for knee issue) as she periodically did and mentioned her concern at my very low sodium levels. It's a strange thing when you hear it at first I agree, too much water, too low of sodium?? But it's simply how our body works. I'm sure glad she caught it and asked me how much water I was drinking, she knew I never had issues drinking plenty but she was shocked at how much I was taking in.

    What can I say, I :heart: my Water:smooched: :tongue: :laugh:

    Rather be alive and healthy than 'deep sigh', over indulge in water. Ah, yes still a touchy thing for me, she only told me a week or so ago, I'm still in my withdrawal reality phase now..:noway:

    Becca:heart:
  • rschwa
    rschwa Posts: 27
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    Since I started using this site, I've been paying attention to my sodium intake, as one of my stats that appears. I have correlated days when I have gained an unreasonable amount of weight, say a 2-lb gain from the day before, with an unusually high sodium intake that day (some days I get up above 4 grams! :noway: )

    I have been attempting to reduce my sodium intake, but there are just some foods that it's hard to get with low sodium - cottage cheese, most breads and tortillas, etc. So, to counter that, as I go through the day, logging foods I eat into MFP, I attempt to get my water intake for the day to match my sodium intake, milliliters for milligrams. So, if I hit my target of 2500 mg of sodium, I shoot for 2.5L of water - about 10 and a half 8-oz cups. If it's looking like I'll go over, I'll ramp up my water intake to match it.

    It's still a pretty unscientific experiment at this point. I've been anything but rigorous and have kept no records, but anecdotally, I'd say it's been effective in helping to stabilize my weight gains and losses.

    Note that I count milk, coffee, soups - any liquid I drink - toward my total water intake. As long as I also count their sodium content, I believe it's still valid.

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