Too much water? Should I be worried?

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JenMarie8781
JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I decided to start drinking more water. I was drinking around 90 oz per day and decided to bump it up to a gallon a day (128 oz). Well, I have been really thirsty the last couple of days and for today I have already drank about 80 oz of water and a 32 oz Diet Dr. Pepper. Then I read this thing online that said if you drink too much in a short span you can get water intoxication and it can even be fatal. So now I'm worried because I've drank about 110 oz of fluid in the last 6 hours. Is that too much?

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  • JenMarie8781
    JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
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    bump
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    Yes, but did you read the actual amount you would have to guzzle for water intox? It's more than what you have had.

    Go back to Google and read what the limit is.
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 623 Member
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    water intoxication/ hyponatremia is a real thing, but not likely one you have to worry about - your body can flush through something like 15 liters of water a day with no problem. Dont over do it on the water (and I personally woulndt count soda as water) but what you are consuming is definitely within reasonable amounts
  • JenMarie8781
    JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
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    Yes, but did you read the actual amount you would have to guzzle for water intox? It's more than what you have had.

    Go back to Google and read what the limit is.

    I read an article that said you shouldn't drink more than 8 oz per hour. I have been drinking like double that today.
  • JenMarie8781
    JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    I normally don't drink so much but I have been really thirsty the last couple of days!
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 623 Member
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    Plus I am assuming you are pregnent? The thirst you are having lately may be related to that or to what you are eating too.
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
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    I read an article that said you shouldn't drink more than 8 oz per hour. I have been drinking like double that today.

    yes, and everything on the internet is true - especially if it looks like a fancy science article.
  • PaulFromEssex
    PaulFromEssex Posts: 245
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    Agreed. Little and often is best. Keep the body hydrated with a constant supply. No need to go overkill.
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    I normally don't drink so much but I have been really thirsty the last couple of days!

    I noticed from your profile that you are diabetic. Please talk to your doctor asap. It is not normal to be excessively thirsty like that, and while I don't necessarily think you're drinking too much water, the reason that you NEED to drink that much water may have something to do with your diabetes and may be a bad sign.

    It also could have something to do with your pregnancy, but either way I'd definitely bring it to your doctor's attention.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    I normally don't drink so much but I have been really thirsty the last couple of days!

    You should get checked out by a doctor. Being that thirsty can be a sign of a health problem. Especially related to the kidneys.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    You're pregnant? Talk to your doctor about this. I have no idea about upper limits during pregnancy - but I know that excessive thirst can be an indication of diabetes.

    Is it hot where you are? Are you getting more exercise than usual? 110 ounces in six hours doesn't sound excessive to me...a non-medical professional. I often drink that much, and I'm not overweight.
  • JenMarie8781
    JenMarie8781 Posts: 377 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    I normally don't drink so much but I have been really thirsty the last couple of days!

    I noticed from your profile that you are diabetic. Please talk to your doctor asap. It is not normal to be excessively thirsty like that, and while I don't necessarily think you're drinking too much water, the reason that you NEED to drink that much water may have something to do with your diabetes and may be a bad sign.

    It also could have something to do with your pregnancy, but either way I'd definitely bring it to your doctor's attention.

    I think it is probably more pregnancy related and not because of the diabetes. I monitor my blood sugars daily and they are GREAT. So I don't think it would be that.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Edited.
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
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    My guess is that you're consuming too much sodium. Try cutting back and you may find you aren't so thirsty.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Why so much? You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated, I drink about 9 or 10 cups a day so about 80oz and for me that seems plenty. As long as your pee is clear you're good.

    I normally don't drink so much but I have been really thirsty the last couple of days!

    I noticed from your profile that you are diabetic. Please talk to your doctor asap. It is not normal to be excessively thirsty like that, and while I don't necessarily think you're drinking too much water, the reason that you NEED to drink that much water may have something to do with your diabetes and may be a bad sign.

    It also could have something to do with your pregnancy, but either way I'd definitely bring it to your doctor's attention.

    I think it is probably more pregnancy related and not because of the diabetes. I monitor my blood sugars daily and they are GREAT. So I don't think it would be that.

    That's great. I checked your diary hun. Definitely the sodium. Try 2500 or less and the thirst will go down. You know your blood sugars are under control, a few low sodium days and you'll be fine x
  • miked1379
    miked1379 Posts: 4
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    You drank Diet Dr. Pepper, too. Caffeinated drinks are diuretics - they purge water from the system, making you thirstier. And, to the poster who said "as long as your urine is clear" - there's no medical research to back up the case that you need to do that. Yellow urine does NOT mean you're dehydrated. Deep yellow or amber, yes. I cut & pasted the symptoms for both dehydration and hyponatremia and put them at the end of this post. Regular water keeps the body operating optimally, but the idea that the body has an inherent 80 oz. water deficit every single day is preposterous. No species (except maybe freshwater fish) would have been able to satisfy that over time. It doesn't make any evolutionary sense.

    The signs and symptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe and include:

    Increased thirst
    Dry mouth and swollen tongue
    Weakness
    Dizziness
    Palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding)
    Confusion
    Sluggishness fainting
    Fainting
    Inability to sweat
    Decreased urine output
    Urine color may indicate dehydration. If urine is concentrated and deeply yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.

    Hyponatremia signs and symptoms may include:

    Nausea and vomiting
    Headache
    Confusion
    Loss of energy
    Fatigue
    Restlessness and irritability
    Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps
    Seizures
    Unconsciousness
    Coma
  • rachklaus
    rachklaus Posts: 1 Member
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    My guess is that you're consuming too much sodium. Try cutting back and you may find you aren't so thirsty.

    Agreed...and diet pop has a TON of sodium in it...not to mention, the artificial sweetner crap will make you thirsty, too.

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