Can you drink too much water?

I drink about 10-14, glasses of water a day (8oz of water), probably leaning towards the higher end. I probably sometimes rarely go up to 16 glasses. My family is consistently telling me I drink too much water and I'm "flushing all my vitamins away." I was kinda wondering if that was true. I don't really feel like I'm drinking too much water. The only time I really chug it down is in the morning I drink 2 glasses of water before I do anything else with my day (such as eat breakfast). The rest of the day is taking sips here and there.

The water consumption does not count water intake from food.

Replies

kjurassic

Yes - you can drink too much water.

My mother was hospitalized with water intoxication. Her potassium level went all out of whack. It can be quite serious, but she was older with a few health issues. Excessive water may not affect a younger person in that way.

YorriaRaine

So how much water should I be drinking then? :indifferent:

SuperstarDJ

Approximately 35mls per kilogram of body weight (under normal conditions).

mamacoates

Yes, it is possible to drink too much water .. but I don't think 10-14 glasses over the course of an entire day, especially when exercise or warm weather is involved (3 to 4 2-liter bottles) is considered "too much". (I regularly drink 12+ glasses each day.)

Consider the following links to medically related websites for appropriate water intake:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/wonders-of-water
http://www.mayoclinic.org/water/ART-20044256
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/water_calculator.htm (includes water calculator based on body weight)

And this article on water toxemia. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill/
Keep in mind that most reported incidents of water toxemia revolve around people drinking very large amounts of water in a very short amount of time. As long as you are not being forced to consume liquids, your body will probably be able to let you know when you have had enough. Your body will also eliminate excess liquids throughout the day as needed ...

GeorgieLove708

10-16 cups of water a day is fine. Assuming you're drinking it throughout the day instead of all at once. I drink that during cold weather. During warm weather I've been known to drink 20+ cups of water a day (spread from about 5am-midnight, but it's 120° here in the summer) and I've never had issues with any deficiencies.

scottkjar

My mother was hospitalized for drinking too much water. Her sodium was entirely depleted. After she was discharged, her physician actually prescribed potato chips! Yep, her physician told her to eat potato chips to get her sodium levels back up because she flushed them all away. He also told her to drink less water.

My physician suggested that if your urine is entirely clear, you have too much water. If it is slightly yellow, it is okay. If it is dark yellow, it is not enough water.

Lauren4974

Yup, urine is your indicator, as gross as it sounds. Always watch how yellow it is. If it's dark, drink more water. If it's clear, drink less. Pay attention to your body functions as they will tell you what your body needs. On a normal day I drink anywhere from 3-15 glasses of water. Just depends on what my body wants. Some days I'm just not thirsty and I really don't want any water, other days I really want to drink it. Just listen to what your body is telling you and you should be good.

julieferg7

Yes you can certainly drink too much! It's called water intoxication. It is very dangerous. When a person drinks too much, it lowers the electrolyte concentrations in the blood and that can negatively effect heart rhythm, muscle function and nerve function. It lowers the blood's osmolality which can cause tissue and brain swelling. The usual recommendation is to drink 64 fluid oz per day. Using urine color as an indication of hydration status is good. Clear = back off on water, dark yellow to amber = drink more!

mellynat

i drink 1 gallon a day.. (16cups_) some day more. but that's through out the course. it's not all at once. i think it can be dangerous if u drink way to much all at once.

hmaddpear

As others have said, yes you can totally drink too much water. It throws the electrolytes out of balance, and can, in very extreme cases, kill. That said, you would need to be drinking a lot of water in a short amount of time. It's more commonly seen in infants, marathon runners and in those people who take drugs like MDMA.

Under normal conditions your kidneys can process 0.8 - 1 litre (about 0.2 gallons - I think) an hour. That's a lot of water. Sipping throughout the day is unlikely to harm.

Constant feelings of dehydration, and the drinking of lots of water to combat this is can be a sign of diabetes.

(Apologies on the amounts of water - I'm British and have still not got my head round American 'cups' - it doesn't help that American and British fluid oz don't seem to equate either!)

chachicopley

Take your current weight and divide by half -- this is at least how many ounces you need to drink daily, more so if you exercise regularly! The body needs to maintain a certain ratio of water to sodium, potassium, and other minerals in order for your organs to work, especially your kidneys and liver. Water intoxication is real, yes. So keep an eye. 10-14 sounds around right.

coconutbuNZ

I dont measure my water but it's probably 6 - 8 a day - I can tell by colour of urine if I'm not drinking enough water so I don't go overboard by drinking too much. Let your body be the indicator.

lousoulbody

I drink tons of water as well, hyponatremia is a very uncommon condition

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.

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

MelsAuntie

Yes, you can, overworking your kidneys and bladder and wasting your day making multiple trips to the bathroom.

jofjltncb6

Yes.

Personally, I drink when I'm thirsty and don't drink when I'm not. Seems to work for me.

sblueyes

I typically drink 16-20 8oz glasses of water per day. My doctor says rule of thumb is 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds you weigh. so for example, if you way 140, you should drink 70 ounces of water.