Is there such a thing as too much water?

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kkooge
kkooge Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I drink alot of water in a day, and I have been told by a couple of people that I drink too much of it, that my body will start retaining fluid. Others tell me the more I drink the better. I have tried cutting back a bit but seem to be always thirsty.

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  • shazbox1
    shazbox1 Posts: 175 Member
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    The more you drink, the less you retain. But it is possible to drink too much and throw your electrolyte levels off.
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
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    You won't retain water from that.

    But there are a few medical conditions that cause excessive thirst, so if you are that much thirstier than everyone else it might be worth getting checked out by a doctor.
  • ldula88
    ldula88 Posts: 169 Member
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    If you feel thirsty, drink up! The only way to have to much water is to drink a massive amount in a small amount of time, like a gallon in 15 minutes or something like that. If you spread your intake over the course of a day, you are totally fine. In my opinion, people who believe we don't need to drink water are crazy. I've actually heard people say that we get enough water through food intake, and that the "8 cup a day rule" is unnecessary and outdated (ok, maybe the "8 cup" part, but not the need to drink water). Completely not true, almost everyone is perpetually dehydrated nowadays, I don't care what their diet looks like. Keep on drinking!!!!
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
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    I would say anything over about 8 litres / 2 gallons is starting to get excessive unless you're doing a huge amount of exercise. Excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes so worth getting checked out with your doctor. Usually you can monitor your urine to check if you are well hydrated. If you start peeing absolutely clear water then you're drinking too much. It should be a very pale yellow.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Yes, people have died from it, but it's very difficult to do and has usually happened as a result of hazing or corporal punishment.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I drink alot of water in a day, and I have been told by a couple of people that I drink too much of it, that my body will start retaining fluid. Others tell me the more I drink the better. I have tried cutting back a bit but seem to be always thirsty.

    How much do you drink a day?

    Some days I drink close to 2 gallons. I have had problems with electrolyte imbalances because of how much water I drink but I have to drink a lot because of certain medications I take.

    As others have mentioned, excessive thirst is a sign of diabetes. I'm sure it's nothing but it wouldn't hurt to check in with your doctor.
  • kkooge
    kkooge Posts: 70 Member
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    Thanks for your responses. I have been checked for diabetes and I got the all clear. I drink around 3 litres a day - I'm not sure what that is in gallons.
  • DrewMontoya
    DrewMontoya Posts: 77 Member
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    The short answer: as long as you urinate and eat (salt is the key), it'll be nearly impossible to suffer from water intoxication. If you're a marathon runner, then you need to be more mindful about it.

    Longer answers:

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill/

    http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/services/smi/chalk-talk/Hyponatremia.asp

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

    EDIT: As a data point, I drink 4-6 liters a day.
  • supermysza
    supermysza Posts: 167 Member
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    2L a day is the recommended amount, drinking just 1L extra won't make a huge difference. In this case more is better :)
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
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    1/2 your body weight in ounces. A 200 pounds person should be taking in 100 ounces per day. More if you do them beast mode work outs. Increased water actually DECREASES retention.
  • annie7hudds
    annie7hudds Posts: 199 Member
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    yes- but you have to drink a lot to cause any problems.

    Unless you have a medical issue, drinking water won't cause water retention - quite the opposite.
  • timrpm
    timrpm Posts: 57 Member
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    Bear in mind you get lots of water from most foodstuffs. You don't need to top up *that* much with just water drinks. I suspect some people use it to feel full - not sure how good for you that is, physically or mentally as a 'trick'.
  • ReclaimingSarah
    ReclaimingSarah Posts: 250 Member
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    Yes. My brother drinks at least 6 liters per day and is still ALWAYS thirsty. He saw a doctor last week because he was afraid he had diabetes (it runs in our family.) Turns out, he was just drinking too much water, peeing it all out, and not retaining enough, thus he was dehydrated.
  • AnexRavensong
    AnexRavensong Posts: 262 Member
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    Technically, YES there is Water Intoxication. It is more a problem for people who drink an obscene amount of water or small children "playing" with the fact that they can have as much water as they want.. or parents inventing "unique punishments" (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/08/justice/tennessee-girl-soda-death/) etc.

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

    I think as long as you're not taking it to extremes or lacking sodium to balance it out, you shouldn't really have to worry too much about that.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    99 ounces of water is not too much and it definitely won't kill you. that's only a few cups over the amount that is recommended for a day. (8) and by many 8 is considered a minimum for good health
  • timrpm
    timrpm Posts: 57 Member
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    99 ounces of water is not too much and it definitely won't kill you. that's only a few cups over the amount that is recommended for a day. (8) and by many 8 is considered a minimum for good health

    I'm afraid that's just a myth. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21929310.700-health-myths-drink-eight-glasses-of-water-per-day.html

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