water question...

briabner
briabner Posts: 427 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I have always drank lots of water. I gave up pop and coffee about 4 years ago and dont drink that anymore either. Since joining MFP I have been keeping track of my water that I have drank and I always drink at least 8 glasses of water if not more. Some days I drink 12+ glasses of water. Even though I am drinking all of this water I seem to be even more thirsty and constantly thirsty.

Just wondering if anyone has any insight about this, not really quite sure why I am drinking more water but I am more thirsty

Thanks!!!

Replies

  • defygravity531
    defygravity531 Posts: 289 Member
    I don't mean to be alarmist by any means, but I will say that excessive thirst is a sign of diabetes. You might want to talk to your doctor. Whether it's diabetes or not, being thirsty all the time should be a red flag.

    Good luck! And congrats on all your water, I struggle to get my 8!
  • rosieflo
    rosieflo Posts: 218
    First off...make sure you talk to your doctor, since this is a sign of diabetes.
    However, I think if you are used to it, your body just craves it more. :)
  • srtiemann
    srtiemann Posts: 76
    Have you seen a doctor about your thirst? You could have diabetes.
  • Juliebean_1027
    Juliebean_1027 Posts: 713 Member
    What does your sodium intake look like? It could be that your body is trying to flush all of the sodium and toxins out of your body. I drink a lot of water too (some days as much as 15-20 glasses) so I understand your concern. If it continues, you could always talk to your doctor to check for diabetes.
  • vsyates
    vsyates Posts: 373 Member
    I don't have an answer but want you to know that the same thing happens to me. It seems like the more water I drink the thirstier I am :drinker:
  • uubulldawg06
    uubulldawg06 Posts: 102 Member
    do you have a hig sodium intake? if so that can trigger you to crave more water to help flush out the excess. if it doesnt resolve itself soon i would check with your doctor, since increased thirst can be a warning of several medical conditions.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    I have noticed this too, where I feel thirsty a lot more than I did before drinking lots of water. However, if it is an unquenchable thirst, where you drink tons and tons and never feel satisfied...definitely talk to your doctor about diabetes. My co-worker used to drink gallons and still felt thirsty all the time, he was diabetic.
  • MintyStarshine
    MintyStarshine Posts: 91
    If you are working out really hard and breaking a heavy sweat then it isn't uncommon to be very thirsty. I work in a fast-paced restaurant as a cook and it gets pretty sweaty in that kitchen. I can go through 72oz (9 glasses) of water in a four hour shift and continue to drink after work to replenish my fluids.

    However, if you aren't sweating and aren't exerting yourself in any manner and are still constantly thirsty, then I would go to the doctor and get your blood sugar tested or even buy a glucose meter at your local drug store or pharmacy to test your blood sugar levels. Being thirsty all the time is a sign of diabetes and, if not treated or maintained, can lead to serious health problems.
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
    take ur body weight, divide it by 15... the number that equals is the number of cups a day u r suppose to drink.

    if u excercise, u need MORE water than that number.. If you have alot of sodium, or any caffeine drink, u also need MORE water than your recommened amount. Im suppose to drink 19cups a day, then extra if i have higher sodium, caffeine drink (caffeinated tea, crystal light, coffee, pop, or anything else that has caffeine.)
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
    I had a good check up/physical at the beginning of this year with a clean bill of health....so I know its not diabetes. I know all the tell tale signs of diabetes because I work at a doctors office (medical assistant).


    I just am not sure what it is from...
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    FYI: Sodium DOES NOT make you thirsty LOL

    But I would have your doctor check your AC1 cause as other's said this is a sign of diabetes, also of over excerssion (maybe your over exercising? ) ...
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    I don't mean to be alarmist by any means, but I will say that excessive thirst is a sign of diabetes. You might want to talk to your doctor. Whether it's diabetes or not, being thirsty all the time should be a red flag.

    Good luck! And congrats on all your water, I struggle to get my 8!

    +1, my mom used to joke about this with me as a kid as I always drank 8+ glasses of water, ice cold is the best tasting IMO plus burns more cals but it's no laughing matter if idiabetes is in your family (it's not in mine of course).
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
    after looking in your diary, i dont think u r eating enough... Every day i looked back you had under 1200 net calories a day... 1200 is the minimum u need a day just to survive. You have days where u ate 900 calories and then excercised a lil... U could be thirsty cuz u r starving urself. Anything less than 1200 NET calories is considered starvation mode.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    FYI: Sodium DOES NOT make you thirsty LOL

    It doesn't?????

    QUICK POLL: are you more thirsty after eating something salty i.e. chips or processed dinners???

    My Answer: I definitely notice it with processed or take-out meals, chips are just fun with pop plus chips themselves are dry so I can't say for sure.

    “THESE PRETZELS ARE MAKING ME THIRSTY!!!!!!!! “ Ha Ha Ha!

    I looked at your diary and you have a fast-food or restaurant meal 1x a day plus lots of carbs so that would make you thirsty IMO.
  • CindyN58
    CindyN58 Posts: 39
    I don't have an answer but want you to know that the same thing happens to me. It seems like the more water I drink the thirstier I am :drinker:


    Same thing happens to me. I always drink a lot of water. I have just gotten used to it. I see the Dr. regularly and I am not diabetic. Even so, if you are concerned, see your Dr. to make sure all is well.
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
    I just added sodium to my food diary and I am consistently below the 2500mg of salt allowed a day on a 1200 calorie diet. There has only been a few days where I have exceeded the recommended sodium content. I also have my food diary public if you wanted to take a look at it too.
  • tacoma210
    tacoma210 Posts: 19
    my personal opinion is that if your body feels like it's thirsty, you need to drink, if not you don't have to... But have heard 8-12 glasses per day.. personally if i did that.. i would be floating.
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
    FYI: Sodium DOES NOT make you thirsty LOL

    Wrong. If you drink salt water, it dehydrates you, making you more thirsty. The same is true if u eat salty foods. You need to drink more water on days with higher sodium content because the salt depletes the water youve put into your system. If youve had a high sodium day, and only drank 8cups of water, it might be like youve only had 7 cups instead...
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    I just added sodium to my food diary and I am consistently below the 2500mg of salt allowed a day on a 1200 calorie diet. There has only been a few days where I have exceeded the recommended sodium content. I also have my food diary public if you wanted to take a look at it too.

    Yes but also only eating about 900 cal's a day - see the FAQ's on MFP about starvation mode and weight gain that will occur after weeks of this behaviour.
  • alibslim
    alibslim Posts: 16
    In the past I have done that too. It's wierd! I drink all that water and and I have even waken up with dry mouth. I haven't tried it but someone told me to put lemon juice in (just a few drops) my water and that would help. Haven't tried it yet myself but now I will definitly have too. Let me know if it works for you if you try it!
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
    Current medical wisdom says that 8 glasses of water a day is not nearly enough for most people, but it is a good start. Depending on your age/sex, around 40-60% of your total body weight *should* be water. Most people walk around constantly dehydrated.

    A good way to calculate how much water you need to drink is to divide your weight in half, and drink that many ounces of water. For example, if you weighed 200 lbs, 200/2 = 100, so 100 ounces of water per day (approximately 13 glasses).

    The other thing to remember is that if you are not drinking enough water, and are walking around dehydrated, your body's "thirst mechanism" will shut itself off. If you have begun drinking more water than usual, you may have just flipped that mechanism back on again.

    However, if you are sure you are drinking enough water and are still constantly thirsty, go get checked out by your doctor.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    FYI: Sodium DOES NOT make you thirsty LOL

    But I would have your doctor check your AC1 cause as other's said this is a sign of diabetes, also of over excerssion (maybe your over exercising? ) ...

    I'm sorry but that's not true - sodium can absolutely make you thirsty. When I eat popcorn or salty crusted Domino's pizza, I am extremely thirsty. What else would it be if not the sodium?

    As for the OP, make sure you're sipping water, not chugging it. Any chance you're drinking bottled water that has sodium in it or adding flavored mixes with sodium? Some are just as bad as soda.
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