Can drinking water make you sick?

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ciacyrus29
ciacyrus29 Posts: 109 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know someone is going to say - are you serious? And the answer is yes, I'm serious.
- I know I need to drink 8 -10 glasses of water each day. Somedays I do fine but there are days when I drink 8 glasses and I get light headed and dizzy.
- My food intake is the same for breakfast and lunch. The only thing that changes are my snacks.
- There are some days when I can't tolerate drinking water so the most I might get in is 4-6 glasses.

It just seems like when I drink 8-10 glasses or have to force myself to drink the 8-10 glasses I always feel horrible. I've been told that perhaps I'm diluting my electrolytes.

If I'm completely off my rocker - that's o.k. But if not, what should I do?
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Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    ciacyrus29 wrote: »
    I know someone is going to say - are you serious? And the answer is yes, I'm serious.
    - I know I need to drink 8 -10 glasses of water each day. Somedays I do fine but there are days when I drink 8 glasses and I get light headed and dizzy.
    - My food intake is the same for breakfast and lunch. The only thing that changes are my snacks.
    - There are some days when I can't tolerate drinking water so the most I might get in is 4-6 glasses.

    It just seems like when I drink 8-10 glasses or have to force myself to drink the 8-10 glasses I always feel horrible. I've been told that perhaps I'm diluting my electrolytes.

    If I'm completely off my rocker - that's o.k. But if not, what should I do?

    There may be some truth to that.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Are you drinking water through out the day? And what of dinner?
    Are you eating ENOUGH?

    But yes, one can drink "too much" water.
  • berlynnwall
    berlynnwall Posts: 669 Member
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    If you don't feel thirsty and your pee looks okay, you don't need to force yourself to go to 8 -10 glasses.
  • Isabelle_1929
    Isabelle_1929 Posts: 233 Member
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    You need to see a doctor, probably have blood test done.
  • rgauthier20420
    rgauthier20420 Posts: 52 Member
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    How about drinking something that you enjoy drinking instead of plain ole water? There's plenty of good juice mixes and flavored waters out there. In my opinion, if it makes you dizzy, stop drinking so much.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Go by pee color - if you're seeing pale yellow, you're plenty hydrated. If it's really yellow, you need some more water. The goal of 8-10 glasses is just a ballpark figure and isn't for everyone all the time. There are always going to be variables - if it's hot or cold outside, how active or inactive you are that day, fluids you're getting from other sources (other drinks/food), etc. your needs will change. I always drink more in summer because I live in a hot climate, and 100º days result in more sweating, requiring more water. In winter, I may drink less, even on active days. It just depends.

    A quick google image search for hydration and urine color will get you some handy-dandy charts to go by, too. :smile:
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    To answer the main question, yes, people have died from drinking too much water in a short period of time. That said, what you're drinking isn't a dangerous amount by any stretch unless you have a medical condition of some sort.

    Regardless of what anyone says, you don't need 8-10 glasses of plain water each day on top of anything else you're drinking. You should be getting 64 ounces of water that is included in the foods you eat and anything you drink including coffee, tea, soda and juices. So instead of plain water try drinking something with electrolytes in it for a few of the glasses. Perhaps watered down Gatorade or something similar.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Although 8 glasses a day is a very general guideline and does not take into account water intake from foods (think soup, fruit, veg), the larger you are, the more water you need to stay hydrated. Have you checked your pee?

    urine-chart.png

    Regardless of your pee color, you should talk to your doctor. Dizziness is NOT a sign of overhydration. Most electrolyte loss happens through sweating. You could not be diluting your electrolyte levels with 8 glasses of water.

    You could have overhydration from water retention, which is a serious medical problem in which your body is not able to expell excess water. Liver and kidney diseases and failure can cause water retention.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Yes, water poisoning is a thing. Going too low on electrolytes is a thing. If you are not counting coffee and other liquids, you may be drinking more than 8-10 cups a day. If your pee is faint yellow except for the first pee of the day, you are getting enough water. Your normal may be six cups of water a day.

    When I was looking to replenish my electrolytes from a bad bout of the flu, my pharmacist turned me on to electrolyte powder. It lasts a lot better than Pedialyte. And it doesn't have all the added sugars that Gatorade has. I now keep these powder sachets in my first aid kit, and have them on hand when travelling.
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
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    The dizzy may have more to do with high or low blood sugars or something. But as far as water is concerned, not sure about that. It does make me nauseated. I DO NOT LIKE plain water. I will drink it, but under heavy protest.

    I drink a lot of hot tea to make up for it. (no sugar)
  • crystal8208
    crystal8208 Posts: 284 Member
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    I think you may have hit on the blood sugar issue. You mentioned that it varies with your snack content. Have you tracked sugar levels for the meals and snacks to see where they fall when you have issues? Have you had a glucose test done recently?
  • Athos282
    Athos282 Posts: 405 Member
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    Yeah, I get this funny tingle...down there. It usually goes away if I step into a restroom and stand over the toilet for a bit. So maybe a little sick, but not too much.
  • AshC1023
    AshC1023 Posts: 109
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    Yes it is possible, my dog does this a lot. He will drink tons of water, then throw up and have a seizure. The vet said it's water poisoning and it is an electrolyte imbalance. We have to limit how much water is available to him because he will drink half a 5 gallon bucket and do this.
    Blood sugar can be a culprit too, always best to talk to your doctor about it and let them run some tests, just in case.
  • GoPerfectHealth
    GoPerfectHealth Posts: 254 Member
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    The same thing happens to me. I am very sensitive to electrolyte disturbances which can be brought on by drinking excess water. I let thirst be my guide for drinking water, and do not follow the rule of 8 glasses of water per day.
  • ciacyrus29
    ciacyrus29 Posts: 109 Member
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    Thanks everyone. My urine color varies from optimal to well hydrated. I have just trying to be a good person and get it in because I've always been told that. But common sense should have told me that I don't have to do it every day.
    I do have an appointment this week to see my GP - so I will let her know.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    You would have to drink A LOT more than 8 glasses of water to get sick from it.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    This is an assumption- since you don't like water are you chugging them down? You should stagger them out more throughout the day.

    Also should be discussing with your doctor not asking random people on the internet.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    Tedebearduff wrote: »

    Also should be discussing with your doctor not asking random people on the internet.

    This. No judgment or anything but when it comes to dizziness you should not listen to the people of MFP, you should go to the Dr.

    Especially because cases of water intoxication are few and far between and generally limited to people tripping on Ecstasy or marathon runners (but not people tripping on marathon runners). So unless you're drinking all of that water all at once, or are also eating a ton of water-laden food, I would guess that something else is probably behind your symptoms. Good luck to you!!!



  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    It could be that you need to eat more salt and drink less water ... Seriously. Dizziness can be a symptom of low sodium, as can tiredness, confusion, and weakness. A while back I was killing the water and eating very low sodium, and ended up passing out when I stood up from tying my shoes. Ended up earning myself a fantastic concussion from that one.

    But, that's just my experience. As you can see from the diverse responses in this discussion, this is not something the internet is going to solve for you. Go to the doctor and get bloodwork done, because any of the possibilities people have posted could right, wrong, helpful, or harmful.
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Yes, I know that drinking too much water can be a problem, but unless you're really dehydrated or drinking 5 gallons a day, you shouldn't be getting sick from it. Light-headedness and dizziness can be caused by a variety of other things. Low blood sugar, low iron, low salt intake, not enough iron, etc etc etc.

    I remember one summer, my nutrition was fine, but it was blazing hot outside and we were walking around Washington, DC. I drank a bottle of water and didn't feel better. I got a bottle of lemonade that had both salt and sugar in it, and felt SO much better.

    It couldn't hurt to get a blood test just to rule out that it your body isn't going haywire. (maybe thyroid?)

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