water intoxication

ContinuousEffort
ContinuousEffort Posts: 136
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm worried about my mfp friends and water intoxication. I've read on posts that people try to drink as much water as they
can to feel full. Drinking too much water in too short a period of time can be very dangerous and make you very sick.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/water-intoxication.htm

Replies

  • BobertC
    BobertC Posts: 123
    so how much water do you need to drink before you're intoxicated, that sounds awesome. I've been wasting money on alcohol for years apparently. :tongue: :happy: :laugh:
  • murphysraven
    murphysraven Posts: 60
    quote from the article -

    The exact amount of water intake that can lead to water intoxication is unknown and varies with each individual. Symptoms of water intoxication actually look a lot like the symptoms of alcohol intoxication, including nausea, altered mental state, and vomiting. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle weakness and convulsions. In severe cases of water intoxication, coma and death come fairly quickly as a result of brain swelling. The condition is quite rare in the general population, but in distance athletics, it's a known risk and is often avoided by drinking sports drinks instead of water during training and events.

    --
    I would think this issue is not something to be extreemly worried about unless you are trying to drink an insane amount of water all in one sitting. As long as you listen to your body's needs my opinion is most people won't ever have this issue.
  • sblair77
    sblair77 Posts: 355 Member
    Wow! I never even knew this was a thing!

    Thanks for the article
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    Drinking water to the point of feeling full would equate to drinking a few glasses. The people that die from water intoxication are drinking gallons in a short period of time. I'm sure your friends appreciate your concern, but it's time to calm down a bit :)
  • Kichelchen
    Kichelchen Posts: 79 Member
    Well, I was also rather getting worried about water intoxication, because I am thirsty all the time, my mouth and throat get really dry, sore and painful if I don't drink at least my 2 liters of water a day, but mostly it's more like 3.5l (which is like 120 fl. ounce). And I'm not trying to drink that much to not eat. If your body tells you to drink that much, can it be dangerous? Just wondering, not trying to defend :)
  • LOVEsummer
    LOVEsummer Posts: 304 Member
    I think you can rest assured that most people aren't getting too dangerous with their water intake. It's important to pee and not hold it and not drink water to the point of being ill but water intoxication is pretty hard to accomplish
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
    Well, I was also rather getting worried about water intoxication, because I am thirsty all the time, my mouth and throat get really dry, sore and painful if I don't drink at least my 2 liters of water a day, but mostly it's more like 3.5l (which is like 120 fl. ounce). And I'm not trying to drink that much to not eat. If your body tells you to drink that much, can it be dangerous? Just wondering, not trying to defend :)

    If you are consuming that much throughout the day, I'm sure you are fine. I consume at least a gallon of water throughout a normal day (128 oz.) because it is usually the beverage I drink the most and enjoy the taste. Plus I live in a warmer climate and run so I feel thirsty or dehydrated if I don't. Water intoxication become a concern if you are drinking that much in a matter of minutes rather than spread out over the course of a day.
  • ContinuousEffort
    ContinuousEffort Posts: 136
    Here's another good article that might answer questions.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Hyponatremia.htm
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
    Yes my mother was freaking out about this as well... it's really more to do with people chugging tonnes of water after losing alot of electrolytes and not replacing them. (this is why they say to drink gatorade if you are sick or if you did an intense workout.) I drink a gallon a day, and nothing negative has happened so far. :)
  • TaneeisFitforLife
    TaneeisFitforLife Posts: 433
    Drinking water to the point of feeling full would equate to drinking a few glasses. The people that die from water intoxication are drinking gallons in a short period of time. I'm sure your friends appreciate your concern, but it's time to calm down a bit :)

    This ^^^

    As a rule it's recommended to drink half of your body weight in ounces to stay hydrated (if you weigh 200 pounds then 100 oz) plus more if you are exercising. Water intoxication can happen but it's rare :)
  • Arizona_JR
    Arizona_JR Posts: 275
    Here's another good article that might answer questions.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Hyponatremia.htm

    lol... you beat me to it.

    Hypo and Hypernatremia can be brutal! I suffered from a bout with Hyponatremia during a Half Ironman Triathlon years ago. Lessons learned the hard way!
  • osmoticferocity
    osmoticferocity Posts: 23
    Here's another good article that might answer questions.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/Hyponatremia.htm
    +1

    If you've ever heard about people drinking chocolate milk (which sounds like an absolutely awful idea to me) before / during / after a workout, this is why. If you guzzle gallons of water without anything else in it, you'll be losing vital minerals and effectively diluting your blood. By drinking exercise beverages or even chocolate milk, you prevent that from happening.
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