Drinking water makes me physically ill

wendywilson2011
wendywilson2011 Posts: 4 Member
edited December 2 in Food and Nutrition
I am almost 41 and for as long as I can remember the taste of water make me physically sick, I get server nausea and I gag him drinking water. Actually the only things I can drink it coffee, Diet Pepsi and cranberry juice, however water really makes me sick other drinks such as Sprite, orange juice, etc I just don't like the taste. I have tried to drink all types of water such as purified, spring, smart I have also tried to add flavor so to my water NOTHING works. I have told my doctor about this but he just says drink water you have to, not caring or understanding that it actually makes me sick physically. Does anyone else have this issue? I have heard of other people that this happens to as well but no one has a true answer so I am asking everyone here if any of you know the answer. WHY does any and all make me sick...

Replies

  • billglitch
    billglitch Posts: 538 Member
    just thinking out loud....if you drink smaller amounts does this still happen? What about tea, oj, lemonade and stuff like that? Intermittently I just cant drink water, but not like your situation
  • wendywilson2011
    wendywilson2011 Posts: 4 Member
    No I live in Ma.
  • Heartisalonelyhunter
    Heartisalonelyhunter Posts: 786 Member
    Why don't you mix a bit of cranberry juice into your water?
  • wendywilson2011
    wendywilson2011 Posts: 4 Member
    billglitch wrote: »
    just thinking out loud....if you drink smaller amounts does this still happen? What about tea, oj, lemonade and stuff like that? Intermittently I just cant drink water, but not like your situation

    Yes it happens if I drink just a tiny sip, I do not like any type of sickness should Trish drinks, I can drink tea
  • wendywilson2011
    wendywilson2011 Posts: 4 Member
    Omg I can not stand auto correct I clearly typed correctly lol yes it happens if I drink a tiny sip of water and I don't like any drinks with citrus flavor I can drink tea
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,449 Member
    I've lived in several different areas of the country and different local water supplies vary quite a bit in flavor and minerals.

    I wish I still had that yummy Sierra Nevada water.

    Have you tried Perrier, or other spring water? Flavor makes a big difference to me. I can't stand the taste of the chemicals used to "purify" local tap water, so I use a Brita filter and that changes the taste significantly. I like my Brita water, but I won't drink my tap water without filtering it.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    edited July 2016
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 813 Member
    You said you can drink tea, so make a big pitcher of iced tea and drink that. I have an iced tea maker and they are really nice. I use decaf tea bags. Have you tried something like Pur Aqua Frut or Adirondack flavored water? They are life savers for me. There are a lot of flavors such as peach, berry, etc., so you don't have to drink the citrus ones. I just about gag on plain water, too, but these things work fine for me.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 654 Member
    one thing you might want to try is seltzer water. You can get it in bottles or cans, and it comes in different flavors. These are natural flavors, so there is no artificial sweetener in them, no calories from it, and no sodium. Plus it's really cheap to buy. I agree that water can be disgusting if you are trying to drink tap water. Filtering water makes a HUGE difference. I drink about 100 oz a day, but I add True Lemon packets to my water. A little flavor makes a big difference.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Hmmm... The only time I ever had an aversion to water was during the first trimester of my second pregnancy. Have you tried different temperatures? I found ice water more tolerable than just cold water, and hot water was actually the easiest for me to stomach.
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    Good news is that diet Pepsi, cranberry juice and coffee are all comprised of roughly 99% water. So just keep drinking that and you're good.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    So don't drink water?

    You seem to be drinking a lot of other beverages with no problems. Make sure they fit into your calorie goals and you're measuring them properly.
  • minniemoo1972
    minniemoo1972 Posts: 295 Member
    This is a psychological issue so your Dr can't really help you overcome the problem.

    Many places will only see you with a gp referal.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I've always had the same issue. What finally ended up allowing me to do it was when I started running keto. The diet itself didn't get rid of the water aversion, but the fact that I now require so much extra sodium and potassium led me to discover that I can drink water, so long as I salt the hell out of it. Leave out the salt, and it's back to gagtown.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I am almost 41 and for as long as I can remember the taste of water make me physically sick, I get server nausea and I gag him drinking water. Actually the only things I can drink it coffee, Diet Pepsi and cranberry juice, however water really makes me sick other drinks such as Sprite, orange juice, etc I just don't like the taste. I have tried to drink all types of water such as purified, spring, smart I have also tried to add flavor so to my water NOTHING works. I have told my doctor about this but he just says drink water you have to, not caring or understanding that it actually makes me sick physically. Does anyone else have this issue? I have heard of other people that this happens to as well but no one has a true answer so I am asking everyone here if any of you know the answer. WHY does any and all make me sick...

    Coffee, Pepsi, and cranberry juice have water in them so no any and all water does not make you sick. You are already drinking flavored water.
    You could try infusing water. http://www.infusedwaters.com/category/recipes
    Drink water at different temperatures maybe? Do you feel sick sucking on ice? Try hot water with lemon?
    Can you drink broths or eat soups?
    I would say it is probably a psycholgical issue since you say you have tried plain water from many different sources and can consume some drinks with water without a problem. See a different doctor or a therapist or just drink the stuff you can stand.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    Waaallll, I don't agree that it has to be a psychological issue. Also, I used to be like that. I ended up just pushing through it. For myself, I can drink water if it is cold, cold, cold. Ice in it. Full of ice.

    Have you thought of getting a Soda Stream? https://www.sodastreamusa.com/ It may help.
  • TheFatLadyPortrait
    TheFatLadyPortrait Posts: 21 Member
    I had that problem as well. I suspect it was because I never really drank it. It would make me feel so sick to drink it. I have goteen over it some though. The 2 things I did were that I would make myself take a few drinks of my bottled water before I added my flavors, or if I had juice (or any non-carbonated drink really) I would add more and more water to it over time til it was so lightly flavored it was practically.

    I still don't love water, but I can drink it without gagging. Especially if it is spring water.

    One last tip: you may find the water more tolerable if it is cold or iced.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I am almost 41 and for as long as I can remember the taste of water make me physically sick, I get server nausea and I gag him drinking water. Actually the only things I can drink it coffee, Diet Pepsi and cranberry juice, however water really makes me sick other drinks such as Sprite, orange juice, etc I just don't like the taste. I have tried to drink all types of water such as purified, spring, smart I have also tried to add flavor so to my water NOTHING works. I have told my doctor about this but he just says drink water you have to, not caring or understanding that it actually makes me sick physically. Does anyone else have this issue? I have heard of other people that this happens to as well but no one has a true answer so I am asking everyone here if any of you know the answer. WHY does any and all make me sick...

    How is this a debate topic?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I am almost 41 and for as long as I can remember the taste of water make me physically sick, I get server nausea and I gag him drinking water. Actually the only things I can drink it coffee, Diet Pepsi and cranberry juice, however water really makes me sick other drinks such as Sprite, orange juice, etc I just don't like the taste. I have tried to drink all types of water such as purified, spring, smart I have also tried to add flavor so to my water NOTHING works. I have told my doctor about this but he just says drink water you have to, not caring or understanding that it actually makes me sick physically. Does anyone else have this issue? I have heard of other people that this happens to as well but no one has a true answer so I am asking everyone here if any of you know the answer. WHY does any and all make me sick...

    How is this a debate topic?

    I have no idea. I remember it being posted in Food & Nutrition originally, if not there it was definitely not in here. Too many posts get in here because no one reads further than Health & Fitness. It's why this sub-forum also has such debate topics as the high price gouging of Whole Foods, what to eat on a holiday, and should I eat chocolate.
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    I don't particularly care for plain water - I can only tolerate it if I've been working out and I'm super thirsty, and even then only barely.

    I use Crystal Light to flavor my water - most grocery stores will sell Crystal Light and off-brand clones. They're not exactly calorie free, but it's only about 10 calories per packet. I find that getting in 2-3L of water a day basically adds up to 40-60 calories per day... not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    I used to say the same thing until I started drinking water more regularly. I got used to it. But yes, drinking water used to make my stomach upset. I can drink a liter of water in an hour or two now, no problem. You just have to push past it.
  • gc384
    gc384 Posts: 33 Member
    I have the same thing for diff reasons and it definitely is psychological. I just drink teas, coffees, milkshakes etc. I use juice drops in my water to make it 'nice' to me.
  • nutty192
    nutty192 Posts: 50 Member
    I have exactly the same problem, but have found that hot water is much easier to tolerate, but only in small quantities. A squeeze of lemon is also helpful I also drink tea and coffee, but very weak , and always decaffeinated. Just count the cals lf you are trying to lose weight.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited July 2016
    i eventually got used to it.
    but to start i would drink crystal light of varying strength and drink it at room temperature.

    it isn't a psych issue for me. it's an acid and/or inflammation issue
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