Can You Drink Too Much Water?

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ajarduini
ajarduini Posts: 17
in Food and Nutrition
Is it possible to drink too much water? I typically drink between 8 and 15 glasses a day. Is 15 glasses a day too much?

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  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Yes, it is possible to get water intoxication which can kill you. It isn't likely, as it's something that usually happens to endurance athletes.

    I don't know how much is too much; to me 15 sounds like a lot, but if you aren't forcing it down then it's probably fine.
  • deedster_a
    deedster_a Posts: 91 Member
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    15 is not too much. You will just pee it out. Although, you can drink too much. It's calle water intoxication, but it takes a lot of water. It gets your electrolytes out of balance and can be fatal. Healthy kidneys are able to excrete approximately 1 litre of fluid water (0.26 gallons) per hour.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    As long as you don't have any kidney problems, are spacing the intake out over the course of the day, and are getting sufficient sodium/other electrolytes through your food/drinks, it's not gonna be a problem.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    You can, though that's probably not enough to cause a problem. I think part of the problem is drinking a lot in a short space of time, spread out that is probably ok, especially if it is hot and you are exercising.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
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    I drink about 4-5 Litres a day and havent had any side effects. Somedays I'll be off to the loo several times a day and others not so much.

    Skin is good though lol
  • alexbelly
    alexbelly Posts: 277 Member
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    I live in Boston.. Every April around marathon time there's always a story on the news about water intoxication. From what Ive seen 2 gallons in 24 hours is too much. however, I'm not an expert, this is just what Ive seen on TV
  • PippaJo_
    PippaJo_ Posts: 233 Member
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    Yup. My mom would overdo it on the water, and while she never reached true water intoxication, she would get her electrolytes out of balance, and it really screwed with her mental processes. She was hospitalized a few times with that being part of the problem.

    If you're drinking that much because you're *thirsty* - you need to be checked for diabetes.

    If you're not thirsty, but you're drinking that much because you think you should - it's too much. Yes, you need water. No, you don't need that much, especially if you're not sweating it out like crazy (therefore simply replacing fluids).

    Stick to your 8 glasses and call it good.
  • ajarduini
    ajarduini Posts: 17
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    Very interesting replies everyone. Thank you for your feedback. I will have to keep this in consideration. When at work I try to have 4 glasses enforce lunch and 4 after then sometimes 2 for dinner. Somedays a little more.

    I am borderline diabetic, that is mainly why I have been on my diet. Maybe I should slack off on the water some.

    Thanks again.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    15 is not too much. You will just pee it out. Although, you can drink too much. It's calle water intoxication, but it takes a lot of water. It gets your electrolytes out of balance and can be fatal. Healthy kidneys are able to excrete approximately 1 litre of fluid water (0.26 gallons) per hour.

    I can easily drink a quart of water in an hour with no ill effects. In fact, it actually feels good. I'd say if you drank a gallon in 5 minutes, you might feel sick, but no, 15 cups a day is not bad at all.

    I typically drink 2-3 quarts of just water, not including other beverages in a day. I probably drink a gallon if you include all liquids.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Very interesting replies everyone. Thank you for your feedback. I will have to keep this in consideration. When at work I try to have 4 glasses enforce lunch and 4 after then sometimes 2 for dinner. Somedays a little more.

    I am borderline diabetic, that is mainly why I have been on my diet. Maybe I should slack off on the water some.

    Thanks again.

    If this is the case, you might want to talk to your doctor or find other diabetics to talk to. Most of us probably don't have a clue what that is like.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    You can drink too much but 15 glasses isn't even close. The big thing is you can flush out your electrolytes in your body and cause an imbalance. I drink around 20+ glasses a day though and have no problems.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    Forgot to mention, you should have 2 totally clear pees a day. If not you aren't drinking enough water, that is suppose to be the best gauge they say.
  • sherrirb
    sherrirb Posts: 1,714 Member
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    Water intoxication is from too much water but you'd have to literally drink gallons within a short period of time for this to occur.

    Taken from an online article regarding this topic:

    It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day.
    http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm
  • jaybird951
    jaybird951 Posts: 53 Member
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    yes....but you would have to drink a lot of water and be very uncomfortable while doing it..you would stop if you drank too much naturally....
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Is it possible to drink too much water? I typically drink between 8 and 15 glasses a day. Is 15 glasses a day too much?
    15 is fine - 5 gallons would be fatal.

    I drink about as much as you.
    15 is STELLAR!
    Just stay near a rest room - :blushing:
  • KaraK10
    KaraK10 Posts: 4
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    Here is a simple calculation to help determine your body's daily minimum water requirements (remember hot weather and exercise requires more water).

    Take your body weight ______ X .075 = _______ (8 oz) glasses of water.


    Hyponatremia is the condition that people get who consume too much water. Like other posters mentioned, it is mostly endurance athletes such as marathoners. Basically it is an electrolyte imbalance (low sodium levels in the blood). 15 glasses daily doesn't sound like too much at all! I drink that much if not more on a daily basis.
  • ajarduini
    ajarduini Posts: 17
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    Very interesting replies everyone. Thank you for your feedback. I will have to keep this in consideration. When at work I try to have 4 glasses enforce lunch and 4 after then sometimes 2 for dinner. Somedays a little more.

    I am borderline diabetic, that is mainly why I have been on my diet. Maybe I should slack off on the water some.

    Thanks again.

    If this is the case, you might want to talk to your doctor or find other diabetics to talk to. Most of us probably don't have a clue what that is like.

    I actually have spoke with my doctor. I discovered my issue when applying for life insurance. Decided it was time to call the doctor. He wanted to see if I could regulate myself following a casual diet before placing me on any type of sugar meds. Proud that say that after about 3 months my blood tests came back fine.

    Thank you all for your great input.

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