Too much water is deadly?

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FiercelyBeautiful
FiercelyBeautiful Posts: 590 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I have been drinking a LOT of water lately, it is in the 100's here and I work out pretty vigorously and spend an hour or more out in the heat each day. Today I maxed out at 15 cups of pure water (no other beverages aside from milk and silk, 16oz total) but now have a terrible headache. I didnt drink just to drink, I was genuinely thirsty. However, I just looked it up and everything I have read thus far is conflicting. Some sites say women should drink 9 cups a day max, some say to drink half of your body weight which for me is 11 cups and that does not include extra for vigorous activity or extreme temperatures. So I am turning to my fellow MFP neighbors to figure out what it is you drink daily and how much you know to be too much.

Thank You!
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Replies

  • LesterBlackstone
    LesterBlackstone Posts: 291 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about it. I drink that much every day. If it's been hot, and you've been sweating a lot, it may help to have something salty.

    But your water intake is by no means excessive.
  • taeliesyn
    taeliesyn Posts: 1,116 Member
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    When in the office I can quite easily get up to 24 cups of water a day, plus other drinks. If you were feeling thirsty you may have been getting dehydrated because of the temp, thus you could still be dehydrated causing the headache.

    It is possible to drink too much water, but not that easy.
  • FiercelyBeautiful
    FiercelyBeautiful Posts: 590 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about it. I drink that much every day. If it's been hot, and you've been sweating a lot, it may help to have something salty.

    But your water intake is by no means excessive.

    Thanks, that was my main concern. I went over on my sodium for the day by quite a bit but maybe I should add a little more? If you can check out my diary and see what you think :) Thanks! xoxo
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    Even if you had drank enough water to kill you, you'd know it. But you didn't. You probably have a headache from being so hot, and as someone said, you may need more sodium. The more water you drink, the more you flush sodium out of your system, which is why extreme over-hydration can kill you. You need sodium in your body.
  • bravowr
    bravowr Posts: 1
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    Never underestimate your body's need for electrolytes on a hot day either. Salt isn't the only thing you lose when you sweat, nor is pure water the only thing that needs replenished when you get rehydrated. Consider fruit juices and/or a healthy vitamin water in addition to water and salt. And never forget God's natural rehydraters that are packed with electrolytes as well -- melons, especially watermelon!
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    15 cups is less than a gallon, just for perspective.
  • FiercelyBeautiful
    FiercelyBeautiful Posts: 590 Member
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    I feel kinda stupid for posting this but what I was finding online was really conflicting, I never thought I drank enough to die literally just was concerned that maybe since im drinking more water now than ever before that it was a bit too much. I will try something salty and see if it helps and I wont worry about drinking more water today because I am still thirsty :)
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I feel kinda stupid for posting this but what I was finding online was really conflicting, I never thought I drank enough to die literally just was concerned that maybe since im drinking more water now than ever before that it was a bit too much. I will try something salty and see if it helps and I wont worry about drinking more water today because I am still thirsty :)

    Don't feel stupid! It's hard filtering all the information out there. Bravowr is right on about the electrolytes.
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
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    I drink when I'm thirsty. I don't drink when my stomach hurts from drinking too much. :p
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Temperature, elevation, activity level determine how much is required for a body. If you live in a hot area, do any sort of vigorous activities, or are in a high elevation area, you will need more than 8 cups to stay hydrated.

    15 cups is not excessive, even if you were not active and in mild temperatures.

    As long as you pee when you need to, you should be fine to drink as much water as you'd like.
  • nessa786
    nessa786 Posts: 107 Member
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    It is, but you have to drink alot in a short period of time. As long as your electrolytes are balanced you are ok. The more you sweat or urinate, the more you can drink.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
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    You would feel amazingly sick before you reached the point of over-hydration. If you are sweating vigorously, you need to replace those electrolytes (AKA sports drinks, or you can even use electrolyte tablets.) My Dr. recommended 12 cups a day to START knowing my regime. I average 9 and heavy WO days may do as many as 15. I don't have AC at work. So may drink as many as 8 in 8 hours.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    I drink water all day long! Glasses, and glasses.....I only drink it nothing else. I don't just drink tons down straight....I think that could cause a problem.
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    If it is that hot and you are sweating...you could be dehydrated and that is what is causing the headache.
    You really have to work to drink enough to "drown." There is an illness that can make people be that thirsty...we are talking psych unit with locked bathrooms because the patients feel so thirsty they will drink the toilet water! Like...down gallons in a short period of time. GENERAL rule of thumb, if you are HEALTHY and thirsty you are fine to drink. If your urine is pale yellow (or "gin pure") you are hydrating well...if it is concentrated yellow, you are dehydrated.

    As always, if you are concerned...ask your doctor.
  • hooperkay
    hooperkay Posts: 463 Member
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    Yes you can drink too much water. If you have kidney problems, then follow your doctors recommendations. Most people probably 8-10 cups a day. If you are sweating alot then you need to replace electrolytes. Like zero powerades. Your body is losing them so you need to replace. Too much water can dilute you even more. If you notice you are swelling up then cut back on your water. You can go into overload and practically drown yourself.
  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I feel kinda stupid for posting this but what I was finding online was really conflicting, I never thought I drank enough to die literally just was concerned that maybe since im drinking more water now than ever before that it was a bit too much. I will try something salty and see if it helps and I wont worry about drinking more water today because I am still thirsty :)

    Don't feel stupid! It's hard filtering all the information out there. Bravowr is right on about the electrolytes.

    Your question is a good one!
    My husband actually did wind up in the hospital from drinking too much water, causing an irregular heart beat. The doctors told him to drink a sports drink if he exercised vigorously for an hour or more, but plain water most of the time.
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
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    the amout you would have to drink to kill your self is staggering, dont worry your nowhere near it:smokin:
  • xstarburrst
    xstarburrst Posts: 19 Member
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    You can die of water intoxication because you screw up your electrolyte levels (namely your sodium) which can lead to cardiac dysrythmias, etc.

    However, you'd need to drink multiple gallons of water for that to happen which is honestly probably more than you could ever consume without actively trying. And even if you tried, I'd doubt you could physically make yourself consume that much. Keep in mind that a gallon of water is 128 oz or 16 cups, which is a lot. Imagine trying to drink more than that!
    Also, if you're thirsty, its a sign you need to drink, so don't stress!
  • Marigenous
    Marigenous Posts: 57
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    Never underestimate your body's need for electrolytes on a hot day either. Salt isn't the only thing you lose when you sweat, nor is pure water the only thing that needs replenished when you get rehydrated. Consider fruit juices and/or a healthy vitamin water in addition to water and salt. And never forget God's natural rehydraters that are packed with electrolytes as well -- melons, especially watermelon!

    Good points! I used to work at a summer camp for little kids and melons are a great way to hydrate on hot days.
    According to wikipedia (not the most reliable source I know...) says that healthy kidneys should be able to process about 4 cups of water per hour. So, by that, you're definitely fine. Most known cases of water-intoxication have happened to people participating is a water-drinking contest or people with medical conditions such as mental illnesses where they can't control their water consumption.
  • adbohls
    adbohls Posts: 156 Member
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    Too much of anything it not good for you, even water. However, excessive thirst can mean an underlying medical issue. The big one is diabetes. It could also be a side effect to medication. If you are taking any, check online for the full medication fact sheet. They are long and boring, but also contain information on the side effects that users have reported while taking the medication.

    If increasing your sodium does not work, you might want to consult a physician just to make sure nothing else is going on medically.

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