Drink too Much water?????

olyjok
olyjok Posts: 133 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I have been Drinking about 13---16oz bottles of water a day = 208 oz of water.... Can You drink too much water? If so, what in Ounces shold I drink?

Thanks Josh:drinker:

Replies

  • Biggestloserfan
    Biggestloserfan Posts: 123
    I have heard that you shouldn't drink more than half your weight in ozs. Hope this helps. There is such a thing as drinking too much water. It is actually a disorder called water intoxication. You can drink so much that you can become intoxicated from it.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I have heard that you shouldn't drink more than half your weight in ozs. Hope this helps. There is such a thing as drinking too much water. It is actually a disorder called water intoxication. You can drink so much that you can become intoxicated from it.

    Well you don't actually become intoxicated like you would from alcohol. Instead your brain swells and you can slip into a coma and die.

    Too much water can upset your electrolyte balance. Are you so thirsty that you feel you need those 208 oz?
  • agarlits
    agarlits Posts: 429 Member
    Hyponatremia or "water intoxication is deadly, I would definetly not be drinking that much water in a day. It washes the sodium from your body and depletes your electrolite stores basically starving your body. You cells start to gorge on the water and swell and if you keep drinking they can burst and you'll die. Like everything else in life to much water is a bad thing.
  • CoryKS
    CoryKS Posts: 8
    Here's the Wiki entry for water intoxication: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

    A friend of mine had to rush his elderly father to the hospital for this once. For some reason he had got it into his head to skip meals and drink large quantities of water until he complained of dizziness and collapsed. There were a couple of stories in recent years about radio-sponsored water drinking contests in which the winner died.

    Don't know if you're at risk, but you might want to look up the symptoms so you can recognize it if it happens.
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    eeek... I probably drink that much water in a day... not including tea either...
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    eeek... I probably drink that much water in a day... not including tea either...

    I heard of the water drinking competitions being deadly, but I thought they were drinking like gallons of water all at once. I drink and drink all throughout the day. Could that really be harmful?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    eeek... I probably drink that much water in a day... not including tea either...

    I heard of the water drinking competitions being deadly, but I thought they were drinking like gallons of water all at once. I drink and drink all throughout the day. Could that really be harmful?

    It really depends on the individual. Body size, sodium and potassium levels in the diet, kidney function, rate of ingestion.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
    I would actually think about calling your doctor or nurses station about the amount of water you are taking in. Sometimes this can be an indication of diseases such as diabetes or even peritonitis (inflammation of the abdomen wall's lining. These are just some of the things that use "excessive thirst" as their symptom. I would think about talking more with someone about it.

    Just like the others have said, there is a thing as "drinking too much water". People have actually died from it. You can actually eat too many fruits and too many vegetables causing excessive amount of certain vitamins/minerals and such. There are a list of diseases that can be caused from "too much of a good thing".

    Hope this helps!
  • nicjskelly
    nicjskelly Posts: 3
    I have been Drinking about 13---16oz bottles of water a day = 208 oz of water.... Can You drink too much water? If so, what in Ounces shold I drink?

    Thanks Josh:drinker:

    I also drink a lot of water. I am drinking between 3 and 4 gallons a day. I am always thirsty and there have been times that I will get so bloated my stomach will ache from drinking too much water. My doctor tested me for diabetes which was negative. I was getting a lot of "charlie horses" muscle cramps in my calves. He said it was because I was depleting my body of sodium and potassium. He recommended some vitamins and also said to get some kind of sports drink and water that down. He also recommended to put lemon in my water, so I would not retain the water.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
    I would also take a look at the amount of salt in your diet......excessive amounts of salt creates excessive thirst!!
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    I also have bad calf cramps. But I always did thru track in HS. I am going to have to do some research on this and possibly ask my doctor. I need to figure out exactly how much I am drinking. I am guessing around 180-200 oz per day. My sodium intake is typically pretty low also...
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    A healthy adult's kidneys can normally handle 15 liters of water/day pretty well. I personally wouldn't be concerned about drinking 200oz of water on days I exercise excessively (for many hours) in the heat. But most days I'm only exercising for 60-120 minutes and I typically drink about 100oz of water and feel hydrated. I really doubt there's any benefit to drinking over 150oz or so (which is over a gallon) and like the folks before me said, too much water can cause serious problems. Not only problems with your kidneys and the nutrients in your body, but also problems with your digestive system because your body simply cannot absorb a hugely excessive amount water & *will* find a way to get rid of it one way or another.

    Are you drinking that much because you're actually thirsty? Or are you just trying to drink as much water as possible because you were under the impression more is better?
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    A healthy adult's kidneys can normally handle 15 liters of water/day pretty well. I personally wouldn't be concerned about drinking 200oz of water on days I exercise excessively (for many hours) in the heat. But most days I'm only exercising for 60-120 minutes and I typically drink about 100oz of water and feel hydrated. I really doubt there's any benefit to drinking over 150oz or so (which is over a gallon) and like the folks before me said, too much water can cause serious problems.

    Are you drinking that much because you're actually thirsty? Or are you just trying to drink as much water as possible because you were under the impression more is better?

    I am actually thirsty... I guess. I just find myself constantly taking drinks and filling my cup. I know I fill my 20 oz cup 4-5 times while at work, with a 16 oz cup of green tea in there somewhere. Then, I usually drink 1-2 16.9oz bottles while at the gym for 90 min. Then I get home and fill my cup (probably 20 oz) and drink 2 or 3 of those in the evening time.

    I'm sad now... :frown:
  • kicklikeaGIRL
    kicklikeaGIRL Posts: 867 Member
    I drink about 120 oz - 180 oz a day as well. But, I don't drink milk, fruit juices, tea, coffee...nothing but water. So, I figure 3 of my meals I also drink water with them, so I'm hoping my water intake isn't too much. And I end up drinking a lot more water the day after I do my strength training because I'm thirsty.

    I am going to ask my doctor about it the next time I am there. But, if I were drinking more than what I am right now...I'd probably get it checked out. Drinking excessive amounts of water is one of the early symptoms of diabetes. So, if you feel it is abnormal....I would talk to your doctor.
  • olyjok
    olyjok Posts: 133 Member
    Wowweee>>>> Thanks for the info. I haven't been drinking that much water for very long.. Now I will cut it down to 100oz... Everything we drink / eat has water in it. So now I know. I have been trying to flush my body of the toxins ( Beer). I really don't enjoy going to the bathroom all the time anyway.
  • strongandfit
    strongandfit Posts: 231
    I drink about 120 oz - 180 oz a day as well. But, I don't drink milk, fruit juices, tea, coffee...nothing but water. So, I figure 3 of my meals I also drink water with them, so I'm hoping my water intake isn't too much. And I end up drinking a lot more water the day after I do my strength training because I'm thirsty.

    I am going to ask my doctor about it the next time I am there. But, if I were drinking more than what I am right now...I'd probably get it checked out. Drinking excessive amounts of water is one of the early symptoms of diabetes. So, if you feel it is abnormal....I would talk to your doctor.

    Ditto on what's said about excessive thirst being a possible sign of diabetes. Would not hurt to get it checked out.
  • Taradise
    Taradise Posts: 302 Member
    I'm glad I'm not the only one who drinks a lot of water. I probably have about 150oz on a normal day without trying.

    FYI... I was tested for diabetes yesterday. Nothing. Maybe some people just drink a lot of water.
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I was gonna reply to this, then I looked at the date of OP.
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