I just got back from the dentist, the hygienist was asking all sorts of questions "do you sip on sweet stuff, snack on sweet stuff etc" - I said no not really blah blah but I drink lots of water, like if I have a cup of coffee I am usually drink water at the same time, etc, etc etc. So it came out that I drink usually at least 4 liters of water a day and then she kinda gave me a look and went on to tell me that drinking too much is bad for the kindeys and all that. She said I shouldn't drink any more then 2 cups a water (so half a liter) per hour... well if I drinking 4 liters of water a day.... that means I can have 4 litters in 8 hours, but I probably drink 4 liters in like 10 hours.... soooooo I am okay by her calculations. But still.

Am I drinking too much water? Sometimes I might drink a liter in an hour and then a liter over the next 3 hours - it just depends. Am I drinking too much?

How much is too much? should I try and watch how much I drink an hour?

Have you had any problems so far? If not, then I wouldn't worry about it unless your medical situation changes.

I aim to drink enough water that my pee is light yellow or clear through most of the day. For me, that takes an INSANE amount of water...my body must sweat a lot more, have wetter breath, and generally use up more water than average. My partner and I did an experiment...we both drank 1.5 liters of water in 30 minutes. She proceeded to pee 4 times from that...I only had to go ONCE. So I just use more than most people.

If your pee is always clear, you're probably overdoing it, but in my experience, water recommendations are always just estimates.

Why would your dental hygienist be an expert on your kidney function anyway??

I don't know the actual answer to your question but 4 liters doesn't sound like you're drowning yourself, I'd say you're probably fine.

I THOUGHT THE SAME THING!!! I WAS LIKE WTF??!?!?! But thought it wouldnt hurt to ask anyway.

My pee (when not taking vitiam b, haha) is light yellow - sometimes clear but not often.

Hmmm... I just downed 3 glasses of water in the last 15 minutes because I was thirsty. Personally I'm more apt to believe my body vs my dental hygienist.

I think you are probably fine. It's not like you're consuming those 4 liters all at once!

It depends on many factors. If you exercise regularly and strenuously enough, if you eat a lot of proteins, 4L/day doesn't seem such a huge amount to me. The danger would be to drink so much that it would put the electrolytes in your body off-balance, but I've never read or heard about this happen with "only" 4L over a whole day (4L in 10 minutes, perhaps? Er, is there anyone who can do that? ).

She may have had a personal experience with water intoxication. I've shared this story many times here (search water intoxication, and you'll find the threads), but my mother was hospitalized with water intoxication (also called water poisoning), from drinking too much water (only about a gallon a day, but blood pressure medication increased her risk).

If you're on any medications that affect the kidneys or electrolyte levels, are on a very low sodium diet, or have any health issues whatsoever talk to your doctor about how much water is too much. Water poisoning, unfortunately often has no symptoms until it becomes life threatening, and then symptoms look so much like the flu, you're likely to assume that's what it is.

I drink about 3-4 liters a day and my pee is clear from about the first liter on. Why would that be since some of you are still light yellow. Sorry to get so technical on the pee but it made me wonder. LOL! I always thought clear was good. Oh, and don't worry about it. If it's not broke don't fix it.

Clear is good. Dark yellow means you're dehydrated. Green or purple...now that's another story...

Kara

Did she find any carious lesions that led her to believe that you drank SWEET stuff? Because occasionally either the dentist or the hygienist will notice a few things associated with sugar-y or acidic foods.. I honestly don't know how drinking water is water for you and how it led to that conversation.

I aim for the common 8-10 8-oz. glasses in a day. That's more like 2-3 liters. I'm one of those people who doesn't naturally feel thirsty, and I HAVE to drink water because otherwise I get kidney stones. But my urologist did not recommend 4 liters--just the 8 to 10 glasses.

I know Amanda goes by color, but in my case my urine is rarely close to being clear (non-yellow). Hmmm... I don't know how much I'd have to drink to get it there. My urologist never mentioned color as an indicator.

Jay

I have the start of some *gasp* cavities between my teeth. They have been there for years - only ever had one filled. So they are just trying to work with me to prevent them from getting worse - so that is why she was asking questions about my eating and drinking habits. lol

Floss, floss, floss!

Jay

A lot of sources say to go by color - but that is not totally reliable. If you take B-vitamin supplements - especially niacin I think, they will turn your pee bright yellow and you would have to drink probably too much water to get it back to clear. There are other foods that will affect the color of your pee and it doesnt mean you are dehydrated. (Beets can be scary...especially if you are preggo and freaked about seeing red)

There is a pretty wide range of what a normal color is. Dark isnt good, but there is nothing wrong with light yellow. Clear is often a sign that you are just passing water straight through without actually doing anything with it.

The other factor of course, is what kind of toilet you have and how much water is already in the bowl to help dilute it