Hey all,

I am a little confused. I drink alot of water. I read somewhere that drinking too much can be an issue....cause injury or death. Ummmm, how much is too much. I think there is an issue if you work out and drink too much or go out in the cold??? Please enlightment me.

I guess it would help to know how much I drink.

**128 ounces regularly (16 cups) I also might drink about 32 (or 64 ounces~ on a day I have a bad sugar craving) of that in Crystal Light form...my water and their powder.

**160-192 on other days when I feel like it.... like I am eating salty foods (like sunflower seeds ) or working out.

Thanks!!!

I don't know exact numbers but here in Philly a few years back, a frat pledge died from too much water during an initiation ritual. I think he drank 4 or 5 gallons all at one time. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I think I remember that death. Iirc, he drank continously in copious amounts and basically drowned. The average healthy intake of water shouldn't be an issue. Since it happened some time, I only have a vague recollection of the discussion on another board. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

~Diana

I heard that if you drink a gallon in 1 hour, you will have problems. But, that seems like it would be hard to do.

It happened to my mom on only a bit more than a gallon daily (spread out through the day), but she was on sodium lowering high blood pressure meds, she eats a low sodium diet (doesn't like the taste of much salt) and her blood sodium levels were normally at the lowest end of normal, so those factors together put her at greater risk.

I share the same risks, so I've read up on water intoxication, and at least know the symptoms to look for (if I would experience them, I'd eat something very salty or even add salt to a glass of water and drink it on my way to the emergency room). I don't usually drink much more than a gallon of water a day, or if I do, try to remember to add in a little extra salt in my diet. I don't think it's a precaution everyone needs to take, because most people eat enough salt and have relatively high or at least moderate normal levels of sodium in the blood. Even though I'm on high blood pressure medications, I tend towards low blood sodium and my doctor actually sometimes (when the levels get too low about once a year or so) encourages me to eat a little extra salt (but like my mom, I don't like the taste of salt in most things, so don't eat alot of high sodium foods). Chinese food is my one high-sodium weakness, so I consider it preventative medicine to eat oriental at least once a month (haven't had the doc tell me I need to up the sodium since, though my blood levels are still just barely above normal). However, if I'm going to ever have any surgery, I'm supposed to remind the surgeon to check my sodium levels (they usually don't check because it's so uncommon), as I needed sodium supplements for a couple weeks before my last surgery.

The problem with the water poisoning is that the symptoms are rather generic, though extreme and sudden. Nausea, dizziness, sweating, feeling weak... and disorientation and confusion (though if it gets to the confusion part, it's already probably life threatening) and passing out. You could easily misttake the early symptoms for flu (as my mother did) or food poisoning, or for severe cramps after exercising. However, salt wouldn't hurt you if you had any of those things, and could save your life if it is water poisoning.

For my mom, she seemed to have a bad flu and Dad only realized it was something serious when she became disoriented and confused. And even then, he thought it was probably the flu, but realized that if she got any sicker he would not be able to help her up if she fell, or needed to help getting to the bathroom, so he called the ambulance.

I think it's something to know about, but not be overly paranoid about, especially if you've talked to your doctor about your personal risk. If your bloodwork shows that you're sodium levels are well within the normal range, then it's likely that your normal water intake, whatever that is, is fine. If your levels are low, or if you're on potassium sparing high blood pressure meds, even a low dose, or if you're running marathons, you should probably talk to your doctor about water limits and when or if sodium supplements are needed.

I wouldn't worry about it much if I were you. more often than not.... people dont get enouph water. the only time it can be a problem is when people are in congestive heart failure. then, the fluid can back up into the lungs and other parts of the body, also in the exreme cases of hyponatremia (low sodium). I wouldn't worry about that as long as you get a little bit of sodium in your body daily to regulate your electrolytes.

Wowza! I can barely get in my 64 ounces a day
Good for you Royal Athena for drinking as much as you do! I have a long long way to go to catch up

I am the wrong person to be talking about this since I am on a super-diuretic for the FDA right now, but I've been drinking 320 ounces of water almost every day for the last 3 years. That's 2.5 gallons, I think.

I read somewhere you should drink half your body weight in water (ounces of water, a 300 pound person should have 150 ounces, etc) but I don't remember where I read it.

I think it would have to be over 200 ounces of water and the rest of the ppl in this thread are right. You would have to have a large amt of water in a small amt of time.