I have developed an allergy to drinking water.I drank poland spring bottled water for years and have suddenly developed an allergy which I think has to do with the plastic bottle.Now I can't drink any water at all without a severe allergic reaction.I also have acid reflux which I think might have something to do with it.Anyone else have this problem ?

You need to get to a Dr. to confirm exactly what it is that is suddenly causing you to have the reactions. Don't yet assume that it's all water - or all bottled water.

As for the acid reflux, why do you think there is a relationship? The two are likely unrelated.

Here's a good article on acid reflux:

Experts Lay Down the Law on Acid Reflux (http://www.webmd.com/content/article/53/61193.htm)

Definitely get to the Dr. on the water "allergy"... and while there, let him know about the acid reflux, which is not uncommon and fairly successfully treated.

HI,
Your previous answer is very good.
I also have acid reflux, diagnosed by an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) specialist. Prescription medication now has returned me to "normal", if I take the medication every day as I am supposed to.
I also, recommend seeing a Doctor about the allergy to water. Getting a Doc's opinion could put your mind at ease, knowing what exactly is wrong.
I do wish you the best, and good luck.

Oh My Goodness! Finally! Someone That Has The Problem I'm Having! Yes! I Am Known As The Guy That Always Has Bottled Water With Him. I Drink Usually A Gallon A Day. However, For The Last Couple Of Months I Could Swear I Had Bad Acid Reflux, But Worse Than Usual. I've Acid Reflux Disease For Years Now And I
Ve Learned To Keep It Under Control With Foods I Eat And Calming Down Severely... I'm A Worry Wart. But, Recently It's Been Really Really Bad. Or So I Thought... I Have Come To The Conclusion That It Is Either Bottled Water Of All Brands, Or The Clear Plastic That Bottled Water Comes In. I Have Come To This Conclusion Due The Fact That I've Experimented And Have Only Drank Tap Water In A Glass Cup For The Last Couple Of Days And Soda In A Can. I Drank Some Zepherhills Today And The Burning Itchy Sensation Came Right Back. It's So Weird. This Has Never Happened Before. I Thought I Was Going Crazy. But, I Really Think Now For Some Reason It Is The Bottled Water. It's So Frustrating. I Don't Know Who To Ask Either. My Doctor And My Mother, A Nurse Practitioner And A Proffessor Of Fsu, Think I'm A Little Looney. But, I Swear It's The Bottled Water That Is Causing My Thraot To Burn And Itch... badly!

I Might Note That The Sensation Is Not Acute Either. It Feels Severe, Like A Very Sore Throat Feeling.

All right... maybe Someone Can Answer My Dilemma. I'm Not Crazy! I'm Glad The Topic Starter Made This Topic. I Thought It Was Just Me.

I've just developed a similar problem. I started drinking a gallon of water a day this summer. Just last week I started breaking out in hives. At first I thought I had an insect bite, but now I'm starting to think that it has more to do with my drinking water.

I'm going to try to isolate that it is the water that I am reacting to before I make any assumptions. I've been going to my local water store and filling up a 1 gallon polycarbonate container and then using that to fill a polycarbonate 1 liter bottle that I then drink out of.

I think it is the water right now, though maybe a combination of the water and polycarbonate container, because I had the severe reactions last week after drinking water at my office. I had been fine all day and then realized that I hadn't been drinking water that day so filled up my container. Probably an hour later was having a severe hive reaction. I had it off an on over the next couple of days. At first I thought it was an insect bite but then was even having a milder reaction at home. At home we drink our water from a 5-gallon polycarbonate container. I didn't have any water on Monday and didn't have any hives. On Tuesday morning, I drank a 20oz glass of water at home and when I got to the office, about 30 minutes later, had some mild hives. Tuesday afternoon I filled up my 1 liter polycarbonate bottle and about an hour later had severe hives again.

So I've read about the possibility of water allergies, could it be the polycarbonate or maybe the chemicals that they treat the water with at the water store?

I'm going to buy prebottled water today to see if I have a reaction to that. It's kind of interesting and kind a pain in the tush.

Does anyone drink tap water anymore? Believe me it is the safest as it is treated to kill any living bacteria.

It also contains fluoride, which bottled water does not, and thus tap water is better for your teeth, especially children's teeth.

Oh, yeah, and by tap water I do not mean the water that comes from a well, it means water that comes from a city system and is treated with chemicals that kill all forms of bacteria.

Hi... I stumbled across this looking for something in regards to "Agent orange" for someone with a serious allergy to water. That person puffs up like a balloon around their joints when they come in contact with large amounts of water(rain, pools, shower, etc.) More so for those of you questioning polycarbonate plastics, I am knowledgeable in chemicals and biology as a Marine Science Technician. Polycarbonate are a form of thermo plastics and are used in bullet resistant glass, headlight lenses, and oddly enough nalgene bottles(neat water bottle), there are many other uses but this post will be long enough as is. Most forms of plastics and especially polycarbonate should not cause problems as a water bottle... it is not water soluble therefore your water won't absorb it. If for some reason particulates of the material made it into your digestive system it would pass completely un-absorbed. Plastics are commonly used to store a variety of acids, even the most potent organic-acids and non-organic. The hydrochloric acid found in your stomach can not break down the plastic in water bottles and therefore the plastic would pass with out absorbing(kinda like corn). I am only speculating but I would say you could be over-hydrating and upsetting your bodies PH balance and becoming mildly allergic to your own watered down body fluids that circulate through your veins and what not. PH mis-balancing could cause rashes and maybe even hives but then again that last part is just a guess. Good luck to you all. By the way I agree with the tap-water comment for most cities. For those that buy nice bottled water, stop complaining about gas prices because in most instances you're paying more for water (the most abundant material on earth) than you are for gas. Food for thought.

Oh my goodness... I hope I don't develop an allergy to water.

I would definitely recommend seeing a doctor.

Stick with tap water Aqua, you will be safe!!

I just realized with polycarbonates if you use bleach to clean them the bleach could cause a breakdown of the polycarbonate and cause it to release one of its building blocks- bisphenol A. this has caused some problems in studies but I am not sure as to its extent or how much it would take to show symptoms of poisoning from it.

You may be allergic to sulfite in the bottle water. For years, I would break out in hives without knowing why. Finally, through trial and error, I found out it was sulfite . Bottle water may contain a huge amount of sulfite (often added as a flavor enhancer). Some brands contain a lot more sulfite than others, and I am now very careful about which brand of water to drink. My experience is that if I drink a 16 Fl Oz bottle that contains more the 5 parts per million in sulfite, I would get an allergic reaction. There is generally less sulfite in water (by volume) than in wine, but most people do not drink wine by the gallon. I found that Crystal Geysar and Aquafina have the lowest concentration of sulfite.

You may want to check out my non-profit website: AllergySulfiteInWater.com. I hope this is helpful to you.

S. Tang

I didn't think for one minute it could be the bottled spring water!! I was even drinking it to take the antihistimines. I was covered head to toe in hives and scratching myself to death every night, but during the day wasn't so bad ( I was taking a bottle of water to bed every night)! Better than taking a sweet drink, or so I thought. Tonight I couldn't sleep waiting for the antihistimine to kick in and found this site. Hopefully it's the answer to all my problems - well the main one for now anyway!

I have had a similar problem. About two years ago I started having very bad heartburn. I tried every over-the-counter heart burn relief medication but it didn't seem to work. Eventually I saw a doctor and was put on nexium. Then a year ago I started to get awful outbreaks of hives. It got so bad that I was breaking out with hundreds of hives all over my face and torso every day! I tried everything to get them to go away, I even saw a doctor and was put on allergy medication, but nothing worked. I changed everything about my lifestyle (which included stopping the nexium for my heartburn) but I kept breaking out in hives. Then last summer I went to a wilderness camp for about 5 weeks where the only thing to drink was well water. Magically I stopped having hives. Since then I drink only bottled water and the problem has pretty much gone away. I've also found coffee gives me hives (probably because of the water used to make it). I am happy to say that my heartburn hasn't been giving me too much trouble lately either because of a change in my diet. I don't know if it is some chemical in tap water or what, but I can tell you that if I even have a small glass it will make me break out in hives. Yay over-priced bottled water!

SpeedyPanda,

Please let me know if avoiding the sulfite in bottled water helps. I have been writing letters to bottled water companies and government agencies to ask them to label the concentration of sulfite in their bottles so that I know what to avoid. If this is the source of your allergy, please join me to help other allergy sufferers. You can find the contact info of bottle companies and government agencies at AllergySulfiteInWater.com

Also, if you get more rash at night, try wrapping the mattress and changing to a new blanket. I found that once the sulfite reaction kicks in, I would become very sensitive to dust mite.
Good luck.
S. Tang

You may be allergic to sulfite in the bottle water. For years, I would break out in hives without knowing why. Finally, through trial and error, I found out it was sulfite . Bottle water may contain a huge amount of sulfite (often added as a flavor enhancer). Some brands contain a lot more sulfite than others, and I am now very careful about which brand of water to drink. My experience is that if I drink a 16 Fl Oz bottle that contains more the 5 parts per million in sulfite, I would get an allergic reaction. There is generally less sulfite in water (by volume) than in wine, but most people do not drink wine by the gallon. I found that Crystal Geysar and Aquafina have the lowest concentration of sulfite.

You may want to check out my non-profit website: AllergySulfiteInWater.com. I hope this is helpful to you.

S. Tang

I've been going threw the same problems I'm 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that I scratch, right now I don't no what is making me scratch but since I heard that could be the water cause I've been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, I quess is the filter that I put in it, which you have to change, which I do?

I have developed an allergy to drinking water.I drank poland spring bottled water for years and have suddenly developed an allergy which I think has to do with the plastic bottle.Now I can't drink any water at all without a severe allergic reaction.I also have acid reflux which I think might have someting to do with it.Anyone else have this problem ?

Hi. I am 25 and am having what seem to be allergies to water. My tongue and cheeck go numb and swollen to point of difficultly to maneuver. I have tried every brand of bottled water on the shelves and I am able to tolerate each for a short period with no reactions (typically 1 week) Then I get a terrible well water/minerally taste in my mouth and then the swelling and numbness begin. This lasts for nearly 24 hours. Does anyone else have these symptoms? I have tried tap water and also tap water with carbon filters, but I keep having the problems no matter what I do. Please Help!

ive been going threw the same problems im 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that i scratch, right now i dont no what is making me scratch but since i heard that could be the water cause ive been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, i quess is the filter that i put in it, which u have to change, which i do?

Thanks for your help and ill try to see if I could do something about it, and I'll deffinitly check out the website, again thanks

You are crazy as s---. There are people in 3rd world countries who have access to no water to drink. Thirsting to death. Say thank you for having access to water. Can't drink water? Then don't drink it... very simple solution to your problem. Drink beer instead or become a cast member in a Woody Allen film. Don't worry be happy that if this is all you have to worry about.

ive been going threw the same problems im 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that i scratch, right now i dont no what is making me scratch but since i heard that could be the water cause ive been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, i quess is the filter that i put in it, which u have to change, which i do?


TRY CLEARASIL!

I've been breaking out in hives for the past 8 months, every single night. I've resorted to taking Benadryl every night, but as it was making me so tired, I decided to switch to Claritine, which made things better.

I recently realized that it was the bottled water that I'm drinking (Nestle brand) and more than likely the Magnesium Sulfate is what is causing the problem. Bottled water companies use Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) as a mineral to sweeten and flavor the water, yet a lot of side effects of Magnesium Sulfate can be pretty scary if you take the time to research it.

Magnesium Sulfate is a type of sulfite and is used in many foods and medications.

In the past, sulfites were added to fresh foods in restaurants and grocery stores to prevent browning. An increase in reactions led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of sulfites in fresh foods in 1986, particularly on fresh lettuce in salad bars. The FDA now requires that any food containing more than 10 parts per million (ppm) concentration of sulfites to be declared on the label. Foods that contain less than 10 ppm of sulfites have not been shown to cause symptoms, even in people allergic to sulfites.
Which Foods Contain Sulfites?
Greater than 100 ppm of sulfites (very high levels, strict avoidance advised in people with sulfite allergy)

* dried fruits (excluding dark raisins and prunes)
* bottled lemon juice (non-frozen)
* bottled lime juice (non-frozen)
* wine
* molasses
* sauerkraut (and its juice)
* grape juices (white, white sparkling, pink sparkling, red sparkling)
* pickled cocktail onions

Between 50 and 99.9 ppm of sulfites (moderate to high levels of sulfite, avoidance advised in people with sulfite allergy)

* dried potatoes
* wine vinegar
* gravies/sauces
* fruit toppings
* Maraschino cherries

Between 10 and 49.9 ppm of sulfites (low to moderate levels of sulfite, may cause symptoms in people with severe sulfite allergy)

* pectin
* fresh shrimp
* corn syrup
* pickled peppers
* pickles/relish
* corn starch
* hominy
* frozen potatoes
* maple syrup
* imported jams and jellies
* fresh mushrooms
* imported sausages and meats
* cordials (alcoholic)
* dehydrated vegetables
* various cheeses
* corn bread/muffin mix
* canned/jarred clams
* clam chowder
* avocado dip/guacamole
* imported fruit juices and soft drinks
* ciders and cider vinegars

Less than 10 ppm of sulfites (very low sulfite levels, generally do not pose a risk, even for people with sulfite allergy)

* malt vinegar
* canned potatoes
* beer
* dry soup mix
* soft drinks
* frozen pizza and pie dough
* beet sugar
* gelatin
* coconut
* fresh fruit salad
* domestic jams and jellies
* crackers
* cookies
* grapes
* high fructose corn syrup

You can read more at:
Sulfite Allergy -- Learn From An Allergist About Sulfite and Sulfate Allergy (http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/sulfites.htm)

Oh my goodness! What a nightmare! I have just developed the weirdest symptoms to water this past week following an allergic reaction to Tagamet which follows a week after a CT Scan with Iodine. I don't know if these reactions are now related to this crazy reaction of drinking water. However, I put them out there in case somebody knows of a correlation.
At this time, I can't drink water without it burning and itching my throat, as well as causing difficulty breathing and coughing. My throat squeezes in with water. This is so incredibly scary! My search to find the cause has lead me to this site reading about individuals with the same symptoms. Can anyone tell me about this? Please. I'm a single mom with two little girls who need a mommy and I need to figure this out. I can feel the seriousness of these symptoms.
I have my Masters in Education and I'm a health writer. Oddly enough, this has happened to me which means it can happen to anyone. Maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe we can help each other. Thank you for reading and thank you so much for your input. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Wow looks like a long time since anyone posted on here but I am curious did anyone find out any information who were having water sensitivities or allergies? I am asking because as crazy as it all sounds I am going through a similar thing. Seems unbelieveable to me but the proof is in the pudding, or in the water in this case.

My problem is backwards from most of the posts so far... im having a negative reaction to tap water where I live,I've noticed also that if you leave a glass of our tap water sitting for a couple days,it'll start to grow a white film on the bottom of the glass... so I'm wondering if that has something to do with it... but when I drink it, I get these tiny red dots all over certain parts of my body, like 1 or 2 patches of them about 4 or 5 inches around... but they don't itch or hurt in the least bit,I didn't even know I had them till I seen them... and the worst part of the reaction is I start to feel lethargic and I get these funky sweats and weird hot/cold sweat feelings... I stopped drinking it for weeks and noticed I had no more symptoms, so to test if it was the tap water ,I drank a glass of it and sure enough, I started feeling crappy again and got more dots... oh, and dry skin,really dry skin patches... but that was all I drank was the one glass ,and after two days I was back to normal again... no one else in my apartment building have this problem either,so its got to be some kind of allergic reaction I'm having right?. please can anyone give me a clue what to do?. thanks in advance :)

my problem is backwards from most of the posts so far.....im having a negative reaction to tap water where i live,ive noticed also that if you leave a glass of our tap water sitting for a couple days,itll start to grow a white film on the bottom of the glass.... so im wondering if that has something to do with it....but when i drink it, i get these tiny red dots all over certain parts of my body, like 1 or 2 patches of them about 4 or 5 inches around....but they dont itch or hurt in the least bit,i didnt even know i had them till i seen them....and the worst part of the reaction is i start to feel lethargic and i get these funky sweats and wierd hot/cold sweat feelings.....i stopped drinking it for weeks and noticed i had no more symptoms, so to test if it was the tap water ,i drank a glass of it and sure enough, i started feeling crappy agian and got more dots....oh, and dry skin,really dry skin patches...but that was all i drank was the one glass ,and after two days i was back to normal again....no one else in my appartment building have this problem either,so its gotta be some kind of allergic reaction im having right?....please can anyone give me a clue what to do? ,...thanks in advance :)
Oh, and I meant that my problem was backwards from most of the other posts because they had problems with bottled water but none with tap water, but I have it the other way around,were I have to drink it bottled...

I am getting hives on my head and face and have hives all over my body all the time. I thought I was allergic to Dr. Pepper but it keeps happening and so I want to see if the Aquafina will change that. I keep telling my husband it didn't start until I moved into this apartment. I have been drinking the cheapest water and got off Dr. Pepper I have a twin and she gets the same reaction. I don't know what this is. But will try different water.

Hi, I have nausea after drinking any water, I also have had problems in the past with acid problems and a hiatal hernia and ulcer, seems like the acid in the stomach and water are connected somehow!

I hope you receive an email notification from this response. I know you wrote this in 2008, but I have been having these same symptoms recently. To distilled water no less! (as well as tap, spring, and other bottled waters)

-tingling lips, tongue, and mouth
- swollen throat (can still breathe at least)
- bright red patches on my face
- itchy skin

This severe of a reaction is very new to me. It started only about a week ago. I've had the tingling sensation from drinking water for years now.

There is very little information online about reactions to ingesting water rather than having some topical inflammation after a shower. It doesn't help that most forum responders disparage the idea of an allergic reaction to drinking water.

Oh, I get the runs from drinking water. We switched from spring to distilled because I thought chlorine was the culprit. My stomach has ceased reacting to the water (yay), but these other symptoms are getting severe.

Friend I've broken out yesterday after drinking from the bobble water filter. At least I believe.

Tingling lips, hands, itching, SWOLLEN eyes! Look like I had a really bad fight.

Email: [email protected]

I’ve come about a “water allergy” backward from others, and I may bring a different perspective that may be helpful…I hope. I began having nerve inflammation very badly which seemed to go along with a B-12 deficiency. Then I started to become “allergic” to everything I put in my body. It was like from that day forward, everything I ate would be OK once, then I was allergic to it after that. Eventually that meant water.
Before this, eating a normal meal produced shooting nerves and numbness in my body so bad I was afraid the attacks would turn into something fatal, so I had trouble eating and drinking enough to sustain myself and avoid the attacks and ended up in the ER a few times, and had hospital stays 2 times (2 days, then later for 3 days). They couldn’t find anything with all the tests they did. But back to the water…I could drink other beverages (especially coconut water), but regular water of any type (bottled, tap, reverse osmosis from the store) was acting like a food allergy, which caused my throat to constrict, tongue and lip numbness, and numbness attacks across my whole body that lasted for an hour or more (very scary). I speak of this in the past tense, but it goes on still if I drink any water, even if ice chip melting goes down my throat.
I’ve been diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome (yes, it exists, no matter what your doctor says). This has also caused vitamin deficiencies, which have caused the nerve inflammation issues. It also caused the allergic reactions to foods and water. Larger particles pass through the intestinal walls than should, so the body thinks they’re a toxin and creates an allergic reaction (see also Intestinal Permeability). So it may not just be an allergy. It may be a bigger problem. There are tests to check for leaky gut syndrome, one is a urine test in which you have to drink a lot of water, which was off-limits to me. The other is a blood test. Most of Western medicine in America does not acknowledge this as a plausible syndrome, but my symptoms fit perfectly when they fit nothing else (I haven’t named all the symptoms because there are a lot). Plus, leaky gut syndrome could be a symptom of an auto-immune disease that you don’t yet realize you have—one you could reverse. It may not be, but instead of thinking you have an allergy to water, you might find that it’s the beginning of something you could fix before it gets as bad as I have it. I am being treated and am taking DGL and Ultraclear Sustain (which my acupuncturist had to order for me). I am also on a strict diet that follows the leaky gut protocol, and I can only eat/drink small amounts at a time. In a couple weeks I’ve already seen a difference, with the allergic behavior starting to calm down. But I have to think water will be off-limits for a long time, based on how badly it makes me feel. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the leaky gut symptoms…all mine fit the syndrome, but I didn’t have most of the ones listed, including the obvious digestive issues. It doesn’t mean you don’t have it…or something else that’s not just an “allergy.”