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bizygurl · Jan 13, 2006, 04:40 AM

Hi everyone! I just started increasing my water intake after finding out that I have had a bought of chronic dehydration. Im not a water drinker never have been and I only would drink it when I was really thirsty or working out. But over the past months I was feeling very run down and not myself. I talked to my aunt who is a registered nurse and she said that since I'm not obviously sick than it could be dehydraton. So I started drinking about six 12oz. Bottles of water everyday, and I feel completely different, my energy level is up and I'm much more alert, so I think I figured out what was going on with my body. But my question is: Is there a such a thing as too much water? If I drink too much will I get bloated or start retaining water? Im 115lbs. and I wasn't sure if 6 12oz. Bottles of water everyday was too much. I haad planned on asking my doctor about it but If any one knows about this, any info. Would be greatly appreciated.

DJ 'H' · Jan 13, 2006, 04:54 AM

There is a regulated in take of water which every human should have on a daily basis. I believe the only way you could have too much water would be to drink the same amount as our bodies are made up of (and that just isn't possible). I think you will find the need to go to the toilet more (as water flushes out bad toxins etc) from the body and it will help to keep your kidnesy functioning well.

I am not a big fan of drinking water and I think I may have the same problem as you; I think I will try drinking water more often and see if there is a difference.

bizygurl · Jan 13, 2006, 05:10 AM

Hey girl, thanks so much for the advice. I wasn't sure because I had heard about people getting bloated and retaining water but since like you said you flush out a lot lf water when you urinate, I didn't understand how that was possible.

Im telling you, if you are expirencing the same problems as me. It could very well be dehydration. I would talk to your doctor to make sure your not coming down with something but in the mean time just increase your water intake, it may make a difference. I've been doing this for about a week and even soda (which I use to drink a lot) I don't really like anymore because its putting back the garbage that the water just flushed out. Im almost repelled by it, it makes my stomach turn, which is quite odd. And I cut my coffe intake to 2 cups a day instead of like four or five. What a difference.

Thanks for the advice.;)

DJ 'H' · Jan 13, 2006, 05:14 AM

No worries - anytime!!

Oh, I know I am not coming down with anything... I get run down a lot because of my busy life style, and due to DJing an awful lot. I don't drink much water - but I do drink a lot of fizzy drinks, and also a lot of Tea. I get an awful lot of headaches. So I think you may be spot on with the dehydration theroy. There is no harm in drinking more water to find out - if anything it will do my body some good.

RickJ · Jan 13, 2006, 06:13 AM

Actually, there is such a thing as too much water. The consequences are called "Water Intoxication" and "Hyponatremia".

See the details here and here.

And here's a pretty scary story:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s904374.htm

fredg · Jan 13, 2006, 06:30 AM

Hi,
My wife was in a state of dehydration last year, for a period. Please see your doctor.
Sometimes, it takes more than just drinking water to have the body come back up to normal levels of liquids.
Others have given good answers about drinking too much water, and my suggestion is to see a doctor. Please don't put it off. There might be other things the doctor can see other than possible dehydration.
I do wish you the best of luck.

bizygurl · Jan 13, 2006, 06:35 AM

Thanks rickj, I read the article that you suggested. And it was very helpful. Luckily for me the amount of water I drink a day is just below the recommended amount of 8 12oz. Glasses of water, I currently drink about 6 to 7 12oz. Glasses of water. Tahnks for the info.Some of the info. Was pretty frightning I never knew that an overload of water could actually be fatal. I always thought that the more you drink the more you have to urinate, so you would be getting rid of the excess water your body doesn't use. Juding by what the article says, it sound like if you increase your water you have to increase your salt intake a little so that the cells don't expirence water overload. Very interesting.

bizygurl · Jan 13, 2006, 06:43 AM

Thanks fredg, I actually did have this problem a year ago and did end up seeing my doctor. He thought I may have had a Thyroid problem or viral infection and I was tested for them but everything came up negative. He also thought the reason I could be so run down was because I have allergies and put me on Clariton which also worked, but I still didn't feel quite right, He even suggested to increase my water because when I told him that I only had a glass of water a day or sometimes would go several days without drinking any, he suggested that could be the problem, but of course I never stook with it, until again I started feeling like this. But your right I should just check to make sure that I'm not getting sick, it has been a year. But I can say the water has actually made a difference.

JoeCanada76 · Jan 13, 2006, 08:27 AM

Water is very important for health of every individual. Our bodies are made up of 90 percent of water so that will tell you how important it is for water intake in order to keep everything in working order. They recommend between 6 to 8 full glasses of water daily. I would recommend not to guzzle water because taking down too much water too fast can actually be harmful. So take your time and drink up. Some people that have really higher weights actually are told to drink more water because it can actually be a natural way for some with weight problems to actually lose weight.

Joe

DJ 'H' · Jan 13, 2006, 08:33 AM

I never knew I could learn so much more about water in one day!!

bizygurl · Jan 13, 2006, 10:02 AM

Me too, this is like WATER 101. Ha, ha! But seriously thank you all for advice. I have actually learned a lot.

DJ 'H' · Jan 13, 2006, 10:13 AM

Or water H2O lol

jduke44 · Jan 13, 2006, 01:37 PM

I had time to skim rick's links he gave you (good info BTW) so if I say anything contradictary or redundant I apologize. My wife was on me a couple years ago because I would drink a lot of soda and she always knew it was bad for you. She would encourage me to drink water. Like youi, I am not a water drinker. We decided to read this book called "Living well by water" and it stated (I don't know if he was a doctor) as a general rule to drink 1/2 your bodies weight in ounces. So you are 115 divided by 2 would be 57.5 ounces of water a day. I am not sayingn this is correct, just mentioning another view point. One thing I did catch on the website is not the amount you drink but how fast you drink. This book also states that drinking water can heal many of the pains we get, even cancer, just by keeping our body hydrated. I know when I get headaches, I reach for more water instead of aspirin (never big onit anyways) because I think back to how much water I've drank and it is usually barely any. I wish I could live by this rule but just as DJ says it is almost impossible for me.

BTW, caffeinated drinks absorb the water in your body leaving you hydrated.

bizygurl · Jan 14, 2006, 04:46 AM

Thanks JDUKe, I think I heard of the book that your talking about. I read a book a little while ago called, "Your Not Sick, Your Thirsty" and it was by a doctor. I can't remember the name. Maybe it is the same guy. It brought up a lot of good points about how water can prevent degeneritive diseases such as Osteoporosis and arthrits and even athsma. It really seemed to make a lot of sense.

I have been drinking more water than usual this past week and I noticed a huge difference. In the past when I tried to get on a water kick it would only last a few days and then I would stop drinking it. In this book he says that it takes several days (of increased water intake) to fully (not qoting here) raise hydration levels in your body to be where they should. Honestly everyday I have felt a difference.

I know as you said that its very hard to get use to drinking water all the time and when I first started I was thinking that Im never going to get use to this. But after about three days My body just automatically craves it, its hard to explain, I immediately reach for the water instead of juice or soda.

I also heard that drinking water too fast was harmful. That was what I started doing at first but it made my stomach upset so now I drink it slowly. Thanks a lot for your imput.

DJ 'H' · Jan 17, 2006, 06:45 AM

I have been drinking bottle water today and my headaches have reduced tremendously and my body feels so much better. I cannot stop going to the toilet though lol

JoeCanada76 · Jan 17, 2006, 09:24 AM

DJ

Pee away to a new healthier person.

DJ 'H' · Jan 17, 2006, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Jesushelper76

DJ

Pee away to a new healthier person.

I will Joe. I have not had one fizzy drink today. Quite proud of myself. I can only hope that after a few weeks I will feel much healthier than I have done in yonks;)

bizygurl · Jan 17, 2006, 03:20 PM

Good for you DJ'H, see what I mean? I have been doing this for over a week and I don't feel as tiered as I use to. :D

DJ 'H' · Jan 18, 2006, 02:54 AM

Originally Posted by bizygurl

Good for you DJ'H, see what I mean? I have been doing this for over a week and I don't feel as tiered as I use to. :D

Me either. My headaches have gone and even though I knew I was tired I felt so energetic. I am on the bottled water now as we speak lol

DJ 'H' · Jan 19, 2006, 09:06 AM

Well it's my fourth day on my bottle water fest. I have now increased my dosage and drinking just under 8pints a day - and I am starting to feel the effects even more so and see them. My skin is clearing up fantastically, all the crap is being flushed out of my system, no more headaches and I feel as good as I used to when I was a young teenager. How cool is that.

I have even lost some weight ;) and I am still eating 3 meals a day> I am well chuffed. (Not that I needed to lose any anyway.