Drinking too much water?

[reastie]

I drink I'd say at least 5 litres of water a day, possibly more (up to 7 possibly occasionally more I estimate sometimes) . I've been thinking for a while I wonder if I'm 'normal' or if there are any bad effects from drinking lots of water. I've just googled and scared myself with talks of head swelling, kidney problems and even death .

I've tried drinking less but I get dehydration headaches and feel very thirsty (and get those white bits around my mouth when you don't drink enough).

I drink 6 big glasses of water before work, say around 2 - 4 big glasses during the day and 6 big glasses again in the evening yes I do need to get up for the loo at night! . It used to be 4 glasses in morning and evening but with bfing I found I was more thirsty and now it's stuck.

I bf one feed a day still and do tend to be a bit of a sweaty person in general (not problematically so though) and try to get to the gym a few times a week where I do sweat a fair bit.

I don't know why I need to drink so much but it's been gradually increasing over a number of years - I think as I drink more I need more. I certainly never used to drink this much.

I'm worried now I'm doing something bad to my body (I don't force myself to drink this much - I do actually feel and have thirst). Is this really unusual to drink this much or do many people drink this much? Does this seem normal? [hopeful]

Are you diabetic? This can cause increased thirst.
I would say 7 litres of water is too much (except if you are runnung a marathon). Yes too much water consumption can be dangerous and even cause death.
I would check it out with your GP!

I'm not diabetic, although they suspected I had gestational diabetes when I was pg, this was deemed normal post preg though. It seems to be a gradual thing - the more I drink the more I need to drink, I assume a bit like food - the more you eat the more your body needs and wants more . I sometimes try cutting back as I think it may be too much but I just get awful headaches

That is a LOT of water. Don't know what to say other than you need to see your GP to figure out why you're so thirsty all the time.

reastie I read an article recently about a woman who was addicted to water. It might have been in Take a Break (cough) so don't know how scientific it was. With her it was more of a psychological issue.

I drink two and a half litres a day on medical advice. that's just water and then some tea on top.

Do you just wee it all out again or does your body hang on to it?

I'd go and see the GP - you might have some kind of electrolyte imbalance thing.

I assume I wee it out mat - I certainly feel like I need the loo all the time! It's a bit restricting in that I wee alot in mornings and the evenings, so, if I go out in the morning I always have to make sure I go somewhere that has a loo. Btw I had read about psychological addiction to water but am a bit as to that being me, but maybe it is.

I think maybe I'll try and actually measure how much I actually drink very accurately and see the GP so I cna tell her with some certainty how much I'm drinking (but I have measured in the past and what I'm telling you here is accurate as an average). Maybe I'll also do a few blood sugar readings from my monitor I has whilst pg.

Yes re test your BS. I know what you mean about knowing when your body feels dehydrated with dry mouth and head ache. I consider that I am a water fiend but only ever manage 2 litres a day max. As a very young nurse I looked after a young lady on a hospital ward who had consumed too much water! Also some deaths of clubbers and runners are caused by too much water, thinking that they need to drink loads but then the body can't cope!

Just to throw another thought I drink 3+ litres day pee non stop and I have hyperparathyroidism.
Also can be a sign of Diabetes Insipidus which is caused by a malfunctioning pituitary gland (nothing to do with the commoner Diabetes Mellitus)

Very interesting. I think various tests might be in order really it seems

I know not about this istonic/electrolytes things people speak of - I must look into it. I only drink water or camomile tea and occasionally ribena. I'm trying to only drink when I'm really thirsty this week end, but still think I'm drinking at least 4 litres and I haven't really done anything to create a sweat/anything meaning I need water. I've got my blood sugar monitor out today to start measuring - wish me good luck!

Yes 2old was trying to remember what that was called, when you can't concentrate your urine properly. Yes or could be a problem with the brain's signalling to tell you when you are thirsty and when you are not.

This sounds so much like diabetes insipidus. Nothing like the insulin kinds its to do with your pituitary gland. Here : link

Please see a doctor

OK schro . I do have more concentrated urine if I don't drink as much though so that would point against that. So far my blood sugar readings have been fine - quite low infact. Will try and ring up the surgery this week.

Hmm. It would seem to but im not an expert. :) Hope you getsome answers.

That is excessive. I would really see the dr about why you are so thirsty all the time.

Thanks - I'll try to update here too should anyone be interested

I'm thirsty just reading this thread!!

How on earth do you find the time to drink so much water in a day??! You should get paid to be a professional water drinker. I'd have to be tied down to drink that amount of water in a day, it would be like a chore.

Seriously though, I hope you find out what's behind this need to drink so much. Doesn't sound like it's that common.

Thanks lovechoc I wonder how much a professional water drinker could expect to earn

What symptoms do you get that tell you your thirsty? Could you maybe do something else to combat the feeling? E.g. I find Having some
Gum or a mind cures my dry mouth the same as a
Drink!

I try just not drinking penguin but I just get headaches/dry mouth/very thirsty. Generally I feel really thirsty, headachey, get white bits around my mouth, sometimes if it's a build up (ie I drink less than 4 litres a day which for me is very little) I get odd mucus bits in my mouth around my gums (this one is a bit odd I know!). I can but assume it is genuine thirst as if I do have a headache it is usually improved or better if I drink. I've tried this week end not drinking as much (more like 4 litres) but it just caught up with me and I was really thirsty last night/this morning .

I would definitely recommend a trip to the doctor if you haven't already! I manage to drink barely 1 litre a day and feel fine, even 2 litres is too much for me!

Might be worth getting checked out just be put your mind at rest and check there is no underlying cause!

I think that it is not the volume that is worrying, if a healthy person with healthy kidneys forced themselves to drink that much they would probably be ok, but the fact you feel compelled to do that because you are so thirsty could point towards some kind of hormone imbalance like diabetes insipidus etc.

I always thought (to normalise how uch water I drink) that the more you drink the more you need to drink as your body is used to that much (bit like food), so the more I drink (and it has very gradually increased) the more I'm used to that much so the more my body needs (or thinks it needs) that much. I have no idea if it could be that simple, but it was reading online about people having kidney problems from drinking too much water that made me worry even if this is why I need so much, it might be being problematic.