The more I drink the thirstier I am

[AlieKatt]

Hi all,

I am in extended induction because when I started August 11th I had 100 pounds to lose.

My dilema, I think I drink way too much water. Sure, at first it was a drag but now my body craves it. I feel thristy all the time. Is it dangerous to drink too much... I must be flushing my body of much needed vitamines and minerals... and I haven't lost weight in 4 days.

Now get ready... because you won't believe this... but I drink aprox. 6 litres a day. I feel dhydrated.

Tell me this is not good and I'll stop.

Alie

[dthomps]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

I don't have an answer for you, but I hope someone will. I've noticed the exact same thing. Sometimes I've had more than 65 oz. between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. That's a LOT of water.

At night, I try to slow myself down some so I'm not up all night in the ladies room. But that just means I go to bed feeling so dry and thirsty.

[Kraftmacincheese]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

Hey be VERY CAREFUL when it comes to drinking water. Believe it or not, you can drink so much that you will drown your brain, you can die, I'm not joking.
Also this is something to think about and I am in no way a doctor but I do know that if you are thirsty constantly no matter how much you drink, that's a sign of diabetes. Might wanna get yourself checked out.

[Barb1965]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

Extreme thirst despite drinking adequate fluids can also be a sign of a mineral imbalance (sodium, potassium, magnesium), and drinking more may make it worse. Cut back on the water and try adding a mineral vitanutrient and see if your thirst gets better.

[AlieKatt]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

Thanks, I believe that cutting back is the way to go.... I am not concerned about diabeties because this only started a week ago after consuming huge amounts of water... and I recently had all my blood work done.

I think I have simply had too much to drink and flushed out vital minerals etc.

2 liters a day should be sufficient. If the systems do not go away within a week I will visit my doctor.

Thank you all for your advice- no drowning brain here I promise!!

[imagood1]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

I drink 150oz a day and run the water challenge where many of us drink over 100oz daily, I haven't heard anyone saying they are drinking too much water. Are you taking a multivitamin everyday? You should be to make sure you are getting all your vitamins and minerals.

Dr Atkins suggested we drink 64 ounces minimum daily - which would be about 2 litre's daily.

About.com has this:



It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It! The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.


Water Intoxication & Hyponatremia

[Kraftmacincheese]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

I have heard that what your supposed to do is take your body weight, cut it in half, and that is how many ounces of water you are supposed to drink a day.

[sallyseachange]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

Carole's advice on spreading the water intake throughout the day is good advice. I drink between three and four litres a day (spread over the day) and have done for years now. In summer, of course, I raise it.

That way, it's really hard to drown your brain (gosh... what a visual I get with that!)

[PeteinVA]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

What do they call that, a "problem we like to have" Obviously you're always feeling dehydrated isn't good, but it sounds like your body needs the water. Are you drinking any other kinds of fluids that would make you dry out i.e. coffee or soda?

I drink tons of water, always have. Right now I'm in a really good place with it as it's such a habit for me to have my water bottle close by, and I really enjoy it and am feeling the positive effects of it.

Like Carole posted (which was very good to read) cases of water intoxication are very uncommon, so I wouldn't put yourself in that category yet. And I would try and monitor how it is that you're drinking it along with your food consumptions.

Have you checked out your nutritional breakout from your foods on Fitday? Just curious as I find that invaluable for being on Atkins.

Good luck. Your post made me thirsty!

[curefan623]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

It is very possible your blood sodium level is low and this can be very dangerous- as previously mentioned you can “drowned your brain”. It is important to drink adequate but not excessive water you may want to visit your doctor soon then later. 2 liters of water could still be dangerous even deadly. It is called water intoxication or hyponateremia

[RosieC]

Re: The more I drink the thirstier I am

You wouldn't get water intoxication with 2 litres unless you drank it absolutely non stop. It's the speed that counts. The kidneys can handle 1 litre per hour during waking hours. That's why about.com talk about 15 litres as the maximum. Spread 2-4 litres through the day and you could not possibly have any problem with water intoxication.

Losing electrolytes/minerals more slowly over time could be an issue depending on your nutrition and your supplements. Eat all the veg you are allowed. Avocado is great for potassium. I find I don't need to add sodium, there is enough in the foods that I eat. But you need to look at your nutritional profile by tracking what you eat in Fitday or similar.