Recently saw my doctor and I was instructed to limit h2o because “my body doesnt need it” and I am drinking excessive amounts (at least 6L daily). I am a female in my early 30s. I am also a registered dietitian (I am very aware about the risks of under and over hydration, and maybe a big part of it is that its just a habit at this point). I dont understand people who say “I hate the taste of water.” I travel with a 1L hydroflask everywhere and freak out if its not with me. I also pee a lot, but I dont mind this inconvenience. I dont eat too much salt in my diet if you are wondering this.
One hypothesis as to why some people are good drinkers is their own parents fluid habits. I am noticing a pattern from the patients I work with, those who are terrible water drinkers had terrible water drinker parents.
AMA.
Comments
Do you use the bathroom more than 10x a day lol?
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Shouldn’t you know this as a dietitian? Just curious.
I love water too. I most likely drink way more than I should. I’ve found other things to drink that are zero calories, just to break up the pattern.
What negative side effects has your doctor warned you about regarding your excessive water intake?
have you considered swapping your hydroflask for a smaller one, or do you think you would just be refilling it more often?
Your kidneys will be working overtime.
So I’m assuming your doctor told you that you’ve got low electrolytes from drinking too much? I drink a lot as well bc I donated a kidney, but I was also warned as an athlete that over hydration can create electrolyte problems.
I had the same problem as you and I had to switch my habits accordingly. Did he provide any advice on how to curb it?
May be a sign of early onset diabetes / pre diabetes
Your physician is telling you something and you come on here to have a monologue about it?
Unless you’re actively working all that out then there is no need for that much water. Especially if you say you avoid salt. You’re flushing out all of your good minerals. Peeing more than 10 times a day is absolutely ridiculous
Could be other factors. If you exercise significantly you need more water. Try cutting out all sugar. If you are pre-diabetic your body might sponge up more water than it needs.
Did your doctor also screen you for diabetes?
Are you diabetic or borderline?
Do you realize this is stupid?
Are you extremely active? If you are sweating it out with exercise maybe it’s not that big of an issue? But with low salt intake, I’d be concerned about electrolyte imbalance.
I guess if your blood panel comes back fine and kidney function is OK. 6 liters seems insane and at best I can do maybe 2 liters without spending the entire day in the bathroom.
I guess I need to ask a question so…favorite brand of bottled water? 🙃
Why aren’t you having enough sodium?? If you put a pinch of salt in water it might make you absorb it more and actually be hydrated. I also didn’t use to but having 4L of water and feeling like I’m absorbing nothing didn’t feel great. You don’t have to eat foods with that much salt but having a little would help
Well, peeing excessively is a sign that it’s too much.
r/lostredditors
“I travel with a 1L hydroflask everywhere and freak out if its not with me.” – are you getting help for your mental health problem?
I need to drink more, but the bathroom trips seriously interrupt my day. Any advice?
What is your speciality as an RD? Do you have any known or suspected health conditions that could be related to the water?
Did you know your pee is your blood. So you are flushing your blood quite quickly. Do you get sick more or less often than most people?
I have a compulsive problem where I drink too much water just like you! I think it comes from wanting to get toxins out of my body. My job is very physical and I do a lot of physical activities outside of work. If I drink too much water I get dizzy and feel like crap. I bought a bottle that I try to drink over one day. It helps but sometimes I refill it haha.
Sincere question. How can a dietician require a doctor to remind them of this health risk? How can your clients trust you when you can’t even figure out your own water intake?
Is there a method to your madness?
Do you have medical conditions that require you to do this?
Go away.
Any substance can become toxic in the body at high/certain levels. Including water.
I would imagine that every body is different and perhaps there’s a baseline minimum amount. Do u think your water drinking is influenced by water marketing campaigns to drink more water than necessary?
Medically, where does it say u need to drink so much water?
You are leading to water intoxication. I’d be more worried about your protein and vitamin intake considering you can consume that much
I loved drinking the water in Scotland. Best water I ever tasted straight out of the tap—especially in the Hebrides. Couldn’t get enough of it. But I choke down about 20oz of filtered Chicago water daily, aside from what I get in vegetables and tea.
Keep the same amount of water, just eat more salt. Your body needs its salts.
Have you been checked for diabetes?
Have you been tested for diabetes insipidus?
People love cold water but there’s nothing better taking to me than lukewarm water.
What’s your preferred temperature?
How are you not just peeing every 5 minutes? I can only tolerate about 1L-2L a day unless I’m extra active or its extra hot. I literally get pain in my back from overhydration when I’ve tried the gallon a day thing
Is there something in your pathology that compels you to drink so much water?
If only I can give you a little bit of my drinking problem and you give me a little bit of yours, we’d be at a good balance lol.
If you said the problem was related to electrolyte imbalance can’t you just add electrolytes to your water? That way you don’t have to cut down on your intake if you don’t want to/find it difficult.
My fluid intake isn’t much more than a Diet Coke and a Monster a day. I tried to drink water and when I had to pee 5 times in 2 hours I said to hell with this.
Underlying issue here. Why do you freak out if you’re water bottle isn’t with you? Because you are so thirsty? Or because you have a compulsion to drink water?
I just want to let you know that my partner asked me for a wall of text to make a song out of and the first two sentences of your post made an excellent pop punk lyric
How did your doctor determine you were drinking too much water?
Best drinking problem EVER
Are you on the toilet every 5 minutes or something?
I too enjoy slurping down some h2o. Have you always been like this or has it built up over the years? What is the biggest contributing factor that drives this intake?
Do you take allergy meds or something that would cause dry mouth?
I’ve been on allergy meds all my life, and I have always chugged fluids fluids to compensate. Mio / Seltzer has been a life changer. You can only drink so much water in a day
What other things are you addicted to?
when you have a hyponatremic seizure, hopefully it’s recognized and survived. your kidneys may have become tolerant of this to a point, but there are risks.
source – 28 years practicing internal and emergency medicine.
I totally agree with you about parents drinking habits carrying over to their children, 100%. Alcohol, water, soda etc.
Do you chew gum? When I lived in the desert, I noticed I couldn’t ever get enough water and it really helped me curb the urge, especially when out and about. Helped with frequent urination, too.
Lol, reminds me of this Dr. Glaucomflecken short. I don’t have a question, I just wanted to share. I can also be another data point for the “learning water habits from parents” thing. When trying to get a health thing figured out (eventually discovered it was POTS) the cardiologist tried to dismiss it as my ADHD meds. When I told him my symptoms started 9 years before I started those meds, he pivoted to “you’re just dehydrated” and I was like …my dad is an endurance athlete. He drilled good hydration habits into me as a child. I’ve been carrying a water bottle 24/7 since I was 10. I take electrolytes as well so it’s not just water. I promise you it is not dehydration. (I later got testing and they confirmed it was not, in fact, dehydration.)
He’s worried about Psychogenic Polydipsia
Yah, I drink too much water too. Often 8L per day, occasionally 10L. Several years ago I was barely a water drinker at all. No idea why I’m drinking so much now. I’ve had my bloods checked and nothing was abnormal, except for sodium being slightly lower than the normal expected range.
I have had a couple instances of my legs feeling very weak and I needed sit down. Once was in a supermarket and my legs went all wobbly, so I hid in the cat food section on the floor until I recovered.
I drink six or seven 30oz tumblers a day and probably three cans of soda, I don’t do coffee, I have never had a doctor tell me this. I feel thirsty if I don’t always have something to sip on, what test did they order to come to this conclusion or is this just a predetermined metric?
Found the queen of r/hydrohommies
I’m the same
May I know what test you did? I also drink quite a lot of water and I finish a few 1.5L bottle a day. But I vape, workout and drink a lot of coffee every day.
I literally have zero memory of my Dad ever drinking water. no joke, he drank Diet Coke or Diet 7-Up. so did my Mom, but she played tennis competively so drank water while on the court. I, on the other hand, drink water all day. some days I’m probably close to 5L but usually its 2-3. I love water!!
from reading comments though I think I’m going to make an effort to start drinking something with electrolytes.
What’s the point of this post? Doctor has told you that you’re drinking too much water — which is absolutely correct. So what, you’re doing an AMA to tell stand up against that advice? You’re a pretty shit dietician to make this statement without going into further detail about the appropriate balance needed when consuming so much water (i.e. adding electrolytes, at the very minimum).
You’re a bad water drinker?
You’re drinking too much?
I used to drink a lot of water, working outside, working in hot kitchens, living in a humid area, that was also so hot in the spring and summer. Now that I live in a dry, high desert area, I CANNOT make myself drink more water. I only aim for a gallon. I’m lucky if I get half way through that.
How do I get my taste for water back? Have you ever fallen out of the habit?
I know what you mean about habit. I drink a pot of coffee and some times 6 sodas a day then water the last few hours of the day. Often times it feels like a habit to me, I scroll here a bit to wake up drink coffee. I go outside or drive in heavy traffic and sit a lot. Every time it feels like I stop a second and am not doing something I take a drink. I kind of hate water but it was such a habit to drink during any pause I started keeping a water bottle and out of boredom got used to drinking more water.
Question: I saw one of your other responses that you mentioned that your mouth is dry all the time. Do you also have dry skin? I’ve had dry skin my whole life and a super dry mouth. I drink water constantly. I wish I knew what caused this so I could fix it!
Have you been checked for diabetes insipidus?
I love water but I have epilepsy so sodium balance is a big concern. I just buy over the counter sodium tablets to help
Before I had kids I was a fish I loved drinking water. During my first pregnancy I couldn’t drink water and forced myself to do so.
Now, the amount of water I drink some days is horrible. Have you had experienced with this happening to other people? Any recommendations?
Hi fellow hydrator! I managed to cut down from around 6l a day to 4l but I can’t go any lower without feeling like crap.
I think you’re right – my parents both came from tropical climates where hydration was key, and I have always loved water and found it easy to drink plenty of water.
I’m baffled by people who don’t.
OP: If it’s brown flush it down, if it’s yellow… wait, it’s never yellow.
I’m glad you’re going to listen to your doctor’s advice. How is your cutting down going so far? Have you considered not carrying around a bottle all day?
The thought of drinking that much water makes me physically ill. I struggle to get down a 16 ounce bottle.
My people! MY WELL-DYDRATED HOMIES!!
I drink maybe 4 L a day, and the thought of not having water handy makes me low-key panic.
It is a running joke with everyone in my life that I always have water with me!
Such an easy thing to do, that provides lots of benefits (and almost no downside).
I also have a slighty deranged number of water bottles–glass (bkr, stainless, souvenir-type
💜🩵💙
6l is pretty spot on for me too , I kill my 3l camel bak twice a day easily
I also drink what I’d consider to be much more water than Mindy people. I keep a 40oz Stanley with me at all times and probably drink for or five of them a day. I often still feel dehydrated though. My electrolytes counts are all high normal. Any idea why someone like me might still not feel optimally hydrated?
a dietitian with an eating disorder?
What’s your skin like since you drink so much water. Is it well hydrated and smooth?
So if you use the chronological age method of water calculation needs… you are drinking more than double your needs! Wow.
Add a beer and fireball to your 6L a day. That should fix you.
I asked my 4 year old if he knew that he had the sweetest face. His response was “yeah because you made me” 🥹
I drink about 4L per day during the work week. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
How clear is your skin? 😬 Your answer may motivate me to drink more water because im at the opposite end of the spectrum where i dont drink enough fluids.
Have you tried cold turkey? As in not drinking water for X days and water intake only indirectly (not through water)
O right, take two Xanax when you wake up , a shot or two of apple cider vinegar then 7l of water daily. Call me in the morning.
This is beyond hydrohomies. You need half that lol
Do you even care what the doctor says? Since you’re a RD you know all about this stuff. I’m RD also, so not fkn with you.
As someone who has suffered from near-fatal water intoxication, I can say with confidence that consuming large amounts of water while having minimal salt in your diet is extremely dangerous. You’re putting yourself at serious risk of flushing out essential electrolytes. I ended up in the hospital a number of years ago because of this exact issue. It’s important to find a healthy balance between proper hydration and maintaining your electrolyte levels.
I’d suggest on checking your kidneys and creatinine levels on your blood. Usually, drinking too much water may signify an underlying issue. Hope the best.
It depends on where you live. I am in an apartment and our water tastes off, not sure why. I use a water filter pitcher, which helps. Also often just boil it for coffee or tea.
Well water can have a strong flavor also.
I’m getting checked out for my symptom of polydipsia right now. I probably drink more than you.
I am CONSTANTLY thirsty.
It’s not diabetes. Next step endocrinologist and nephrologist.
Did your doctor say if you had any underlying cause?
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