You can drink too much water, so have your blood sodium checked..

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wmc
wmc Member Posts: 1,804
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

You can drink too much water;   Just an FYI, or Did You Know?   We didn't.

As far as hydration and how much to drink or take in, the rule of thumb is half your weight in ounces. If you weigh 100 lbs it is 50 oz, if 200lbs you need 100 oz of water. Then there are some meds that might require you to do more or less. You can take to much water and get very sick from it. Yes, there is many things to affect or alter the amount like if you are sweating you need more electrolytes, not just water. Way back in the '60's and '70's  in the hot summer if you worked outside in the sun and were sweating you would drink more water and take salt tablets. I would warn some of the coworkers and the ones who didn't listen, passed out from heat stroke and that can kill you. Now we have Gateraid and other drinks that are so much better and add all your electrolytes.

My wife has chronic renal failure and has to also take blood thinners. Now this adds to her condition but, she was drinking 80 oz of water a day thinking this is good and helps flush the kidneys, per what she has read over the last 15 years she has had this. Well, she started to feel bad and it got much worse so she went to her doctor and had lots of blood work. Then the doctor called and said you must get to the ER ASAP I have faxed them. Your blood sodium is dangerously low and life threating. She was drinking too much water and diluted her sodium too much to where she could go into a coma, have severe brain swelling, and just die. All because she drank too much water. She is fine and we got very lucky, but had to stay in the hospital to bring up the sodium up slow or it could be as dangerous. She weighed 114 and can only take 50 oz a day.  Blood sodium has to be 135 ~ 145. Hers was 116 and very life threating.

I hope this can help someone and not to go through what we did.

Bill

Comments

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #2
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    Bill

    Thank you for the information, it is good to know. We have to be our own advacates.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #3
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    Thanks Bill

    Something similar happened to my mother in law and she was hyponatremic . It can be dangerous! Glad your wife is okay!

    Barbara

  • LiseA
    LiseA Member Posts: 266
    #4
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    I drink and plan to drink

    I drink and plan to drink during radiation treatments, plain coconut water.  Hoping of course that my mouth isn't full of sores.  I use coconut water to keep hydrating when preparing for colonoscopies. Works a treat.  I don't drink Gatorade because of all the artificial colors and flavors. You are so right about drinking too much plain water.  I also dilute almond milk and drink that in place of water. 

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #5
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    Hyponatremia

    Very real condition resulting from too little sodium in the blood and can be caused by ingesting too little sodium, drinking too much fluids or a combination.

    My husband lost his appetite but continued liquids.  He slipped into a coma, a DNR was signed (because of previously determined wishes) and our family gathered as the doctors told us he would not be back.  The doctors then skillfully slowly increased the sodium in his body and Jim woke up slowly.

    Very scary and completely avoidable.

  • LiseA
    LiseA Member Posts: 266
    #6
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    Yikes!!  How pedialyte? 

    Yikes!!  How pedialyte? 

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #7
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    Bags of Saline

    They just do an IV with saline which is water and .9% sodium. 

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    edited May 2016 #8
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    Noellesmom said:

    Hyponatremia

    Very real condition resulting from too little sodium in the blood and can be caused by ingesting too little sodium, drinking too much fluids or a combination.

    My husband lost his appetite but continued liquids.  He slipped into a coma, a DNR was signed (because of previously determined wishes) and our family gathered as the doctors told us he would not be back.  The doctors then skillfully slowly increased the sodium in his body and Jim woke up slowly.

    Very scary and completely avoidable.

    You got so lucky

    They told my wife that if she had gone one more day we would have lost her.  She was not on a salt free diet, but has to be now so we really have to watch her.

    It is not a blood test they normally run but they will now for both of us.

    Bill

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    edited May 2016 #9
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    wow

    Good to know one can overdo it on the water. But for all the time here I can only think the opposite is far more relevant. Seems we all struggle to get enough water down during treatment and recovery. Couple quarts is a reasonable target for most along with eating as many calories as you can.

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