Water

Smile111

I have started drinking 2 pints of water a day which means very frequent trips to the bathroom.
Not a hope I would manage 3 litres.
I am trying to drink the 2 all before 1pm but still I am living in the bathroom. Any tips ? Especially those who drink 3 litres. How do ye manage with working in an office etc?
Thanks

Peregrinus

Why are you drinking two pints of water a day, and why would you regard three litres as desirable?

Similar to the OP, diabetes (both types) ruled out.

After a good few years of trying to work out why I"m dehydrated and my GP and I think it may be due to lifestyle stress. Even though don't particularly feel stressed. If I simply increase water intake it can mean very frequent trips to the bathroom.

Do you work in a stressful job?

Smile111

My work is extremely busy at this time yes.
I am just trying to be healthy and a lot of the advice is to drink 2/3 litres of water a day?

Peregrinus

You need about 2.5 l of water a day, depending on sex, age, weight and other factors, but it's a persistent urban myth that you need to drink that amount. Your body doesn't care how you get your water intake, so long as you get it, and much of it comes in solid food - many fruits, and quite a few vegetables, are close to 100% water by weight (as of course are all fluids, not just water). So how much water you need to drink largely depends on what else you drink, and what you eat.

Rather than trying to monitor the overall fluid content of your diet, it's easier to monitor yourself for signs that you're not getting enough water. If you're persistently thirsty, if your urine isn't clear or very pale, you're not getting enough water. (There are other symptoms of dehydration, but urine coloration is an early one and easy to monitor.) And, if you're not getting enough water, drinking more water is only one way of addressing the problem. You could eat more fruit, for example.

If you do want to up your fluid intake, and if you want to acheive this at least partly by drinking more water, and if this is causing inconveniently frequent urination - which isn't uncommon - a useful tip can be to make a habit of drinking a couple of glasses of water shortly before each meal. Some people find that it doesn't hit the bladder quite so fast then.

Smile111

Peregrinus wrote: »

You need about 2.5 l of water a day, depending on sex, age, weight and other factors, but it's a persistent urban myth that you need to drink that amount. Your body doesn't care how you get your water intake, so long as you get it, and much of it comes in solid food - many fruits, and quite a few vegetiables, are close to 100% water by weight (as of course are all fluids, not just water). So how much water you need to drink largely depends on what else you drink, and what you eat.

Rather than trying to monitor the overall fluid content of your diet, it's easier to monitor yourself for signs that you're not getting enough water. If you're persistently thirsty, if your urine isn't clear or very pale, you're not getting enough water. (There are other symptoms of dehydration, but urine coloration is an early one and easy to monitor.) And, if you're not getting enough water, drinking more water is only one way of addressing the problem. You could eat more fruit, for example.

If you do want to up your fluid intake, and if you want to acheive this at least partly by drinking more water, and if this is causing inconveniently frequent urination - which isn't uncommon - a useful tip can be to make a habit of drinking a couple of glasses of water shortly before each meal. Some people find that it doesn't hit the bladder quite so fast then.

Thank you

amadangomor

I drink plenty but I probably need to change when I drink it. I have a glass about 630 in the morning but then it's coffee until maybe 11 or so.

If I drink water and coffee would be running to the toilet every 20 minutes. Find myself quite dehydrated by lunchtime but then start drinking plenty of water. Problem is that I find myself going to the toilet 3/4 times just before sleeping and is eating into my sleeping time.


Might try and have my last coffee earlier but doesn't work well with my work schedule.

SortingYouOut

Sip the water or it'll just fly through you, that's what works for me. If I chug, it's coming out the other end fast.

Might be worth looking at your diet as well and possible water retention. How's your salt intake? Could it be too low? Do you get headaches?

I know this is a tough one but caffeine will run you dry of water if you're drinking a lot and you could be more susceptible than others, it's just the way it is sometimes. Maybe try reducing that too. You could find that the energy you'll build thanks to proper hydration and electrolyte balance will shadow that quick bump coffee brings.

Cill94

Exactly what Peregrinus said. Your body is giving you pretty clear signals that you're drinking too much.

It's a common mistake for people to only consider plain water and forget about water intake from food and other fluids.

For those that want to increase their water intake and feel they may be dehydrated what makes you think that may be the case. What are the symptoms?

For me it's primarily a dry mouth.

Peregrinus

Deleted User wrote: »

For those that want to increase their water intake and feel they may be dehydrated what makes you think that may be the case. What are the symptoms?

For me it's primarily a dry mouth.

Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Frequent thirst
- Dark, smelly pee, and not a lot of it
- Dry mouth, eyes, nose
- Fatigue
- Light-headedness/dizziness

Since fatigue and dizziness can be caused by lots of things, if they're your only or main symptoms you wouldn't leap instantly to a diagnosis of dehydration. But if you've got the pee thing going on as well, yeah, dehydration. Drink more, and cut down on diuretics (like coffee). If that doesn't fix the problem fairly quickly, could be something else; go and get checked out by your GP.

Peregrinus

Peregrinus wrote: »

Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Frequent thirst
- Dark, smelly pee, and not a lot of it
- Dry mouth, eyes, nose
- Fatigue
- Light-headedness/dizziness

Since fatigue and dizziness can be caused by lots of things, if they're your only or main symptoms you wouldn't leap instantly to a diagnosis of dehydration. But if you've got the pee thing going on as well, yeah, dehydration. Drink more, and cut down on diuretics (like coffee). If that doesn't fix the problem fairly quickly, could be something else; go and get checked out by your GP.

Thanks, I and my GP(s) have been looking into this for years. I was more interested in hearing others symthoms.

Another of mine, being told when giving blood that I seem to be dehydrated. *sigh* I rarely have anything other than a clear stream, it doesn't last in me long enough I'd say, like most Irish people, no need to worry about having too little salt in my system.

SortingYouOut

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Thanks, I and my GP(s) have been looking into this for years. I was more interested in hearing others symthoms.

Another of mine, being told when giving blood that I seem to be dehydrated. *sigh* I rarely have anything other than a clear stream, it doesn't last in me long enough I'd say, like most Irish people, no need to worry about having too little salt in my system.

You can get a bladder and kidney Ultrasound done in Dublin for €130. You drink a litre of water an hour beforehand to allow a full bladder scan and then they do another after you urinate. Might be interesting to see what's going on down there and it's not too expensive for what it is.

SortingYouOut

SortingYouOut wrote: »

You can get a bladder and kidney Ultrasound done in Dublin for €130. You drink a litre of water an hour beforehand to allow a full bladder scan and then they do another after you urinate. Might be interesting to see what's going on down there and it's not too expensive for what it is.

Interesting - I'm in Dublin regularly, anywhere in particular?

SortingYouOut

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Interesting - I'm in Dublin regularly, anywhere in particular?

Medscan Ultrasound just off Leeson towards Merrion Square.

I needed a GP referral but mine was happy to do so.