Have you ever had water intoxication?

I’ve never had it. It’s possible to die from drinking too much water very quickly.

I caught the flu in Army basic training. They put me in the hospital. I was there for 3 days. I thought that I was going to die. I was delirious. I thought that I was in a night time battle against a hostile enemy with bombs going off (it was probably thunder and lightning). Anyway every 4 hours they made me get out of bed, walk down a flight of stairs, dink a quart of water, gargle with salt water and then walk up stairs to bed (of course I had to get back up to pee frequently). One time at 2 am was told to get up and go downstairs to drink another quart of water. I was sleepy and wanted to go back to bed as soon as possible so I drank the quart of water super fast and started to go back upstairs. The nurse didn’t believe that I drank a quart of water so fast and made me drink ANOTHER quart of water. It took me about 15 minutes to drink the additional quart of water.
Years later I learned that people have died from drinking too much water. I didn’t have a clue at the time. Just following orders as directed. HA!

Oh perhaps my nighttime delirium was a kind of water intoxication? I just figured it was the flu working on my brain.

@gondwanalon Wow. Thanks for sharing your story.

Not to an extreme degree, but yes. I was hungover and dehydrated and so I drank a ton of water. I think I depleted the salt level below what it was supposed to be. I think I remember feeling pain in all of my muscles and joints.

A number of years ago in, I believe, Calif, a radio station held a contest to see who could drink the most water the fastest, or maybe it was a certain amount of water the fastest. Anyway, a young woman died from it. I think they were sued but either won or it never went to court.

ain’t my memory the greatest? I could only give you one fact – that a woman died!

@smudges I think you’re referring to the Wee for Wii Contest. A jury awarded her family $16.5 million.

I have not experienced water intoxication. A friend’s son died in 2005 from drinking too much water as part of a fraternity hazing incident.

@gorillapaws Thanks! Yes, I think that’s it.

I don’t think I have.

I’ve heard of drinking too much water being problematic and potentially fatal.

I drink 2 gallons of water a day. In a word, Bloated!