Hydration versus Overhydration

[John Davis]

For those of us who are IC, there may be a fine line between hydration and over-hydration.   We are told that we should be well-hydrated and that this is important for those of us who are IC as it reduces urine odor and urge.  

As I also suffer from chronic severe constipation (which causes overflow FI), I am told to be especially well hydrated.

Of course, this means extra diapers and the time and money associated with that.  Unfortunately, even physicians do not agree on what "well-hydrated" is.  

What is your daily intake of water and coffee, sodas, etc.?  Why did you decide on that level of hydration? How do you see the pros and cons?

--John

[emily1890]

clearly I don't drink enough

 

the stinky pees I've been doing in my diapers lately are a sure sign.

 

I try and drink quite regular.. I have a drink at breakfast, one at lunchtime, one with dinner, and, I have one on my table in case I need one in the night

[Slomo]

Actually, they do. The World Health Organization, US Surgeon general, and others, all agree that every adult should be taking in 2 liters of liquids per day, PLUS adding on to that based on an individuals weight, temperature, humidity, level of activity, and so on.

When I was in Marine Corps boot camp (Paris Island, South Carolina, in July), we easily drank 8+ liters per day and never came close to overhydrating. Though if we had tried drinking all of that in an hour or two we likely would have. That's because overhydrating is grossly over estemated for what it takes and in reality is quite difficult for most people to achieve.

Now though, I usually take in about 2 liters per day. That includes a cup or two of light brewed coffee, some milk, a little alcohol at night, and mostly flavored water. So I'm probably a little under hydrated but feel I'm good enough since my pee only has a slight yellow tint to it. Yeah it should be clear or nearly clear, but meh...

[zzyzx]

For me, I have quarterly blood draws, and one of the items in the list in the test results will show if I'm not hydrating enough.....  And when the big boy was trying to kick in and get dry nights, it showed up in those tests.  At this point, I would say I either stay normally hydrated, and sometimes drink a bit more (like when I've been sweating) and get slightly more hydrated and see the results in the morning.

[John Davis]

I have mentioned that not all authorities agree on the recommended daily intake of water.  In recent data, Mayo Clinic notes that the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.  About 80% of that comes from water and the rest from food.

So, the 80% that comes from water and other fluids would mean about 12.4 cups of fluids (99 oz.) per day for men and about 9.2 cups (73.6 oz.) per day for women.

The 12 cups per day for men is close to what I am averaging.

All sources note that the figures must be adjusted for weight, level of activity, ambient temperature, etc.

[MichaelD]

I think these calculation are a nice reference point - but you can see that yourself. If you don't take any urine-discoloring drugs now, you can simply look at the color of your urine. 

Almost transparent: Too much liquid
Light yellow: enough liquid
Dark yellow: too little liquit

 

[Slomo]

On 6/21/2023 at 7:37 AM, John Davis said:

I have mentioned that not all authorities agree on the recommended daily intake of water.  In recent data, Mayo Clinic notes that the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.  About 80% of that comes from water and the rest from food.

So, the 80% that comes from water and other fluids would mean about 12.4 cups of fluids (99 oz.) per day for men and about 9.2 cups (73.6 oz.) per day for women.

The 12 cups per day for men is close to what I am averaging.

All sources note that the figures must be adjusted for weight, level of activity, ambient temperature, etc.

Right, I did simplify it. They all agree 2 liters per day is a minimum, but the upper range does vary wildly on a slew of factors.

[Slomo]

4 hours ago, MichaelD said:

I think these calculation are a nice reference point - but you can see that yourself. If you don't take any urine-discoloring drugs now, you can simply look at the color of your urine. 

Almost transparent: Too much liquid
Light yellow: enough liquid
Dark yellow: too little liquit

 

That's close to the basic understanding I get from the recommendations too. Though I believe your estimating is a little off. As I understand it, it should be more like this:

Crystal clear: too much water, ok to cut back some

Almost transparent: well hydrated, keep it just like that

Light yellow: slightly dehydrated, you should probably drink more

Yellow: dehydrated, you need to drink a LOT more.

Dark yellow: severly dehydrated, get yourself to the hospital.