How much water should I be drinking, really?
July 3, 2012 11:17 AM Subscribe
Help me figure out the eight glasses of water a day thing. Should it really be eight glasses? How to time them optimally?
For the past few months, I have been getting headaches around 3 in the afternoon, and usually after I eat something, they improve. I suspected perhaps the culprit was dehydration, so I made an effort to drink a cup of water before each meal, and at break times (I work in a school so my break times are very regimented; I have a few minutes between classes at around 10:15, then another break at 1, then I am booked solid until 2:30). So, that's 5 cups by 3ish, which should be enough if 8 cups is the goal for the day. Yet I still was getting the headaches.
A few weeks ago, we had a sports day where I was outside from 9ish to about 2 in mid-average but not extreme heat. I brought a water bottle with me, drank it and refilled it once. When we came back inside, it took me about two hours to stop feeling really hot, and my concerned co-workers pushed water on me a lot. I probably drank four more water bottles, still felt gross, and then went and had a giant frappuccino, at which point I felt semi-human again.
I used to be able to go all day without feeling thirsty at all, and I could go all day without the bathroom too. Now, in my advanced age (I am about to turn 35) I feel like I can't get away with this anymore. Clearly, I need to be drinking more water. But how much? How do I know when I am at the right level? How much extra should I have to compensate on days it is hot or I am more active?
Also, I am not sure if this is relevant or not, but my sister (who is 4 years older) just got told she is pre-diabetic, so I wonder if part of my declining-with-age ability to process fluids might be a sign of things to come. I feel okay, but I am mentioning this in the interests of comprehensiveness in case it is relevant or important.
For the past few months, I have been getting headaches around 3 in the afternoon, and usually after I eat something, they improve. I suspected perhaps the culprit was dehydration, so I made an effort to drink a cup of water before each meal, and at break times (I work in a school so my break times are very regimented; I have a few minutes between classes at around 10:15, then another break at 1, then I am booked solid until 2:30). So, that's 5 cups by 3ish, which should be enough if 8 cups is the goal for the day. Yet I still was getting the headaches.
A few weeks ago, we had a sports day where I was outside from 9ish to about 2 in mid-average but not extreme heat. I brought a water bottle with me, drank it and refilled it once. When we came back inside, it took me about two hours to stop feeling really hot, and my concerned co-workers pushed water on me a lot. I probably drank four more water bottles, still felt gross, and then went and had a giant frappuccino, at which point I felt semi-human again.
I used to be able to go all day without feeling thirsty at all, and I could go all day without the bathroom too. Now, in my advanced age (I am about to turn 35) I feel like I can't get away with this anymore. Clearly, I need to be drinking more water. But how much? How do I know when I am at the right level? How much extra should I have to compensate on days it is hot or I am more active?
Also, I am not sure if this is relevant or not, but my sister (who is 4 years older) just got told she is pre-diabetic, so I wonder if part of my declining-with-age ability to process fluids might be a sign of things to come. I feel okay, but I am mentioning this in the interests of comprehensiveness in case it is relevant or important.
I wonder if you're not going about this wrong. You tried drinking enough water, and it didn't cure the headaches. But the headaches improve after you eat/drink something. Is it possible that your problem isn't hydration, but blood-sugar levels?
When I'm being good about it, I fill a Nalgene bottle before I go in to work in the morning, sip it through the day, and refill it around 2:30-3:00. (This is also when I eat a small snack, because otherwise I'm drowsy and cranky and unfocused for an hour or so. Sound familiar?) That second bottle takes me through the rest of the day, into dinner, and I finish it off right before bed. The key is to have water available, so I don't have to think about it. It's right there by my monitor so I can take a sip whenever I want.
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:32 AM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
When I'm being good about it, I fill a Nalgene bottle before I go in to work in the morning, sip it through the day, and refill it around 2:30-3:00. (This is also when I eat a small snack, because otherwise I'm drowsy and cranky and unfocused for an hour or so. Sound familiar?) That second bottle takes me through the rest of the day, into dinner, and I finish it off right before bed. The key is to have water available, so I don't have to think about it. It's right there by my monitor so I can take a sip whenever I want.
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:32 AM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
Should it really be eight glasses?
No, that's a myth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_balance
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:32 AM on July 3, 2012 [16 favorites]
No, that's a myth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_balance
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:32 AM on July 3, 2012 [16 favorites]
The 8 cups of water thing is largely a myth, so I wouldn't worry so much about meeting an arbitrary number. Just try to listen to your body and drink water when you feel thirsty and you should be fine. Can you keep a large bottle of water at your desk throughout the day?
Like SMPA, however, I'm wondering if your real issue with the headaches is blood-sugar related, given than in both your examples above, you aren't feeling better without consuming actual calories.
posted by something something at 11:33 AM on July 3, 2012 [4 favorites]
Like SMPA, however, I'm wondering if your real issue with the headaches is blood-sugar related, given than in both your examples above, you aren't feeling better without consuming actual calories.
posted by something something at 11:33 AM on July 3, 2012 [4 favorites]
Headaches can be a caffeine thing, or blood sugar.
I try to have a bottle of water near me at all times so I don't reach for soda or something with sugar.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2012
I try to have a bottle of water near me at all times so I don't reach for soda or something with sugar.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2012
What color is your pee? That will tell you if you're drinking enough water.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:34 AM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
8 cups is just a myth. Drink however much you want. Pee regularly but not excessively (in # of trips, I don't mean volume).
You feeling better after eating is probably your blood sugar spiking from being low.
It sounds to me like you're drinking more than enough water. FYI, a cup is 8oz. A water bottle is often 16-24+ ozs. I know this might be obvious, but I have had people confused on the terminology before.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:40 AM on July 3, 2012
You feeling better after eating is probably your blood sugar spiking from being low.
It sounds to me like you're drinking more than enough water. FYI, a cup is 8oz. A water bottle is often 16-24+ ozs. I know this might be obvious, but I have had people confused on the terminology before.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:40 AM on July 3, 2012
Unless you're out in the heat doing physical labor there is little reason to force yourself to drink. Drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. That's why we get thirsty! As others have pointed out the 8 glasses a day thing is a myth, and in my opinion a pernicious one.
Forcing yourself to drink when you're not thirsty is like forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry; there are a few specific instances where you should do it but that's it.
posted by Justinian at 11:41 AM on July 3, 2012
Forcing yourself to drink when you're not thirsty is like forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry; there are a few specific instances where you should do it but that's it.
posted by Justinian at 11:41 AM on July 3, 2012
As an FYI, you can walk into any pharmacy and many department/warehouse stores and simply buy a blood glucose meter for around US$20 or less. This would let you track your blood sugar level to see if the times when you feel bad correspond with it being unusually low.
Untreated diabetes can result in polyuria - peeing unusually frequently as your body tries to dispose of excess sugar - which can then consequently result in dehydration.
posted by XMLicious at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2012
Untreated diabetes can result in polyuria - peeing unusually frequently as your body tries to dispose of excess sugar - which can then consequently result in dehydration.
posted by XMLicious at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2012
Is it possible your headaches are due to caffeine withdrawal? You might need more water also, but if it went away after a frappuccino, maybe it's not just needing water.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:46 AM on July 3, 2012
posted by A Terrible Llama at 11:46 AM on July 3, 2012
If the frappuccino made you feel better, I suspect your headaches are from caffeine withdrawal. Do you sometimes drink coffee or soda in the afternoon? If so, you might be missing that on some days which gives you a headache. There's a reason headache medicine has caffeine in it!
posted by katypickle at 11:59 AM on July 3, 2012
posted by katypickle at 11:59 AM on July 3, 2012
If your sister is pre-diabetic, chances are that you are too. Why not discuss this possibility with your doctor?
posted by Cranberry at 12:21 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by Cranberry at 12:21 PM on July 3, 2012
Sounds like my hypoglycemia not dehydration, I get wicked headaches (and migraines in fact) when I don't eat often enough. Drinking the water is good, but you need a snack around your 2:30 break would be my guess, and you might want to check your lunch, try to get more protein in that (lasts longer).
posted by katers890 at 12:26 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by katers890 at 12:26 PM on July 3, 2012
Too much salt intake can cause headaches.
Salt also makes you thirsty.
Have you tried monitoring your sodium mg per day?
posted by oink at 12:28 PM on July 3, 2012
Salt also makes you thirsty.
Have you tried monitoring your sodium mg per day?
posted by oink at 12:28 PM on July 3, 2012
You're well-hydrated when your urine is clear and copious. Pay attention to your pee for a week or two, and figure out how much you personally have to drink to stay well-hydrated. If you're still getting headaches after that, then you know the root of your problem is something else. Also: your body needs electrolytes as well as water, and your body can't process huge amounts of water all at once. So make sure that you're eating enough if you're upping your water intake, and remember that generally speaking it's better to take sips of water throughout the day than chugging an entire water bottle once every two hours.
posted by colfax at 12:39 PM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by colfax at 12:39 PM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
I have a salt wasting condition which also tends to cause blood sugar problems and puts,me at high risk of developing diabetes. I used to really struggle with hydration. I found that getting adequate salt and other electrolytes plus the right fats reduced my tendency to be dehydrated.
Just last week I had a crisis where I got dehydrated and developed a headache and began feeling like puking. I wasn't able to get it resolved until I sat down with bread and salted butter and ate heavily buttered bread until I had gotten about three ounces of butter into me, which is quite a bit of butter. I washed it down with lots of diet coke. Then my hydration issue and headache finally cleared up.
In addition to electrolytes and fats impacting how your body handles water, caffeine, alcohol, and medication can dehydrate you. So it isn't a static number. It depends on a lot of factors.
As others have mentioned, diabetes can impact this as well. Articles I have seen indicate inflammation is related to diabetes. My condition is an inflammatory condition. So I have worked really hard on controlling inflammation. One of the consequences is that my blood sugar is more stable than it used to be.
posted by Michele in California at 12:51 PM on July 3, 2012
Just last week I had a crisis where I got dehydrated and developed a headache and began feeling like puking. I wasn't able to get it resolved until I sat down with bread and salted butter and ate heavily buttered bread until I had gotten about three ounces of butter into me, which is quite a bit of butter. I washed it down with lots of diet coke. Then my hydration issue and headache finally cleared up.
In addition to electrolytes and fats impacting how your body handles water, caffeine, alcohol, and medication can dehydrate you. So it isn't a static number. It depends on a lot of factors.
As others have mentioned, diabetes can impact this as well. Articles I have seen indicate inflammation is related to diabetes. My condition is an inflammatory condition. So I have worked really hard on controlling inflammation. One of the consequences is that my blood sugar is more stable than it used to be.
posted by Michele in California at 12:51 PM on July 3, 2012
It sounds like low blood sugar to me, as well. I agree with the people who thought talking with your doctor might not be a bad idea.
I also agree with the people who suggested looking at your lunches. Anecdotally, I found my low blood sugar issues became less annoying when I switched to a diet that's lower in refined carbs and sugars and higher in vegetable fats and whole grains. I'm eating the same calories (roughly) but having a much easier time with low blood sugars.
posted by pie ninja at 12:51 PM on July 3, 2012
I also agree with the people who suggested looking at your lunches. Anecdotally, I found my low blood sugar issues became less annoying when I switched to a diet that's lower in refined carbs and sugars and higher in vegetable fats and whole grains. I'm eating the same calories (roughly) but having a much easier time with low blood sugars.
posted by pie ninja at 12:51 PM on July 3, 2012
Even marathoners shouldn't be drinking a ton of water. The linked article basically says, drink if you're thirsty not before.
posted by vespabelle at 1:10 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by vespabelle at 1:10 PM on July 3, 2012
My body's on a pretty regular 24-hour caffeine schedule. My daily 1pm Diet Coke usually does the trick, but if my lunch is even 1/2 hour or so late, I start feeling icky. Or if I get a morning iced coffee on a Sunday, even if I have a lunchtime Diet Coke that day, I get headachy on Monday mornings. Sometimes the Diet Coke solves the problem, sometimes the headache lingers on through the afternoon, but mine are almost always caffeine-related. Excedrin works really well for me if my headaches linger, but sometimes slamming a Mountain Dew is the only thing that really kicks it.
posted by jabes at 1:44 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by jabes at 1:44 PM on July 3, 2012
I had this too. Always headaches from what I thought was dehydration. I then switched to a low sodium high vegetable diet and those headaches were totally gone. I was really surprised by that because I started the diet for other reasons and had not considered that my headaches were diet related because I didn't see any relationship between foods I ate one day and headaches the next day.
posted by blub at 2:08 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by blub at 2:08 PM on July 3, 2012
Once you figure out the right amount of water per day for you, allow me to share a tip. A pal used to carry around a water bottle that he'd marked with levels and times of day. So he'd intermittently check the clock, then his bottle, realised he hadn't drunk the water he was meant to drink by 11am or whatever, and get on with it. Hydration reminders!
posted by mooza at 4:43 PM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by mooza at 4:43 PM on July 3, 2012 [2 favorites]
The fact that you're urinating more frequently these days does not mean that you have a 'decreased ability to process fluids'. Good urine output is a good thing and it means your kidneys are working! The fact that you went all day without urinating previously makes it sound like you weren't very well hydrated before. Now, if you feel like as soon as you get the urge to go, you have to get to a bathroom immediately, that is more likely to be something like urge incontinence, which affects many women as they get older (and has nothing to do with diabetes).
If type 2 diabetes runs in your family it's a good idea to get checked for it if you are overweight, but kidney disease from diabetes comes years and years after the diagnosis of diabetes. Drinking a lot and urinating a lot can be a sign your blood sugars are high due to new onset or exacerbation of diabetes, but it doesn't sound like you're drinking or urinating an unusual amount.
I will also add that caffeine treats multiple kinds of headaches, not just headaches from caffeine withdrawal. That is why it is in headache medications. IANYD.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:18 PM on July 3, 2012
If type 2 diabetes runs in your family it's a good idea to get checked for it if you are overweight, but kidney disease from diabetes comes years and years after the diagnosis of diabetes. Drinking a lot and urinating a lot can be a sign your blood sugars are high due to new onset or exacerbation of diabetes, but it doesn't sound like you're drinking or urinating an unusual amount.
I will also add that caffeine treats multiple kinds of headaches, not just headaches from caffeine withdrawal. That is why it is in headache medications. IANYD.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:18 PM on July 3, 2012
I was having the same problem, and was sure it couldn't be caffeine related because I only had regular coffee once or twice a week.
How EVER, once I switched to all decaf, they went away! I can't even tell you how excited I was.
posted by exceptinsects at 7:04 PM on July 3, 2012
How EVER, once I switched to all decaf, they went away! I can't even tell you how excited I was.
posted by exceptinsects at 7:04 PM on July 3, 2012
Best answer: Just as anecdata, I used to not drink very much liquids, but I did eat soup regularly etc.
I was fine, I didn't get headaches, and I never managed 8 cups in one day, because that much liquid made me feel a little nauseous. Even when I was at Burning Man in the desert in Nevada, where I dutifully carried a camelbak with dilute electrolyte mix in it, I don't think I managed 8 glasses, but felt fine (other people complained about the harsh conditions - I had a comfortable week, and seriously, I could have stayed there for a month, easily).
Note: I've never sweated much either.
Then... I got the kind of office job where getting up and getting water regularly was a welcome break from boredom, and I figured I should 'be drinking more', so I got into the habit where I do manage to drink quite a few (probably still less than 8) cups of water a day.
What happens now?
If I don't drink water on a given day, or the weekend - I get headaches! I never used to get them!
I can only conclude, that the body is very, very good at achieving homeostasis.
If you are healthy, and drink a lot of water, your kidneys will just excrete it. If you are used to drinking less, your body will conserve the water you have more efficiently.
If you suddenly change the normal routine, your water/salt/electrolyte balance will go out of whack, until your body recovers.
If it is just mild headaches, then I think you should investigate the cause a bit more - too much/too little salt, potassium, caffeine, food etc.
5 cups is enough water, given you aren't doing anything dehydrating, that it seems unlikely that dehydration is the culprit, especially since you haven't suddenly decreased the amount you drink.
If it gets more serious, or lingers, then yeah, talk to a Dr, but at this stage, try keeping a food/drink diary for a week, and then eliminate the possible causes, one by one.
posted by Elysum at 7:27 PM on July 3, 2012
I was fine, I didn't get headaches, and I never managed 8 cups in one day, because that much liquid made me feel a little nauseous. Even when I was at Burning Man in the desert in Nevada, where I dutifully carried a camelbak with dilute electrolyte mix in it, I don't think I managed 8 glasses, but felt fine (other people complained about the harsh conditions - I had a comfortable week, and seriously, I could have stayed there for a month, easily).
Note: I've never sweated much either.
Then... I got the kind of office job where getting up and getting water regularly was a welcome break from boredom, and I figured I should 'be drinking more', so I got into the habit where I do manage to drink quite a few (probably still less than 8) cups of water a day.
What happens now?
If I don't drink water on a given day, or the weekend - I get headaches! I never used to get them!
I can only conclude, that the body is very, very good at achieving homeostasis.
If you are healthy, and drink a lot of water, your kidneys will just excrete it. If you are used to drinking less, your body will conserve the water you have more efficiently.
If you suddenly change the normal routine, your water/salt/electrolyte balance will go out of whack, until your body recovers.
If it is just mild headaches, then I think you should investigate the cause a bit more - too much/too little salt, potassium, caffeine, food etc.
5 cups is enough water, given you aren't doing anything dehydrating, that it seems unlikely that dehydration is the culprit, especially since you haven't suddenly decreased the amount you drink.
If it gets more serious, or lingers, then yeah, talk to a Dr, but at this stage, try keeping a food/drink diary for a week, and then eliminate the possible causes, one by one.
posted by Elysum at 7:27 PM on July 3, 2012
the ultimate cause(s) of your headache aside, you're question is about how much water to drink. i like to use my pee as a barometer (har har). you should drink enough water so that your pee is light yellow or clear. when it's that way your kidneys aren't trying to conserve water so you know that you don't need any more.
posted by cupcake1337 at 8:08 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by cupcake1337 at 8:08 PM on July 3, 2012
Proper hydration is not a myth. The only thing that is a "myth" is that it's eight glasses a day universally.
posted by gjc at 6:41 AM on July 4, 2012
posted by gjc at 6:41 AM on July 4, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
I suspect you may be having headaches related to whacked-out blood sugar and/or caffeine withdrawal, however. Drinking a ton of liquid, still feeling like crap, then drinking a frappuccino and felling fine? The stuff you added with that last drink is mostly sugar and caffeine. Easy way to test this: Wait for a headache. Try drinking a bunch, waiting half an hour, and then taking a pain reliever with caffeine added. If it works - it was probably caffeine withdrawal; try to cut back on the caffeine slowly and evenly rather than having big jolts periodically. If it doesn't work, try eating a handful of crackers. If they work, it was blood sugar - eat smaller meals more often. If nothing works, you need to drink a bunch more water and get a doctor's appointment.
I generally add an extra 20 ounces of water for every 15 minutes of heavy sweat, or 30 minutes of light sweat - that's independent of whether I'm sweating because it's hot outside or because I'm sick or because I've been exercising. I treat 15 minutes of swimming in a pool or salt water as 15 minutes of heavy sweat, because I always end out ridiculously uncomfortable if I don't.
(I run thirsty, and always have, even when every single blood test result was dead center where it should be. These things are different for every single person.)
posted by SMPA at 11:26 AM on July 3, 2012