My mother drinks a ton of water daily! Probably close to a gallon. Is this too much?

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My mother drinks a ton of water daily! Probably close to a gallon. Is this too much?

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She has to urinate constantly! She wears Poise pads and sometimes diapers. I tell her not to drink as much in the evening because she has to pee all night long. I feel badly for her. The doctor offered her a script but she doesn't want it. I tried putting a lot of ice so it isn't as much water but she doesn't want the ice. She has never had a UTI though. She is well hydrated. Any suggestions?

Hydration Incontinence Urinary Incontinence

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Polydipsea (excessive thirst) and polyuria (excessive need to urinate) can be signs of diabetes.

Drinking too much water can cause water intoxication.

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Thanks for reply,
That's interesting. Have always heard how good water is for you. She doesn't have diabetes. Thank God, she has enough to deal with, Parkinson's Disease, arthritis, edema, old age stuff...

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Your kidneys can eliminate about 5.3-7.4 gallons (20-28 liters) of water a day, but they can't get rid of more than 27-33 ounces (0.8-1.0 liters) per hour (14, 15). Therefore, in order to avoid hyponatremia symptoms, you should not drink more than 27-33 ounces (0.8-1.0 liters) of water per hour, on average

I myself drink over a gallon of water a day. I think the problem would be if she drinks that much and doesn't pee so much, IMO

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Thanks smeshque,

I don’t drink enough water. I’m a coffee lover. I need to drink more water. Coffee doesn’t quench your thirst like water. I have often feel dehydrated. Please tell me if you feel better drinking a lot of water. My mother loves her water. She only drinks one or two cups of coffee. Mom sips her water all day. She doesn’t guzzle it.

Call me crazy but when a study said that lots of coffee could help in preventing Parkinson’s disease I was glad to be a coffee lover. I don’t want to get Parkinson’s disease like my mom. Her neurologist said it can run in families. My uncle had it too. He lived to be 96. Mom is 93. It’s a tough disease but thankfully hers has progressed slowly. I hope it doesn’t get severe like my uncle had before he died.

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

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Here's what the mayo clinic has to say:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

Could some of her medications be causing dry mouth? If that is the problem there are remedies for that.

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Oh, never thought about that. Thanks cwille. She takes Sinamet for Parkinson's disease, a statin as a stroke prevention thing, baby aspirin, cod liver oil pills, senior vitamins, calcium, vitamin b, biotin for hair, skin and nails. She's not on a lot of meds. She doesn't even take blood pressure pills. Her doctor says it is common for Parkinson's patients to have low blood pressure, not high.

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How long ago was it that they checked her blood sugar? I'd do it again. Excessive thirst like that is just not normal, though, i know some people who intentionally drink large amounts of water per day because they are under some kind of misguided belief that there is some magic in it or that it will make them lose weight. But, if she's just doing it because she says she's thirsty, I'd really explore blood sugar again.Does she take any meds for sinus or allergies?

If medical or med reasons are ruled out, I'd wonder if this is some kind of hyper focus or obsession. Some seniors may get focused on one thing and it seems they can't let go of it. For example, the weather, neighbors, their pets, mail order items, bowel movements, etc.

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Sunny,

I go to her doctor appointments with her. If you think I should mention it to check her sugar again, I can do that. Just seems like she always sips on her water. She loves her water!

She likes having her containers full. I refill all day. Even joked with her about putting a water dispenser in her room!

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I really would have it checked, especially if it's been more than a few months. Diabetes can hit at any time and maybe, since her last test. It's not my understanding that the doctor routinely checks blood glucose, unless there are symptoms. I'd ask though.

Type I or Type II could be a culprit. Perhaps, diabetes symptoms get my attention so much, because, I was hit with Type I with the classic symptoms. EXTREME thirst and constant urination. It's the kind of thirst that is painful. Hard to describe, but, it can't be quenched, no matter how much you drink. It's painful. Also, other symptoms, blurred vision, dry skin, increased hunger, unexplained weight loss, etc. I had to insist my doctor check my BG. They were SHOCKED.

If you have a blood meter, you can check it yourself, but, that's no substitute for the doctor's test. And, it could be that she's just fixated on it. Some people love having a toothpick all the time or sucking on mints. Maybe, it's just a quirk and she's fine. lol I hope so.

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Too much water can effect the salt in the body and electrolytes. It can also overwork the kidneys. She is actually drinking 2x the daily requirement. What does the doctor say.

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At one point I even told her that I needed to put a water dispenser in her room. Her room is far away from the kitchen, I walk back and forth all day. I try to get her to eat at the table more but if she wants to eat early then I am not going to drag her away from The Young and The Restless! She loves that show and tells me all about it. I think it is company for her. She has favorite characters in it, It's the only one she watches. She likes the old stuff like Golden Girls, Sometime she watches cooking shows. On Sunday she will watch mass on television.

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Disclaimer:. I'm a hairstylist not a Dr. That said. Years ago I did hair at an ALF once a week and they had a woman they had to constantly watch(not sure why she wasn't in a NH) to make sure she didn't drink too much water. She somehow drank so much in such a short time that she messed up her electrolyte balance.

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I don’t know much about electrolytes. Will look into that with mom’s doctor. Thanks.

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From My Own Very Personal Experience: Diabetes can (seem to) develop near-instantly, especially since, IME, many doctors believe that fairly high glucose levels are perfectly OK ... until they aren't.

I'm Type 2. Prior to diagnosis (in an ER) my major symptoms were *voracious* thirst and brain fog. At that time, I pretty much lived on ice-water and fruit juice(!).

At least, pure fruit juice has electrolytes. But otherwise, for me, it's poison.

While your mother's diabetes is being ruled out (or in), potential dry-mouth causes can, and should, also be addressed.

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Wow! Wonder how that happens. Diabetes is a difficult disease to figure out. Thanks for the information. I will speak to mom’s doctor.

I am not sure about the dry mouth. She hasn’t mentioned it but she does drink an awful lot of water.

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Just thought of this...your mom has dementia? I ask because the part of her brain could tell her that she is thirsty even if her body is not sending the signal to the brain to drink water. In other words, her brain may be the cause due to dementia.

Cells in the body will tell the brain that they are thirsty and the brain then tells us to go and get a drink. We drink enough water to wear the brain gets the signal that the cells are happy! At least in that moment then it starts up all over again! Cells need water to take to other organs in the body.

Always remember that cells have to eat and drink this is why we eat and drink! I like to think of our cells as little living creators. It has always helped me to remember that all we are at the core of our physical self our cells making up our bodies. Does that make sense?

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Shell,

Not that I know of but again I need to address all possibilities with her doctor. She sips on her water all day long!

My mother drinks a ton of water daily! Probably close to a gallon. Is this too much?

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