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1. feivel
   talmid

   a few years ago i drank massive amounts of water Erev Yom Kippur (maybe 8 liters)
   i had a very severe headache the next morning. turns out it was 'hyponatremia" a dilution of the concentration of sodium (and other critical atoms) in the bloodstream.

   worst headache i ever had

   turns out hyonatremia can be FATAL, lo aleynu, even if caused (it has many causes) by drinking too much water.

   i once read a case report in the medical literature of a man who drank water all day long, for a few days, because it helped his toothache. he died from hyponatremia

   this is not an urban legend

   Posted 4 years ago #

2. Joseph
   Sometimes A Bit Over The Right

   Feivel, How much water did you consume that Erev Yom Kippur?

   Posted 4 years ago #

3. feivel
   talmid

   joseph

   from last post:
   "(maybe 8 liters)"

   but i really dont remember
   i just recall forcing more and more water down, as much as i could stand, about every hour. i didnt measure it.
   if someone tries to drink Erev Yom Kippur much more that usual but stays within reason, i dont think there would be a problem. i was clearly acting beyond the realm of reasonableness.

   Posted 4 years ago #

4. anon for this
   Member

   Feivel wrote that he drank around 8 liters; since a liter is about a quart he drank about 2 gallons.

   Of course hyponatremia, also called water intoxiaction, is not an urban legend. A woman died of it about two years ago after participating in a contest held by a radio station (contestants were encouraged to drink as much water as possible without using the bathroom).

   Thanks for this warning.

   Posted 4 years ago #

5. squeak
   Makes smalltalk with the two most sandy ectoplasmic beings on Earth (not to mention the Man on the Moon).

   I think he said, close to one gallon (since they don't use liters in Queens County).

   Posted 4 years ago #

6. Pashuteh Yid
   Modern Chareidi Zionist

   Was told by a physician that if you try to drink extra water before a fast when you are not thirsty, you will excrete it all and then some shortly thereafter, so not a good idea.

   Posted 4 years ago #

7. feivel
   talmid

   since people are interested:
   it was many years ago
   trying to reconstruct it in terms of gallons
   was probably between 2-3 gallons

   pahuteh Yid
   according to my recollection of kidney physiology, i disagree with what your physician said
   most will be excreted within a few hours, but it will not pull extra water with it, and some of the water will oversaturate the tissues and its excretion will be much later. anecdotally also, i believe it does help (not a proof)

   Posted 4 years ago #

8. mariner
   Member

   Water intoxication (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.[1] Normal, healthy (both physically and nutritionally) individuals have little to worry about accidentally consuming too much water. Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume more than 10 liters (3 gallons) of water over the course of just a few minutes, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet massive amounts of fluid are still consumed.

   the rest is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

   Posted 4 years ago #

9. Feif Un
   Proud Modern Orthodox

   There was a case of this last year that was highly publicized - a radio station held a water-drinking contest, and someone died. A doctor said it was because of the electrolyte balance being off. All you have to do is drink something with electrolytes, such as Powerade, and you'll be ok.

   Posted 4 years ago #

10. Mayan_Dvash
    Member

    The right answer would be BALANCE. e.g. chase your water with a little power-ade type of drink.

    Posted 4 years ago #

11. nameless
    Member

    They say to drink water with lemon juice before the fast. Apparantly the lemon keeps the fluid in the body for a long period of time.

    Posted 4 years ago #

12. ZachKessin
    Member

    Also drinking a HUGE amount of water probably won't do you a a lot of good, your body will just get rid of it in the normal way. But do drink some extra!

    Posted 4 years ago #

13. yoshi
    Member

    This is a great point to bring up, because many people don't think you can "over" drink fluids. A fast is going to be hard, whether you drink a lot or not, but to make it a bit more bearable, make sure the day Before Yom Kippur, you eat sufficient amounts of nutrients that your body needs. Also, take in extra electrolytes (sodium or potassium)(many sport drink companies started selling sugar free sport drinks, although sport drinks don't contain as much electrolytes as one thinks), B-vitamins , and healthy Carbs (brown rice, whole grains).

    Posted 4 years ago #

14. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    In honor of Tisha B'Av:

    SiBi™
    Say i Bumbed it™!

    Posted 10 months ago #

15. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    MODS: Maybe you can change the title to "Yom Kippur?Tisha B'Av Warning!"?

    SiDi™

    Posted 10 months ago #

16. The Chassidishe Gatesheader
    Member

    "MODS: Maybe you can change the title to "Yom Kippur?Tisha B'Av Warning!"?"

    I second that.

    Posted 10 months ago #

17. moskidoodle
    Roy G. Biv™

    You had your finger on the SHIFT key when you pressed /

    Posted 10 months ago #

18. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    Yes I did. Lets try again:

    MODS: Maybe you can change the title to "Yom Kippur/Tisha B'Av Warning!"?

    And The Chassidishe Gatesheader agrees!

    SiDi™

    Posted 10 months ago #

19. Rough Rider
    Member

    poland spring not poland summer

    Posted 10 months ago #

20. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    Thanks Mod(s?)!! You're the greatest!!!

    SiDi™

    Posted 10 months ago #

21. Curiosity
    Not a cat person

    Yup, I was also told by a nutritionist that if you want to be totally hydrated for a fast, you should start drinking the proper daily amounts two weeks in advance. Chugging a ton of water erev-fast is counterproductive because you can't absorb it fast enough, and it causes you to wash out your electrolytes that conduct nerve impulses from the brain.

    Posted 10 months ago #

22. YW Moderator-42
    Life, The Coffee Room, and Subtitles.

    Interesting side note, some people nowadays have started using pills that supposedly make fasting easier. This year, it might be problematic to take that pill before the fast since that could be hachona on Shabbos for after.

    Posted 10 months ago #

23. The Chassidishe Gatesheader
    Member

    Mods - maybe you can make this thread sticky until after Yom Kippur?

    Posted 10 months ago #

24. moskidoodle
    Roy G. Biv™

    Mods - maybe you can make this thread sticky until after Yom Kippur?

    I like that idea. Mods please sticky this.

    Posted 10 months ago #

25. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    The Chassidishe Gatesheader: I don't like sticky threads. Nobody notices them! Before Y"K we can Bump™ the thread again!

    SiBi™

    Posted 10 months ago #

26. mw13
    Member

    If you would drink powerade or gatorade, which contains sodium and electrolytes, along with the water I would imagine that would help avoid hyponatremia (though I have absolutely no medical experience, only guessing).

    Posted 10 months ago #

27. SayIDidIt™
    Member

    SayIBumpedIt™

    Posted 10 months ago #

28. Sam2
    The Even-Keeled and Erudite Shmuely Wollenberger from Las Vegas

    mw13: It helps, but too much of those can cause it also. I believe the experts say don't drink more than 3 times your normal water intake. And if you drank a ton and start to feel thirstier every time you drink, do NOT drink more and call a doctor immediately.

    Posted 10 months ago #

29. Health
    Member

    Sam - I don't drink excessively before a fast and not really any more than normal. Chazal/Torah got it right -they said to eat Erev YK. And this principle would apply to other fasts. Foods contain water. Some people eat pasta and/or other complex carbs that take a long time to digest. As these things are slowly digesting they release water. Excessive drinking beforehand can cause Health problems. But I do drink a lot after the fast. I try to start with a Powerade/Gatorade. But this year -I'm gonna start with a Beer!

    Posted 9 months ago #

30. The_Cool_Jew
    '=Moishy'

    BUMP!!

    Posted 7 months ago #

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