Lethal dose of water

[Supernick]

I once misheard an advert that said you should have 7 glasses of water a day and instead had 7 litres of water a day, which I did for about a week. Other than having to run to the toilet every 5 minutes there were no adverse affects, but how much water consumtion is unhealthy, and can you have a lethal dose? If so how would it kill you?

[undercovers]

Kill you it will - Water intoxication occurs when a person drinks so much water - a minimum of three litres - that the blood becomes diluted... more and you run the risk of death. see the case of leah betts, she drank too much water after taking exctasy and sadly died http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/drugxtc1.html

[Loosehead]

Yep, 7 litres in a day, whilst excessive will be ok. But try it in an hour and say Goodbye!

[smudge]

I can just about manage 2 litres of water a day - but wouldn't do without it.

[spainlads]

A friend had kidney problems and the doctor told her to drink 45 litres of water a day. She drank, and drank and drank, but there was no way she could drink the 45 litres a day. So she went back to the doctor and explained. The doctor just burst out laughing "Not 45, 4 to 5 litres a day".

[Kishimo]

I'm not very sure if this is true, but apparently there was an incident involving a young be being forced to drink excessive amounts of water, and yes I think he died.  Something to do with water on the brain, I heard. 

Then again, I don't know if it's true, so....you know....

[Octavius]

See here....

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Question84264.html

[gingerflaps]

yes it can kill you..... that was what happened to the young girl who took an xtc pill several yrs ago. her name was leah betts. much to popular belief, it wasnt the pill that killed her but the amount of water she drank because she herd that u can 'flush' the tablet out of ur system by drinkin water!!!