The Heart and water......... | Page 2 | SouthernPaddler.com

The Heart and water.........

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I queried a friend of mine who is a Senior Flight Surgeon. His response follows:
"water restriction is the usual treatment along with electrolyte replacement. It is called psychogenic polydipsia."

So, it appears that if we, or a companion, drink ourselves into oblivion with just water, then treatment is, 1. Stop drinking water for awhile. And, 2. Take some electrolytes. Salt works fine. Doesn't sound all that difficult to me.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
If a person out on a hike get's thirsty and decides to drink as much as he or she can and the following happens , that sounds rather serious to me.

If you dilute the blood too much, the brain and muscles can fail, resulting in COMA or HEART ATTACK and death. Both of those symptoms usually leave a person unable to move or do any type of self rescue.

A good reason to have something salty with the water or just enjoy an electrolyte drink like Gator-aid , without the vodka in it. One trip two guys were drinking Gator aid as they paddled along , later we found out that Gatoraid had a lot of Vodka in it. That was there last trip with us.
We don't drink alcohol when paddling , that is for around the campfire later on.
 

mike

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2009
694
9
TEXAS!
High school student dies after drinking 2 gallons of water and 2 gallons of gatorade after football practice. LINK
 

catfish

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2007
996
3
jesup, ga.
chuck I hadn't really read this post a lot and understood it but was looking back on jul 11th post and it makes a lot of sense now the electrolytes. :shock: :?: guess that's why doctors recommend the peadealite to infants and little ones? like some of yal said I don't see how any one could drink 2 to 4 gals at one time. I know you supposed to drink 64 ounces I believe daily but even I don't drink that much every day? like now during summer at work I drink water at lunch and during the day if I get hot, coffee at breakfast and in morning at work and tea at home but sometimes I don't know even if I meet my requirement daily?
I eat bananas but not all the time. I like sunflower seeds which at times I probably get to much salt from them at times so I probably keep necessary salt required in the body ? used to drink gator aid, I guess I need to start back at least during the summer months. this may also explain why you get a bad head ache sometimes if you get too hot?
 

tx river rat

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2007
3,043
2
Waco Tx
I use to do a lot of high pressure steam pipe work in some local plants,we were working thirty five foot above the floor and against the ceiling ,with all the machines running belching live steam every 45 second it averaged 110 degrees on the floor. at 35 ft it was between 150 and 160 degrees then you put on leather gloves ,leather sleeves and a hood over your face then you light a fire and start welding. Yep I yhave seen the time I drank in excess of three gallons in a day of water ,gator aid or anything else I could get my hands on.
Yep I did procreate and didnt die , guess I am like Jack cheated death again.
Sorry Jack
Ron