I wound up in hospital after drinking 8 litres of water daily

I was living by the rule that if a little was good, a lot must be better (Picture: Sian Dennis)

With fumbling fingers, I quickly cobbled together a message to my mum. 

‘Something is seriously wrong,’ I wrote. 

My mind was foggy. My stomach bloated. My heart hammered. And I had no idea why. 

For weeks, there had been signs that something wasn’t quite right with me. I had a persistent headache that I brushed off as stress, a sluggish feeling in my muscles, and a bone-deep exhaustion that sleep couldn’t touch.   

Yet, I thought, if I doubled down on ‘healthy’ habits, if I kept doing the ‘right’ things – getting better sleep, eating nutritious food, exercising daily, and, above all, staying hydrated – I would feel better. 

I was living by the rule that if a little was good, a lot must be better. But the more water I drank, the worse I felt. 

Then, one Monday evening in April 2025, I was overtaken by an overwhelming wave of nausea and dizziness that felt as if I were dragging myself through wet sand. I feared I’d collapse if I stood up and so, in a panic, I texted my mum and called 111. 

I thought I was taking care of myself (Picture: Sian Dennis)

My voice slurred, and I struggled to steady my thoughts as I explained my symptoms. I was advised to head to the hospital immediately.  

Within the hour, my mum was driving me and I was frightened, but more than that, I was baffled. 

I didn’t drink alcohol, always ate my five-a-day and attended regular Pilates classes. And, of course, I was comfortably gulping down at least eight litres of water a day. 

So why did my body feel like it was shutting down? 

As the paramedic on duty put it, I was internally drowning. In other words, I had water intoxication.  

Though I was fortunate that it was caught in time, and was able to go home that same night, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, ashamed, and strangely guilty.  

I thought I was taking care of myself, when in reality, by chasing ‘health’ and wellness, I’d pushed my body to the brink. Had I known about or heard of this condition before, perhaps I would have thought twice before upping my water intake. 

Yet I’m far from an anomaly. 

Because the conversation is always about dehydration – the fear being that we’re not drinking enough – we rarely hear about, nor does anyone warn you, how drinking too much can be just as perilous. 

What’s even more terrifying is how much overhydration is encouraged online. Influencers show off how many litres they’ve chugged by lunchtime and giant water bottles have become something akin to a badge of honour.  

I’ve realised that real self-care isn’t about mindlessly following trends (Picture: Sian Dennis)

I’ve even stumbled across ‘water cult’ pages that glorify drinking up to 10 litres a day for better skin, energy, and digestion, when, in actual fact, consuming that quantity of water is more than enough to be fatal. 

We need better public messaging, and influencers and ‘health gurus’ need to be held responsible with the ‘advice’ they give. 

And those viral drinking challenges? They have to stop. People should know that drinking when you’re thirsty is enough, and pushing beyond that isn’t a flex, it’s a risk.  

More doesn’t always mean better. Our bodies are a delicate, beautifully balanced system, and if you flood it – even with something as seemingly harmless as water – real, irreversible damage is possible 

Looking back, I now realise I wasn’t drinking water because I was thirsty, I was drinking for control and out of habit, for the illusion that if I followed all the rules perfectly, I’d be happy and healthy. 

That mindset could have cost me everything. 

Since my experience, I’ve realised that real self-care isn’t about mindlessly following trends. It’s not about forcing yourself into extremes because you’re scared of not doing ‘enough’. 

It’s about listening – really listening – to what your body is asking for and trusting it. 

Nowadays I stick to the recommended eight glasses. That’s enough for me. 

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