I'm sure you're in no danger.. but this was just interesting reading:
In medicine, (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by a very rapid intake of water.
Water itself is not toxic to the body in any amount. However, body fluids contain electrolytes (particularly sodium compounds, such as sodium chloride) in concentrations that must be held within very narrow limits. Water enters the body orally or intravenously, and leaves the body primarily in the urine and in sweat. If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed, body fluids are diluted and a potentially dangerous shift in electrolyte balance occurs.
Most water intoxication is caused by hyponatremia, an overdilution of sodium in the blood plasma, which in turn causes an osmotic shift of water from extracellular fluid (outside of cells) to intracellular fluid (within cells). The cells swell as a result of changes in osmotic pressure and may cease to function. When this occurs in the cells of the central nervous system and brain, water intoxication is the result. Additionally, many other cells in the body may undergo cytolysis, wherein cell membranes unable to stand abnormal osmotic pressures rupture, killing the cells. Initial symptoms typically include light-headedness, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache and/or malaise. Plasma sodium levels below 100 mmol/L (2.3g/L) frequently result in cerebral edema, seizures, coma, and death within a few hours of drinking the excess water. As with an alcohol poisoning, the progression from mild to severe symptoms may occur rapidly as the water continues to enter the body from the stomach or intravenously.
A person with two healthy kidneys can excrete about 1.5 litres of water per hour at maximum filtration (other studies find the limit to be as little as 0.9L/h [1]). Consuming as little as 1.8 litres of water in a single sitting may prove fatal for a person adhering to a low-sodium diet, or 3 litres for a person on a normal diet. However, this must be modulated by potential water losses via other routes. For example, a person who is perspiring heavily may lose 1 L/h of water through perspiration alone, thereby raising the threshold for water intoxication. The problem is further complicated by the amount of electrolytes lost in urine or sweat, which is variable within a range controlled by the body's regulatory mechanisms. Water intoxication can be prevented by consuming water that is isotonic with water losses, but the exact concentration of electrolytes required is difficult to determine and evolves over time, and the greater the time period involved, the smaller the disparity that may suffice to produce electrolyte imbalance and water intoxication.
Persons at high risk of water intoxication
Certain activities and conditions put a person at elevated risk of water intoxication.
Runners
Marathon runners are susceptible to water intoxication if they drink only water while running. Although sweat is relatively hypotonic compared with body fluids, marathon runners perspire heavily for long periods, potentially causing their sodium levels to drop when they consume large amounts of fluids to quench their thirst. The replacement fluids may not contain sufficient sodium to replace what has been lost, and this puts them at high risk for water intoxication. Medical personnel at marathon events are trained to immediately suspect water intoxication when runners collapse or show signs of confusion. Properly designed electrolyte-replacement drinks and some sports drinks include electrolytes that make them roughly isotonic with sweat, which helps to prevent water intoxication.
Note that overconsumption of sodium (in drinks or food), as well as inadequate intake of water, can cause , a disorder that is nearly the opposite of water intoxication and equally dangerous. Improper use of salt tablets can cause .
Overexertion and heat stress
Any activity or situation that promotes heavy sweating can lead to water intoxication when water is consumed to replace lost fluids. Persons working in extreme heat and/or humidity for long periods must take care to drink and eat in ways that help to maintain electrolyte balance. Persons using drugs such as MDMA may overexert themselves, perspire heavily, and then drink large amounts of water to rehydrate, leading to electrolyte imbalance and water intoxication. Even persons who are resting quietly in extreme heat or humidity may run the risk of water intoxication if they drink large amounts of water over short periods for rehydration.
Psychiatric conditions
Psychogenic polydipsia is the psychiatric condition in which patients feel compelled to drink large quantities of water. The condition is often a single symptom in a broader syndrome of psychiatric indications. Patients suffering from psychogenic polydipsia are at high risk of water intoxication, gaining up to 15 pounds in an hour, especially as the initial symptoms of lightheadedness and confusion may be misdiagnosed by care-takers as due to other causes.
Unusual water losses in disease
Diarrhea and vomiting can result in very large electrolyte losses, and although drinking water will replace lost water, the lost electrolytes may not be adequately replaced, which can result in water intoxication. Replacement fluids for vomiting and diarrhea should be properly balanced to make them isotonic with the fluids lost in these conditions. Special formulations exist for oral rehydration therapy in these cases.
A great many disorders can affect electrolyte balance, especially disorders of the kidneys. Diuretic therapy, mineralocorticoid deficiency, osmotic diuresis (as in the hyperglycemia of uncontrolled diabetes), and the multiple disorders associated with AIDS are other common causes of electrolyte imbalance, although they do not always produce water intoxication.
Iatrogenic water intoxication
When an unconscious person is being fed intravenously (e.g., total parenteral nutrition) or via a nasogastric tube, the fluids given must be carefully balanced in composition to match fluids and electrolytes lost. If the fluids administered are hypotonic with respect to fluids lost, electrolyte imbalance and water intoxication may result. The latter may not be immediately obvious in an unconscious patient. The electrolyte status of patients on TPN must be monitored carefully even when they are ambulatory.
Famous cases of water intoxication
In a much-publicized case of fraternity hazing, four members of the Chi Tau House at California State University, Chico pled guilty to forcing 21-year-old student Matthew Carrington to drink excessive amounts of water while performing calisthenics in a frigid basement as part of initiation rites on 2 February 2005[2]. He collapsed and died of heart failure due to water intoxication.
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