Almost died from drinking too much water
Drinking too much water while running a marathon, Johanna Pakenham (UK) suffered from hyponatremia to the point of being in a coma for many days.
Water is essential for the body, but drinking water incorrectly can lead to unpredictable risks, as in the case of Johanna Pakenham. After drinking too much water while running a marathon, the 53-year-old woman suffered from severe hyponatremia.
|
Johanna woke up in a hospital bed from drinking too much water. Photo:SWNS. |
Share withMetroJohanna said she loves running so she signed up for the marathon on April 22 in London. Because of the hot weather, Johanna kept drinking water, more than 10 bottles in total. Halfway through the race, she started to feel dizzy but still tried to finish the race.
After 6 hours and 35 minutes of running, Johanna crossed the finish line. Back home, she suddenly lost consciousness, had a seizure, and stopped breathing. Johanna’s boyfriend had to perform CPR to keep her alive until the ambulance arrived.
In the intensive care unit at Winchester Hospital, doctors concluded that the patient had flushed out all the sodium in her body by drinking too much water, leading to hyponatremia. On April 25, Johanna woke up but was still dazed and did not remember much. A week passed before she returned to normal.
Now home from the hospital, Johanna hopes her story will warn others about the dangers of drinking water incorrectly. "Without electrolytes, water does more harm than good. I have learned my lesson," Johanna said.