Marathon runner narrowly avoids death after drinking too much water

May 14, 2018  20:41

A seasoned marathon runner had no recollection of finishing her race or the fact that she suffered a seizure once she was back home. 

Johanna Pakenham drank approximately 20 small bottles of water to cope with the heat during this year's London Marathon.

United Kingdom weather bureau, The Met Office, said that this year's London Marathon was the hottest on record.

Before Pakenham was diagnosed with hyponatremia, a condition which is also dubbed "water intoxication", her partner needed to perform CPR while waiting for an ambulance.

She told the Daily Mail that she thinks she drank a small bottle of water at approximately 20 water stations along the way, but failed to replenish her electrolytes with "energy" drinks.

"I had about 400 metres to go and I remember saying 'I feel wobbly' and my family couldn't believe I wasn't going to cross that finish line.

"There's a picture of me taken at the starting line and I look fine, then I had a photo taken at the finish line. I have no recollection of it being taken. I don't recognise the woman in that photo," said Pakenham.

Too much water is an actual thing

Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, happens when you drink too much water and the sodium levels in your body plummet to an unusual low.

Sodium is an essential electrolyte in your body, which helps nerves and muscles function optimally, along with keeping blood pressure stable.

Health24 says that consuming too much water causes cells in the body to swell. It also causes the brain to swell – and the pressure of the brain against the skull could result in seizures.

It could also result in heart failure, respiratory distress and renal distress.

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