Does Alcohol dehydrate you?

BigglesPiP · 5 Sep 2010 at 18:15

Burnsy2023 said:
Indeed.

As evidenced by Tudorish era sailors did not die, of thirst.

jellybeard999 · 5 Sep 2010 at 18:37

I believe that though it's a diuretic, it does rehydrate the body. The problem is that you drink a lot, pee it all out over the course of the night and don't replace what you've lost since your last drink.

imb4tman · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:00

Needs to be 14% + before it really becomes a diuretic.

SexyGreyFox · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:03

Not only does drinking alcohol make you thirsty but in the old days pubs used to put salted peanuts on the bar which would make you drink more.

Nexus · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:07

While it does dehydrate you, I can see where people are coming from saying that it doesn't dehydrate you enough to be a problem. I mean, look at winos who hang out on the street drinking themselves stupid all day, everyday. They aren't in great health, I can't imagine they knock back anything else other than alcohol and it isn't killing them off instantly.

I would imagine that you would have to be in a very poor state of health for the effects of alcohol dehydration to cause you serious effects.

Meridian · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:15

BigglesPiP said:
As evidenced by Tudorish era sailors did not die, of thirst.

They drank what is called "small beer", which was 1-2% alcohol.

M

BigglesPiP · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:23

Meridian said:
They drank what is called "small beer", which was 1-2% alcohol.

M

I know.

Bill101 · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:35

Nexus said:
. I mean, look at winos who hang out on the street drinking themselves stupid all day, everyday. They aren't in great health, I can't imagine they knock back anything else other than alcohol and it isn't killing them off instantly.

alcoholics are a special case as they have altered their bodies to use the alcohol as 'food'. It just kills them slowly. they also tend not to sober up and so do not feel the effects of a hangover

Nexus · 5 Sep 2010 at 19:39

Bill101 said:
alcoholics are a special case as they have altered their bodies to use the alcohol as 'food'. It just kills them slowly. they also tend not to sober up and so do not feel the effects of a hangover

It's killing them via their liver though.
You can't get around dehydration.

Xordium · 5 Sep 2010 at 22:32

imb4tman said:
Needs to be 14% + before it really becomes a diuretic.

This is not correct. The exact mechanism of alcohol causing diuresis is not actually known but the fact that you see an effect 20 mins after consumption indicates ADH inhibition.

But 100% alcohol does have a diuretic effect - now the extent of that effect does depend on other factors. So the OP answer is yes but ...

What people are answering here is another question - that being does drinking x, y or z result in an overall lowering of the total circulating volume. And that depends on factors such as gender, age, water and ionic balance pre-consumption, type of alcohol consumed etc, drive from the renin-angiotensin loop, blood pressure, sodium balance, glomerular filtration rate amongst many other things. This is the question taht the OP is really asking I guess and why people answer this way - what people are meaning is not whether alcohol is a diuretic but will it reduce your total blood volume and therefore cause you to exhibit symptoms of dehydration.

kibblerok · 5 Sep 2010 at 22:35

Nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with alcohol induced calf cramp

cymatty · 5 Sep 2010 at 22:41

kibblerok said:
Nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with alcohol induced calf cramp

Then your calf hurts for the rest of the day.

It's the most painful thing ever.

Dano · 5 Sep 2010 at 22:52

dmpoole said:
Not only does drinking alcohol make you thirsty but in the old days pubs used to put salted peanuts on the bar which would make you drink more.

and consume other people's pee

Serpantine · 5 Sep 2010 at 22:53

There was a health show on TV which stated that you gain more water from the liquid itself than you loose from the alcohol - we are however talking sub 6% cider here lads.

Not Spirits..

TheOtherOption · 5 Sep 2010 at 23:27

I usually suffer pretty badly after breaking that barrier post first trip to the toilets ... can't stop myself going like every 15 mins or less at times

Always have to remember to ask for a pint of tap water on the way out and to drink a few pints once home!

Sinny · 6 Sep 2010 at 00:27

Do what I do.

have 2-3 pints then drink a half pint of water or more, then carry on drinking. and drink a pint of water before you go to bed (depending on how legless you are).

I usually only wake up with a mild headache.

I woke up today at 10 from getting absolutely blind drunk.

tr1cky · 6 Sep 2010 at 00:43

Yes it does, that's why we always have more than one

Do what I do.

have 2-3 pints then drink a half pint of water or more, then carry on drinking. and drink a pint of water before you go to bed (depending on how legless you are).

I usually only wake up with a mild headache.

I woke up today at 10 from getting absolutely blind drunk.

Hahaha I used to do that but now out of the habit as im mostly absolutetly gattered and can't even make a drink. Having a can in the morning is another option...

RopAyy · 6 Sep 2010 at 13:27

Amp34 said:
Which is why you get a hangover...

See i always thought your body fighting the alcohol had some part to play in this...

"Acetaldehyde is produced when your liver breaks down alcohol. A high level of acetaldehyde has a toxic effect on the body, which gives you a headache and causes body aches and nausea. "

Either way im happy i suffer minimal to no hangovers!

Sp00n · 6 Sep 2010 at 13:30

kibblerok said:
Nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with alcohol induced calf cramp

Really? I reckon waking up to being stabbed in the eye with a blunt butter knife would be worse, maybe that's just me

platinum87 · 6 Sep 2010 at 13:53

You have obviously not had the extreme case of dehydration that i have had.

Vommiting, skin is hot to the touch, muscle spasms, and my heart felt like i was constantly sprinting, and i didnt pee for like 20 hours :S

Serpantine said:
There was a health show on TV which stated that you gain more water from the liquid itself than you loose from the alcohol - we are however talking sub 6% cider here lads.

Not Spirits..

What i wrote above was from drinking 5% lager