Many people are in critical condition because of drinking alkaline water to cure diseases

Ms. PTM (60 years old, residing in Soc Son, Hanoi) was taken to Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) for emergency treatment in a state of exhaustion, weak limbs, vomiting for many days without stopping, vomiting gastric juice and bile. At the Poison Control Center, the doctor diagnosed Ms. M. with alkaline water poisoning, metabolic alkalosis, and hypokalemia.

The patient had a history of gastritis, duodenitis, colitis; thyroid tumor; numbness in hands and feet... Hearing from villagers about a place near her house that could cure all diseases, she quickly went there.

Ms. M. said that after hearing about someone who had a stroke and drank the water for a while and became healthy again, not only she but many others were hopeful. At the time Ms. M. participated in the treatment, there were about 10 people, mostly from the village.

Mrs. M. does not have to pay any fees, and can drink water freely. The water purifier is a used Japanese machine (used machine imported from Japan). If the owner wants to buy it, he will sell it.

The woman was instructed to drink water from a filter, with a little salt added, and not eat anything. She drank 5-6 liters of water a day, for 10-15 days.

After 5 days of applying the above treatment, Ms. M. could not stand and vomited continuously, and had to be hospitalized.

At the end of September, Bach Mai Hospital received a cluster of patients who drank a type of water that was advertised as "alkaline water" to cure diseases.

Three patients with kidney failure being treated at Lai Chau General Hospital stopped dialysis, went to Hanoi to drink water and fasted, similar to Ms. M.

After a few days, all three had difficulty breathing and were in a coma and had to be taken to the emergency room in a state of impaired consciousness, respiratory failure, severe myocardial damage, and acute pulmonary edema due to fluid overload complications on the basis of chronic kidney failure. The patients were intubated, put on ventilators, and put on emergency dialysis.

The test results of these patients' blood urea, potassium and creatinine levels were very high: urea was 3 times higher than normal, creatinine was 10 - 15 times higher than normal.

These patients were fortunate to receive timely dialysis, avoid death, and be treated until stable and return to regular dialysis schedules to maintain their health and life.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said that if healthy people drink too much water, they will face dangers such as edema, pulmonary edema, blood dilution, hyponatremia, cerebral edema, coma, convulsions and death.

Drinking too much alkaline water also changes the pH of the blood, causing metabolic alkalosis. Patients experience sensory disturbances, coma, hypokalemia leading to arrhythmia, paralysis, reduced enzyme activity, and even death.

Doctor Nguyen recommends that people with signs of illness should go to medical facilities for examination and not arbitrarily drink too much of any type of water as it can be life-threatening.