# Max length of time a human can survive without water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979 "2005-03-30T18:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/1 "2005-03-30T18:26:44Z")
I remember reading some time back, in a late-1970s edition of the _Guiness Book of World Records_, that it only takes a human being three or four days to die of dehydration if no food or drink of any kind is taken in. Well, apparently Terri Schiavo has shattered the record, going 12 days + without sustenance. How, exactly, is she still alive, when scads of people have died of dehydration much faster? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/2 "2005-03-30T18:36:09Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I remember reading some time back, in a late-1970s edition of the _Guiness Book of World Records_, that it only takes a human being three or four days to die of dehydration if no food or drink of any kind is taken in. > > Well, apparently Terri Schiavo has shattered the record, going 12 days + without sustenance. How, exactly, is she still alive, when scads of people have died of dehydration much faster? I would guess it is because she was well hydrated when the tube was pulled, she is bedridden and has low demands for hydration, and she is in a climate controlled environment that mimimizes dehydration. That, and all the prayers. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/3 "2005-03-30T18:41:58Z")
Prayers… and morphine being administered via saline drip. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/4 "2005-03-30T18:49:26Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > Prayers… and morphine being administered via saline drip. [TS is not on a morphine drip](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20050329/ts_latimes/tocleardoubtsschiavoautopsyplanned). Never has been. > [@](#): > > [Michael Schiavo’s attorney] Felos said hospice records showed that Schiavo had been given low doses of the narcotic twice, on March 19 and Saturday, and that she was not on a continuous morphine drip. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/5 "2005-03-30T19:07:43Z")
My bad. Several of the blogs I’ve read this week mention “morphine drip” but now that I’ve looked, I can’t find a recent credible news article. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/6 "2005-03-30T21:08:57Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > I would guess it is because she was well hydrated when the tube was pulled, she is bedridden and has low demands for hydration, and she is in a climate controlled environment that mimimizes dehydration. That, and all the prayers. Sounds good, but would that basically account for a quadrupling of the time needed to expire from dehydration? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/7 "2005-03-30T23:01:50Z")
In an earlier thread, I speculated: > [@](#): > > This is all anecdotal “educated” opinion, but I can offer a few comments. > > … the rate of loss of fluid from the body will be influenced by things such as breathing rate (faster rate = faster water loss), temperature, humidity, underlying health of the kidneys, and coexisting problems (eg. muscle damage from trauma, drugs (!), infections, etc.). > > So, perhaps it’s not too surprising that otherwise healthy people, in a “room temperature” environment, who are breathing at a normal rate, etc., can survive for longer than you might think. I know that I’ve seen people survive for over a week despite having absolutely no water/fluid intake. > > It’s worth remembering that from an evolutionary persepctive, the body has been beautifully designed to deal with periods of thirst such as may occur during droughts or as a result of injury (if you’re lying there with a broken leg, you’re not gonna be able to get to that stream in the distance …). You’re kidneys become impressively efficient at holding onto water and salt, and, as well, a number of hormone/chemical systems are activated to help conserve water. Even your brain adapts (by generating new molecules that act like a sponge to hold onto water). > > The actual cause of death in people dying of “thirst” is, I suspect, some combination of kidney failure and/or elevated blood levels of potassium (with the latter development due to the fact that if there’s no water coming in, there’s going to be very little, if any, coming out. In the absence of urine production, the body has no way to get rid of potassium). Note that potassium is constantly entering the blood stream as a result of (routine) cell death - a process that may be sped up if you’re dehydrated. > > Bottom line is that if your kidneys are working well to begin with, and you’re in a relatively cool environment, and if you start with a relatively low blood potassium level, you can live for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/8 "2005-03-31T00:34:51Z")
I’m remembering the rule of threes, from somewhere. 3 minutes without air. 3 days without water. 3 weeks without food. At any of these numbers, you are closer to death than life. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/9 "2005-03-31T00:43:13Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > 3 days without water. Well, Terri Schiavo’s already at 400% of that figure. And, as I said and have witnessed, given the “right” environment, people can often go beyond one week without water. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/10 "2005-03-31T01:05:46Z")
Also, at the time the feeding tubes were pulled, several reports said doctors expected death within 14 days. So it doesn’t sound like her longevity was unexpected, although I don’t know why it’s sometimes 3 and sometimes longer. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/11 "2005-03-31T01:42:41Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Well, Terri Schiavo’s already at 400% of that figure. And, as I said and have witnessed, given the “right” environment, people can often go beyond one week without water. Rule of thumb, KARL, not written in stone. ---
**Author:** ![ninetypercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@ninetypercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninetypercent)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/12 "2005-03-31T05:07:32Z")
the OP’s question reminded me of this story: > **[Man Spends 10 Days Buried Alive](https://xo.typepad.com/blog/2004/06/man_spends_10_d.html)** > > BBC: Czech spends 10 days buried alive A Czech magician has spent 10 days buried alive in a coffin without food and water to claim what he says is a new world record. Zdenek Zahradka, whose stage name is Fakir... ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/13 "2005-03-31T17:23:56Z")
So what’s the deal? If someone is without water in a carfeully-controlled environment, they can survive a week or more – but if they’re lost in the desert or jungle or something, and have to expend energy to save themselves, the timeline is much shorter? ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/14 "2005-03-31T18:22:48Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > So what’s the deal? If someone is without water in a carfeully-controlled environment, they can survive a week or more – but if they’re lost in the desert or jungle or something, and have to expend energy to save themselves, the timeline is much shorter? Sure, and that’s one of the reasons they say one of the best things you can do to increase your chances of survival if you find yourself lost in the desert or some other wilderness environment is to stay put. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/max-length-of-time-a-human-can-survive-without-water/296979/15 "2005-03-31T22:41:57Z")
> [@aaslatten](#): > > Sure, and that’s one of the reasons they say one of the best things you can do to increase your chances of survival if you find yourself lost in the desert or some other wilderness environment is to stay put. Right. The advice is to always tell someone what general area you will be in and when you plan to return. If you get stuck or have a breakdown stay with the vehicle which is much easier to spot that a person. Limit your activity, stay in the shade and don’t stint on water.