Warning after man dies from water overdose

Matthew Ellis collapsed with devastating brain damage after he drank at least 20 pints of water following a night of heavy drinking.

Mr Ellis, a heating engineer from Sheffield, was taken to intensive care in hospital but slipped into a coma and spent 32 weeks in hospital before dying of a chest infection.

His mother Maureen, 62, described how he drank “pints and pints” of water and said she suspected his drink had been spiked with Ecstasy while he was out with friends.

It is thought the drug caused him to crave water and the excess liquid he drank caused salt levels in his body to fall, bringing on a rare brain condition called extrapontine myelinolysis.

Mr Ellis was taken to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital after collapsing at his 66-year-old father Ken’s home in Lowedges, Sheffield, on Boxing Day last year

Mrs Ellis, a Sheffield Council worker who lives in the Gleadless area of the city said: “There is no health warning, water is good for you if you have a certain amount.

“But we want to make people more aware not to drink that much. Matthew went through absolute hell and it’s such a waste of a young life.

“I was absolutely devastated. I couldn’t believe it. A consultant told me Matthew must have been slipped an Ecstasy tablet. He never took drugs of any kind.

“He liked to go out but not on a regular basis and might go six months without having a drink.”

Mrs Ellis said her son woke up after three days in intensive care. He was slurring his words but his family thought he would recover. However, a day later he had lapsed into a coma.

Medics said extrapontine myelinolysis, caused when the salt concentration in the body is diluted by excess water, had started to strip away a coating of neurons in the brain causing irreversible damage.

Mrs Ellis said: ”Once Matthew started drinking water he carried on throughout the day. He drank at least 20 pints, he was continually filling glasses. He just couldn’t stop and that’s what killed him.

“I gave doctors permission to switch off the life support machine but he came round again in January. He didn’t know who he was, it was very distressing.

“It was absolutely horrendous, I was crying my eyes out because as a mother it was horrible to see my son suffering so much.

“I lost him on December 28 last year, it’s been a long grieving period since then because we knew he would not recover.” Mr Ellis finally died on August 4.

Nutrition expert Mayur Ranchordas, who lectures in physiology and nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University said water intoxication or hyponatraemia can have devastating effects and is normally seen in athletes such as marathon runners.

He added:” Extrapontine myelinolysis is a very rare condition. Too much water is actually very, very bad for you.

“Hyponatraemia is quite common among recreational runners on half marathon and marathon events. They’re not running at a high intensity but they’re still stopping at all the water stations, taking on large amounts of water and trying to stay hydrated.”

Mr Ellis’s funeral will be held at Sheffield’s City Road Crematorium on Saturday. An inquest has been opened and adjourned into his death.

martin.slack@ypn.co.uk