Breast cancer fear after drinking from plastic bottle

[JaneS]

Please help, I am beating myself up about taking two swigs of water from a plastic bottle left in the car for a couple of hours yesterday. I am convincing myself that I have given myself breast cancer now as a result of the scare associated with reusing plastic water bottles and leaving them in cars. It wasn't even a hot day and the bottle didn't feel warm. I even got the bottle out of the recycling to look at its composition, as it happens it was one with 25% less plastic as well but despite all these positive things, I am still really worried and am so cross with myself for drinking it. Feel like I have given myself a death sentence. I don't want to carry on feeling like this, I am sick of this rollercoaster ride of anxiety, I am making everyone around me unhappy. My husband drank it as well just to prove a point and he doesn't drive himself mad like me. Sometimes I feel life is not worth living in this state. Can anyone give me any reassurance pleeeeeease?

[Lilharry]

You're not going to get breast cancer from a couple of swigs out of plastic bottle. If you only drank out of warm plastic bottles and had a terrible diet and drank too much alcohol, then you might be at an increased risk, but you're probably more exposed to cancer just breathing the air around you than swigging out of a plastic bottle. You don't just get cancer from ingesting something, it's slow process over a long period of time with a lot of factors involved - the biggest being genetic. Making sure you have a good diet with lots of fruit and veg is the best way you can protect yourself. Eat some blueberries adn tell yourself you're negating the effect of the water.

[JaneS]

Thanks for your kind reply, I am very conscientious of my diet and do eat healthily, have also cut back on alcohol to glass of wine at weekends only and do exercise every day. Will take on board what you say, good idea with the blueberries too, thanks for your reassurance.

[JaneS]

Trouble is paternal grandmother died of breast cancer, albeit a long time ago nearly 50 years, wish I could shake this fear off about 2 swigs of water! I know it is irrational and that other factors are involved in cancer. Feel like making myself sick to reject the water except it was yesterday so waste of time really. Still beating myself up and punishing myself for drinking the water!!

[RVP]

I'm male but I'm interested to know how does drinking water from a bottle increase chances of breast cancer?
I always fill up my bottle before bed and sometimes if I haven't drank it I'll drink it the next day or even the next.

[Lilharry]

RVP - I'm not even sure if there is a link, but I remember seeing something about plastic bottles and how it might not be a good idea to reuse them for too long as they break down in light and you start to get minute traces of the plastic in the water. It's just something to be aware of, but nothing to worry about.

Jane, you really really don't need to worry hun. You really can't get cancer from swigging from a bottle. I've done this so many times its not funny. All the good stuff you put into your body reverses the effect of any external toxins and your body is an expert at dealing with them. You would have to have been exposed to this stuff over years and years and even then, as far as I know there's no evidence it causes cancer. Try to focus on how well you're looking after yourself - it sounds to me like you take better care of yourself than most people and that's your best defence.

[Apple81]

Echo what lilharry says - I really wouldn't worry lovely x

[nomorepanic]

I have a bottle of water in the car for weeks and drink it and have never got ill from it so I am pretty sure you will be fine

[krisdeancooper]

I have some pretty stupid hang ups (100% certain that drinking lucozade or powerade while taking Cit will make me drop dead haha) but this one should be put to bed. No harm ever came from someone drinking water from a plastic bottle and I would really try to stop worrying.

[JaneS]

Thanks to all of you for your replies, you are all so supportive, thats what makes this site so special. Just to clarify, I think the issue relates to drinking water from a bottle that gets warm in the car on a hot day rather than a normal bottle, but my bottle wasn't even that warm anyway, it's just my over anxious mind really working overtime. I have to say though that as time is moving on and with your positive replies, the anxiety is lessening. Bless you all.

[Uncertain27]

This site says there is no evidence of this, and also that it would have to be extremely high temperatures rather than just warm. Possibly off-topic but I met someone at my volunteering who used to huff paint for several years so must have been exposed to millions more chemicals than are in a bottle, and she does not have breast cancer, infact the only side-effect she had seemed to be unemployment. :)
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-information/breast-awareness/frequently-asked-questions/does-drinking-warm-bottled-water-increase-risk-breast-canc

[Lilharry]

Jane I was thinking about this some more and I thought of a way that you might be able to rationalise this in your mind: take alcohol - it is a known that it can cause cancer, but you don't get cancer from having a glass of wine, its the prolonged abuse that causes it. With regards to the plastic bottles, there is no evidence that it causes cancer even with prolonged abuse. Your body is exposed to all sorts of chemicals all the time and it deals with it just fine.

[JaneS]

That is very true, thanks. Ironically if I have a glass of wine I rarely worry about the consequences and tend to enjoy the glass of wine, I certainly don't obsess about it like I am with this. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for taking my angst seriously.

[Magic]

I use the same bottle for water. I wash it and use it again.
Someone told me I should not do this, she had heard it from some where.
I am going to get a fresh bottle today or whenever i can get out.
I cannot go out without a bottle of water.
Take care :hugs:

[JaneS]

My son is the same, he uses the same bottle every day for school and that bothers me. They say glass is better or a plastic one that is BPA free. I have bought him an aluminium one now from Blacks but who knows if that's safe??