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Hoping to connect with others who’ve dealt with chronic mild hyponatremia.
Quick background: at 35 I had a severe drop in sodium, under 100, that got missed for a few days because it presented like the flu or major depressive episode. Ended up in the ICU, had some neurological deficits that fully resolved within about two months, and got back to normal life.
Now I’m 55, and my last three labs over six months have come back 131-132. No symptoms this time, which is honestly a little unsettling given what happened before. My PCP referred me to nephrology, but the wait for an appointment is several months out.
Given my history, I want to be proactive rather than just wait it out, but I’m also trying not to overreact to numbers that are only mildly low. Has anyone here managed something similar?
Curious about: What workup nephrology typically does for persistent mild hyponatremia? Whether it’s worth pushing for an earlier appointment or additional labs in the meantime (sodium recheck, osmolality, thyroid/cortisol panels)? How others have balanced “watchful waiting” against a history of a severe episode?
Appreciate any insight from people who’ve been through the diagnostic process for this.
Replies to "Hoping to connect with others who’ve dealt with chronic mild hyponatremia. Quick background: at 35 I..."
@scooterphilly Much of modern medicine is reactive, and then only to symptoms. The published ranges are just that....a range, but doctors out of college soon learn to trust their patients to tell them when something ain't right. I learned my creatinine levels are borderline high. I challenged my GP who shrugged and said that they had stabilized ten years ago and they have kept an eye on it. Didn't tell me, maybe because it was still right on the published limit.
My father and one of his sisters had chronic hyponatremia. Both were advised to take sodium chloride tablets once or twice each day, or to salt their food liberally, or to salt one glass of water and try to drink it. My dad eventually settled on brackish water which he detested, but....it kept him out of the ICU....mostly.
If you begin to feel awful, sickly, weak, muddled....consider upping sodium for a day and see if that takes you back into okay territory. Otherwise, there's always your closest ER.
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@scooterphilly I'm no expert, but in my experience many doctors don't even blink at 131-132. If I were in your position, I might be worried too given your previous experience, so I would probably take over-the-counter salt tablets (which is what my nephrologist ended up prescribing for my similar numbers after running various blood tests and such) and check my blood every now and then while you wait for your specialist appt. Also no harm in pushing for an earlier appointment just for peace of mind.