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Hyponatremia: Anyone else have low sodium?

Posted by JohnWBurns @johnwburns, Aug 6, 2016

Hyponatremia, especially the mild version, may be more prevalent and cause more issues than previously thought. Just food for thought. I have as yet unexplained bradycardia and am on a diuretic so I suspect it. Have had borderline readings in the past.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3933395/

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Nov 8, 2017
In reply to @kibwezi "I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my..." + (show)
@kibwezi

I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my level up to normal but haven't been successful. When I was diagnosed with Hypertension I started cutting down on salt and that seems to have been part of the problem. I now eat lots of salty foods, take salt tablets and drink electrolyte drinks but my sodium and Chloride levels are still low. I was tested for Addison's disease but that wasn't the problem. I know some medications can cause the sodium level to be low but wondering if any one on this sight has Hyponatremia and has a diagnosis for the cause. Also suggestions about how to raise the level. Thanks

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Hi, @kibwezi -- you mentioned that you were trying to deal with several other health issues first that were more urgent than the hyponatremia.

If you feel comfortable sharing about any of those, we'd be happy to dialogue with you and support you in those, as well.

REPLY
kibwezi | @kibwezi | Nov 8, 2017
In reply to @kibwezi "I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my..." + (show)
@kibwezi

I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my level up to normal but haven't been successful. When I was diagnosed with Hypertension I started cutting down on salt and that seems to have been part of the problem. I now eat lots of salty foods, take salt tablets and drink electrolyte drinks but my sodium and Chloride levels are still low. I was tested for Addison's disease but that wasn't the problem. I know some medications can cause the sodium level to be low but wondering if any one on this sight has Hyponatremia and has a diagnosis for the cause. Also suggestions about how to raise the level. Thanks

Jump to this post

Thank you for your concern. I am blessed to have lots of family, friend and church support. I also live in an area with good doctors and hospitals. I have many health issues and I have been in some of the other discussions on this site. I do have a support group for Sjogren's Syndrome. One of my immediate concerns has been A fib and I'm on another discussion for that. I have some undiagnosed problems and have a doctor who has been working with me to solve the mystery. This is a good site for learning new facts and resources.

REPLY
Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Nov 8, 2017
In reply to @kibwezi "I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my..." + (show)
@kibwezi

I was diagnosed with Hyponatremia about 7 years ago and have worked hard to get my level up to normal but haven't been successful. When I was diagnosed with Hypertension I started cutting down on salt and that seems to have been part of the problem. I now eat lots of salty foods, take salt tablets and drink electrolyte drinks but my sodium and Chloride levels are still low. I was tested for Addison's disease but that wasn't the problem. I know some medications can cause the sodium level to be low but wondering if any one on this sight has Hyponatremia and has a diagnosis for the cause. Also suggestions about how to raise the level. Thanks

Jump to this post

Happy to hear that you have such a strong support system, @kibwezi, and that you have a doctor working alongside you to solve the mystery of some undiagnosed problems.

Also glad to hear that you've found the discussions on this site useful and that you've learned some new facts and found some new resources from Mayo Clinic Connect.

Thank you for adding valuable information to the discussions about Afib and Sjogren's and offering support to others.
- Afib & PVC's https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/afib-pvcs/
- Sjogren's https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sjougrens/

REPLY
Sylvia Bitler | @sylviaw | Jun 16, 2022

I am a retired nurse, now 81, almost never seriously sick in my life. In December, I was hit with severe Hyponatremia and I had never heard of it. Since December, have been in the hospital 3 times and rehab x 2. I'm getting physical therapy to regain walking. Addison's disease has been ruled out, but not idea of cause. If I feel anxious and hands get shaky, that's a sign sodium level is low. I'm keeping up with salt tabs, potato chips, and sometimes tomato juice. Supposed to be on low sodium for my heart, so on low dose lasix and potassium as doctor trys to balance it out. How does one find the cause of this problem? Dangerous and scary! (I was + for Covid at time of first episode of hyponatremia, but don't know if any connection. Never positive for Covid in hospital and rehab.) Sylvia

REPLY
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Jun 16, 2022

@sylviaw
I do but it’s probably
due to my seizure medicine Carbatrol. It’s very uncommon on this drug. A major problem in people with Epilepsy is that it socially unacceptable by many people and Epilepsy patients frequently won’t admit they have it even to doctors. You can imagine the problems that can create from medication induced conditions.
I wasn’t adding any salt
when I cooked or on my food. Now I am but it’s hasn’t helped yet. I get tested again in July.
My blood pressure hasn’t been affected by the extra salt, has yours?

REPLY
bobbyd1017 | @becky1024 | Jun 17, 2022

Sodium is one of the easiest electrolytes to get out of balance, usually low. Because of one of my medications holds onto Potassium, l must take a diuretic. Normally my sodium level is controlled but come hot weather, if you’re not careful, your sodium can drop so low, you could have a health crisis. On a scale level from 135 to 146, I’m near the very bottom 135/136. Then a few summers back, I was at an amusement park. It was 96 with very high humidity. Naturally you body wants water but do you realize you’re loosing sodium in you sweat. So in order to quench your thirst, you drink more water which Mother Mature expelled in urine. Only thing, you’re also expelling, guess what, sodium. So now you’re losing sodium without realizing it like I didn’t and most others too. You must replenish you sodium, if you don’t, you may end up on the ground/floor unconsciousness like me. A trip to the first aide station on an emergency vehicle before I came around, cold packs trying to lower my 104.1 body temperature. The EMT chastised me for not upping my sodium intake while in the park. Once in an air conditioned room, my temperature came down. The EMT handed me a bottle of water and a small packet. Here, pour this on your tongue and swallow it with water. What was in the packet, you see them at every food stand, a salt packet. So during hot humid weather especially, drink plenty of water and every so ofter, open a salt packet, pour it on your tongue and swallow with water. With my heart problems, I could have killed my self with a heat stroke

REPLY
riflemanz64 | @riflemanz64 | Jun 18, 2022

I had it from drinking too much water. Now I limit how much I drink.

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