How Do We Get MORE Sodium Into Diet?!

[sylvie]

Salt tablets are available over the counter. V8 juice has a pretty high sodium content but without the volume of something like electrolyte solutions. Substances high in caffeine can deplete your fluids and create a dehydration status, some sodas have a pretty high sodium content as well.

Unfortunately, when you lose fluids you lose sodium. If you must drink a fluid, make sure its high sodium, low volume. If you can, I would try avoid foods that create another problem....like high cholesterol, bacons, salt pork, etc. No use trading one problem for another.

The usual treatment for hyponatremia is to find the cause and eliminate this factor or at least treat it. I am wondering.....did they tell you what underlying medical condition is causing this? Its usually heart or hormonal related, if not as a side effect of other meds being taken.

I would like the answer to this underlying condition, too. Not heart. We sat at the ER while they did many tests. Between his original blood work and the ER visit that they recommended, he managed to get his sodium up to the point where they couldn't force him to be admitted. I am not opposed to his being admitted so the cause can be determined but don't want another ER visit. If this makes any sense. :/

 

[sylvie]

Hey, sylvie, what is dh's transplant surgeon saying about this? In re-reading your post, it seems to me that the virus and Keflex are partially to blame.

sylvie wrote:
He did have a virus recently and was given a course of Keflex. We were told that a virus could lower the numbers.

He is on immune suppressants, magnesium, blood pressure meds and an 3 day per week antibiotic. They aren't looking at these for the cause.

That was who suggested the viral link.

I am wondering if there is a sodium malabsorption condition forming. I know antibiotics mess with the colon flora, maybe I'll see if he will eat some yogurt. I'm not allowed to give him vitamins and supplements (probiotics, salt tablets) without the approval from his surgeons. BTW they ok'd the Keflex.

 

[Farmfresh]

Years ago I was experiencing migraine headaches almost everyday! When I went to the doctor he noticed that I also have very low blood pressure. He suggested that my blood pressure was getting so low that the tiny veins in my head were actually collapsing!

The answer ... increase salt! I found sunflower seeds, Gatorade and soup the easiest way to eat a lot of salt. The migraines completely stopped!

I still have to watch my salt especially in the summertime when I lose more due to sweating. As far as WHY I don't seem to retain salt ... or other minerals (iron for one) I finally discovered the answer to THAT last year. I am Celiac Sprue which means I cannot eat things with gluten in them. (wheat, barley, rye, spelt and some oats). This disorder causes the cilia in the intestines to become non functional when gluten is ingested. This disorder then causes the person to have faulty digestion and malabsorption of nutrients, like my minerals. I just don't absorb the salt I eat correctly.

 

[freemotion]

Let me start by saying I HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT YOUR DH'S MEDICAL SITUATION! Didn't meant to shout, just want to be clear.....my thoughts, though, as usual, are geared more towards choosing healthy salty things to add, rather than lots of junk. If you are needing to add salt until a cause is found.

Two readily available brands of the GOOD sea salt are Real Salt and Celtic salt. Both come in heavy plastic bags. Sea salt that is not heavily processed and with nasty additives is not white and will not be useful in a shaker. It draws moisture from the air and gets clumpy. Hence grandma's (or great grandma's) salt cellar's with the little bone spoons. I have a few crystal ones here. My everyday salt bowl is a little wooden bowl and my scoop is my fingers....but I have a little white sea shell in the bowl for when company is watching me!

So rather than bullion, loaded with msg and other harmful chemicals, just load your homemade broth with sea salt. Salt some popcorn that has a little butter on it. Salt the veggies, salt the salad, salt sandwiches, all with a type of salt that the body will recognize.

My blood pressure tends to be really low, too. I never had my sodium levels checked, but I eat no processed foods (hardly ) and salt everything liberally.

FF, thank you so much for the experience with your migraines!!! Wow, I never heard that one, and it is so simple. I will be mentioning it to everyone I know who has migraines (and experimenting myself) and teach it to my students when we talk about headaches in class.

 

[Farmfresh]

Free when the doctor told me to eat more salt to cure my migraines I thought he had cracked. But IT WORKED!! It is a good thing that my doctor tries natural cures as well as those pill things.

 

[Mackay]

Salt is so essential and it is why wars have been fought throughout the ages to gain control of salt mines.

I recommend Redmond salt and you can get it from www.vitacost.com
But the other salts mentioned are good too!

Why eat that bacon garbage. For someone who has critical health issues bacon is a food you should stay way away from...ditto with potato chips

Celery has lots of sodium. Make a nice salty hummus dip to go with celery sticks. Why no salt pills? Id rather just salt my food anyway. Usually when people are low on sodium they crave salt.

Its strange that he has high blood pressure and low sodium. When sodium is low blood volume gets low, and hence low blood pressure.

 

[sylvie]

Its strange that he has high blood pressure and low sodium. When sodium is low blood volume gets low, and hence low blood pressure.

Good catch, Mackay! After reading your post I asked him about that; he remarked that his pressure at the dr's office was the lowest that she has ever seen for him and she attributed that to his hyponatremia. He is to remain on the BP meds but I will check him twice per day prior to giving them to him. I wish I had accompanied him so I could have spoken to the dr.

I suppose the reason against salt pills is a too sudden rapid rise in sodium.

Thanks for verifying the type of beneficial salt. When Free mentioned types of salt I realized that I had run out of sea salt for the shaker and had filled it with the cheap iodized stuff about 2 months ago. And it didn't occur to me to supply MIL with good sea salt. Duh!

I was kinda hoping that you would weigh in at some point on this thread. Thanks!!