Several times on this forum I have seen mention of electrolytes and the importance of keeping their levels up. Can you tell me how to do this please ? I have only seen electrolytes mentioned in diarrhoea medicine !
Electrolytes ?: Several times on this... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Electrolytes ?
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Tellingfibs
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Hi TellingFibs,
As I am aware, electrolytes is an important part of your full blood tests and are tests for potassium, sodium, urea and creatinine - I think people sometimes add magnesium too, but this is a seperate test and not one of the specific four. I don’t think it’s a case of keeping them up, but a case of being within the normal levels, which are usually stated on the blood test results.
These tests are important and for Afibbers especially.
I’m always asking my GP so I can get tested since my Afib diagnosis as I like to try and keep them within the range. I get mine tested at least twice a year and only because I ask. My sodium levels often fall a bit in Summer ( may be too much water) and I particularly like to keep them within limits if I can, including potassium.
I’m sure others will come along with additional info, but this is how I understand it.
thanks Teresa, I now know to ask for the blood tests. Before the pandemic, I was have routine annual blood tests ( I don’t know if that would have included the mineral checks ) and I was going to request they start again, so now I am encouraged to do so. Thank you.
Hi Tellingfibs,
Yes, you must 😊 glad to be of help. If your GP is anything like mine, they won’t suggest them so I’m afraid unfortunately it’s down to us to initiate them. I can go on line and view my results on the surgery app ( I think the NHS one shows blood test results too) and I check them myself so I can keep a tally as I can’t rely on my Surgery to keep an eye on it either, or inform me if they’re abnormal sadly. They don’t seem to take much notice of electrolytes for some reason .
There’s lots in ‘Dr Google’ advising what to do if any of the results are ‘off’. 😊
thanks again. I am in Wales and our system isn’t quite the same as elsewhere. I can only order medication online - not see results of tests etc. Fortunately, my practise is quite good, although not a patch on its previous ‘excellence’ 😕
you have a right to your records, so you need to email practice manager saying you wish access to them. I have access and I get enhanced view as I’m a qualified complementary therapist of many years.
Thank you for that. I did think we have had a right to view our records for some time now. I think I need to kick botty ! ☺️
You are absolutely right in saying that patients have a right to see they're records but, despite several (ignored) requests, I'm still unable to see mine. The last "concession they made to my persistant requests is to allow me online access to my test results. I can order meds online. Just another example of the "Nothing Happens Soon" lottery!
I have an answer to that, I’ll contact the BMA/ombudsman. My practice manager was being obstructive and as it happened my husband found that practices had recently been sent a directive about patient rights 2 days before I’d phoned 👍🏻
Thanks for that I'll give it a try.
I keep electrolytes up by drinking pure coconut water, but it's become very expensive.
That’s a useful suggestion. Thanks Jean.
me too Jean coconut water does the trick and tastes great
Here in NZ its $3.90 a litre so not bad
I don’t think regular testing, over and above the usual intervals, for electrolytes can tell you much because it will be only a snapshot from that moment in time and they test only serum levels which are maintained sometimes at the cost of muscle cells eg: that’s why Magnesium supplements can help some AF’ers.
A varied and healthy diet and knowing which foods to include on a daily basis which are rich in electrolytes - mainly good quality fresh green, leafy vegetables and some fruits.
EG:- healthline.com/health/fitne...
Sometimes when in AF or if you have drunk a lot of water for hydration, an electrolyte drink helps. I remember my father being very keen on this as he served in the dessert during WW2 and said they were given daily ‘salt’ tablets. Personally I include Coconut Water in a homemade green smoothie.
Very true. I only asked for a retest a few months after my last as my sodium levels were well under on the last test but I know they fluctuate. I just don’t like seeing them fall too much & like to know they’re back up again. My Gp didn’t seem to care, but I do!
How much salt in your diet?
I actually always have salt on most things, crisps for lunch etc. If I don’t, I get cramp, which isn’t often. It was the summer months, so it must have been too much water ( I hope). I probably have my full intake of daily salt or thereabouts. This is why I mentioned to Tellingfibs, that it’s best to initiate and keep an eye on results. It’s a personal thing at the end of the day though for everyone, I know 😊
I think many of us suffered from focussing on hydration and forgetting too much can mean you flush out electrolytes and realised too late in the warm months!
Salt was considered the enemy until very recently, I know its difficult if you have renal problems but I think many people got brain washed into believing all salt was bad for you.
Interesting what is being said about salt here, and I agree with you about how we have been cajoled into reducing it drastically. I hardly ever use salt. Just on jacket potatoes, avocados and if I have crisps or salted peanuts. Mind you, my husband cooks a lot and goodness knows how much he puts in the recipes ! I get quite a lot of cramp so maybe I don’t have enough salt though…..there I was feeling pleased with myself ! I don’t overhydrate, I know that. Very informative stuff here !
well I reduced mine to ensure my blood pressure didn’t cause problems so it’s hard to know what to do
Jane
It does sound like you might need to up the salt a bit - but you’ll find out once you get tested 😊 cramp = low salt, always for me. It is odd though isn’t it to need to increase our salt, but I think we do need to make sure we don’t have too much still, but ‘too much’ seems to be a huge amount which I don’t suppose many of us have easily.
If you have salt don’t use ordinary table salt but either Himalayan pink salt which has multiple minerals or sea salt. Not sure about sea salt any more cos it could have micro plastics in it nowadays.
Thanks CDreamer,
Yes, I totally agree. It’s just trying to reach a happy balance which can be tricky at times….
Some sensible advice provided here. FWIW I travelled to Tajikistan for work a few years ago and I drink lots of cheap bottled water - I think it was distilled - and I got very horribly dehydrated - i thought i had malaria I felt so ill. Once I switched to mineral water (what is regular bottled water in most places) I recovered very quickly.
This might sound weird but I was pretty much Afib free for a few years but during that time I would get an occasional episode that lasted a few hours. I never could figure out what triggered it and well after a lot of recording my daily routine I boiled it down to 1 of 2 things Powerade or tomato products. Since I take Magnesium and Potassium supplements the Powerade was overwhelming my system with excess electrolytes. I only drink water or juice now and have been afib free now for well over a year since stopping the Powerade and/or Gatorade.
'Energy' drinks are packed with artificial sweeteners, which many on this forum including me have identified as a major trigger for arrythmia. As far as many of us are concerned, anyone with heart issues of any kind should treat them as poison!
I'm not surprised that your AF burden has reduced drastically since you stopped ingesting them, but it may be for a slightly different reason than you thought?
Artificial sweetners? Holy c--p, I never would have thought that. You may have just solved my trigger conundrum. Looking at the labels that tomato sauce as well as the powerade has artificial sweeteners. Kudo's to you sir you may be a genius.
Artificial sweeteners, specifically ASPARTAME, has sent me into arrhythmia half a dozen times in years past. Especially in countries that don't give a damn about labelling ALL the ingredients on products. They are worse than straight up eating sugar (which is also not good at all for us afibbers). They also affect the nervous system and cause other issues in the brain and the endocrine system. You should avoid them like the plague...
Thanks, I'm being to realize that.
I'm naturally sceptical of non-science which on closer inspection is really non-sense (and often part of a process in which someone is after our money). Taking extra electrolytes is often a part of non-science.
Electrolyte balance - which is vital to the body's functioning - is naturally and completely maintained by a vital body process called homeostasis. This is a very tightly controlled mechanism, and it means that you wouldn't normally be short of any electrolytes as a result. If your blood tests reveal imbalances, then other tests will be done to ascertain why this is since it points to some issue such as, for example, reduced kidney function. Use of some potent drugs can affect electrolyte levels, also, such as diuretics; also drinking excessive amounts of water can dilute electrolyte levels. There's always a reason, and could even be something you were born with or inherited.
Blood tests and medical advice are the only sensible way forward as self-administered electrolytes can sometimes be dangerous when the kidney function is unknown. One relatively safe electrolyte is magnesium as it isn't at all well absorbed and any potentially dangerous excess is always fully excreted, making the excess known by causing diarrhoea. It's an excellent laxative, as a result. Some people claim it helps with their palpitations and AF so is always worth trying, but maybe after checking with your GP.
Steve
I agree. I always take magnesium before bed but some sorts of mag are more easily absorbed than others.
I had previously focused on hydration because I knew that a trigger for me is dehydration particularly in hot weather, I knew that electrolytes were important too but only tended to take action when in afib.. This year the extreme heat worries me and I read an article that suggested that as well as keeping hydration levels up, the need to keep salts and potassium levels should not be forgotten.
During the summer while it was hot I made sure that as well as drinking plenty of water I had occasional salty snacks,they suggested 25g of salted pretzels or something like that, I also smacked on dried apricots a couple of times a day and made sure I had a banana every day. Many other sources of natural potassium in my diet.
Not sure if it made any difference but no afib episodes and other gif summers I have had them.
Morning, U&E is a base line blood test we always use basically urea, sodium, potassium and chloride , so for example in an elderly person who is not being rational, they may have a UTI not drinking or eating poorly, it’s possible that the electrolytes are low , if these are corrected the person’s cognitive function return to normal. In the case of renal impairment the the urea and creatinine including the Na, K and Cl maybe increased.
Basically, it’s good to have a balanced diet and a good fluid intake but don’t over do any supplements for example in certain individuals increased electrolytes can impact on kidney stones etc.
Hope this helps
but pure coconut water UNSWEETENED. The best for ensuring you stay hydrated and get electrolytes naturally. A glass a day.
all of the above advice is great
If no history of problems with renal function, normally healthy and have a good balanced diet then it is probably best not to worry , and have routine blood tests (U&E)
It’s VERY important not to drink too much water as you can dilute your sodium levels - a quick check on normal water intake is to think that, if in hospital, not drinking, then 3 litres in 24 hours is a fairly standard amount of fluid to keep hydrated. A lot less would not be helpful in preventing urinary infections (in those susceptible ) and lots more can be dangerous - I was nursing an old lady once who had flu and she remembered clearly that advice is to ‘drink plenty of water’, so she drank loads and ended up in hospital. 😱
Take home message:
Get yearly blood tests (unless unwell )
Keep hydrated
Eat a good diet
Relax and don’t worry.
Take care.
very sensible advice 👍
I have been on Omneprazol (Proton Pump Inhibitor) for 15+ years. One year ago I read a study that made the case that PPI's make you Magnesium deficient as it makes it even harder to absorb Magnesium in your stomach. Symptoms of deficiency are leg cramps (while sleeping) and arrhythmias...... am taking Magnesium supplements since. So far much better..... Time will tell if this is the root cause in my case.
buy coconut water not milk/cream the water works for me !
Hi
With your heat episodes in weather you must keep hydrated.
You can make your own electrolyte drink.
1. Non fluroid water.
2. Add glucose
3. A little salt.
This replaces what your body has lost.
You could squeeze a little lemon, orange, lime.
Using glucose is best as it is already broken down and wil get into your blood faster.
Cheers JOY. 73. (NZ)
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