Still not right: after suffering from... - British Heart Fou...

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Still not right

mikeydt profile image
3 Replies

after suffering from low potassium problems in hospital it is now coming to 4 weeks since been home and yet i still am not feeling right.

just had another blood test this morning checking the kidneys this time, seems before i ended up in hospital and then suffering the complications 2 doctors detected something going on with the right kidney.

i sort of feel okay but at the same time not.

just wondering for anyone out there who had potassium problems how long after did their it take for their health issues to subside or have they continued from having potassium problems.

also the blood test am i right in thinking that part of it is checking sodium, magnesium along with other things.

in all my life i have never known such problems from something like this.

i do wish there was some kind of finger prick test then at least i would know what to do.

my B.P seems to be okay then all over the place and am i right in thinking that the kidneys help in some way to maintain the balance.

any input welcome.

forgot my right back flank is playing up yet again, it happened just after the weekend when i ended up vomiting for reasons unknown.

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mikeydt
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MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star

An imbalance in the elements you mention is call an electrolyte imbalance. I had this post bypass and gained 9kg in fluid retention. Others here have also suffered from it to a greater or lesser extent. It does take some weeks/months to fully get back to normal. The U&E (urea and electrolytes) blood test checks these.

Kidney issues can affect blood pressure if the blood vessels therein narrow. High blood pressure can cause this.

thetidders profile image
thetidders

Like Michael I too suffered an electrolyte imbalance after a bypass op. In my case I ended up in critical care very poorly. My potassium levels at admission were critically low. I was in there for two weeks while they struggled to get the electrolytes balanced. I had many infusions of potassium & magnesium. I was eventually discharged & was given magnesium sachets to take at home ( potassium had returned to normal by then). My GP arranged blood tests every couple of weeks to check all the electrolytes & eventually after about 6 weeks the magnesium was normal.

I try to eat food which contain potassium & magnesium most days such as nuts, spinach & other green vegetables to keep the levels right.

Good luck with your potassium ect levels.

mikeydt profile image
mikeydt

in hospital not sure what they were infusing me with but what ever it was one drip bag went on for nearly 14 hours then they gave me something else via i.v along with the horrible disolvable salty tablets.

if i don't hear nothing then i will presume it is fine although there is all ways the doubt now that it can still go hay wire, still then got the periodic checks.

i do have a multivitamin which has magnesium in it so may be start this off till i then hear something.

this seems to be such a fine line getting the balance right.

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