Low sodium

[Bridie123]

Hi everyone, apparently I have low sodium levels and my GP wants me to limit my fluid intake to under 2litrs a day, preferably 1.5 . I have issues with this. What does anyone else think/ know?

I would be grateful for help ☺

[Vtr1000]

Hi Birdie123, for me if I drink less than 3 litres of water a day I suffer from headaches and generally feeling tired. Is your GP not aware of the importance of water to us. Maybe a chat with your haemo team would be a good idea and see what they suggest.

[Bridie123 in reply to Vtr1000]

I agree, I don't think it will be possible to cut down

[Deefen in reply to Vtr1000]

I agree with you - I don’t think the good doc realised how important fluids are to people with our condition

[fee13]

Has there been any mention of raising sodium levels with extra table salt or Himalayan salt?

[Bridie123 in reply to fee13]

Thank you, no he didn't, he said the only option was to drink less

[Deefen]

I often have low sodium levels - I was just told to add more salt to my diet? I use good salts like Maldon, Himalayan pink & fleur de sel

[Bridie123 in reply to Deefen]

Thank you, I knew salt could loose its strength, but didn't realise there were different qualities

[Deefen in reply to Bridie123]

There are definitely some salts that are better than others - normal table salt is very processed and has additives to make it flow freely etc - natural salts are higher in minerals and taste less ‘harsh’.

[Bridie123 in reply to Deefen]

Have googled salts and will be changing 👍

[Jennytheb]

If you take Hydroxycarbamide you are supposed to drink a glass of water each time with those so doesn't leave much more for any other time of day. No I think up the maldon or other salts, only an unsolicited opinion though.

[Bridie123]

I agree, I fretted all day yesterday, but I needed to drink!

[Lifam]

I really don't think our conditions can afford to reduce water intake daily, I drink 2.5 to 3 litres water a day, we need that. May be good idea to ask your haematologist who knows your condition.

[Bridie123 in reply to Lifam]

Yes I will try to get hold of her

[Superwoman]

Hi Bridie , it’s very important that you keep your water intake up, especially in this hot weather and these troubled times with Covid 19, so to compensate you could always eat things that have Potassium in them naturally, like dried apricots, almonds, walnuts, all yellow fruits like bananas, nectarines, peaches, and of course tomatoes, you can find which fruit and veg are steeped naturally in it, this will help you a lot, but be careful you can send the levels a bit to high, Little and often is my theory.

When this happened to me many years ago My heart consultant suggested that I researched the problem as best I could he gave me lots of suggestions and found that by eating the right things it helped a lot still eat to this day, and my levels are spot on and I am now 70, and drinking water is part of our regime when taking such toxic drugs, mine being Hydroxycarbamide and I found that the water helped with headaches and fatigue, which now all these years later have really improved.

I would speak with your Haematologist and get their advice, as it sounds that they are not communicating which with our condition is a must.

Take care

Jean

[Bridie123 in reply to Superwoman]

Thanks Jean, it's good to hear you are keeping on top of it. I have a banana nearly every day with my porridge. I like all those other fruits as Well. My daughter has been looking up foods that help and juiced celery apparently is good. Like you I am on hydroxycarbonide and need the hydration for my head and fatigue. Take care 🤗

[Superwoman in reply to Bridie123]

Oh yes celery is really good.

[ward1946]

Can't add any advice to the above but reminded me of an incident in a restaurant few years back. I passed out & was taken to A&E, kept in overnight & put on a drip. Told caused by low sodium levels .... Never advised to reduce water intake though. Touch wood no recurrence & remains a mystery tbh. Agree u need discuss with yr haematologist. I also use Himalayan pink salt btw. Best wishes

[Bridie123]

Thank you, I will instruct my shopper ( hubbie😉 ) to look for these salts.

What happened in the restaurant must have been scary! How low was It? I have been staggering around a bit but have never fainted.

[hunter5582]

The answer would be it depends. Your body weight, level of exertion, weather/temperature, and individual metabolism all influence how much water you need to drink. Drinking too little or too much water can both be a problem. For those of us with MPNs, any level of dehydration can have serious consequences. For people on meds like hydroxyurea, too little water can increase toxicity. The flip side is that over-hydration can also cause problems. Specifically, it can cause depletion of electrolytes such as sodium. Electrolyte depletion can have very serious consequences with cardiac issues at the top of the list. It is not just sodium that matters. Potassium and the other electrolytes are vital for your heart, brain and other organs.

I think your doc is right to be concerned, but would not agree that the only answer is to drink less water. You could include electrolyte infused liquids (avoid the sugar drinks), electrolyte supplements, and of course a sprinkle of lovely Pink Himalayan Salt on tasty dishes of healthy food. I always include drinks with electrolytes (no sugar) along with water and other beverages when I am working outside and I know my fluid intake needs increase.

1.5 - 2 liters of water seems pretty reasonable. If you want to stay closer to 2 liters, just add some electrolytes and see how your numbers look. The labs will tell you whether it is working.

[Superwoman in reply to hunter5582]

Would rehydration drinks be just as good, like when you have an upset tummy.

[Bridie123]

Thank you, I really need to drink plenty of water so I will try what you suggest and do yourself. Do you buy it at the chemist?

[hunter5582]

I expect you can get something like Pedialyte (adult or kid version) at the chemist. Maybe a rehydration drink as well. I also buy it at the grocery store. One brand I like is ROMR - Organic Electrolyte Infusions. Nice flavors. No preservatives or artificial flavors. Does have a little bit of Erythritol/Stevia as a sweetener. These are natural calorie-free sweeteners that do not trigger an insulin reaction in your body. (That is one of the problems with artificial sweeteners). Fine in reasonable amounts.

[Bridie123]

Thank you so much ☺