I posted a reply to Lin-Calif this morning extolling the virtues of low carb - my doctor phoned just now with the good news I've reduced my HbA1c level from 54 to 49, she will 'unlabel' me as Type 2 at 48.. hooray!
BUT, says dear Doctor, my potassium level is increasing so here we go again, researching low potassium foods which is pretty depressing and seems to be diametrically at odds with diabetes management as a hospital diet sheet acknowledges. So my menu appears to be: porridge made with water for breakfast, a 'salad' (oh yeah) featuring 2 medium lettuce leaves, 3 slices of cucumber and half a medium tomato .. you have to be joking... and white carbs as refined versions of everything have less potassium, including canned fruit (but remember (warning finger wag from site)) no drinking the juice or using the water you've boiled your cabbage to death with in a gravy. Can you tell I'm a little less than impressed?
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They certainly know how to make you a compliant patient (not). There's a nice list on the internet of low potassium foods which could help with the variety level. I also note that potassium and sodium need to be in balance and found this remark that increased intake of one of these minerals will lead to increased excretion of the other. If you have been eating a very low sodium diet increasing your sodium slightly could be helpful.
Thanks for the informative link, the interaction between potassium and sodium is well explained .. more balancing acts. I haven't been adding salt to anything and cook everything from fresh so possibly adding a little might do the trick. Worth a try (and you cured your headaches by doing this, I remember!)
I did indeed! And I've kept tabs on my blood pressure (although only through the supermarket pharmacy's machine) and it has come back down to its usual low normal level. And the only headache I've had in the last month has been one migraine, complete with aura, no morning headaches. 😎
It's a full-time job keeping tabs on what happens when .. not my optimal career choice but I've learnt a lot about the body I've always taken for granted: insert food and water, activate limbs, brain, emotions, lie it down on the bed, repeat .. easy. Until it isn't
Do you get migraines usually? I had a very weird experience after playing table tennis extremely vigorously (it's the only cause I can think of) - a 'swarm' of very colourful migraines, one a day for 5 days, complete with hallucinations even when I closed my eyes, very psychedelic and unnerving. In the end I just lay down in the dark and watched the film unscrolling behind my eyelids. I learnt from my optician it was called 'The Prisoners Cinema' when the brain, deprived of light and stimulation, starts playing around. Table tennis is off my 'must do' list.
I am what I think is called a migraineur. I used to get horrific ones when I was young, but gradually learned how to avoid, or at least curb them. I remember one time my little girl had a friend over from school and I had to call my husband home from work because I was too ill to look after them. He came into the bedroom where I was sitting up with multiple pillows and said I looked absolutely grey. I think that was my last totally debilitating one. So for half my life they've been under control. I get the migraine aura more often than the actual headache these days, although I have noted a connection between an aura one day and a headache up to two days later. That's what happened this time. I got really tired, and slightly headachy, and eventually the headache developed, but I was already medicated so it didn't get out of control. The aura in my case is a sparkly op art circle in the centre of my vision which quite quickly grows into a C shape, getting larger and larger and travelling off to the side and out of my field of vision. If I'm in a dark room it can be quite beautiful. The elongated shape makes me think of a serpent with flashing black and white markings.
I never heard of the prisoner's cinema before. Alfred the Great suffered from migraine, so I'm told. I wonder how many "visions" can be explained by this odd brain phenomenon?
Amongst my 'visions' were gold Aztec masks, moving as you say diagonally towards me, large colourful fish swimming in the bluest pool - colours were unbelievably bright as though unveiled. .. Where is Jung when he's needed (not Freud, we all know what he'd say..)
Hermits/saints/yogis = dark caves/sensory and social deprivations = Prisoners' Cinema!?
Funny how threads go 'off-piste' into all sorts of exchanges with interesting people! Hope you are feeling better, SJ, you were 'stuck' for a while I think x
My migraines ceased with the menopause - thank goodness. I used to get classic Jungian symbols - like the wheel spinning in the sun. Like HeronNS I couldn't cope with the children and just wanted cool and dark. No one should ever underestimate how dreadful migraines can be nor how impressive and memorable the 'visions' are.
Have you tried rocket in your salad? Bit more zing than ordinary lettuce.
I'd never experienced migraines before, glad you don't have them any more, it was frightening especially when the 'visions' didn't disappear even with my eyes closed. The spectre of GCA was uppermost in my mind so had a thorough check-up and given the all clear. It was almost worth it for the artwork!
Yes, I love rocket and a 'salad' to me is loads of green stuff and herbs with fish/chicken/cheese added so I got a rude shock when I looked up low potassium diets.. I have a follow-up test on Tuesday, it's probably just a blip.
I had visual aura migraine about 3 x a year until prednisone then they increased to a couple a month and then someone told me to take CoQ-10 and it's been 4 months and I haven't had one. I am HUGELY susceptible to placebo effect....so it could be that...but whatever it is I like it. Give me a tiny pill and tell me it will take away the effects of PMR and I'm on it! Oh.. that's right. I am on it.
Whatever works, yogabonnie I see you've embarked on your low carb journey, that pre-diabetic alarm call sure galvanises us into action ..no matter how many times people tell you to just do it (like giving up smoking) you have to be absolutely determined and motivated in your own mind. My latest results gave me a terrific boost, now nearly back out of the Type 2 zone. Good luck, keep chopping the greens and keep us posted!
I had a reading a year ago of 5.9mmol/L which resolved to normal levels - latest result is 5.8, and I'm booked for another test on Tuesday. I'm on 9mg pred, reducing back to 8mg after a bit of a flare from a leg infection and Amoxycillin so maybe that has something to do with it.
I'm glad to hear you have your OH home again, and with the pred munchies...
Best wishes from me too, didn't know OH was home - I'm still hours behind everyone else and not always seeing these posts in the first instance...only catch up when seeing replies!!
You probably can’t remember, but did you eat anything just prior to the blood test? My MIL was thought to have high K, when an astute Dr asked if she’d eaten anything while waiting for her blood test, she had, a whole bar of chocolate with nuts. He told her she was banned from eating chocolate! Nothing wrong with her K levels after that.
Another thought that occurs, not sure how long you’ve been on a LCHF diet? Apparently there’s a 2-3 week transition period with Atkins-type diets as your body adjusts to using fats instead of carbs for energy. During transition your sodium levels can fall (headaches, dizziness, constipation, fluid loss) The body rights itself as it’s great at homeostasis, but wonder if it’s affected your K levels???
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Soraya, I did have my usual big breakfast with half an avo, poached egg, cooked spinach, cottage cheese and kimchi followed by kefir before blood test (chocolate bars.. what are they?) I've been on LCHF for many months and generally feel very well on it, but I'm going to try adding a little salt to food to see if it does anything to redress the balance. I'm also using a magnesium spray at night to help sleep, which really works, but as it facilitates potassium uptake into cells am wondering whether that makes a difference (clutching at straws here, too much googling!)
Have you thought about zero carbs? The body doesn't actually need any despite what the establishment has been misguidedly selling us for decades and it negates the need for complicated juggling acts with diet as long as one steers clear of processed food.
I wrote earlier in response, senetta, must have forgotten to hit Reply, typical... I'm very low carb apart from the odd slice of rye sourdough and I love what I eat. It was a high(ish) potassium reading that bothered my doc and immediately started me googling low potassium foods which looked pretty uninspiring - hence the slightly hysterical post. Hopefully the re-test on Tuesday will be more reassuring.
Hi Slowdown, I don’t see any protein in your diet! But yes I also have porridge for breakfast...made with water...but I put a few raisins in mine, and also a banana (which I see you can’t have, but perhaps you could substitute some other fruit?). It is amazing what one can get used to! There is nothing like a major health emergency to make one appreciate one’s body, that for so many years one had taken for granted.
hi Stella3, oh yes, loads of protein fish/meat/cheese/eggs plus healthy fats and veggies galore! It was a high(ish) reading of potassium that spooked me as just about everything contains it and the thought of being a lot more spartan than I am now was not appealing! Hopefully it was an anomaly, I'll find out on Tuesday with another blood test. The great thing is that the low carb lifestyle has markedly decreased my blood sugar levels, so I'm very pleased about that. As you say, bodies are not thought about for most of our lives, until they start playing up!
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