Doctor re sodium.

[prunus]

At the beginning of September I received a copy of a letter sent by my GCA Consultant to my Doctor. In it she said my sodium was low - 128 - and would my Doctor look into it. I have heard nothing. Should I be worried?

[SnazzyD]

Are you on a dose less than 5mg Pred? Do you feel ok? Low sodium is a symptom of poor adrenal function, amongst other things.

[prunus in reply to SnazzyD]

I'm on 3mg of predisolone. I look after my OH who is disabled and in hospital at the moment. I feel reasonable but not specially energetic but my age is against me.

[Sharitone]

Maybe worried, but certainly cross! If the consultant thought it should be checked, then it should. If you don't like to phone for an appointment, could you do an e-consult?

[prunus in reply to Sharitone]

Yes I have been watching it but noone has rung. I rang the Surgery this morning and have booked a telephone appointment for 13th December.

[SnazzyD in reply to prunus]

Good, because you’ve had this issue before so it can’t be put down to a blip. Therefore a few questions need to be asked.

[piglette]

I often have letters from consultants asking the doctor to check certain things and probably over fifty per cent of the time they don’t. Make that eighty per cent!

[prunus in reply to piglette]

My theory is he looked or skimmed the front page and never turned it over!

[piglette in reply to prunus]

Or did not read it at all! I have letters written by my GP to the consultant and vice versa and I reckon in 100% of cases there will be some sort of error.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to prunus]

Probably only looked at the name ...

[prunus in reply to PMRpro]

If that 's the case it shows what he thinks of me!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to prunus]

Or anyone else ...

[Sharitone in reply to PMRpro]

If he got the right name, you're lucky! At my first F2F appointment, the rheumy handed me a sheaf of blood test forms and something for the pharmacy - fortunately, because it was the pharmacist who noticed that they were in another patient's name! My husband is convinced that he had someone else's notes in front of him all along....

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sharitone]

Nothing surprises me any more. I got all the way through to the consultant before he informed my my Hba1c was fine - and I said I hoped it was as I wasn't diabetic to my knowledge!! Nurse called Mrs Hxxxx, no forename used and no check on address. I'd already been called by a volunteer with the wrong forename - and pointed it out to be told "It's near enough ..." My mother was informed by her GP practice that her notes had been sent back as she was dead!!! Two women in same practice, same names and DOB - and they didn't check the address. Once upon a time there'd have been a disciplinary process.

[Sharitone in reply to PMRpro]

Yep, my husband has the same first name and surname as someone else at our surgery, and he has twice been sent post-op letters, with plenty of details!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sharitone]

I hope he complained - that a data protection matter.

[prunus in reply to PMRpro]

What is the normal range?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to prunus]

ucsfhealth.org/medical-test...

135-145 mEq/L is the usually quoted range but it may vary slightly from lab to lab - your lab's normal range should be quoted in brackets alongside the result.

[prunus in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for that.

[HeronNS]

What specific symptoms do you have? I found by happy accident that I was salt deficient. In my case I believe it was from eating low salt most of my life, with reduction of eating prepared foods with PMR. The symptom which tipped off a knowledgeable acquaintance was waking up frequently with a headache. When I ate more salt that and a number of other apparently unrelated symtoms cleared up. Unfortunately I never had a test at that time, but recent test shows normal level, and I continue to salt my food.

[prunus in reply to HeronNS]

None. I have always had a low salt diet but since she said that I have deliberately upped my salt intake.

[2013mayo]

Hi, My sodium has been low for many years, I’ve had it investigated but after many tests and scans I was told to cut back on fluid intake. I only drink about 5 cups of tea or coffee in the morning and nothing else all day, my consultant said this was my body's automatic way of dealing with low sodium, if it gets too low I’m supposed to take salt tablets, however, my doctor has never followed through with this. I’m not sure now if my headaches was low sodium or GCA, since being on pred they have stopped.

When I first started taking pred my sodium level rose slightly, 31. I’m now taking 5mg pred and have no idea what my levels are.

The condition I have is called hyponatremia.

Maybe cut down on fluid intake for now and have it investigated

Hope this helps.

[prunus in reply to 2013mayo]

Thanks for that.