How Much Salt Is Good?

[Clairefmartin]

Hi everyone,

My doctor failed to tell me that for Florinef to work you need to increase salt (Bonnie from Vandy told me on the phone) as well as liquids.

I was wondering how much salt is recommended, can't find any info online so far. I also was wondering what foods/drinks you guys recommend that are high in salt. I been relying on V8, and am over it

Thanks!

ps- I am gluten intolerant which makes this harder - can't eat boullion or salty crackers/breads

[Stace915]

I was taking salt pills for a while but they bothered by stomach, boullion, is very high in sodium, I drink it like tea, pretzels (some are higher than others) and believe it or not my doctor said pizza is also really high, but I don't know how much pizza you want to eat! LOL, I drink the boullion 2-3 times a day ,2 cubes at a time, its kinda weird but you get used to it

[Lukkychrm42]

I love soup. I eat it ALL the time, and it's something that can hold a HUGE salt content without tasting awful. I also love olives, dill pickles, canned green beans, crackers (mm especially saltines with marmite and wheat thins), pretzels, and bread also has lots of sodium. I do more adding of salt to foods than relying on salty foods, though. I was told to consume 8-10 thousand mgs. of sodium per day. (On my discharge instructions from Vandy.) I only drink Gatorade when I'm desperate... like in the mornings when I am too nauseous to eat, or when I've been out all afternoon doing something..

When I was in Italy and my host mom got mad at me adding salt to food, even though I told her repeatedly WHY I needed and and she'd say that she understood... I also would drink vegetable broth all the time (I wasn't allowed to cook, though.)

If you look, you'll fid that salt really is.. all around. Good luck!

[ellepee]

I try to eat lots of soup and high sodium foods, and my doctor also has me taking up to 10 grams of salt pills a day.

[maggee]

hi Claire:)

i use only himalayan mountain salt.....available online...just type it in 'search'......and seems to be bout 4 places to buy from.

a little goes a long way......so you can buy a small amount...i remember..@ www.mercola.com

doc mercola..says...reg table salt is toxic....[you can read info on himalayan @ his website]....pretty interesting!

anyways, always put salt on food..or can cause nausea, i found.

best regards,

Maggee

[JaneEyre9]

Hey Claire,

It's tough to get a lot of salt. Your doctor typically sets the amount that you should have each day. I was confused at first because my doctor gave me my number in "grams of salt" but this is different than "sodium." Salt is 39% sodium, so for instance, if you are told to eat 8-10 grams of salt per day, you are looking at 3,120mg-3,900mg of sodium. If you are a label reader (which i bet you are being gluten intolerant ) then you will notice that a normal person's sodium intake should be about 2,400mg. So we have to go a little above and beyond.

For a gluten free diet, chicken broth is a great way to increase sodium. It's good just to drink hot, but you can even make your own soups if you like to cook.

Fritos and corn tortilla chips are also great for snacking. Specialty stores also might sell gluten free pretzels.

Luncheon meats are a great source of sodium. I prefer turkey but ham is even better. Pickles and olives were already mentioned. Stir fry is a great high salt food because of the soy sauce.

I like to add salt to things like potatoes, rice, meat, vegetables, eggs, and toast. I know you can't have toast, but I also eat my grandma's gluten free bagels toasted with salt. My favorite meal is salty eggs, salty toast and bacon.

Hope that these suggestions help!

[Clairefmartin]

Thanks !! I never thought of pickles and olives....I am going to ask my doctor how much I should be eating, but I have a feeling he has no clue. I am seriously considering Vandy (they asked me to come this summer) so I can get clearer instructions (like for salt!) and maybe find out more about my individual case of POTS.

Thanks again,

[Kitsakatsa]

I medicate myself with green cocktail olives

I have struggled with Salt in the past- Salt pills= Cucka!

I have had perfect salt intake since I have been eating 1/2 dill pickle and 16 green olives each day.

I've even cut down on my florinef, with my MDs permission.

For me this has been the easiest+its only 110 calories and 0 fat. Perfect!

ps. apparently, cottage cheese is really high too...

[Lukkychrm42]

Sorry- I must have skipped over the gluten intolerance bit... just out of curiousity, if you tested negative for the marker for celiac disease, is it symptoms you get that make you say you're gluten intolerant? I just tested negative as well.

Ener-G makes some pretty tasty GF pretzels, but I'm not familiar with any good salty GF crackers- though I like Japanese rice crackers, if you make sure there's not soy sauce in them- I don't remember. But I agree to the green cocktail olives bit... while kalamata are my favorites, you can pop those little green babies like there's no tomorrow! (Though they do have fat and should still be eaten in moderation- well, as much moderation as you like!!)

I'd be careful with the salt pills- they can upset your stomach, so at the least they should be taken with food. They're not even sold in the UK anymore- at least not when I looked last fall.. and the chemists would look disdainfully at me as though I were 'some silly American' ever-so-fickle and unenlightened.

[Clairefmartin]

Sorry- I must have skipped over the gluten intolerance bit... just out of curiousity, if you tested negative for the marker for celiac disease, is it symptoms you get that make you say you're gluten intolerant? I just tested negative as well.

Ener-G makes some pretty tasty GF pretzels, but I'm not familiar with any good salty GF crackers- though I like Japanese rice crackers, if you make sure there's not soy sauce in them- I don't remember. But I agree to the green cocktail olives bit... while kalamata are my favorites, you can pop those little green babies like there's no tomorrow! (Though they do have fat and should still be eaten in moderation- well, as much moderation as you like!!)

I'd be careful with the salt pills- they can upset your stomach, so at the least they should be taken with food. They're not even sold in the UK anymore- at least not when I looked last fall.. and the chemists would look disdainfully at me as though I were 'some silly American' ever-so-fickle and unenlightened.

Lol....my husband is from Germany and gives me that same look sometimes

I actually didn't get my blood tested for the marker, I had an endoscopy that came back negative for Celiac. I was not willing to start eating gluten again to get the blood test. I feel great when I don't eat gluten, and it hurts when I do (along with maltodextrin), so my gastro said to just assume I have a gluten intolerance. I don't have any of the autoimmune diseases associated with Celiac, so I dont call myself a Celiac (which is an autoimmune disease), just gluten intolerant.

[maggee]

claire....

oopszzzzzzzzzz!

forgot to say===i use my blood pressure as my marker for needing or not needing salt.

i'm on beta blocker also...which seemed to decrease my need for salt intake....as my bp running higher since on beta blocker.

also see you take ibuprophen[motrin]...which can increase your bp.

so every day diff for me...

some days..i do not even need salt..others i need alot...and i just add himalayan salt to some food.

best regards,

maggee

[momdi]

V8 juice - 800 mg/12 ounces

If you can get to a Trader Joe's, they make a yummy rice cracker (presumably gluten free - but better check the label) that is pretty salty, that my son loves. Unfortunately, none in my cupboard right now or I'd give you the details. They come packaed in a small, clear bag and are Trader Joe brand.

Dried beef in a jar - found in the canned meat/tuna section in the grocery store, is a virtual salt factory.

[Radha]

maggee you are the only one i have heard from that has increased bp with beta blockers, the more beta blockers i take the higher my bp is getting! its higher than it ever was! and i would love to have an explanation for this since i have only heard of betas lowering bp, does your doc have any explanation for this?

radha

[maggee]

hi radha!

yep, sure dOES seem a lil backward,huh.....since beta blockers are bp meds???

here's my scoop on it:

first, i have had orthostatic hypotension for years.....never high bp.

when i was first trying beta blockers for POTS, I would...[and still do]...take my bp...and eat himalayan salt.....or regular salt with food/water intake....to raise my bp>>>>before taking beta blocker--->>>in order to get heart rate down!

quite a long way around to get where you need to go....lol!

then--heart rate would come down.....and even hours later.....my blood pressure soaring for me.

so i was either sick--from being orthostaticly low....or sick from bp being too high, as i could actually feel it....and was not funny...oh myyyy!

what a maize, i thought...as well as...this is not making sense!

another no win--i thought?

well, was trying only 5 mg inderal at a time....until a week ago....and my body seemed to tell me when i needed next 5 mg...as i would get high blood pressure...and flip-flops a going in my heart [new for me..since on inderal].

***i asked pharmacist bout this:

he said....when beta blocker wears off...the body/brain...says....i am going to make more of the norepinephine....cuz drug decreases it....and body trying to do its compensating thing...and bod says===='lets make more'...which causes bp to go up.....AND BOD ASKING FOR MORE BP MEDS.....?????

***second factor i concluded over time here:

on beta blocker write-up....from drugstore>>one of drug interactions mentioned----are NSAIDS........LIKE MOTRIN.

I have taken motrin PRN for years...as cannot tolerate any other pain meds....that i know of....outside of aspirin or tylenol.

i asked doc bout taking motrin with beta blocker-----and he said===="go ahead----it will only raise your bp some.....and you need that".......

i conclude now that motrin was contributing to making my bp raise too high, in conjunction with the beta blocker.

so am trying now to survive w/ only aspirin or tylenol.

NOW:am off motrin...as stated....and taking 10 mg inderal 2x within 24 hours.....

.......seems i only need a little extra salt intake, especially in morn to raise bp---to take beta blocker.....and i drink water all day, as usual......and when i take inderal......i make sure i take some tomato juice....which has salt and good amount of potassium.....and also take calcium/magnesium....when i take the inderal.

do also take b-12-folate-b-6 1-2x day....as well as certain brand of omega-3 codliver oil....and certain brand of vitamin e.

[pm me if you want to know brands...:0)]

so, being on consistant higher dose....of 10 mg inderal ---2x per day....and being off motrin....keeps me from having the spiking TOO HIGH raises of high blood pressure.....that were making me so sick...[and confused!!!.....lol!!!!]

**heart flip-flops decreased also now.

let me know if any of this 'rings any bells for you'....??????

let me know if this is too confusing, and if i can offer more explanation, Radha:0)

best regards,

maggee

maggee you are the only one i have heard from that has increased bp with beta blockers, the more beta blockers i take the higher my bp is getting! its higher than it ever was! and i would love to have an explanation for this since i have only heard of betas lowering bp, does your doc have any explanation for this?

radha