A Condition Called Salt Wasting

[P SUDIK]

I just read about Salt Wasting on another dysautomia site. Has anyone been DX with this? It sound so much like part of POTS.( not being able to keep the salt in your system). Very curios, P

[Guest tearose]

I haven't heard about this. I'm interested. Where were you reading about this?

[Elegiamore]

Yes, let's get some more details on what you've read....I stopped retaining salt in 2003 and almost died of salt loss. My physician diagnosed that the salt loss was from Effexor, which was really helping me mentally. After cutting WAY down on water and salt intake, the problem disappeared.

I also had an extremely low Vasopressin count, which helps your body hold salt. It was so low that the lab said it was a mistake!

Would love to hear more....

Elegiamore

[P SUDIK]

Elegiamore, I just came across this yesterday,so I typed in salt wasting and several things came up. The only things I know are florinef seems to help and it may come from brain trauma. I am still investigating. P

[bttrflyamby1981]

I know of someone with this..I'll have to ask her about it.

[flop]

I think my cardiologist thinks that I may have this. He had me do a 24hr urine collection for sodium then put me on a 3month course of slow sodium. Unfortunately when I come off the sodium tablets my POTS symptoms really flare up so I have been on them continuously for the last 18months. He wants me to do another 24hr urine test, this time whilst on the sodium to see what my levels are - if they are still low he says that I must be loosing sodium somewhere.

Flop

[Lukkychrm42]

I haven't heard of this condition. It makes sense that Florinef would help it, though.

Wait, so you had to decrease your salt intake, Elegiamore?

I know that my sodium levels are low to normal when I get random electrolyte panels done, despite the super-high intake and plenty of water, and it seems like they should be higher or else I shouldn't be so darn thirsty all the time...

It would be interesting for them to study this more in we who have such a high sodium intake, too.

[masumeh]

Salt wasting is a symptom of Addison's Disease, which involves adrenal insufficency. I only know this because my pulmonologist 5 yrs back suspected Addisons was at root of my fainting. I had an adrenal function test conducted after initial blood tests showed low cortisol levels....they give you a shot in your shoulder of ACT and watch the associated adrenal hormone levels rise over the following half hour or so. Mine was normal in the end. In fact, cortisol was high at that time (ended up I was pregnant). Anyways....Addisonian patients often have fainting episodes, if they occur back to back, they need medical attention and therefore wear wrist bands with Addison's labels. It's a serious disease and can result in fatal shock if left untreated. Florinef is primarily a medication for Addisonian patients....but we POTSers get the benefit of retaining water to increase blood volume too. They also take salt suppliments, like many of us do.

[MomtoGiuliana]

When my POTS was really bad back in 2003, my sodium levels were low when I was admitted to the hospital--as were my potassium levels. This was never adequately explained.

Katherine

[Elegiamore]

I haven't heard of this condition. It makes sense that Florinef would help it, though.

Wait, so you had to decrease your salt intake, Elegiamore?

I know that my sodium levels are low to normal when I get random electrolyte panels done, despite the super-high intake and plenty of water, and it seems like they should be higher or else I shouldn't be so darn thirsty all the time...

It would be interesting for them to study this more in we who have such a high sodium intake, too.

Lucky,

had to decrease my water intake because I was not retaining salt, even though I had increased salt intake.

But now that I have osteoporosis, I have reduced salt intake also, as it is most likely the cause of the osteo. I thought I was doing quite well, until I syncoped last week! Florinef had too many side effects for me.

Doctors adviced that Effexor was causing the salt loss, and I got off of it, to my great detriment, and also cut the water down. Salt has remained in normal but low zone since then. I'm SURE there is a connection with salt and low blood volume issues. Momto, they never adequately explain anything with us POTers; just call us nutty.

Elegiamore