How Do We Get MORE Sodium Into Diet?!

[sylvie]

We have a unique situation where DH is continually testing too low for sodium.
We have a week to get the numbers up or he gets admitted into the hospital. All they do is give him saline drips and send him home.

We thought we had his numbers up since last month's low numbers with the potato chips, ham, extra salted everything but they are lower than last month. They said they wanted him essentially dehydrated! So we've watched his liquid intake.
He did have a virus recently and was given a course of Keflex. We were told that a virus could lower the numbers.

He is on immune suppressants, magnesium, blood pressure meds and an 3 day per week antibiotic. They aren't looking at these for the cause.

Has anyone had experience with low sodium?

 

[keljonma]

sylvie, about 18 years ago, my dd was passing out and the doctors determined her sodium levels were too low. She ate lots of pickles, olives and something else I can't think of right at the moment. But I have sent her an email to ask about it. As soon as I hear from her, I'll update....


Maybe load up on the bacon or tofu.....In the meantime, is your dh veg-head too?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Instead of drinking regular liquids, maybe he should be drinking ones with electrolytes? Gatoraid comes to mind, but you can make your own by adding table salt and sugar plus a squeeze of citrus to water. I try to drink that in the summer because I have had problems with heat exhaustion in the past. My diet is pretty low in salt.

 

[Beekissed]

Salt tablets are available over the counter. V8 juice has a pretty high sodium content but without the volume of something like electrolyte solutions. Substances high in caffeine can deplete your fluids and create a dehydration status, some sodas have a pretty high sodium content as well.

Unfortunately, when you lose fluids you lose sodium. If you must drink a fluid, make sure its high sodium, low volume. If you can, I would try avoid foods that create another problem....like high cholesterol, bacons, salt pork, etc. No use trading one problem for another.

The usual treatment for hyponatremia is to find the cause and eliminate this factor or at least treat it. I am wondering.....did they tell you what underlying medical condition is causing this? Its usually heart or hormonal related, if not as a side effect of other meds being taken.

 

[keljonma]

sylvie, about 18 years ago, my dd was passing out and the doctors determined her sodium levels were too low. She ate lots of pickles, olives and something else I can't think of right at the moment. But I have sent her an email to ask about it. As soon as I hear from her, I'll update....


Maybe load up on the bacon or tofu.....In the meantime, is your dh veg-head too?

ETA: I'm getting bits from dd.... she is taking an online university course - so here is what she sent me so far

sauerkraut, sardines in mustard sauce on salted saltines, sprouted beans, beets, and she stopped using homemade stock and started using boullion cubes.

 

[TanksHill]

Salt tablets are available over the counter. V8 juice has a pretty high sodium content but without the volume of something like electrolyte solutions. Substances high in caffeine can deplete your fluids and create a dehydration status, some sodas have a pretty high sodium content as well.

Unfortunately, when you lose fluids you lose sodium. If you must drink a fluid, make sure its high sodium, low volume. If you can, I would try avoid foods that create another problem....like high cholesterol, bacons, salt pork, etc. No use trading one problem for another.

The usual treatment for hyponatremia is to find the cause and eliminate this factor or at least treat it. I am wondering.....did they tell you what underlying medical condition is causing this? Its usually heart or hormonal related, if not as a side effect of other meds being taken.

I agree with Bee. Seems like they are treating the symptoms and not diagnosing the actual problem. Why are the sodium levels so low in the first place?

Just my .02

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Vegetarian diets are naturally low in sodium. Homecooked foods are also lower in sodium. If you stop eating processed foods, you can actually find yourself low on sodium (especially if you don't eat meat).

I'm not saying there aren't other underlying problems, just that a change of diet can cause this too.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Oh, also if you add physical exertion to the change of diet equation, that quickly leads to a lower sodium status.

 

[keljonma]

Hey, sylvie, what is dh's transplant surgeon saying about this? In re-reading your post, it seems to me that the virus and Keflex are partially to blame.

sylvie wrote:
He did have a virus recently and was given a course of Keflex. We were told that a virus could lower the numbers.

He is on immune suppressants, magnesium, blood pressure meds and an 3 day per week antibiotic. They aren't looking at these for the cause.

 

[sylvie]

Vegetarian diets are naturally low in sodium. Homecooked foods are also lower in sodium. If you stop eating processed foods, you can actually find yourself low on sodium (especially if you don't eat meat).

I'm not saying there aren't other underlying problems, just that a change of diet can cause this too.

He is not a vegetarian or even remotely close!
I, too, had considered the home cooked meals as a possible contributing factor. I went back to work after a lengthy lay off and took all the overtime that I could. DH was eating many meals with his parents who cook low salt for FIL's congestive heart failure. I asked his mother to heavily salt his portion and hand him the shaker at the table. I'm uncertain what actually took place.