..jeez you people were NOT kidding about it making you go ALOT. I mean it's not critical but it's really annoying...does this part of the medicine calm down after a week or few?
Yes it does have that effect on people. Make sure you are drink more water now. Yes you will go even more, but you don't want potassium building up.
Quote from: Janet Lynn on January 06, 2011, 12:47:58 PM
Yes it does have that effect on people. Make sure you are drink more water now. Yes you will go even more, but you don't want potassium building up.
Yes ma'am, the endo even told me I had to avoid my beloved orange juice...I loved drinking bunches of it a day and now it's a no-no due to the potassium >_>
Oh well. I think I'll swap orange juice for hormones any day.
The first month was the worst as far as extra bathroom trips went. After about 5 months everything has almost settled back to normal for me. Keep drinking lots of water though. The other thing is depending on your dosage, muscle spasms will increase as well, especially in the legs. Potassium rich foods like OJ, potatoes, raisins, bananas, etc need to be eaten in moderation, but not totally avoided as some potassium is needed in your diet. Your endo should monitor your potassium level as one of your regular reoccurring blood tests.
..
Quote from: Fancyrabbit on January 07, 2011, 06:53:18 AM
I haven't heard about the restrictions of potassium before. Are there other foods / changes like that which are needed when going on HRT? :)
Yes there are. Unfortunately. Potassium Rich Foods (http://www.thepotassiumrichfoods.com/)
Quote from: Janet Lynn on January 07, 2011, 11:52:13 AM
Yes there are. Unfortunately. Potassium Rich Foods (http://www.thepotassiumrichfoods.com/)
Oh wow, thanks for that. I wonder if the tomato sauce used in say...commercial pizza is still rich in potassium after all that processing. Potatoes too, like for french fries...looks like I shoulda thought about these questions before I went to the doc. Research, here we go!
i've eaten most of the things on that list :P it's not an extreme restriction just you know don't be silly.
,oh. .wow. .delicious list :D i love the pears . .im not aware its on the list. .i avoided oranges and orange juices since i started spiro. .i guess i have to lessen eating my beloved pears too :(
Quote from: Sutara on January 06, 2011, 11:20:07 AM
..jeez you people were NOT kidding about it making you go ALOT. I mean it's not critical but it's really annoying...does this part of the medicine calm down after a week or few?
It calmed down for me after about a week and a half ... maybe 2 weeks. Now I'd say I go about as much as I did prior to starting spiro. Maybe a tad bit more but not as dramatic as the first few weeks.
Congrats on this step!
Quote from: pebbles on January 07, 2011, 02:02:18 PM
i've eaten most of the things on that list :P it's not an extreme restriction just you know don't be silly.
This. Everything in moderation. Also it depends on an individuals physiology. Everyone is different. This why we need to have our potassium levels checked regularly.
;)
I agree just use moderation and if one of the high potassium foods happens to be your favorite then you'll definitely want to cut down on it.
Myself, I enjoy milk ALOT well I use too until I found out skim milk has the highest potassium of all the milks and thats the milk I like. >:(
I also watch my spinach intake, I try to limit my potassium before I have a spinach salad, or even cooked. I don't worry too much about tomato sauce I still enjoy my spaghetti and potatoes, I don't eat them too often.
Like pebbles said and I stated at first just don't overdo it.
My potassium levels have never been high, and I can honestly tell you the only thing I cut back on was my skim milk, and I know the spiro is doing its job my T level is at 2.5 :)
Shelly
Ooohh...didn't know that about the Spiro. Wow. It's always something when it comes to meds...
Another question, if someone doesn't mind answering...
How much more water would you think you need? Part of me is thinking I'm overcompensating with ~13 cups a day or so. I'm just thirsty a lot with it so I'm thinking thirst = go get some water...but how much is too much?
Quote from: Sutara on January 11, 2011, 09:34:56 AM
Another question, if someone doesn't mind answering...
How much more water would you think you need? Part of me is thinking I'm overcompensating with ~13 cups a day or so. I'm just thirsty a lot with it so I'm thinking thirst = go get some water...but how much is too much?
Excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes, but other then that I don't think there really is "too much" water. At least not 13 cups a day.
If you are healthy, there is no need to worry about your potassium levels. Those warnings are only meant for older people who may be prescribed Sprio for other uses and usually have complicated medical issues involving liver problems.
I don't know why this perception that one needs to avoid potassium when you go on Spiro persists.
While you may be healthy, you are taking a medication that has the possibility of messing with your potassium levels. So is it not better to be forewarned, instead of forearmed.
That is why you have your levels check. Avoiding possible potassium contributors is just on way to avoid possible complications.
My potassium levels have remained absolutely flat throughout my entire time on Spiro now, no increase and no decrease. I have not done any diet modifications. I have continued to eat potatoes, bananas, and everything else I eat just as I normally do. There is no need to perform a scare factor on every one going on Spiro that they NEED to avoid food containing potassium.
What would be acceptable to me would be a change in the rhetoric. "Hey, this might be something to look out for, watch your potassium levels, but don't freak out over it" would do just fine.
Quote from: girl_ashley on January 11, 2011, 12:18:25 PM
If you are healthy, there is no need to worry about your potassium levels. Those warnings are only meant for older people who may be prescribed Sprio for other uses and usually have complicated medical issues involving liver problems.
I don't know why this perception that one needs to avoid potassium when you go on Spiro persists.
Erm, well...that's true that a normal, hydrated, renal sufficient person should have no problems on spiro. My endo mentioned that it's nothing to be scared of, but I should still not go crazy on the potassium. Something like 40% daily intake was perfectly fine, for instance...but 200% intake for an extended period of time posed a risk...
But hey, I'm sure with enough water you would be able to eat whatever you wanted. Kidneys are still going to do their job @_@
Quote from: girl_ashley on January 11, 2011, 12:56:59 PM
My potassium levels have remained absolutely flat throughout my entire time on Spiro now, no increase and no decrease. I have not done any diet modifications. I have continued to eat potatoes, bananas, and everything else I eat just as I normally do. There is no need to perform a scare factor on every one going on Spiro that they NEED to avoid food containing potassium.
What would be acceptable to me would be a change in the rhetoric. "Hey, this might be something to look out for, watch your potassium levels, but don't freak out over it" would do just fine.
Yeah ... I haven't had issues either. In fact, when I started Spiro I was getting cramps because I had cut down on some of my potassium and my doctor told me I needed to not do that ... :)
Spiro is a potassium sparing diuretic. I don't think that means it blocks your ability to process potassium. So I'm going to say that as long as you don't go crazy with the Banana Splits, most people will be ok.
:)
Quote from: Epigania on January 11, 2011, 08:14:58 PM
Spiro is a potassium sparing diuretic. I don't think that means it blocks your ability to process potassium. So I'm going to say that as long as you don't go crazy with the Banana Splits, most people will be ok.
"Potassium sparing" means it doesn't increase potassium elimination in your urine. There is a chance that it can in turn raise your potassium to lethal level. I'll skip the anatomy lesson, but potassium is part of what triggers your heart to beat so you can visualize the problems with having too much potassium. Its wise to monitor your potassium level, but a splurge now and then for most of us shouldn't be an issue. Where it could be a real problem would be in people with some degree of liver damage (say from long term alcohol or drug use), which is obviously a concern for some of the people on this list.
All I gotta say is.....
CANT WAIT TILL MARCH =) Be so glad to not have to go pee 5x a night and get dehydrated from just 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks haha
Quote from: girl_ashley on January 11, 2011, 12:18:25 PM
If you are healthy, there is no need to worry about your potassium levels. Those warnings are only meant for older people who may be prescribed Sprio for other uses and usually have complicated medical issues involving liver problems.
I don't know why this perception that one needs to avoid potassium when you go on Spiro persists.
Quote from: girl_ashley on January 11, 2011, 12:56:59 PM
My potassium levels have remained absolutely flat throughout my entire time on Spiro now, no increase and no decrease. I have not done any diet modifications. I have continued to eat potatoes, bananas, and everything else I eat just as I normally do. There is no need to perform a scare factor on every one going on Spiro that they NEED to avoid food containing potassium.
What would be acceptable to me would be a change in the rhetoric. "Hey, this might be something to look out for, watch your potassium levels, but don't freak out over it" would do just fine.
I have to really disagree with these two posts.
First off, everyone's physiology is different. Just because you happened to handle processing spiro in your body one way, doesn't mean that everyone in the same age range will do the same. Too many variables to predict something like this.
Spironolactone has been shown via lab results to cause your body to retain more potassium than it normally would retain. This is a fact. Not ficition. Furthermore, no one can predict what the level of increase maybe or what effect that will have on your body. It's just not possible. Again, everyone's physiology is different. Also do some reading on elevated potassium levels and their effect on coronary function.
Now, you can still have a banana or raisins from time to time, but I wouldn't eat them everyday while on spiro either.
FYI: I'm in my late 20s and my endo checks my potassium level during each blood test. So it's just not an issue for "older people" to worry about. Potassium levels can cause heart related problems very quickly if not monitored. Bottom line: MTF patients on spiro need to have their potassium levels monitored regularly.
I am not arguing that we stop monitoring our potassium levels. I am simply making a case that we soften the rhetoric on a bit. That is all. Jeeez.
Quote from: girl_ashley on January 12, 2011, 08:36:23 PM
I am not arguing that we stop monitoring our potassium levels. I am simply making a case that we soften the rhetoric on a bit. That is all. Jeeez.
Its not rhetoric though, there is sound research behind most of what is said in regards to HRT. It applies to both cis and transgendered women on HRT (I'm excluding transmen becuase the topic is specific to female HRT). Potential cardiac side effects of Sprio are well known and documented. The increased risk of cancer due to estrogen therapy is well known and documented. Finasteride even has potential side effects, all known and documented.
The sad fact is you have to teach to the lowest common denominator. As a 3x DIYer, I know all to well the motivations for DIY, I also understand the risks and understand how important it is we make sure people are very aware of the potential health risks of the medications they are taking. Liver damage, cardiac disease and cancer don't happen overnight, but a qualified doctor knows how to monitor their patient who's at increased risk for each of those things. The worst thing we can do as consumers is discount the importance of appropriate medical monitoring throughout HRT.