salt and spiro

[Satinjoy]

Is there anything I need to know about salt intake on spiro?  I have always had normal blood pressures or low ones.  Lately I don't feel right, blood work is coming up for serum level tests.  Fatigue, faster estrogen crashes than usual on the sublinguals.  Since I take in very little salt I am wondering if I screwed up on electorlytes or more specifically sodium levels.

[Missy~rmdlm]

Sodium levels have always been fine for me, on or off blood pressure medicine. Both before and more recently, on HT. Fatigue, which I do have, is attributed to low T for me, I have also been monitoring and dosing for hypothyroid for most of a decade.

[Cindy]

You certainly need to be careful with potassium intake on spiro, so beware the fad diets! Some fruit such as bananas are a no no while on spiro.

I also get my thyroid function checked during my blood work, usually just once a year. I do take a multi-vitamin as part of my daily routine.

As ever we need to refer to our medics if we notice changes in how we feel. I think we are 'lab-rats' to a certain point and health care is something we should never avoid.

[xponentialshift]

You certainly need to be careful with potassium intake on spiro, so beware the fad diets! Some fruit such as bananas are a no no while on spiro.

I am curious how much research has actually been done on the whole banana + Spiro = bad...

Last fall (not on Spiro) I was averaging 21 grams of potassium per day mostly from bananas (and under 200mg of sodium)... This is over 5x the recommended max amount of k per day. I never had elevated potassium levels and was told that it would never be an issue because the potassium in fruits like bananas is in a different "package" than artificial, supplemental and animal based sources. The body is supposedly able to not open the package if it has enough potassium stored and it gets harmlessly flushed out of the system. (Similar to the high iodine found in sea vegetables)

I don't know if that is true but I plan on talking with my doctor about it before I start Spiro...

My plan is to continue eating bananas (maybe only up to 5-10 in a day instead of the 60+ lbs/week I was eating before) and get a $4 blood K test every week or two when I drive by the new lab to monitor my k levels.

[xponentialshift]

I suppose I should add that I drink 3-6 liters of water per day which helps with the flushing of excess minerals.

[Cindy]

Well potassium is potassium, there are no forms of it.

The guidelines to limit potassium intake are also in the Spiro insert you get from the pharmacist. But consult your medical team.

PATIENT INFORMATION
Patients who receive ALDACTONE (Spironolactone) should be advised to avoid potassium supplements and foods containing high levels of potassium, including salt substitutes.

[Joelene9]

  My Dr. took me off of spiro due to the loss of sodium as one reason.  My last test showed an out of range low reading on the sodium plus low readings on two other things. 

  Joelene

[Satinjoy]

I stay away from high potassium foods, from the beginning of HRT.  I feel better than yesterday, boosted salt intake quite a bit just with a couple bouilion cubes instead of coffee.  2 of those has 2/3 the daily requirement.

Will talk to the doc in a couple weeks about it, and report it here in case it helps.

Potassium I knew about before.  Potato skins are also off the list, too much P.

Spiro and finesteride side effects were intense on the start up.  I even had no short term memory or at least was impeded for a while.  It all went away.

The thing I love about estrogen is that colors look so much nicer and brighter about 20 minutes into the sublingual.  And red especially is brighter and more attractive.  Interesting...

Thanks all

[Rachel]

My sodium was low and potassium high last month. I was having dehydration issues too. I have been coffee free for a month (6 cups a day) and I increased water and salt intake. My blood pressure is 120/60.

I definitely feel better and am staying hydrated.

[Eva Marie]

I had a stroke some number of years ago and they drilled into my head that salt was bad and was off of my list. I love salt, and that was a real hardship but I adapted.

Now with spiro i'm losing so much salt that I'm having horrible cravings for it so I'm eating it again. And it seems like almost a requirement to eat enough to replace what you lose. Food tastes good once again now that I can properly season things 

[Satinjoy]

My mother almost died from sodium depletion.  Not something to mess up on.

Definitely feeling better with the boulion add.  Tweak, tweak, tweak.