Low electrolytes...

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Has anyone discovered a connection between low electolytes and seizures? I have wound up in ER following a major seizure - which appears to be connected with heavy exercise on a hot day. MD told me my electolyte (sodium) level is VERY low, med levels are fine. Could I be misdiagnosed as epileptic (which is pretty stigmatizing)? Meds seem to have no effect here.

Anyone have similar experiences?
 
Check out the posting about a cure for epilpesy. Another person posts that adding salt to their diet controlled their szs becuase they were low on sodium. But the meds did nothing for them. Their are many reasons for szs .............

Wishing you a sz free life
Riva
 
Riva, Jualsy's thread was about epsom salts which are magnesium based, not sodium based.

But yes, John, low electrolytes/minerals (sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium) can trigger seizures. Stacy's doc does periodic blood tests to make sure she has enough in her system.
 
Bernard, I think the med Rebecca is taking can cause low sodium levels. I need to check that out again. Of course no one told me that, I had to find it out on a website. Grrrr.
Now what if someone already has low sodium would they want to give a med that caused it to lower more. Hmmmm
Oh... if only I went to Med School.
 
Some meds cause low electrolyte levels...

I appreciate your response here. I'm researching this. I have noted some times I get the seizures is when I've been hiking, biking, working out, etc. partcularly on hot days or even when I'm overdressed on relatively warm days in winter.

One thing to check is I was taking Tegretol and MD told me that can cause low salt level. Now I've moved on to Dilantin, which seems to work better - but I can't help but wonder if it does the same thing to electolytes. (Note: I also take Celexa, which could cause same thing.)

All I can say, it's worth a try. Electrolytes are tricky, though, since you can get problems from too much. Sometimes drinking too much plain water can lower levels. Anyhow, if I'm moving around a lot, couldn't hurt to lick a pinch of salt now and then. (Sometimes I just lick sweat off my face with my hands.)
 
John-Forrest:

Gatorade has it!


gatorade.jpg
 
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Now it's clicking in Brain. I do remember the Gatorade.

I think my daughters first seizure happened on a day, where she had a sugary drink from that place called Star something, no protein that morning, she then figured skated for three hours hard, was at a dip in her cycle and BOOM! That was the beginning of a wild rollercoaster ride.

I so believe in the nutritional factor, but I am also beginning to buy in to the theory of kindling.
 
Another great thread!...

You did it again guys...you found ANOTHER great topic with really good info. I hope plenty read it because it really holds water (pun intended).

With tricky meds and the pretty much inescapable American diet available to us as far as fast food goes...salt is a tough one to manage. You might think you have TOO MUCH when you actually have TOO LITTLE. I've been known to fall into that category. So monitor closely.

One (sort of) related warning to this thread is to be careful when drinking EXCESS water. It could either flow out some important meds or overwork some organs.

:twocents:
 
Alacer (website is Flash based) makes a powder mix called Electro-Mix that contains Stevia instead of sugar (doesn't affect blood-sugar). It contains potassium, calcium and magnesium, but no sodium.
 
I wonder if this could help Rebecca with her overall acheing that is occuring with meds.
On the GFCF diet I think this could cause a low sodium level in itself and add the meds on top of that, not enough water.... grrrr
I really don't want to be a dietician, nor a chemist. But I think I might go out and get some Gatorade to see if it helps the soreness today.
 
Are any sport drinks low in carbohydrates?
Are there any drinks which help electrolyte levels?
perspiring minds want to know.

sweat related topic: should tinkle be clear or yellow?
 
When I did some consulting work in the middle east, they had posters in every restroom that was a urine color chart. The color spectrum was used to indicate your level of dehydration from hydrated (clear urine) to severe dehydration (dark yellow). Of course, if you are taking a multi-vitamin, it tends to skew your urine color as you literally end up pissing most of your money away. :eek:
 
Well we picked up some Propel Fitness Water today.. Kiwi Strawberry flavor. I need to check the ingredients and amounts to see if it adds up to the others. Just drinking the fluids are a good thing. We all think we are drinking enough, and yet when we measure it, I bet will be surprised.

Bernard - I have heard that too. One reason is that we are not absorbing it (multi vit)... and we need to ask ourselves why.
 
Stacy's doc told me once that he recommends women's prenatal multi-vitamins to everyone. The formulations that you have to take 1 pill 3x per day. He said that they are easier to absorb than the multis that are 1 pill/day.
 
I've done the Gatorade thing (have a bottle on my desk right now). Somehow I've never cared for the taste, rather flat like weak KoolAid. I think it's a big ripoff anyway. You can get the same effect basically from making a gallon of KoolAid and adding a tablespoon of salt (or magnesium or calcium or whatever) to it. Or you could do the same with any fruit juice.
 
John I think you are probably right John. Though one of the links I posted yesterday said you need to be careful on the additives, because you can send it in the opposite direction.
As if we really know what is in that plastic bottle. HA

I also have a tugging feeling that the plastic is not doing the body good. Since I have researched evidence that antimony is found in clear bottled water over time. My daughter tested high for antimony. Yes it is also found in flame retardants, but since she is over the age where her jammies are treated, I doubt it is from that. Unless the mattress holds that chemical for years. The bottled juice, water, drink evidence is far more convincing to me.
 
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