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QUESTION:  Has anyone with Celiac had any kind of experience with their
sodium levels dropping?

REPLIES:

Whenever I feel fatigued or dizzy because of low sodium levels I take a
teaspoon full of Sodium Bicarbonate mixed in with some water.  The
Bicarb works within about an hour and last for a day or so.  Low sodium
means low blood volume, which means weakness, poor oxygen to the brain,
etc.

I think that the body treat gluten as if it is a toxin/poison. It
therefore starts to reduce blood volume as a way of restricting the
poison's effect.

Avoid sodium chloride(table salt) as this too is a poison.  It is much
better to use Sea-salt!!!

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Since I also have Sjogren's Syndrome, my rheumy has attributed it to my
fluid intake, but honestly, when I look back at past blood test results,
I've had low sodium counts long before I was diagnosed with Sjogren's.

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I have been fighting low sodium levels since diagnosed and have been on
600Mg declomycin since diagnosed in 96 and it has dropped down as far as
113 and right now it is 126. I have weekly blood tests and am restricted
on my fluid intake to 3 glasses 8 oz. daily plus one in my food. My feet
have been swelling and it has been a hard battle esp. in the summer.
Would like to have you keep me posted as to how you are doing.

*  *   *   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Yes, I get very weak
and feel a strange sensation that is very unpleasant just under the
center of my rib cage, that no doctor can explain. The only help for
this is taking some salt. I understand it is adrenal insufficiency. My
blood pressure doesn't drop when this happens.  Most people's do. My
blood pressure rises. I have been hospitalized 2 from cardiac symptoms
from this. When they give me a routine saline solution intravenously,
the blood pressure and heart rhythm returns to normal, and then they
can't figure out what happened. Dr. Gerald Posenecker has a site on the
web it is called - Chronic Fatigue Unmasked I believe. He is quick to
answer emails. He is in Quakertown and has treated me for this condition
for 4 or more years. I think it is an off shoot of immune problems caused by CD.

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First email:  Before I was put on tpn Everything dropped and I'd been gf
for 16 yrs I emailed back asking what tpn was and received the following
email:  Total parenteral nutrition = complete nutrition through a
centeral line that is placed into a large vein that leads into the heart
.  I had too late a diagnosis for celiac disease so my villi was too
damaged for to eat solid gf food, I did well on an elemental liq diet for
yrs but because the different parts of the electroyletes can't be
controlled , I had lots of trouble and in TPN every aspect can be
controlled providing ones doctor is willing to not use a one size fits
all.

3rd email:  Many Drs let their patients die and not put them on TPN.

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I have trouble with keeping my sodium levels up.  The doctor said to use
the salt shaker more, which did not help.  I am now taking Electrolyte
Stamina Tablets from Trace Minerals.  I suppose another brand would work.

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This is a question of great interest to me.  Every time I go to see my
doctor he fusses because my sodium level is low.  I asked him what's the
fuss?  He's checking it again now this week.  I told him it's always been
low, but he's very unhappy.  It's a big question with me.  Please let me
know if you get any answers.  I discussed this yesterday with a
nutritionist at our celiac support group and she indicated that a deficit
of aldosterone secretion by the adrenal glands would result in an excess
loss of sodium through an excess loss of water (voiding frequently maybe
especially at night) resulting in a decrease in blood volume...Resulting
in fainting etc.  etc.  Worse case scenario - seizures.  Drink a little
salt water before going to bed.

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Yes, I had (have low sodium levels now and take potassium pills and eat
1/2 banana each day or get severe leg cramps/ I also went to hospital
with a slight heart attack" turned out to be low sodium levels.  It
affected my adrenal glands at one time as well.  Hope this helps.