Advice - balancing electrolytes and hydration

[SimonCrox]

Thanks. Am getting potassium levels checked (via Medichecks) and will talk to the doctor if that shows a deficiency.

I totally agree (I would never be patronising). If you are waking thirsty it sounds like you are peeing too much and this leads to thirst (although sometimes folk just are thirsty). High glucose levels would be the commonest explanation, but you have stated normal glucose levels. As you say, one would want to know that calcium not high, potassium not low and renal function OK so the GP blood tests would be really useful - also to know that your sodium level is OK ie not got too much water on board.. Magnesium I find a bit fiddly to work out cos folk with low magnesium often have low calcium levels so which is causing the symptoms of weakness etc (in practice, one jsut treats both).?
I presume not on any medication that makes one pee a lot - lithium is the commonest one after diuretics but few folk are on lithium.
It might be worth keeping a record of how much you drink and how much you pee over several 24 hour periods to discuss with your GP and considering further special tests re thirst and peeing a lot.
Hopefully, when these things are sorted, the cramps will go, but they are imperfectly understood - I have met many folk who have nasty cramps and no obvious cause is found.
best wishes

 

[Goonergal]

I totally agree (I would never be patronising). If you are waking thirsty it sounds like you are peeing too much and this leads to thirst (although sometimes folk just are thirsty). High glucose levels would be the commonest explanation, but you have stated normal glucose levels. As you say, one would want to know that calcium not high, potassium not low and renal function OK so the GP blood tests would be really useful - also to know that your sodium level is OK ie not got too much water on board.. Magnesium I find a bit fiddly to work out cos folk with low magnesium often have low calcium levels so which is causing the symptoms of weakness etc (in practice, one jsut treats both).?
I presume not on any medication that makes one pee a lot - lithium is the commonest one after diuretics but few folk are on lithium.
It might be worth keeping a record of how much you drink and how much you pee over several 24 hour periods to discuss with your GP and considering further special tests re thirst and peeing a lot.
Hopefully, when these things are sorted, the cramps will go, but they are imperfectly understood - I have met many folk who have nasty cramps and no obvious cause is found.
best wishes

Thanks. I don’t take any meds (bar occasional paracetamol) and it can be hard to distinguish between thirst and dry mouth.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thanks. Am getting potassium levels checked (via Medichecks) and will talk to the doctor if that shows a deficiency.

Don't you have this done as routine with your diabetes blood tests? Mine include potassium as part of the kidney functions so I know my potassium levels are within range.

 

[Goonergal]

Don't you have this done as routine with your diabetes blood tests? Mine include potassium as part of the kidney functions so I know my potassium levels are within range.

No. My surgery only order HbA1c and lipid profile. Next HbA1c is over 8 months away. If anything shows up I’ll be off to the GP to get tests added.

 

[Bluetit1802]

No. My surgery only order HbA1c and lipid profile. Next HbA1c is over 8 months away. If anything shows up I’ll be off to the GP to get tests added.

That seems poor. I was under the impression we are all supposed to have liver and kidney functions checked when we have our HbA1c and cholesterol. It certainly happens in my case.

 

[Brunneria]

I agree with those who suggest potassium for cramps.

Despite being seriously deficient in Magnesium this last year (malabsorption), it has never caused cramps for me.
Potassium, on the other hand... gosh, those cramps were brutal.
I have been taking potassium for this reason for nearly 20years. Bog standard supplements, from any health store.
Have never tested low for potassium, but get cramps without it - so I don’t place much store in the ‘standard range’ recommendations.

If you decide to supplement, bear a couple of things in mind:
The recommended daily amount is 4,700 units.
Because excess potassium is quite dangerous, supplements are restricted to 100 units per tablet.
When you do the maths, you realise that to exceed the RDA by supplements alone, would require 47 tablets.
- which you are very unlikely to achieve!

I recommend tracking your food/nutrition intake using the free version of the app cronometer.
You will find it fascinating to see where you are (and are not) hitting the various RDAs.

 

[Goonergal]

I agree with those who suggest potassium for cramps.

Despite being seriously deficient in Magnesium this last year (malabsorption), it has never caused cramps for me.
Potassium, on the other hand... gosh, those cramps were brutal.
I have been taking potassium for this reason for nearly 20years. Bog standard supplements, from any health store.
Have never tested low for potassium, but get cramps without it - so I don’t place much store in the ‘standard range’ recommendations.

If you decide to supplement, bear a couple of things in mind:
The recommended daily amount is 4,700 units.
Because excess potassium is quite dangerous, supplements are restricted to 100 units per tablet.
When you do the maths, you realise that to exceed the RDA by supplements alone, would require 47 tablets.
- which you are very unlikely to achieve!

I recommend tracking your food/nutrition intake using the free version of the app cronometer.
You will find it fascinating to see where you are (and are not) hitting the various RDAs.

Thanks. I’ll look into the potassium - very little sleep last night due to cramps - and have downloaded cronometer ready to have a play at the weekend.

 

[SimonCrox]

That seems poor. I was under the impression we are all supposed to have liver and kidney functions checked when we have our HbA1c and cholesterol. It certainly happens in my case.

I agree; it is really useful and important to know the renal function, and this blood test also gives the sodium and potasium. Liver function is also important. Many drugs are excreted either via the kidneys or liver. The extra cost of doing these tests if one is already taking an armful of blood and sending it to the lab are minimal.

If one has a medical problem in the UK, the NHS is there to address it via the GP for free, despite successive governments underfunding it compared to other developed countries, & recent governments giving money to private healthcare and finance companies via PFI, Independent treatment centres and contracting out.

Best wishes

 

[johnpol]

I used to suffer from terrible cramps after heavy training days, especially in my feet and hamstrings, so bad it tore a hamstring!! I found eating a banana or two whilst training helped a bit (don't know if you are allowed them) but what helped a lot was Dioralyte sachets over the course of the day. I found the more water I drank, the more dehydrated I became, the body just flushes everything out as it has more fluid than it needs. I am not saying to try it as this type of rehydration doesn't work for everyone, it just helped to stop my cramps (sort of just made it bearable) but they are worth considering.



Take care

 

[Goonergal]

Thanks again all for the thoughts. Just catching up with the forum after falling behind. Magnesium and potassium results both came back well within range. Have bought some potassium as cramps flared up again so will experiment with that before switching the type of magnesium - one thing at a time!

 

[Goonergal]

Just checking back in for an update. Thanks again for all the advice. Got a raft of electrolyte tests done - including potassium- all normal.

On @Brunneria s advice still bought some potassium supplements and that, along with being more careful about hydration, seems to have done the trick, at least for the night cramps.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Goonergal, Just a note about interpreting blood test results: My doctor pointed out to me that blood test for potassium and magnesium are only measuring a small amount of the body's stores of these two electrolytes. He said the majority of potassium and magnesium are inside the body's cells.
And it is because potassium and magnesium's levels in the blood are crucial to be maintained within certain limits that the cells release some of their potassium and magnesium to make up any loss of magnesium or potassium from whatever cause (e.g. not enough in, too much going out via the urine etc) until the cells become more and more depleted. By which time cramps and other problems can be happening.
It is only as the body's cells (including muscle cells) are getting quite low will the blood levels start to fall.
My doctor views a within the lower end of normal range serum potassium or magnesium result as significant because of the above, even though the results are 'still in the normal range'. The moral of the story: these blood tests (as opposed to sodium which is largely outside the cells) need to be interpreted carefully.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @Goonergal, Just a note about interpreting blood test results: My doctor pointed out to me that blood test for potassium and magnesium are only measuring a small amount of the body's stores of these two electrolytes. He said the majority of potassium and magnesium are inside the body's cells.
And it is because potassium and magnesium's levels in the blood are crucial to be maintained within certain limits that the cells release some of their potassium and magnesium to make up any loss of magnesium or potassium from whatever cause (e.g. not enough in, too much going out via the urine etc) until the cells become more and more depleted. By which time cramps and other problems can be happening.
It is only as the body's cells (including muscle cells) are getting quite low will the blood levels start to fall.
My doctor views a within the lower end of normal range serum potassium or magnesium result as significant because of the above, even though the results are 'still in the normal range'. The moral of the story: these blood tests (as opposed to sodium which is largely outside the cells) need to be interpreted carefully.

Thanks for that, very interesting.