Just diagnosed with PA

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

Below is the Reader's Digest version of my story.

I was just diagnosed with PA yesterday after years of battling blood

pressure issues, low potassium, and many doctors. I finally found a

doctor that listened to my concerns and decided to investigate

further to see why I had low potassium (I was not taking any

diuretics). He ordered aldosterone-renin blood tests to screen me

for PA. They were abnormal (see below).

Plasma renin activity: 0.22 (normal range 0.25-5.82 ng/ml/hr)

ALDO/PRA ratio: 63.6 (normal range 0.9-28.9)

Aldosterone: 14 (not sure of normal range for this test)

I was referred to an endocrinologist who did follow-up blood testing

and a 24 hr urine test to test for aldosterone in my urine and renin

levels. My aldosterone came back high at 34 (the upper limit for

normal is 24) and my renin was very low (< 0.6, lower than they could

even detect). Thus, I was officially diagnosed with PA. He said due

to my age (I am 39) he did not see the need to do any other tests to

confirm the diagnosis (specifically the salt loading test).

I have a CT scan today to see if they can find an adrenal tumor.

After that, there is a high likelihood I would have to have an

adrenal vein sampling test done. I am very nervous about that test,

but I will have to wait and see what happens with this CT scan.