: Re: Once Again, the Blood Pressure Question-CHRIS

[Guest guest]

Val,Jen and

Thanks for the help. I have most of the symptoms you describe. I

should become a detective because figuring out all of this stuff is

amazing. First the thyroid then the adrenals then getting Armour

after 12 years of the other poison then figuring out my adrenals were

shot then getting the right medication for them from a real life doc

then having the blood pressure bottom out. Holy Cow! When will it

stop!

Ok, seriously, I did the blood pressure resting and then getting up.

It dropped a couple of points so it didn't raise and didn't go down

too much. That was last night after a ton of salt and

hydrocortisone. I just had a bunch of blood tests and the sodium and

potassium was normal. However, if I didn't eat and drink the salt

that I do I can only imagine what they would be.

several weeks ago you told me to drink some salt water to see

if my headaches would go away and they didn't. I screwed up your

average. Again, I was using regular white salt. Now, being on HC I

get these wicked headaches and then take salt (Celtic Sea Salt, the

good stuff) and the headache goes away after about 10 minutes. I

can't remember what you said this could be because it didn't work the

first time. Weird. Right after starting HC my headaches go about

50% better and the more I go up the better they get. When I sweat a

lot, which I do in my line of work, I get the headache, drink salted

water and it goes away for a while. If I don't work hard and sweat I

am not having the headaches.

So, if I have a ACTH stim test, it should show all of this? I should

ask for aldosterone blood test. My doc is going slow so I don't know

how much I can get from her but if I can document my low blood

pressure she may go for this. I really want the stim test and the

antibodies test for 's but she said we should go slow.

Hell...I have been going slow for years! My metabolism is so slow I

could sleep for a week and not feel a thing.

Thanks for your continuing support and advise,

a

>

> Hey,

>

> This isn't but I thought I'd jump in anyways, having HAD

> (hehehe) low aldosterone myself. The low blood pressure is a good

> sign that it is low. Dizzy spells, sudden weakness, frequent

> urination, muscle twitches, craving salt, feeling better lying down

> than standing up, getting dizzy and seeing black spots when you

stand

> up and passing out are also good signs. If you have a blood pressure

> machine at home, lay down and rest for about five minutes and take

> your blood pressure while still lying down. Then stand up and

> immediately take your blood pressure again. It should go up -- if

it

> stays the same you might have low aldosterone, if it goes down you

> almost definately are low. Also, if you've had a blood panel done

> recently look at the sodium and potassium levels. Low aldosterone

> will cause low sodium and high potassium -- it will also cause salty

> urine as all the salt you eat runs right through you. Insist on

> having it tested next time you see your doctor too -- it's one of

> those things that's so commonly overlooked but very important. It

> made all the difference in the world for me.

>

> Best of luck,

>

> Jen