Re: New to this club~update...

January 17, 2012

Please be aware that there are a couple of us on this hyperaldosteronism site who have kidney problems due to contrast dyes being used on CT scans. The doctors will tell you that only a very small percentage (4% if I'm remembering correctly) have any reaction to this dye, and that it's very safe. My personal theory is that those of us with PA may be at increased risk of kidney damage because our kidney's have been under stress trying to cope with HTN for so long.In my case I had had kidney function tests less than a week before my CT scan, then a few days after. The drop in function was dramatic.If you can avoid the contrast dye do so. DianneF-69, bi-lateral adenomas, and now CKD to go along with my

PA. From: maggiekat7 <ljurkovic@...>Subject: New to this club~update...hyperaldosteronism Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 7:59 PM

Well, I guess I'm an official member of this club....Doc 2 (Cardio) diagnosed me with secondary hypertension and primary hyperaldosteronism.

Doc 3 finally called me back and said that new labs ruled out pheo, but confirmed supressed renin and high aldosterone. Thus, hyperaldosteronism as well.

Nephrologist Doc 4 this afternoon ordered an MRI/MRA with contrast as a next step to determine unilateral/bilateral, adenoma, or hyperplasia or possibly nothing to be seen on the adrenal glands. Doubled my Norvasc, said to stay on the Losartin. BP 160/109 on One Norvasc and 100mg Losartin. Guess I stay on the K tabs too. None of them want me to start the Epler (which on my ins. is the same $10 copay as Spiro, all docs will give me either, up to me) until after scan. They all now say that I may need AVS after scan and don't want me on Epler until after AVS. Potassium good now 3.9 on 4 ktabs. Sent me for more labs...magnesium, uric acid, bunch of other stuff I've never been tested for. When Doc 3 called, he said that he had to do a literature search in order to figure out my labs, and had to consult a radiologist in order to know what kind of scan to do. His office later called and said he wanted to send me for a CAT scan with and without contrast.

Doc 4, Neph, knew all about renin issues, hyperaldosteronism, adenomas, hyperplasia, talked to me for 2 hours....for now, she is the captain of my ship. So, I am staying on BP meds that are doing a marginal job of managing BP, and getting the MRI/MRA with contrast very soon.

I found out that NIH has studies that will evaluate and treat this for free. Then I looked at MD , and they eval and treat this as well, even benign issues. Winship at Emory has a team dealing with it as does Mayo. I applied for an appt. at both MD and Winship because if I do the AVS, I may consider those places. Winship is here where I live, and I go to MD all the time anyways because my step Mom has end stage cancer and is being treated there. It's my home away from home and I have a lot of regard for them. My goodness, my stepmom was supposed to have 6 months to live in 2008! MD already responded to my request.

So, guess how I got Doc 3 to call me back? I called Doc 2 (Cardio) and knew that she wanted to consult with him, so I called her office and asked if they had consulted and if he'd sent the labs drawn last wed.? Told her office that I had called them Friday, Monday and again this morning but hadn't gotten a return call, didn't know if the labs were back or not, nothing. Then, I called the Doc 4 (neph)'s office and told them the same thing and that I assumed that she would want those labs before our consult, wouldn't she? Maybe she could get them, as I could not even get them to call me....then the Doc himself called me with the labs!

Amazing.

January 17, 2012

Thank you, I told the neph doc that I had a horrific reaction to dye when I was

14 during an angiogram, but she assured me that dyes have come a long way since

then and seemed quite confident that I wouldn't have an issue. What good does

the contrast do? Can they see what they need to without it? Is there a way to

support the kidney to deal with the dye?

>

> From: maggiekat7 <ljurkovic@...>

> Subject: New to this club~update...

> hyperaldosteronism

> Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 7:59 PM

>

> Â

>

> Well, I guess I'm an official member of this club....Doc 2 (Cardio)

diagnosed me with secondary hypertension and primary hyperaldosteronism.

>

> Doc 3 finally called me back and said that new labs ruled out pheo, but

confirmed supressed renin and high aldosterone. Thus, hyperaldosteronism as

well.

>

> Nephrologist Doc 4 this afternoon ordered an MRI/MRA with contrast as a next

step to determine unilateral/bilateral, adenoma, or hyperplasia or possibly

nothing to be seen on the adrenal glands. Doubled my Norvasc, said to stay on

the Losartin. BP 160/109 on One Norvasc and 100mg Losartin. Guess I stay on

the K tabs too. None of them want me to start the Epler (which on my ins. is

the same $10 copay as Spiro, all docs will give me either, up to me) until after

scan. They all now say that I may need AVS after scan and don't want me on

Epler until after AVS. Potassium good now 3.9 on 4 ktabs. Sent me for more

labs...magnesium, uric acid, bunch of other stuff I've never been tested for.

When Doc 3 called, he said that he had to do a literature search in order to

figure out my labs, and had to consult a radiologist in order to know what kind

of scan to do. His office later called and said he wanted to send me for a CAT

scan with and without contrast.

> Doc 4, Neph, knew all about renin issues, hyperaldosteronism, adenomas,

hyperplasia, talked to me for 2 hours....for now, she is the captain of my ship.

So, I am staying on BP meds that are doing a marginal job of managing BP, and

getting the MRI/MRA with contrast very soon.

>

> I found out that NIH has studies that will evaluate and treat this for free.

Then I looked at MD , and they eval and treat this as well, even benign

issues. Winship at Emory has a team dealing with it as does Mayo. I applied

for an appt. at both MD and Winship because if I do the AVS, I may

consider those places. Winship is here where I live, and I go to MD

all the time anyways because my step Mom has end stage cancer and is being

treated there. It's my home away from home and I have a lot of regard for them.

My goodness, my stepmom was supposed to have 6 months to live in 2008! MD

already responded to my request.

>

> So, guess how I got Doc 3 to call me back? I called Doc 2 (Cardio) and knew

that she wanted to consult with him, so I called her office and asked if they

had consulted and if he'd sent the labs drawn last wed.? Told her office that I

had called them Friday, Monday and again this morning but hadn't gotten a return

call, didn't know if the labs were back or not, nothing. Then, I called the Doc

4 (neph)'s office and told them the same thing and that I assumed that she would

want those labs before our consult, wouldn't she? Maybe she could get them, as

I could not even get them to call me....then the Doc himself called me with the

labs!

>

> Amazing.

>

January 17, 2012

Excellent. I recommend you take all of them my evolution of PA article as well as give it to all who missed u in the past. Not likely they have see it. If u have not read it yet it will make more sense to you now. Remind them I trained with Dr Conn and have been a student of PA SINCE 1963. May your pressure be low!CE Grim MS, MDSpecializing in DifficultHypertensionOn Jan 17, 2012, at 19:59, maggiekat7 <ljurkovic@...> wrote:

Well, I guess I'm an official member of this club....Doc 2 (Cardio) diagnosed me with secondary hypertension and primary hyperaldosteronism.

Doc 3 finally called me back and said that new labs ruled out pheo, but confirmed supressed renin and high aldosterone. Thus, hyperaldosteronism as well.

Nephrologist Doc 4 this afternoon ordered an MRI/MRA with contrast as a next step to determine unilateral/bilateral, adenoma, or hyperplasia or possibly nothing to be seen on the adrenal glands. Doubled my Norvasc, said to stay on the Losartin. BP 160/109 on One Norvasc and 100mg Losartin. Guess I stay on the K tabs too. None of them want me to start the Epler (which on my ins. is the same $10 copay as Spiro, all docs will give me either, up to me) until after scan. They all now say that I may need AVS after scan and don't want me on Epler until after AVS. Potassium good now 3.9 on 4 ktabs. Sent me for more labs...magnesium, uric acid, bunch of other stuff I've never been tested for. When Doc 3 called, he said that he had to do a literature search in order to figure out my labs, and had to consult a radiologist in order to know what kind of scan to do. His office later called and said he wanted to send me for a CAT scan with and without contrast. Doc 4, Neph, knew all about

renin issues, hyperaldosteronism, adenomas, hyperplasia, talked to me for 2 hours....for now, she is the captain of my ship. So, I am staying on BP meds that are doing a marginal job of managing BP, and getting the MRI/MRA with contrast very soon.

I found out that NIH has studies that will evaluate and treat this for free. Then I looked at MD , and they eval and treat this as well, even benign issues. Winship at Emory has a team dealing with it as does Mayo. I applied for an appt. at both MD and Winship because if I do the AVS, I may consider those places. Winship is here where I live, and I go to MD all the time anyways because my step Mom has end stage cancer and is being treated there. It's my home away from home and I have a lot of regard for them. My goodness, my stepmom was supposed to have 6 months to live in 2008! MD already responded to my request.

So, guess how I got Doc 3 to call me back? I called Doc 2 (Cardio) and knew that she wanted to consult with him, so I called her office and asked if they had consulted and if he'd sent the labs drawn last wed.? Told her office that I had called them Friday, Monday and again this morning but hadn't gotten a return call, didn't know if the labs were back or not, nothing. Then, I called the Doc 4 (neph)'s office and told them the same thing and that I assumed that she would want those labs before our consult, wouldn't she? Maybe she could get them, as I could not even get them to call me....then the Doc himself called me with the labs!

Amazing.

January 17, 2012

My intuition is that the kidney fibrosis due to high salt diet and excess Aldo increases the risk of renal damage from scanning contrast used for MRI OR CT. Really no reason to use contrast IMHO. KEEP us posted. May your pressure be low!CE Grim MS, MDSpecializing in DifficultHypertensionOn Jan 17, 2012, at 21:05, Dianne strong <dianstrong@...> wrote: