Low aldosterone, normal renin.

[Guest guest]

I wrote my story not that long again, and at the time had not been tested for PA

but it was suspected. I finally had my test and got the results last week, and I

do not have PA. But, the results were weird and I'm hoping since people here

know a bit about aldosterone, someone can provide some insight.

My test came back with low aldosterone and normal renin. My endo didn't have a

good explanation for this, considering that I've been fighting chronically low

potassium. He's put me on spirolactone for now and discontinued lisonpril and

potassium supplements, and I do a blood panel in one week to see how my

potassium is. (two weeks after starting spiro).

He doesn't seem willing to speculate, which I understand, but of course that's

inspired me to do my own web search, and it seems like generally low aldosterone

means high potassium. Or it will be low aldosterone and low renin, but my renin

is in the normal camp. Basically I couldn't find anything that fit my

circumstances. Liddle's syndrome seemed the closest, but that involves low renin

as well.

He also seems less concerned about the low aldosterone than I am, so I'm not

sure what to make of it, but he's highly regarded and does a lot of work with PA

so I don't know if I should be worried about his lack of concern or not. From

what I've read about aldosterone, its pretty important so I'm worried, but maybe

I'm just over-reacting. I also asked about the fatigue and pain, and he doesn't

think they're directly related, except the pain and the low potassium - but even

after the potassium normalized, I'm still having aches and pains.

Here are my test results, if it helps.

2/29 - taken around 9:15 am

potassium: 4.1 (taking 20meq/daily)

renin activity: 1.67 ng/mL

aldosterone serum: 2.5 ng/dL (was sitting for about 10 minutes before the test,

ambulatory before that)

Earlier test results

2/17

BUN: 9

Sodium: 139

Potassium 4.2 (taking 20meq/daily for two weeks prior)

Chloride: 105

bicarbonate: 22

glucose: 96

creatinine: 0.7

calcium: 9.7

GFR >60

2/9

Nighttime cortisol 2.3

2/8

morning cortisol: 9.5

potassium: 3.3 (before starting potassium supplements)

andrenocorticotropic hormone: 16

Sex Hormone Binding Globu: 97

testosterone total: 30

free testosterone: 0.4

dehydroepiandrosterone, sulfate: 161

2/7

nighttime cortisol 1.7

To recap from my earlier messages:

female, 35, fatigue, high blood pressure, aches and pain, restless leg syndrome,

hair loss and dry/brittle hair, exercise intolerance, digestive upsets (bloated

and gassy), brain fog, frequent urination and thirst, red blood cells in urine

(though currently resolved spontaneously).

previous messages:

hyperaldosteronism/message/41048

hyperaldosteronism/message/41052

One thing of note is that I've had problems with increased thirst and frequent

urination. Its bounced between being not so bad and needing to pee every 20

minutes or so. Before the spiro it wasn't too bad for a few weeks but it was

still more frequent and I was more thirsty than normal. On the spiro I seem to

have more or less normalized. Not sure if that means anything. I say more or

less, because I'm probably still urinating a little more frequently than normal,

but don't feel nearly as thirst, and its much improved.

[Guest guest]

WE need the normal values for your lab and the 24 hr urine Na, K and creatinine on the day they were done.See my intro note.CE Grim MDOn Mar 13, 2012, at 3:55 PM, TamiW wrote: I wrote my story not that long again, and at the time had not been tested for PA but it was suspected. I finally had my test and got the results last week, and I do not have PA. But, the results were weird and I'm hoping since people here know a bit about aldosterone, someone can provide some insight. My test came back with low aldosterone and normal renin. My endo didn't have a good explanation for this, considering that I've been fighting chronically low potassium. He's put me on spirolactone for now and discontinued lisonpril and potassium supplements, and I do a blood panel in one week to see how my potassium is. (two weeks after starting spiro). He doesn't seem willing to speculate, which I understand, but of course that's inspired me to do my own web search, and it seems like generally low aldosterone means high potassium. Or it will be low aldosterone and low renin, but my renin is in the normal camp. Basically I couldn't find anything that fit my circumstances. Liddle's syndrome seemed the closest, but that involves low renin as well. He also seems less concerned about the low aldosterone than I am, so I'm not sure what to make of it, but he's highly regarded and does a lot of work with PA so I don't know if I should be worried about his lack of concern or not. From what I've read about aldosterone, its pretty important so I'm worried, but maybe I'm just over-reacting. I also asked about the fatigue and pain, and he doesn't think they're directly related, except the pain and the low potassium - but even after the potassium normalized, I'm still having aches and pains. Here are my test results, if it helps. 2/29 - taken around 9:15 am potassium: 4.1 (taking 20meq/daily) renin activity: 1.67 ng/mL aldosterone serum: 2.5 ng/dL (was sitting for about 10 minutes before the test, ambulatory before that) Earlier test results 2/17 BUN: 9 Sodium: 139 Potassium 4.2 (taking 20meq/daily for two weeks prior) Chloride: 105 bicarbonate: 22 glucose: 96 creatinine: 0.7 calcium: 9.7 GFR >60 2/9 Nighttime cortisol 2.3 2/8 morning cortisol: 9.5 potassium: 3.3 (before starting potassium supplements) andrenocorticotropic hormone: 16 Sex Hormone Binding Globu: 97 testosterone total: 30 free testosterone: 0.4 dehydroepiandrosterone, sulfate: 161 2/7 nighttime cortisol 1.7 To recap from my earlier messages: female, 35, fatigue, high blood pressure, aches and pain, restless leg syndrome, hair loss and dry/brittle hair, exercise intolerance, digestive upsets (bloated and gassy), brain fog, frequent urination and thirst, red blood cells in urine (though currently resolved spontaneously). previous messages: hyperaldosteronism/message/41048 hyperaldosteronism/message/41052 One thing of note is that I've had problems with increased thirst and frequent urination. Its bounced between being not so bad and needing to pee every 20 minutes or so. Before the spiro it wasn't too bad for a few weeks but it was still more frequent and I was more thirsty than normal. On the spiro I seem to have more or less normalized. Not sure if that means anything. I say more or less, because I'm probably still urinating a little more frequently than normal, but don't feel nearly as thirst, and its much improved.