Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bill - you always have such great info. I saw your post the other day about regular serum potassium testing and it worried me a bit because that's really all we have on a regular basis.I now see that you suggest RBC potassium. That's just a regular blood test, right? Is there a sodium version? In your opinion is this the potassium test we should always be getting, especially for those of us on florinef? Thanks.On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 7:53 PM, Bill Kingsbury <b.b.bbverizon (DOT) net> wrote: --- At 07:01 PM 3/16/2009, dorothyroeder wrote: > >New doc today. She thinks my breathlessness is caused by my edema. The shortness of breath was there before HC or edema, but my BP was 150. 9 days ago I gave blood and it was my usual 120/80. Since its rise may be the cause of my headache I will take her pills. ... Edema (water retention), hypertension (high blood pressure), and shortness of breath are all signs of a potassium deficiency. Potassium deficiency -- and not a diuretic deficiency. (Diuretics can cause or worsen a potassium deficiency and edema.) (Too much calcium can cause intracellular potassium deficiency, and that would cause edema, shortness of breath and high BP.) A potassium deficiency could be from high aldosterone, but can aldosterone be tested accurately, while taking diuretics ?? The most useful potassium test is for intracellular potassium, such as " RBC potassium " -- rather than " serum potassium " . According to: " Warning: Diuretics can cause diabetes " , quote: <http://naturalhealthinatoxicworld.blogspot.com/2008/05/warning-diuretics-can-cause-diabetes.html> " Because diuretics deplete 16 essential vitamins and minerals from your system, they can render you deficient and leave you without resources to fight host of other ailments. " Taking more potassium without diuretics would be my first choice. Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 > (Too much calcium can cause intracellular potassium deficiency, > and that would cause edema, shortness of breath and high BP.) That's a possibility. Stopping calcium seemed to help a bit. But my potassium levels have always been normal. 4.4 (3.5-5.2)in Dec. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 > (Too much calcium can cause intracellular potassium deficiency, > and that would cause edema, shortness of breath and high BP.) That's a possibility. Stopping calcium seemed to help a bit. But my potassium levels have always been normal. 4.4 (3.5-5.2)in Dec. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 --- At 09:11 PM 3/17/2009, dorothyroeder wrote: > >> (Too much calcium can cause intracellular potassium deficiency, >> and that would cause edema, shortness of breath and high BP.) > >That's a possibility. Stopping calcium seemed to help a bit. >But my potassium levels have always been normal. 4.4 (3.5-5.2)in Dec. However, your potassium test was a serum test -- and therefore not be accurate for gauging intracellular potassium. You can have normal serum potassium, and still be seriously deficient. RBC (red blood cell) potassium testing (or other intracellular testing) is also needed, to know if you need to supplement -- and how much. High aldosterone can deplete intracellular potassium, possibly with little effect on serum levels. However, 98% of the body's potassium should be inside the cells, not in the serum. (It's the same with magnesium -- serum tests can be misleading, and RBC magnesium testing is also needed, to know.) Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 --- At 09:11 PM 3/17/2009, dorothyroeder wrote: > >> (Too much calcium can cause intracellular potassium deficiency, >> and that would cause edema, shortness of breath and high BP.) > >That's a possibility. Stopping calcium seemed to help a bit. >But my potassium levels have always been normal. 4.4 (3.5-5.2)in Dec. However, your potassium test was a serum test -- and therefore not be accurate for gauging intracellular potassium. You can have normal serum potassium, and still be seriously deficient. RBC (red blood cell) potassium testing (or other intracellular testing) is also needed, to know if you need to supplement -- and how much. High aldosterone can deplete intracellular potassium, possibly with little effect on serum levels. However, 98% of the body's potassium should be inside the cells, not in the serum. (It's the same with magnesium -- serum tests can be misleading, and RBC magnesium testing is also needed, to know.) Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 --- At 08:24 PM 3/17/2009, birrdyy wrote: > >I saw your post the other day about regular serum potassium testing and it worried me a bit because that's really all we have on a regular basis. > >I now see that you suggest RBC potassium. That's just a regular blood test, right? Is there a sodium version? In your opinion is this the potassium test we should always be getting, especially for those of us on florinef? RBC testing (erythrocyte mineral testing) is available for about 10 minerals. It's most valuable for potassium and magnesium -- together with the serum testing for these, at the same time. Testing for RBC sodium is usually not needed, because most sodium is normally outside of the cells, therefore the regular serum sodium test is fine. When taking Florinef, RBC potassium testing could be very important, because the serum potassium level can be misleading, and fail to detect a potassium deficiency. Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 --- At 08:24 PM 3/17/2009, birrdyy wrote: > >I saw your post the other day about regular serum potassium testing and it worried me a bit because that's really all we have on a regular basis. > >I now see that you suggest RBC potassium. That's just a regular blood test, right? Is there a sodium version? In your opinion is this the potassium test we should always be getting, especially for those of us on florinef? RBC testing (erythrocyte mineral testing) is available for about 10 minerals. It's most valuable for potassium and magnesium -- together with the serum testing for these, at the same time. Testing for RBC sodium is usually not needed, because most sodium is normally outside of the cells, therefore the regular serum sodium test is fine. When taking Florinef, RBC potassium testing could be very important, because the serum potassium level can be misleading, and fail to detect a potassium deficiency. Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Thanks so much Bill. I'm going to do that test the next time. Very good info.On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 10:23 PM, Bill Kingsbury <b.b.bbverizon (DOT) net> wrote: --- At 08:24 PM 3/17/2009, birrdyy wrote: > >I saw your post the other day about regular serum potassium testing and it worried me a bit because that's really all we have on a regular basis. > >I now see that you suggest RBC potassium. That's just a regular blood test, right? Is there a sodium version? In your opinion is this the potassium test we should always be getting, especially for those of us on florinef? RBC testing (erythrocyte mineral testing) is available for about 10 minerals. It's most valuable for potassium and magnesium -- together with the serum testing for these, at the same time. Testing for RBC sodium is usually not needed, because most sodium is normally outside of the cells, therefore the regular serum sodium test is fine. When taking Florinef, RBC potassium testing could be very important, because the serum potassium level can be misleading, and fail to detect a potassium deficiency. Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Thanks so much Bill. I'm going to do that test the next time. Very good info.On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 10:23 PM, Bill Kingsbury <b.b.bbverizon (DOT) net> wrote: --- At 08:24 PM 3/17/2009, birrdyy wrote: > >I saw your post the other day about regular serum potassium testing and it worried me a bit because that's really all we have on a regular basis. > >I now see that you suggest RBC potassium. That's just a regular blood test, right? Is there a sodium version? In your opinion is this the potassium test we should always be getting, especially for those of us on florinef? RBC testing (erythrocyte mineral testing) is available for about 10 minerals. It's most valuable for potassium and magnesium -- together with the serum testing for these, at the same time. Testing for RBC sodium is usually not needed, because most sodium is normally outside of the cells, therefore the regular serum sodium test is fine. When taking Florinef, RBC potassium testing could be very important, because the serum potassium level can be misleading, and fail to detect a potassium deficiency. Bill --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill, you are a genius! I wish someone had told me this many years agao and maybe I would not have ogne all these years with Diuretic HELL and trying to juggle the sodium potassium balance from them. In all my research and MANY doctors, none has ever suggested potassium to me as mine in the serum testing is rock solid at 4.2 for over the 15 years I have had it tested regularly. Since I had to stop Florinef and still have the horrid muscle spasms and fluid retention, I have been playing with adding some potassium. I have not needed diuretics sinec with only minor fluid retention in the evenings which is gone by Am. I really did nto know what was correcting the issue. Only that it was a good thing and I would continue what I have been doing. Now I amonly taking 4 -99mg potassium tabs. Guess that is one mor lab to add to my list to get done soon. Thanks for posting yuor continued good research and information! -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill, you are a genius! I wish someone had told me this many years agao and maybe I would not have ogne all these years with Diuretic HELL and trying to juggle the sodium potassium balance from them. In all my research and MANY doctors, none has ever suggested potassium to me as mine in the serum testing is rock solid at 4.2 for over the 15 years I have had it tested regularly. Since I had to stop Florinef and still have the horrid muscle spasms and fluid retention, I have been playing with adding some potassium. I have not needed diuretics sinec with only minor fluid retention in the evenings which is gone by Am. I really did nto know what was correcting the issue. Only that it was a good thing and I would continue what I have been doing. Now I amonly taking 4 -99mg potassium tabs. Guess that is one mor lab to add to my list to get done soon. Thanks for posting yuor continued good research and information! -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill, you are a genius! I wish someone had told me this many years agao and maybe I would not have ogne all these years with Diuretic HELL and trying to juggle the sodium potassium balance from them. In all my research and MANY doctors, none has ever suggested potassium to me as mine in the serum testing is rock solid at 4.2 for over the 15 years I have had it tested regularly. Since I had to stop Florinef and still have the horrid muscle spasms and fluid retention, I have been playing with adding some potassium. I have not needed diuretics sinec with only minor fluid retention in the evenings which is gone by Am. I really did nto know what was correcting the issue. Only that it was a good thing and I would continue what I have been doing. Now I amonly taking 4 -99mg potassium tabs. Guess that is one mor lab to add to my list to get done soon. Thanks for posting yuor continued good research and information! -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 > High aldosterone can deplete intracellular potassium, possibly > with little effect on serum levels. However, 98% of the body's > potassium should be inside the cells, not in the serum. Thanks, I will mention this in my letter today. My request yesterday has not as yet gotten a response. So what does one do about high aldosterone. I had high night-time cortisol before all this so I suppose aldosterone is the same. I am sort of hoping that after I get off HC I will be able to balance adrenals with Holy Basil which is supposed to be an adaptogen. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 > High aldosterone can deplete intracellular potassium, possibly > with little effect on serum levels. However, 98% of the body's > potassium should be inside the cells, not in the serum. Thanks, I will mention this in my letter today. My request yesterday has not as yet gotten a response. So what does one do about high aldosterone. I had high night-time cortisol before all this so I suppose aldosterone is the same. I am sort of hoping that after I get off HC I will be able to balance adrenals with Holy Basil which is supposed to be an adaptogen. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 > High aldosterone can deplete intracellular potassium, possibly > with little effect on serum levels. However, 98% of the body's > potassium should be inside the cells, not in the serum. Thanks, I will mention this in my letter today. My request yesterday has not as yet gotten a response. So what does one do about high aldosterone. I had high night-time cortisol before all this so I suppose aldosterone is the same. I am sort of hoping that after I get off HC I will be able to balance adrenals with Holy Basil which is supposed to be an adaptogen. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 holy basil would not be my adaptogen choice. It MAINKLY lowers cortisol. Ashwaganda or rhodiola would be better possibly together. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 holy basil would not be my adaptogen choice. It MAINKLY lowers cortisol. Ashwaganda or rhodiola would be better possibly together. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 holy basil would not be my adaptogen choice. It MAINKLY lowers cortisol. Ashwaganda or rhodiola would be better possibly together. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill where can we get this test? I am not finding it listed in our standard testing places. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill where can we get this test? I am not finding it listed in our standard testing places. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Bill where can we get this test? I am not finding it listed in our standard testing places. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 > holy basil would not be my adaptogen choice. It MAINKLY lowers cortisol. I was talking about after I am off cortisol. Originally my night and morning corts were high as was ACTH. That may have started the RT3 problem, which then became a low cort one when adrenals gave out. I am just worried about the whole problem starting over again with high nighttime corts. I would really like to get some sleep. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 > holy basil would not be my adaptogen choice. It MAINKLY lowers cortisol. I was talking about after I am off cortisol. Originally my night and morning corts were high as was ACTH. That may have started the RT3 problem, which then became a low cort one when adrenals gave out. I am just worried about the whole problem starting over again with high nighttime corts. I would really like to get some sleep. Dorothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Well correcting high beforeit happens will get you ion trouble! LOL But if it is high the monute oyu stop HC, then the Holy Basil and PS both would be a good idea as would be DHEA and zinc. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Well correcting high beforeit happens will get you ion trouble! LOL But if it is high the monute oyu stop HC, then the Holy Basil and PS both would be a good idea as would be DHEA and zinc. -- Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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