Low Sodium Levels and other Symptoms - 3 weeks on SCD

[Guest guest]

My 88 yr old mother has had irritable bowel for over 30 years and after a bad

bout with syadica in Jan/09 to Sept/09 the pain meds sent her system realing.

She has now been diagnosed with Diverticulitus and has lost so much weight we

have turned to this diet. Before we started her on the diet her sodium levels

would drop and we were not able to control them. They were getting a bit better

by watching her fluid intake but since she is on SCD her sodium levels have

dtopped again. She is very weak and can barely walk. Any suggestions? I have

started her on the electrolyte drink but since it is water based and the dr has

cut her back to 1000 ml of water we are not sure how much we can get into her.

Also, I would like her to have more chicken broth as her insides are still very

soar but again it is limited by this restriction as she needs water to take her

pills as well. She is also, experiencing canker soars on her tongue and some

things burn going down her throat. Would this be like a thrush? Is thrush

contagious? Any suggestions that can help the cankers and not go against the

diet would be appreciated.

This is feeling very overwhelming!

[Guest guest]

One

of the things that occurs when we move to SCD and stop eating convenience foods

or commercially-prepared foods is that we have to use more salt in our

cooking and eating. It is also part of boosting our electrolytes, which

we often need to do as well, as our gut ecology isn’t stable so we aren’t

absorbing enough minerals from foods. Since your mother has to watch her

fluids (I can’t imagine such a thing, I drink all day long!!) she might

have to salt her food liberally. There are also salt tablets available, I’ve

used them when backpacking, so that might be an option, but check with your

mother’s doctor about using them as they may be contraindicated given she

is limiting her fluid intake.

It

feels weird to salt foods heavily at first. But I learned how to be

liberal with salt on my food when eating, not just in cooking. And my

sodium levels have stabilized, which is good. I boost my electrolytes all

the time (long story) but can’t tolerate much salt in the water (severe

stomach upset), so salting my food more than I thought I needed has helped.

Remember,

too, that when on SCD it helps to eat small meals, and to eat them

frequently. Eat something every 2 to 3 hours to maintain energy.

Yep,

sores in the mouth and throat can often indicate high yeast/candida

levels. Thrush is the specific candida overgrowth condition on the

tongue, it has a white coating. It isn’t contagious. Of course

check in with your mother’s doctor to make sure it isn’t something

else. But there can be other sores in the mouth and throat, along with

eyes, ears, and plenty of other places; yeast live in our body’s mucous

membranes, so they live in other places besides the intestinal tract.

Dealing with yeast accompanies dealing with digestive disorders, and having a weak

or overwhelmed immune system. Being on SCD will help, as long as you

limit some of the yeast trigger foods. There is information in our group

Files on this, but for now I wouldn’t worry too much about elimination

strategies and just find foods that your mother will tolerate and help her feel

better.

I

also can’t tolerate much soup and broth, even though it is a wonderful

food. After being on soups and broths for months before I started SCD, I

developed a sensitivity to it (another long story). I can eat a bowl of

soup or broth once every 3 days without a severe immune response. So when

I fall back to my intro. diet or my safe foods, I have broth once every 3 days,

but in between times I eat other foods that are the easiest on my

digestion. Everyone is different, of course, so your mother will need to

experiment a bit. I find I do well with baked white-meat chicken,

scrambled eggs, gelatin once a day, well-cooked Italian or Roma green beans

(but not everyone can handle green beans, especially as a safe food), yellow or

crookneck squash. Some folks do well with zucchini early on. I can

also handle applesauce once a day. These are my safest foods, but

remember that everyone is dealing with a different set of digestive issues, so

what works for me may not work for your mother.

Hope

your mother stabilizes soon and begins to feel better.

Kim M.

SCD 6 years

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction 6+ years

neurological & spinal deterioration 3+ years

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My

88 yr old mother has had irritable bowel for over 30 years and after a bad bout

with syadica in Jan/09 to Sept/09 the pain meds sent her system realing. She

has now been diagnosed with Diverticulitus and has lost so much weight we have

turned to this diet. Before we started her on the diet her sodium levels would

drop and we were not able to control them. They were getting a bit better by

watching her fluid intake but since she is on SCD her sodium levels have dtopped

again. She is very weak and can barely walk. Any suggestions? I have started

her on the electrolyte drink but since it is water based and the dr has cut her

back to 1000 ml of water we are not sure how much we can get into her. Also, I

would like her to have more chicken broth as her insides are still very soar

but again it is limited by this restriction as she needs water to take her

pills as well. She is also, experiencing canker soars on her tongue and some

things burn going down her throat. Would this be like a thrush? Is thrush

contagious? Any suggestions that can help the cankers and not go against the

diet would be appreciated.

This is feeling very overwhelming!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

If it turns out that it's not thrush, it may just be linked to her IBD. It can

be common when your intestines are flaring, that this same aggravation manifests

itself in the mouth (your mouth and throat are just the gateway to your stomach

and intestines afterall).

I have had very bad cancker sores before and found a product called " Ulcerease "

to be helpful- it's an " Anesthetic Mouth Rinse " - you should be able to find it

at a CVS or Walgreens type drugstore. If the sores are keeping her from eating,

you may want to use something more topical like a gel that also protects it.

However, with the gel, you are more likely to run into illegals that could be

ingested (if she can't eat though, this is probably the lesser of 2 evils).

Good luck and hang in there- your mom is lucky to have you!

-Joanna

SCD 9/2009, Crohn's 1992, 30mg Prednisone

> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

She is also, experiencing canker soars on her tongue and some things burn going

down her throat. Would this be like a thrush? Is thrush contagious? Any

suggestions that can help the cankers and not go against the diet would be

appreciated.

This is feeling very overwhelming!