Electrolytes

[SickInChicago]

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place for this. I've been gluten free for about 18 months now but because the nutrient deficiency issues from the damaged intestines can set off other issues in your body I have now come to learn I have problems with my electrolytes and it causes me to not be able to hold much water or remain hydrated. I recently started buying things like Pedialyte but it is so expensive on top of already shopping healthy/gluten free. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with this or what methods they may have to help combat it. I really hope I don't have to end up spending $40+ a week on drinks for the rest of my life.

[Jmg]

1 hour ago, SickInChicago said:

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place for this. I've been gluten free for about 18 months now but because the nutrient deficiency issues from the damaged intestines can set off other issues in your body I have now come to learn I have problems with my electrolytes and it causes me to not be able to hold much water or remain hydrated. I recently started buying things like Pedialyte but it is so expensive on top of already shopping healthy/gluten free. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with this or what methods they may have to help combat it. I really hope I don't have to end up spending $40+ a week on drinks for the rest of my life.

Not had that but have had issues with nutrient levels. Have you tried taking magnesium supplements? I take a combined magnesium, zinc and calcium supplement and it's really helped. 

[kareng]

4 hours ago, SickInChicago said:

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place for this. I've been gluten free for about 18 months now but because the nutrient deficiency issues from the damaged intestines can set off other issues in your body I have now come to learn I have problems with my electrolytes and it causes me to not be able to hold much water or remain hydrated. I recently started buying things like Pedialyte but it is so expensive on top of already shopping healthy/gluten free. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with this or what methods they may have to help combat it. I really hope I don't have to end up spending $40+ a week on drinks for the rest of my life.

SO the doctor told you you have this issue, what did they say is wrong?  What did they say to do to help?  It can be  a very serious issue, so I can't imagine they just told you to figure it out yourself.

[Ennis-TX]

5 hours ago, SickInChicago said:

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place for this. I've been gluten free for about 18 months now but because the nutrient deficiency issues from the damaged intestines can set off other issues in your body I have now come to learn I have problems with my electrolytes and it causes me to not be able to hold much water or remain hydrated. I recently started buying things like Pedialyte but it is so expensive on top of already shopping healthy/gluten free. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with this or what methods they may have to help combat it. I really hope I don't have to end up spending $40+ a week on drinks for the rest of my life.

I used to drink coconut water as it is high in potassium, and magnesium. I now take a magnesium supplement, drink almond and cashew milks, and get potassium and other nutrients from coconut flour baked goods and using KAL nutritional yeast (look up that profile on the can for nutrients) as a condiment in sauces, homemade vegan cheese, and sprinkles.

[cyclinglady]

Karen is right.  Your doctor should have determined your source of your electrolyte imbalance.  It can be many, many things.  Celiac disease might not be the cause.  Eighteen months on the gluten free diet and your gut should be healed (at least in theory).  If celiac disease is the culprit, you may be a non-responsive celiac (somehow still getting gluten into your diet), or you may have refractory celiac disease.  

When was the last time you had follow-up testing to see if your celiac disease is in remission?  Your are in Chicago, one of the leading celiac research centers.  A consultation with a dietitian at the University of Chicago might be in order. 

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[Posterboy]

18 hours ago, SickInChicago said:

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place for this. I've been gluten free for about 18 months now but because the nutrient deficiency issues from the damaged intestines can set off other issues in your body I have now come to learn I have problems with my electrolytes and it causes me to not be able to hold much water or remain hydrated. I recently started buying things like Pedialyte but it is so expensive on top of already shopping healthy/gluten free. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with this or what methods they may have to help combat it. I really hope I don't have to end up spending $40+ a week on drinks for the rest of my life.

Sickinchicago,

I could be you before I found out about magnesium.  It (Magneisum) really helps fatigue and muscle  cramps too!

Find a Magnesium Citrate or preferably a Magnesium Glycinate (if money is not an issue).

ditto everything Ennis_tx said

12 hours ago, Ennis_TX said:

I used to drink coconut water as it is high in potassium, and magnesium. I now take a magnesium supplement, drink almond and cashew milks, and get potassium and other nutrients from coconut flour baked goods and using KAL nutritional yeast (look up that profile on the can for nutrients) as a condiment in sauces, homemade vegan cheese, and sprinkles.

I had a friend who had your same problems.

He had a severe potassium deficiency. and taking more Potassium was not the answer.

Magnesium can help that by restoring electrolyte homeostasis. It acts like a catalyst to restore ionic and electric inbalances that occur when magnesium is lacking.

I will quote the relevant conclusions but read the whole article if you want a great summary of how magnesium helps restore "electrolyte homeostasis"/balance.

quoting

Conclusion

The importance of magnesium for the electrolyte homeostasis can be summarized now:

• Magnesium deficiency is always followed by a disturbed electrolyte homeostasis. it causes a lot of deficiency symptoms according to its many-fold relations in the organism and should be considered in many diseases and clinical situations.
• Sufficient magnesium supply is important for maintaining the concentration gradients and the electric potential at the Cell and stabilizes electrolyte homeostasis.
• Magnesium is able to restore the ionic and electric imbalance by reactivating the sodium/potassium pump and by reducing the calcium overload.
• Magnesium is indispensable for potassium substitution and for compensation of a refractory potassium deficiency.

here is the link.

Open Original Shared Link

Me and Ennis_tx tell people about the "Magic/Miracle of Magnesium" but sometimes we have to repeat  ourselves a few times for people to get it.  dr. Carolyn dean wrote a noteworthy book about it called the "Magnesium Miracle".

I think about Magnesium being the "King Mineral" and it/the other electrolytes don't know their place in court/balance in the body and the body gets confused and run's down without enough Magnesium to restore order/homeostasis/balance to your electrolytes.

**** this is not medical advice but it helped my friend with this/his potassium/electrolyte imbalance.

Note: it can help tinnitus in the same way if you have it.

magnesium alleviates the calcium overload and the nerves quiten down.

here is the link to the tinnitus talk page that discusses the "Magic/Miracle" of Magnesium.

Open Original Shared Link

my luck runs about 1/3 with my friends.  some listen. some don't believe a vitamin/mineral can help that much and a 1/3 take it and get better.

I can confirm it helps tinnitus because one my friends who I gave magnesium too for fatigue and energy issue's also told me (after I mentioned the benefit for tinnitus) said wow! my chronic ringing got better after taking the bottle of Magnesium I gave him and he was wondering where he could get another bottle he felt so much better.

Magnesium is not a miracle drug . . but It can feel like magic when you are low in it and have "wasted away" over the years and think will I ever have energy again.

the answer is yes! if you take magnesium as either Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Glycinate. Best taken with meals.

Again I hope this is helpful.

good luck on your continued journey.

2 Tim 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

posterboy by the grace of God,

 

 

[GFOlyGirl]

Hi, I was so dehydrated once that I had to go to the hospital for 2 bags of saline solution. At the time I had chronic diarrhea, was not absorbing nutrients, and was overall really sick. My doctor had me start putting good sea salt in all the water I drank. I also have a product called E- lyte (balanced electrolyte concentrate) that I can put a capful in my water bottle. Even after 8 yrs from celiac diagnosis, I do not seem to absorb many nutrients from my food. So I started doing IVs of B12, magnesium and vitamin C. That helps too. I stay away from high priced so called electrolyte drinks that are full of sugar. Lots of clean water with a little salt was good for me. Good luck

[Posterboy]

5 hours ago, GFOlyGirl said:

Hi, I was so dehydrated once that I had to go to the hospital for 2 bags of saline solution. At the time I had chronic diarrhea, was not absorbing nutrients, and was overall really sick. My doctor had me start putting good sea salt in all the water I drank. I also have a product called E- lyte (balanced electrolyte concentrate) that I can put a capful in my water bottle. Even after 8 yrs from celiac diagnosis, I do not seem to absorb many nutrients from my food. So I started doing IVs of B12, magnesium and vitamin C. That helps too. I stay away from high priced so called electrolyte drinks that are full of sugar. Lots of clean water with a little salt was good for me. Good luck

GFOlyGirl,

If you are needing IV treatments for Magneisum you might have condition called hypomagnesemia.

It can be caused by Chronic Gastritis.

The FDA warning label on PPI's covers this well due to too low stomach acid levels.
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here is the link to the chronic gastritis study.

Open Original Shared Link

where they say quoting

"acid-free stomach and severe forms of atrophic gastritis may associate with failures in absorption of essential vitamins, like vitamin B12, micronutrients (like iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc), diet and medicines."

being chronically low in Magnesium can be a sign of too low stomach acid much like Iron Deficient Anemia (IDA) but it is not as commonly diagnosed.

Chronic Fatigue is common with low magnesium levels and leg cramps.

****this is not medical advice but I found when I treated my low stomach acid levels my GI problems got better.

you can have your doctor's test this theory by having them do a gastric acid function test aka a Heidelberg test.

the phcapsule.com website has alot of good information on the nutrients that become low when stomach acid is too low.

I happens to be the same nutrients someone gets low in that has chronic gastritis. . . . and don't know it because the doctor's have not tested your stomach pH.

A heidelberg test can be done in one evening in a doctor's office.

It could explain your pervasively low magnesium levels.

I hope this is helpful.

2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,

 

 

 

[GFOlyGirl]

Posterboy,

Thank you for your thoughtful insight! Very interesting because I do have low stomach acid, low magnesium, and anemic most of my life. I also had a pancreatitis attack (and I don't even drink), and then they removed my gall bladder which was not functioning. I don't think I have chronic fatigue, but I have had a sharp pain come and go for years. One doc said it could be gastritis, another said I have a bleeding ulcer. Due to a little blood in my urine, and my anemia. I'm scheduled to have an endoscopy in late March. More will be revealed. Also, I have heard that magnesium is hard to absorb with anyone. Is this true? I have taken it orally and I'm still low. 

Have a great day, Denise

[Posterboy]

GFOlyGirl,

On 3/6/2018 at 9:49 AM, GFOlyGirl said:

Posterboy,

Thank you for your thoughtful insight! Very interesting because I do have low stomach acid, low magnesium, and anemic most of my life. I also had a pancreatitis attack (and I don't even drink), and then they removed my gall bladder which was not functioning. I don't think I have chronic fatigue, but I have had a sharp pain come and go for years. One doc said it could be gastritis, another said I have a bleeding ulcer. Due to a little blood in my urine, and my anemia. I'm scheduled to have an endoscopy in late March. More will be revealed. Also, I have heard that magnesium is hard to absorb with anyone. Is this true? I have taken it orally and I'm still low. 

Have a great day, Denise

The diarrhea meant your losing them (electrolytes) faster  than you were absorbing them.  The common medical phrase.  Diarrhea is a killer is true.

So supplementing made sense in a critical care environment.

But is not practical for ever.  Anemia patients have to boosted with blood transfusions periodically for this reason.

Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, B12 (among other nutrients) all require a strong acid to dissolve them so they can be absorbed.

Taking a Magnesim Citrate or Magnesium Glycinate can help because they  have a higher bioavailability to a point.

But below  a certain pH . . you can take all the iron, Magnesium, B12, etc. . . .and your body will still need transfusions/shots etc. .  to overcome your low absorption curve.

here is a great article about rules that govern nutrition absorption.

Open Original Shared Link

taking more of  the nutrients (vitamins/minerals) we are low in can shift the absorption curve by overcoming the place on S curve we are in effect shifting nutrient absorption to the goldilocks zone for absorption.

Changing the pH (shifting to the goldilocks zone) also allows greater absorption.

And that is why taking BetaineHCL allows people to overcome IDA and/other low Vitamin issues like low Vitamin D levels as an example.

see also this article by Suzy Cohen.

  Open Original Shared Link

If it is too slow stomach acid limiting your absorption the effect can be dramatic.

I will quote the research on Vitamin D.

"Data suggests that cimetidine treatment (acid reducer) affects vitamin D levels because one month after cessation of therapy, D levels rose significantly."

So your iron is being limitedly absorbed by your low pH levels.

Here is the research on Iron that explains "Role of gastric acid in food iron absorption."

Open Original Shared Link

Look no further than the FDA warning on PPI's causing hypomagnesemia for the link to low stomach acid causing low Magnesium Levels.

Open Original Shared Link

But the good news is there is hope for improving your absorption to normal levels by taking BetaineHCL.

We can shift the curve back in our favor.

here is a case study where patients have done just that entitled

"Nutritional Interventions for Gastroesophageal Reflux, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Hypochlorhydria: A Case Report"

Open Original Shared Link

I also want to share the timeline for you in their figure 1.

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It is available in the full study but this is their summary of treatment timeline and it is is very telling.

With BetaineHCL supplementation GI symptom's greatly improved in/on only aprox. 6 months of treatments. . . after practically a lifetime of suffering of nearly 30 year of GI problems.

I know this is a lot to take in one post bust I hope it is helpful.

I had a similar response to taking BetaineHCL supplements.

Do not think this will be your response. . . but take courage/hope it has helped others.   So much so there are case study's about these issues.

*** this is not medical advice but it helped me and why I share my story.

I always say for me . . . Magnesium was my "aha moment" or truth teller as I told someone else on this board/forum.

IF we need Magesim so much and we do. . then why are we chronically low in it.

The absorption curve/pH levels tell's us/me that my absorption is limited by the pH (gastric levels) of my stomach.

Think about how you lime a field to improve nutrient absorption?

It improves your gardens/plants' ability to thrive under idea pH levels for nutrition absorption.

Stomach Acid levels work the same way in the body!

Again I hope this is helpful.  I must stop for now.

2 Timothy 2: 7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the grace of God,