Salt - from where and how much?

[vbc2000]

Hi all :)
So since being diagnosed, I've been on a 1 gram salt tablet a day...in the morning.  Seems to have raised my BP by 10pts/10pts.  I have a call in to the Cardiologist to see if I should add more because I saw on the Thermotabs bottle, it says to take 5-10 times per day (they are about 450mgs I think).  I'm thinking more would help throughout the day.

My questions to you are:

Do most of you get salt thru food or salt tablet?
How much do you think you are getting per day?

Even before this, I was a big salt junkie so it's been no problem for me to add salt to everything, lol!
Thanks,
Stephanie

[vbc2000]

Thanks for the responses everyone!  I knew I should be taking more!  I seem to be able to tolerate the salt tablets as long as I've eaten something.  Tried upping it to 2 grams in pills today and didn't notice much of a change in how I felt but my BP was 110/76 this afternoon which is pretty high for me!  So I guess it might be working :)  I am not going to be afraid to up it even more.  Called the Cardiologist today about it and they didn't get back to me...so I'm just gonna try it.  Thanks again!
Stephanie

P.S.  I don't know how some of you drink salt water!  Maybe I'll try it...but I'm glad I can tolerate the pills.  

[patient915]

I get about 2 grams of sodium a day.  Make sure you all pay attention to "salt" versus "sodium."  Salt is sodium chloride so there is less grams of sodium per grams of salt.  I get it by drinking 1.2 grams of sodium (by salt in water) and by putting salt on my food.  I can't tolerate any kind of salt pills.

[lilmissposey8088]

I get my salt from food. Doc told me to get 5 to 8 grams per day if at all possible. I salt everything I eat and as the rest of you said I was also a big salt junkie before I was diagnosed. Hmmm, makes me wonder if all of us POTSies crave salt pre-diagnosis? Salt craving is a symptom of addison's disease wonder if we should throw that one in our long list of disauto symptoms. Sorry, went off in a different direction. lol.

Back to the salt intake, I add a half teaspoon of salt to the yellow gatorade and it doesn't taste to bad and I love V8 with lots of salt also. I helps to add it to the drinks since we have to drink all the time any ways. Soy sauce is great to add to some foods for extra salt also. Thats about all I can think of tonight. My brain is all a frazzle as of late,(all I can think about is the C word "shiver") sorry. Hope that helps a little.

Amber

[CHRISTYDRAKE]

Stephanie,

My son takes Thermotabs.  His doctor had him taking 2 in the morning and 2 more no later than 3 pm.  Since he has not been feeling well lately, after doing so well for 2 months, they increased his Thermotabs to 3 pills in the morning and 3 more in the afternoon.  They also said increase his water intake with this.

He was a big chip eater, always craving salt.  That seems to have diminished some and I don't know if there is a relation between the thermotabs and his salt craving.  His appetite has decreased since starting L-carnitine, so that might have an effect on it as well.  Who knows!

Christy

[enzymelover]

My son is probably only getting about 1 to 2 grams of salt daily. He won't take tablets so it's all through food. A cardiologist just suggested he double that and see if it helps at all.
He was drinking V-8 type veggie juice for the sodium and antioxidants, but he's turned yellow from all the beta-carotene, so he needs to find something else now that he likes, for more sodium.
He just had his sodium and potassium levels taken and they were both in normal range, but low end.