Electrolytes

Two months ago my electrolyets were very low and i guess as my doctor put it all over the place.  I lost alot of muscle control and had slurred speach, shaking and many other things wrong.  I still am not at 100% what i want to know is will i ever be again?  I get dizzy sometimes and have alot of muscle weakness and aching.  My doctor just said to take a multivitimin and really doesnt give me any answers to anything.  I know I am not suppposed to drink alcholol anymore and my balance is way off.  Will i ever return to normal?  My last blood work done two weeks ago showed everything normal except high cholestrol which im taking a medication for now.

[ggreg]

I do know that milk provides a bunch of electrolytes, so you should drink that, if you can.  And the B vitamins in the multi restores the ones eaten up by alcohol.  Just eat a bunch of good food, get plenty of exercise in the fresh air, and do relaxing things before bedtime, like a very warm soakie bath by candlelight, so you'll get a good night's sleep.  Also, get enough protein and omega-3s, eggs are the best thing in the world for that.

It sounds like you are indeed getting better, but if you are still noticeably off balance and/or your speech is slurred, I think you should visit a neurologist, perhaps get you a CAT scan (cheaper than an MRI) to make sure you haven't had a bleed in the brain, but that would be unusual, of course.  If it's just your balance, you could get your ears checked by an Ear-Nose-Throat or ENT doc.  If you used to drink a lot and have cut back, I would suggest you stop altogether, just give it a try...find something else you like to do.  When you quit, your hands will shake a lot for a while.  If you smoke, be sure to drink a very small glass of orange juice every day, smoke eats up Vitamin C.  Hope some of this helps a little.  

[Taybey]

I have quit drinking for now at least.  I quit smoking a year and a half ago.  Im drinking gaterade that has the postassium and cloride in it but still have lots of aches and cramping of the feet at night in  bed.  I take b complex but not every day.  i had a CT scan and a head MRI both normal, thing is im not 100% normal yet.  i love eggs but now the high cholestrol thing i am not eating them.  doctor did say drink plenty of fluids.  i do drink milk also.  the balance thing bugs me, like if i have to walk down stairs i get a dizzy feeling and sometime flat out wont do it.  my speech is no longer slurred and im not shaking anymore and i can write better than i did before.  Its just the muscles and balance thing especially stairs and high up places i cannot take.  

Taybey

[ggreg]

I might add, then, that more iron should help with your feet cramping....just don't take too much.  Baked fish has less cholesterol than eggs, gives the same protein and omega-3s, so you might can get into cooking that, I put Italian Dressing on it (low fat) before I cook it, and makes it taste really good.  Also I got good at salmon patties, mushed them up with herbs and broken bread, dredged in flour and cooked in a little olive oil or vegie spray.  Again, consider going to an ear-nose-throat doc to check your ears, that's where the balance thing is.  

I'm glad your speech and shaking has improved, very good sign, might have been a little withdrawal from alcohol going on.  Keep up with the B vitamins, and taking them every once in a while is just fine like you're doing, actually it's the best way to take them, like with the iron supplement.  If you decide you must drink, stick to one glass of a good red wine after dinner (food helps knock back the bad effects of alcohol), look forward to it just once a week, couple it with a good video movie and a warm bubble bath by candlelight, and then go to bed.  You don't want to goof up your body chemistry again, so stick to a rigid schedule of any alcohol, just to relax from time to time.  Any other kind of drinking indicates emotional issues that are better resolved in a psychologist's office at a mental health center, rather than in a bar or partying or whatever.  Being productive takes less energy, doesn't make you sick, and in the long run, makes for a significantly better life.