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My cardio thinks I have microvascular angina- need some feedback!!!

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I've been having all the signs of hyponatremia today with HR going up to 130 bpm and agitation and confusion. I finally reached the PA at my cardio's office b/c my cardio out of town again. She felt I clearly had a reaction to the saline and that my body doesn't tolerate it.

She is faxing me a lab slip for blood and urine osmolality tests, etc, which NONE of was done in the ER. I have not eating or drank anything in about 36 hours but she told me I need to do so and if my BP systolic is over 95 to take the Atenolol. Unfortunately it is after 4 pm on a Fri and if this slip doesn't arrive soon, I will not be able to get to any lab before they close.

I really do not want to go back to the ER b/c I was just there and they did not run any of these tests while they had the opportunity and I did not know to ask for them. I guess if it gets worse I will go back to the ER but then no guarantee they will run these tests. The weird thing is the sodium blood test was in the low end of the normal range at the ER.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
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2,396
Location
USA
I've been having all the signs of hyponatremia today with HR going up to 130 bpm and agitation and confusion. I finally reached the PA at my cardio's office b/c my cardio out of town again. She felt I clearly had a reaction to the saline and that my body doesn't tolerate it.

She is faxing me a lab slip for blood and urine osmolality tests, etc, which NONE of was done in the ER. I have not eating or drank anything in about 36 hours but she told me I need to do so and if my BP systolic is over 95 to take the Atenolol. Unfortunately it is after 4 pm on a Fri and if this slip doesn't arrive soon, I will not be able to get to any lab before they close.

I really do not want to go back to the ER b/c I was just there and they did not run any of these tests while they had the opportunity and I did not know to ask for them. I guess if it gets worse I will go back to the ER but then no guarantee they will run these tests. The weird thing is the sodium blood test was in the low end of the normal range at the ER.

ERs are usually just concerned with handling the immediate emergency and getting you to the point where it is safe for you return home. The blood and urine osmolality tests sound like follow-up care, to be coordinated by your primary MD, not the emergency staff. They are rarely run on an emergency basis.

Please do eat and drink something soon! This is really hard on your body.
 

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
@Gingergrrl, I'm really sorry to hear that you're continuing to have reactions from that infusion. Hopefully they can be cleared up soon.

Hyponatremia is quite dangerous. Hyponatremia is what makes water poisoning so dangerous. On one hand, I don't want to scare you here, but it is really important to get this under control as soon as possible. We don't know the exact mechanisms that are causing this to continue at this point, so we don't know if it will get better or worse if left alone.

The standard treatment for hypervolemic hyponatremia (which is what you have), as per Medscape, includes consuming lots of salt and restricting your fluid intake. You can start this now. But the treatment requires other things that need to be done under the supervision of a doctor.
I really do not want to go back to the ER b/c I was just there and they did not run any of these tests while they had the opportunity and I did not know to ask for them. I guess if it gets worse I will go back to the ER but then no guarantee they will run these tests.

Don't wait for it to get worse - if it gets worse, you may have a lot more problems, possibly irreversible. The ER can run those tests; the hospital lab has to be open all the time. I would recommend not going to the lab for these tests; you need treatment now. You should call the ER, make sure they will do these tests when you arrive (insist on it if necessary), and go to the ER once you get their consent.

There are two types of hyponatremia: hypovolemic and hypervolemic. They may misdiagnose you as have having hypovolemic hyponatremia; if they do, they will want to give you more standard saline. In such a situation, you must refuse this at all costs. Standard saline could be fatal here. From Medscape:
Note that normal saline can exacerbate hyponatremia in patients with SIADH, who may excrete the sodium and retain the water.

You probably do not have SIADH (syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion), but in any case, your body is reacting as if you do in this respect.

That being said, if they diagnose you properly with hypervolemic hyponatremia, they still may want to give you a saline IV. However, this would be hypertonic saline - 3% saline instead of the standard 0.9%. This is supposed to work, so it should be OK to have that done. Also, if it's done in the ER and any problems arise, they will be well equipped to treat them.

That's my recommendation - I think it's by far the safest way to proceed. You don't want to take chances with hyponatremia.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
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2,396
Location
USA
Gingergrrl said:
I really do not want to go back to the ER b/c I was just there and they did not run any of these tests while they had the opportunity and I did not know to ask for them. I guess if it gets worse I will go back to the ER but then no guarantee they will run these tests.
Don't wait for it to get worse - if it gets worse, you may have a lot more problems, possibly irreversible. The ER can run those tests; the hospital lab has to be open all the time. I would recommend not going to the lab for these tests; you need treatment now. You should call the ER, make sure they will do these tests when you arrive (insist on it if necessary), and go to the ER once you get their consent.


Depends on the hospital. Tests for osmolality may or may not be run STAT. The blood and urine for osmolality can be collected, but there's no way to know for sure if those tests will be run before Saturday (day shift) or Monday, unless you call the hospital lab and ask them.

A patient could insist that lab tests be done immediately, but that will never happen. The order triage (stat, asap, routine) comes from the doctor. I've never in my professional life as a medical technologist and laboratory manager heard of a patient insisting that a test be run "right away" and having their way! :rofl: There were also times on weekends when a doctor wanted a test run STAT, but they would have to call the laboratory director (an MD) to get approval. That rarely happens!

Serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate) are always available STAT, as long as the order is written that way.
 

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
@CFS_for_19_years, I will defer to your professional experience here. Fortunately, you said:
Serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate) are always available STAT, as long as the order is written that way.

These are the most important tests, as they will determine for sure whether or not she has hyponatremia, and if so, how severe it is. The PA thought she had hyponatremia; the ER doctor should be able to recognize that, or at least the possibility of it, and write a STAT order for those tests. If she does test positive, treatment can be started.

I talked to @Gingergrrl a little while ago, and she had already gotten the other tests done at the lab, and was on her way home. But she was definitely not over her symptoms. I told her my recommendations from the previous post, and I think she is going to take them. She told me that she had awakened with worse symptoms, which means that her condition had worsened while she slept. If the hyponatremia gets worse when she goes to sleep tonight, this could be very serious. This is why I urged her to go to the ER now. She had been told by the PA that there is no real treatment for hyponatremia, and that's one reason she didn't go to the ER. However, this is not true; there are extensive treatments available, and it really sounds like she needs some of them. So at this point, all this information has been communicated to her and her husband, and hopefully she will get proper treatment soon.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@zzz and @CFS_for_19_years Thank you both for the feedback and I really appreciate it and zzz thank you for calling me and I am so grateful for your level of concern and do not want to take it lightly.

I am home now and really conflicted what to do. We made it to Lab Corp before they closed and I had tests for urine osmolarity, urine osmolality as well as urine sodium level. I also had the basic blood metabolic panel again and magnesium test. I thought there was going to be a test for "blood osmolality" but that was not there so I might have misunderstood.

My tachycardia at 130 was brief and resolved on it's own (I did not take Atenolol.) My BP is 96/65 which is normal for me and I did not take any Midodrine today. I've had these brief episodes of tachycardia for over a year and a half so it is hard to know if it is related or would have occurred anyway? I ate very salty food, took two salt stick tablets, and am drinking Pedialyte (plain and not mixed with water.) I don't feel the confusion or agitation of earlier today and just feel really tired.

My husband had to go pick up our daughter from an event that we missed and when he gets back we will decide about the ER. If I go to a random ER it would be useless and would want to go to the one where my cardio is head of dept (where I was yesterday b/c they have my records.) But this one is far away and will take a while to get there in Fri evening traffic.

I also understand what @CFS_for_19_years is saying, that I can demand certain tests or refuse saline but it doesn't mean anyone will listen to me. I worked for a different hospital for 12 yrs as a social worker (and had a high up position with lots of connections) but telling the ER to do anything was usually futile and the fact that I was an employee of that hospital chain was irrelevant (both when I was advocating for a patient or when I was there for myself as the patient.)

It sounds like I need to call ahead and ask the ER which of these tests can be run b/c if they cannot run them any faster than waiting for the results from Lab Corp, I don't see the point in going especially b/c I am going to be refusing ANY saline IV's which they might try to push on me. Plus they will look at my sodium test from last night which was in range and say it is okay. I have very little hope of being helped by an ER just from all my past experience.

But I still remain conflicted and @zzz I am so appreciative of your call and do not take any of this lightly like you said. I know I partially sounded bad b/c I am so incredibly tired but I did understand everything you were telling me.
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I agree with zzz, I think you should go back. If nothing else, you'll at least get immediate results on your electrolyte levels and they can monitor your vitals to make sure nothing else is going on. If you start feeling better between now and then, oh well, nothing much lost. If you start feeling worse however you'll probably really wish you had gone now. You're not going to get those results back from LabCorp until Monday I imagine.

I know exactly how you're feeling right now. I just had to make the exact same decision the other day and it sucks but I ended up going just to make sure nothing major was wrong.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@zzz @halcyon I wanted to add that I read the Medscape link that zzz mentioned and it said that hyponatremia is if your blood sodium level is below 135 meq and is severe is below 125 meq. The range from the test at the ER last night was slightly different in which normal was 134 to 144. My sodium level was 137 which seems well within the range even though on the lower side. Would this have been enough for the ER doctor to assess that it was not hyponatremia? The doctor knew that I had been rushed to the ER from the infusion center after an IV of one liter of saline.

1) If I had acute hyponatremia, wouldn't the most severe be during & after the bad reaction in which the sodium test was 137 meq. Or could it worsen a day later?

2) If I go back to the ER and they do the basic metabolic panel and sodium is still in the normal range, does this indicate that I do not have hyponatremia? I just want to make sure I understand so it is worth the trip.

Thanks to any and all who can advise.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
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@zzz @halcyon I wanted to add that I read the Medscape link that zzz mentioned and it said that hyponatremia is if your blood sodium level is below 135 meq and is severe is below 125 meq. The range from the test at the ER last night was slightly different in which normal was 134 to 144. My sodium level was 137 which seems well within the range even though on the lower side. Would this have been enough for the ER doctor to assess that it was not hyponatremia? The doctor knew that I had been rushed to the ER from the infusion center after an IV of one liter of saline.

1) If I had acute hyponatremia, wouldn't the most severe be during & after the bad reaction in which the sodium test was 137 meq. Or could it worsen a day later?

2) If I go back to the ER and they do the basic metabolic panel and sodium is still in the normal range, does this indicate that I do not have hyponatremia? I just want to make sure I understand so it is worth the trip.

Thanks to any and all who can advise.

With a sodium of 137, you did not have hyponatremia last night. I believe your problems stemmed from too much magnesium and possibly too much fluid in general.

In answer to your questions:
1. It's doubtful it would worsen a day later.
2. Yes.

This might be more advice than you want to hear at the moment, but IMHO, your IV yesterday should have been plain saline (no added Mg) until the reason for your reaction to the previous saline IV had been sorted out. When you change or add medications or treatments, it is best to change or add one thing at a time. If there is a problem with a new med/treatment (saline IVs), that problem should be sorted out before adding one more thing (adding Mg to the mix).

In my own experience as a patient since 1990, no doctor ever wanted to try two new things at once or add another chemical when I was already having problems with the first chemical. [end soapbox rant]:thumbdown:
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
It's hard to say what's normal for you. Do you have older results you can look back at? It matters less what it was last night and matters more what it is right now. It's hard to guess what your body has done to adjust since you had the infusion.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
With a sodium of 137, you did not have hyponatremia last night. I believe your problems stemmed from too much magnesium and possibly too much fluid in general.

In answer to your questions:
1. It's doubtful it would worsen a day later.
2. Yes.

This might be more advice than you want to hear at the moment, but IMHO, your IV yesterday should have been plain saline (no added Mg) until the reason for your reaction to the previous saline IV had been sorted out. When you change or add medications or treatments, it is best to change or add one thing at a time. If there is a problem with a new med/treatment (saline IVs), that problem should be sorted out before adding one more thing (adding Mg to the mix).

In my own experience as a patient since 1990, no doctor ever wanted to try two new things at once or add another chemical when I was already having problems with the first chemical. [end soapbox rant]:thumbdown:

@CFS_for_19_years Thank you for explaining and from my own research, it seemed that I did not have hyponatremia last night (based on the blood test.) In your experience as a laboratory manager, did it seem that a patient would not worsen the next day (after the acute incident was over?) I just want to make sure I am understanding you correctly. I now agree with you that I should not have added the Magnesium and just tried the plain saline again. This cardio is very big on trying all kinds of things and I am starting to have some doubts about him but this could be due to the number of bad experiences with prior cardiologists and he is my third cardiologist since 2012.

It's hard to say what's normal for you. Do you have older results you can look back at? It matters less what it was last night and matters more what it is right now. It's hard to guess what your body has done to adjust since you had the infusion.

@halcyon I do and I checked my sodium level from Sept when I was in the hospital and it was 137 exactly the same as last night. I then went back and checked it from July and it was 140 but done by a different lab with a different range (which would make it more like 139 on this scale.) So it did decrease a little since July. I'd have to really search to find results older than that. Is that info helpful at all?

I left a msg for my CFS dr and hate to bother him but want to get his opinion of what I should do. I really trust him and am hoping he is able to call me back. This is only the second time I have ever called him in an emergency but really hate to bother him.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
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@CFS_for_19_years Thank you for explaining and from my own research, it seemed that I did not have hyponatremia last night (based on the blood test.) In your experience as a laboratory manager, did it seem that a patient would not worsen the next day (after the acute incident was over?

It seems real unlikely that your sodium would have gotten worse compared to last night. I'm saying this as my understanding of human physiology, the way the body handles fluid and electrolyte balance. The only way that saline IV could have caused you hyponatremia is if it was hypotonic, i.e. purposely having a lower amount of saline than what is in plasma. But since you received 0.9% normal saline, this is what kept your sodium in the normal range last night. The overall volume (1 liter) for someone at 110 lbs with a weak heart could have been too much for you, and your doctor will have to make the call on that one. But you clearly had a high magnesium, which could have accounted for some of your symptoms.
 

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
I also understand what @CFS_for_19_years is saying, that I can demand certain tests or refuse saline but it doesn't mean anyone will listen to me.

Yes, the doctor is simply going to order the tests that he or she thinks are necessary. But if you come in with the signs of hyponatremia, they're going to test your electrolytes. That's what's most important.

As for refusing the saline, you can always do that; you did that yesterday. Refusing treatments is a lot easier than getting tests done.

@zzz @halcyon I wanted to add that I read the Medscape link you mentioned and it said that hyponatremia is if your blood sodium level is below 135 meq and is severe is below 125 meq. The range from the test at the ER last night was slightly different in which normal was 134 to 144.

Those are essentially the same ranges. Ranges for everything vary slightly from place to place and from lab to lab. The reason for this is that the ranges are for the population as a whole, and they're derived statistically. The numbers in these ranges are only approximations. That's why if you're just a little bit outside a range, your doctor will often ignore the reading; the difference often isn't significant. However, for PWME, these differences tend to be more significant than for other people.
My sodium level was 137 which seems well within the range even though on the lower side. Would this have been enough for the ER doctor to assess that it was not hyponatremia?

Yes; your doctor would take one look at that number and say that you did not have hyponatremia. And it appears that at that point he would have been right; your symptoms appear to be coming and going. This is characteristic of autonomic dysfunction. (Generally, they don't know much about autonomic dysfunction in the ER.)
1) If I had acute hyponatremia, wouldn't the most severe be during & after the bad reaction in which the sodium test was 137 meq. Or could it worsen a day later?

Certainly, it would be most severe during the bad reaction. But your sodium wasn't measured then. By the time your sodium was measured, your symptoms had abated. Again, this is a strong sign of dysautonomia. And yes, it could worsen a day later - that's exactly what appears to have happened. There are two explanations for this that come to mind: Your autonomic nervous system may still be traumatized from yesterday, and as a result it is continuing to fluctuate back and forth. This could deteriorate, which is where going to the ER makes sense. Or you could have what is essentially hyponatremic PEM. This could get better on its own, or it could deteriorate. If you're asymptomatic now, you can wait a few hours and see if symptoms return. If they do, you'd need to go to the ER. If they don't, going to the ER wouldn't tell you anything, and you should be safe staying home.
2) If I go back to the ER and they do the basic metabolic panel and sodium is still in the normal range, does this indicate that I do not have hyponatremia?

It means that you don't have hyponatremia at the time they do the test. But again, your situation is fluctuating, and may continue to fluctuate. Hyponatremia is the most common adverse reaction to a saline infusion, and you had definitive symptoms for it. You need to be sure that it's not coming back.

Here is a definitive list of common hyponatremia symptoms from MedlinePlus, which is under the NIH. Like most symptom lists, the symptoms are rarely all present, but if you have hyponatremia, you would have at least some of them.

So see how you feel as the evening progresses. You can always contact me directly for a quick answer to any question; I'll be available all evening. It's the fastest way to get a response, as it takes me forever to write these posts. :rolleyes: Meanwhile, I hope you continue to feel better and gradually improve, and that this whole episode will soon be completely behind you. :)
With a sodium of 137, you did not have hyponatremia last night.

All we can say for sure is that she did not have hyponatremia at the time the test was taken. The dysautonomia component here means that things can change rapidly.
I believe your problems stemmed from too much magnesium and possibly too much fluid in general.

I must strongly disagree here, and I'll elaborate in a later post, but I want to get this done so @Gingergrrl can see it. Her symptoms are completely consistent with a diagnosis of dysautonomic hypervolemia with accompanying hyponatremia and hypokalemia, with complications of acute pulmonary edema and hypoxemia. All her symptoms can be explained by this. I can show that the magnesium explains none of her symptoms, with the exception that there is a very remote possibility that it contributed somewhat to her flushing. But the main symptoms of hypermagnesemia are often the opposite of what she experienced - for example, bradycardia as opposed to tachycardia. I'll have more later.
In answer to your questions:
1. It's doubtful it would worsen a day later.

Again, the combination of dysautonomia and PEM make such worsening very possible. The PA she talked to thought she had hyponatremia; the symptoms she described were those of hyponatremia.
This might be more advice than you want to hear at the moment, but IMHO, your IV yesterday should have been plain saline (no added Mg) until the reason for your reaction to the previous saline IV had been sorted out. When you change or add medications or treatments, it is best to change or add one thing at a time. If there is a problem with a new med/treatment (saline IVs), that problem should be sorted out before adding one more thing (adding Mg to the mix).

I agree completely here. Additionally, I would have decreased the saline amount to a half liter, as I mentioned before the infusion. There would still have been a reaction, but it would have been much milder, and it would still have been clear that the saline should be discontinued.
It seems real unlikely that your sodium would have gotten worse compared to last night. I'm saying this as my understanding of human physiology, the way the body handles fluid and electrolyte balance.
Normally, this is true. But dysautonomia can mess up things in very unusual ways. Consider this quote from Professor Edwards:
What people call hypovolaemia often means relative hypovolaemia, which could easily be absolute hypervolaemia, I think.

The only way that saline IV could have caused you hyponatremia is if it was hypotonic, i.e. purposely having a lower amount of saline than what is in plasma.
Not true; for example, see this quote from Medscape:
Note that normal saline can exacerbate hyponatremia in patients with SIADH, who may excrete the sodium and retain the water.

This is just one way this could happen. There is a different mechanism in dysautonomia, but it's a bit complicated to get into right now.
But since you received 0.9% normal saline, this is what kept your sodium in the normal range last night. The overall volume (1 liter) for someone at 110 lbs with a weak heart could have been too much for you, and your doctor will have to make the call on that one.

I have to stress that this is not what happened, because this line of thinking ignores a potentially dangerous case of hyponatremia. If what you say were true, trying a half liter of saline might be reasonable. It's not, and the results could be expected to be at least as bad as yesterday's.
But you clearly had a high magnesium, which could have accounted for some of your symptoms.

When you look at the situation closely, you'll see that there's really no evidence for this, as I'll show. Also, what about the other symptoms? What other explanation ties them all together in a sensible way? But I'll have to get to this in another post. For now, I'll have to get this one up...
 
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Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Just wanted to post a brief update and I spoke with both the cardiologist on call for my cardio and my CFS Dr and both felt that I did not have hyponatremia and do not need to go to the ER.

They had two different opinions re: what happened and my CFS Dr had a lot of insight (and he knows my entire medical history better than any doctor I have ever had.) He is going to talk to my regular cardio and there are some additional tests that he wants me to have that he wished the ER had run yesterday but unfortunately they didn't and I didn't know to ask for them.

@zzz I don't want to cause you any more stress, and am so appreciative for all your research for me, but want you to take care of yourself and get some rest tonight. So no worries about trying to get me any more info right now and I am okay. I have certain things to watch for over the weekend and if they get worse I am to call my CFS Dr back and go to the ER.
 

zzz

Senior Member
Messages
675
Location
Oregon
@Gingergrrl, thanks for the update! I am very happy to hear that you don't need to go to the ER, and it sounds like your earlier symptoms haven't returned. Now you can get some rest and recover from this whole mess.

At some point, once this has all passed and you feel a lot better, it would be very interesting to know what your doctors think happened. But for now, the main thing is that you need to get your rest.
@zzz I don't want to cause you any more stress, and am so appreciative for all your research for me, but want you to take care of yourself and get some rest tonight.

Not to worry! You haven't caused me any stress at all. Yes, I worked hard to try to help, but I don't get stressed out by that.

I am more concerned in that I hope I didn't stress out you and your husband! You know I was trying to do my best to help, and sometimes knowing the exact right way to approach things can be difficult.
So no worries about trying to get me any more info...

Fortunately, there is no more info to get!
...and I am okay.

This is of course by far the most important thing, and I am really happy to hear this.
I have certain things to watch for over the weekend and if they get worse I am to call my CFS Dr back and go to the ER.

It sounds like you're in good hands now, and that everything is under control. This is very good to know.

@CFS_for_19_years, first I want to say that I really do appreciate all your input, and though I disagreed with some of your conclusions, I know that you were trying to do the exact same thing I was in trying to help @Gingergrrl. Now that this is in the hands of her doctors, who apparently have their own theories about what happened. the point of my original planned response to your posts is now moot. So, if you don't mind, I think I'll just skip my responses. But I do want you to know that I really do value your contributions highly.
 
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jeff_w

Senior Member
Messages
558
Just wanted to post a brief update and I spoke with both the cardiologist on call for my cardio and my CFS Dr and both felt that I did not have hyponatremia and do not need to go to the ER.

They had two different opinions re: what happened and my CFS Dr had a lot of insight (and he knows my entire medical history better than any doctor I have ever had.) He is going to talk to my regular cardio and there are some additional tests that he wants me to have that he wished the ER had run yesterday but unfortunately they didn't and I didn't know to ask for them.

Oh my God, @Gingergrrl ...

I am so sorry to hear about what happened to you! I had been so "pro-saline" in my communications with you, and then after your first infusion you felt so much better. Now I feel partly responsible for this mess. I'm glad you're okay now.

I was talking to my significant other about my plans to fully go off of saline, because I don't need it anymore. I'll have to do an update in my thread about that. I ended up with severe hyponatremia (my sodium was 124) while coming off of it. I almost lost consciousness a few times.

Again, I'm really sorry about what happened to you. If you're open to sharing, what did Dr. Kaufman think the problem was in your case? He always seems to have so much insight.

Best wishes.
 
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Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Thank you to everyone who offered so much support and tried to help me in this thread and I am so appreciative. And @jeff_w you are in no way responsible for this mess so please don't even give that a second thought! Even though we talked a lot about saline, and I ask for a lot of feedback on PR, I know that my body reacts differently (as does each person's) and both of my doctors had thought IV saline might help me and no one could have predicted what happened.

I never take what anyone says on PR as medical advice and run everything by my doctors and just wanted to stress that point. You guys have given me great feedback when you point me to links and articles that I would never find on my own and were very comforting when I was in the hospital and trying different treatments. Thank you again to everyone.

Jeff, I am so sorry that you had hyponatremia and hope you are doing okay now. My situation is still a work in progress and I'll send you a PM later re: what Dr. K thought was going on.
 

AndyPandy

Making the most of it
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1,928
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Australia
@Gingergrrl So sorry to read that you have had such a bad time. Just catching up with PR news now and sorry I wasn't able to offer support earlier.

I hope you are feeling better and can find a way through this.

Best wishes Andy
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@AndyPandy Thank you so much and I have had a really rough last four days and have been too exhausted to update this thread or reply to messages. But I really appreciate all of your support and it means a lot to me :hug:.
 

jimells

Senior Member
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2,009
Location
northern Maine
I asked him about the 82 on the pulse oximeter and he felt that it was probably wrong and an inaccurate reading

I have found that these devices are not reliable for me, especially in the winter when I have more problems with Reynaud's Syndrome. I can certainly understand the device might not work correctly if there is little blood moving through extremely white fingers.

I wonder how often these clever little devices are wrong. If medical staff can't rely on the readings, just how useful are they, especially if unexpected anomalous readings are simply ignored?
 
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