Sodium deficiency

Re: Sodium deficiency

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:45:24 GMT

Hi, sorry to hear about your mum. I am only on for a short while, so looked it up, and this is one page I found. It seems to describe your mothers symptoms, so maybe once her levels are back to normal.... she will act more normal.

http://www.online-family-doctor.com/minerals/sodium.html

Re: Sodium deficiency

Vicky RVN — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:51:00 GMT

I hope things get sorted for your mum. I haven't ever experienced dementia so can't help there.

It's strange this should come up though...my mum confused me the other day. She's in 61 in Aug so has been retired (she was a secretary for an accountant for donkeys years) for nearly a year. She had long term memory loss the other day. My dad was lighting the gas BBQ, the spark on it has broken. I suggested using the long lighter mum used to use to light the cookers in caravans when we went on holidays. He went off to look for it...she came out saying she didn't have a clue what he was talking about. It was found in the drawer, and she was totally instant she'd never seen it before. I said we used to use it in on holidays and left it at that. But the more i've thought about it the more odd it seems...and the more it's concerned me. I'm probably over analysing it and being paranoid...i hope i am anyway.

Re: Sodium deficiency

Phrin Vernon RVN — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:51:02 GMT

Ohhh - I'm afraid I have nothing constructive to add, having never seen dementia in a family member or friend.

However, as my 'rents are now both in their 70's and getting increasingly forgetful, this sort of situation scares me silly!

I can only send lots of hugs and positive thoughts your way - I hope things gets sorted

xxx

Re: Sodium deficiency

StephSVN — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:48:29 GMT

My grandad is currently in a home with severe dementia with lewey body syndrome (causes symptoms of Alzheimers and Parkinson's type symptoms and hallucinations). I don't know anything about sodium deficiency but the signs you have described do sound like some of the things my grandad does.

It took about 3 years for my grandad to get a diagnosis, and a couple of years ago he got an infection (and possibly a minor stroke) which made everything worse for a while. That was when he was still at home and the hospital kept saying it was a major stroke - when asked how they had made that diagnosis (no scans etc) they said it was clear from his extreme confusion and ataxia - even though it was in his notes about his condition and he was on medication for it!

Sorry, I know this doesn't help much but I think it is definitley worth keep mentioning it to the doctors as even though awareness is increasing and seems like everybody knows about dementia/alzheimers doctors don't seem to test for it until really pushed.

Big hugs for everyone dealing with this really horrible condition.

Re: Sodium deficiency

Kim Buckley — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:10:15 GMT

My great nan used to forget that her ex husband was dead and would say he'd been in her house stealing her food! We would tell her he'd been dead for 10 years and she would reply with "oh well why did no-one tell me??"

It's a really sad thing to go through

Hope you manage to get a proper diagnosis!

Re: Sodium deficiency

SmegSlayer — Sun, 30 May 2010 22:48:50 GMT

in the past year my mum has seen a rhematologist, had an endoscopy, MRI of her head.

She kept having hospital admissions in which they would do bloods and they found her sodium kept falling.

We knew nothing about the anti-epilepsy meds causing sodium deficiency until her doctor had a brain wave and looked Tegratol up in a huge book and it was listed as a side effect.

this evening she had another episode. she asked me when I was going back home so I said tomorrow, then she said that's right i've got to go it work the day after. but my mum hasn't worked since before my brother was born in 1978. when dad told her she was retired she looked at him like he was crazy. About 10 mins later she suddenly said Of course I'm not going to work, I'm retired.

Re: Sodium deficiency

Felicity Caldwell — Sun, 30 May 2010 22:30:41 GMT

Hiya so sorry to hear this!! Hope that you are ok!

Well, in my family - my mother is epileptic and not until the last 7-8 years has it been under really good control. She did have problems with her medications for a little while but unfortunatley I cant relate to anything that you have described - particularly with the sodium levels (I will ask her if she knows anything like that).

On the other hand, my grandad (who died about a year ago now) has alzhemiers. It was a really bad experience for me. He lived down in london whilst we lived in Scotland and even though we knew he was getting progressively worse, we could be with him. However, it did bring everyone closer. I made such an effort to call him regularly just to keep him company. He would repetively ask the same questions over and over again, and forget things I had told him in the short term. My grandma used to tell us that he would sit for hours on end looking out the window, rather vacantly. But as time went on, his behaviour and personality changed. He eventually forgot and refused to remember who I was (he remember my brother, mum and dad). He was 93 (not bad I suppose!) but it was a difficult and emotional time!

Personally, I think if your mum does not improve - keep getting on at the doctors to atleast assess her!! Sorry my info is not much help - but I can relate to your concerns!!

Re: Sodium deficiency

Jill Nute — Sun, 30 May 2010 22:24:20 GMT

Hi, my mum had Parkinson's + thyroid deficiency, & macular degeneration, & couldn't take anti arthritis meds due to low white cell count etc, she certainly had low sodium levels at times which probably compromised her ability to recognise what was going on around her. Obviously your mum has other problems with her epilepsy & multiple medication, but it might be worth asking for a referral to a specialist in geriatric care. Hope things get better, best wishes, Jill

Re: Sodium deficiency

SmegSlayer — Sun, 30 May 2010 21:14:55 GMT

sorry- mean't to post in off duty