Update on sudden spike in BP


#1

Hi all! Update here. I’m doing much better, but the two doctors I saw really weren’t any help at all. They just had no clue or meaningful ideas. I am still following a keto way of eating, but have switched from IF to 3 meals a day for now and have increased my caloric intake.

So, BP spiked crazy high back in the wee hours of 11-3-18, and then was high the next two days, with more spikes. Thought I was going to die.

With research I realized pretty quickly I had been using magnesium Oxide, which absorbs very poorly, and couldn’t find anything better locally, and ordered Magnesium bisglycinate online. I started that a few days ago, as soon as it arrived.

Since one doctor suggested I might be getting more sodium than my body could tolerate, so in desperation, I reduced my sodium intake, but kept my potassium higher than sodium.

I lowered all my electrolyte supplement doses and worked my way up, starting at 300 mg of the magnesium. It appears now that I need at least 400 mg of magnesium.

I think my sodium is still lower than it should be at somewhere between 2000 and 2500 mg daily. I’ve kept potassium at least 1000 higher than sodium. Today I will increase both a bit more as this morning I was feeling a bit off, like I was about to cramp.

The good news is that my heart isn’t racing, like it had been and I am not feeling as anxious. I think it’s the magnesium that I needed most.

While I’m still nervous and slowly increasing my sodium and potassium, mostly through the food I eat and lite salt, I’m feeling better.

In the middle of high BP and anxiety it was very difficult to know what to do. I kept hearing “more sodium” but it may have been a combination of desperately needing a good quantity of magnesium and that being out of balance with sodium and potassium.

I hope this update helps someone else! It’s only been a few days of me slowly improving and and only time will tell is this really was the “cure” or not. Thanks to all who offered suggestions earlier!


(Janelle) #2

Isn’t it frustrating when the experts have no real answers? I’m glad you might have figured it out.


#3

They don’t seem to know much about nutrition and electrolytes and such. The blood tests they took showed that everything was “normal” although I have read it’s hard to get an accurate reading on magnesium.
Granted, I don’t know much either and they weren’t familiar with low carb.

Yes, I really, really hope I’ve got it all balanced out! I have been terrified.