Low potassium, sodium, calcium and high phosphorus, magnesium in hypothyroidism

[pattismith]

2014

Changes in the Electrolyte Profile of Patients having Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common forms of thyroid dysfunction.
Its effect on electrolytes and certain minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium is not yet clear and the underlying mechanisms for their derangement are not well understood.
The objective was to find out the effect of hypothyroidism on certain electrolytes and mineral levels.
A total of 110 known cases of hypothyroidism and 110 age and sex match controls were selected. Blood samples were collected from them and T3, T4 and TSH levels were measured. Also calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium levels in blood was measured.

It was found that magnesium and phosphorus levels were significantly elevated in hypothyroidism cases then the controls.

The levels of calcium, sodium and potassium were significantly decreased in cases then controls.

It was also found that there was a significant positive correlation between serum TSH values, magnesium and phosphorus levels. At the same time, there was a significant negative correlation between serum TSH values and serum sodium, potassium and calcium levels. Higher the TSH levels, higher will be magnesium and phosphorus levels in blood and lower will be the values of serum calcium, sodium and potassium levels.

 

[tiredowl]

Hm, I read that most hypothyroid had low magnesium and thus high TSH. This is a confusing find.

 

[Gondwanaland]

In my personal experience, elevated serum magnesium correlated with my worst magnesium deficiency. Magnesium in the urine sample taken in the same day showed magnesium excretion much lower than the bottom range.

 

[pamojja]

Had the opposite serum values with consistent low T3 syndrome since years too.

 

[pattismith]

The study takes place in India, so there may be some biais. For example in India, many people are vegetarians, and vitamine B12 blood level is often low.
Vitamins, iodine, selenium status can interfer with hypothyroidism and lead to specific electrolytes panels.

My tendancy is low vitamine B12, euthyroid Low T3, low vit D, and my potasium/sodium went lower when fT3 went lower (without any thyroid hormone supplementation).
I supplement with magnesium for many years, so I couldn't say what is the real tendency, but it was not high when I started.

 

[Mary]

I'm hypothyroid and tend to low potassium (have to supplement daily), low magnesium, low B12 and low phosphorous. There's something called phosphate diabetes which affected 9 out of 87 ME/CFS patients in this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9683977

I've had low phosphorous and it causes severe fatigue (what else! )

 

[pattismith]

I'm hypothyroid and tend to low potassium (have to supplement daily), low magnesium, low B12 and low phosphorous. There's something called phosphate diabetes which affected 9 out of 87 ME/CFS patients in this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9683977

I've had low phosphorous and it causes severe fatigue (what else! )

First time ever I hear about "phosphate diabeter", do you know what had induced the low phosphate reabsorption for you Mary?

 

[Mary]

First time ever I hear about "phosphate diabeter", do you know what had induced the low phosphate reabsorption for you Mary?

I just realized my post was perhaps misleading. I have experienced low phosphorous off and on, but I don't know if it's related to phosphate diabetes.

The first time I was able to identify low phosphorous was due to refeeding syndrome after starting thiamine. The thiamine gave me a really nice boost in energy and then a day or 2 later I was hit with horrible fatigue. It felt different than when my potassium tanked after starting methylfolate (I've had low potassium many times and can usually identify it pretty quickly).

So re the thiamine, I remembered that hypophosphatemia is the hallmark of refeeding syndrome and theorized that perhaps that was what was going on. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440847/

I looked up foods high in phosphorous and read about kefir, dairy being high in phosphorous, as well as sunflower seeds. I drank several glasses of kefir and sure enough, within several hours my energy started to come back. I also got a monosodium phosphate supplement from Swanson Vitamins and have taken it in very small doses. I know you have to be careful with phosphorous in supplement form.

A few weeks ago I stopped the kefir (which I drank a few times a week) because I started drinking grapefruit juice to see if it would boost my CoQ10 absorption and increase my energy - it seemed to help one or 2 days and then stopped (as always!). but I kept drinking the grapefruit juice, which meant I stopped drinking kefir because it does not combine well with citrus.

And yesterday realized my energy had been flagging quite noticeably for a few weeks, and finally thought of phosphorous again - so I took some with breakfast and then lunch and then mid-afternoon my energy picked up again out of the blue. So I think my phosphorous had gone down hill because I had stopped the kefir. And this morning I still feel halfway decent, although my sleep went to hell in the middle of the night! (Oh well - you can't have everything! )

So I don't know if I have phosphate diabetes, I haven't had testing done - if I ever get a decent doctor I may look into this. I'm just treating myself (carefully) based on symptoms.

Here are a couple of threads about phosphate diabetes:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...-patients-with-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.4494/
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...put-respiratory-depression.45597/#post-741287

 

[Mary]

I realized one more thing this morning - perhaps the grapefruit juice/CoQ10 combo stopped helping energy because of low phosphorous, and not because they no longer helped - Will have to do more experimentation!