Potassium

[Mary]

@GlassCannonLife - The reason I drink dairy kefir is that dairy is high in phosphorus. I don't know if coconut kefir would have the same phosphorus content, I kind of doubt that it does. I'd urge you to do some research on this. Kefir was just a quick way to get a good dose of phosphorus quickly for me. So you might consider trying dairy Kefir, just for a little while, to see if it helps your symptoms.

 

[CSMLSM]

@GlassCannonLife - it's been difficult for me to find a good phosphorous supplement. Here's a post I did about phosphorous recently where I explain what I'm taking - it's sort of complicated: what’s the rundown on high dose thiamine? | Page 4 | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums

Also, one more post with a bit more info: what’s the rundown on high dose thiamine? | Page 4 | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums

If you read the posts and look at the links, you'll see that the product I'm currently taking Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus Powder Concentrate (Sugar Free) 100 Pack – Hargraves Online Healthcare (hargravesotc.com)
has 250 mg of phosphorous per packet, which is 20% of the RDA. My need varies from 1 to 3 packets a day. I determine this by muscle testing. Also, symptoms give me a clue - when pills start sticking in my throat or I get double vision, it indicates I'm getting low - it affects the small muscles first. I don't recommend that anyone try to use muscle testing to figure out what they need unless they are very familiar with MT and used to figuring things out for themself and also go slowly and carefully. Unfortunately, the company I buy this from is currently out of stock - I hope they get more because it's the best product I've been able to find.

I have also had good results working with a chiropractor doing muscle testing in determining if I need a particular thing and also how much.

And of course one would hope your doctor could help with this.

I just found this which appears to be an equivalent product - unfortunately, it costs more than twice as much! Amazon.com: MCK27102700 - Cypress Pharmaceutical Phos-NaK Dietary Supplement Sodium / Potassium / Phosphorus 160 mg - 280 mg - 250 mg Unit Dose, Oral Powder Concentrate Packet Fruit Flavor : Health & Household

I just found another source (I've never ordered from this company: Phos-Nak, PDR 278-164-250Mg 100ct. - The Online Drugstore © which is cheaper than on Amazon, though pricier than the Hargraves product, which is out of stock: Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus Powder Concentrate (Sugar Free) 100 Pack – Hargraves Online Healthcare (hargravesotc.com)

If you try one of these, I can't tell you how much to take. I just experimented and used my muscle testing.

I did get a prescription from my doctor for Phos-Nak, but I had trouble getting enough pills from her, she wouldn't understand how my need changes daily, and also it didn't seem as effective as the little packets. Though if I had enough of it, it would probably work fine.

Foodwise - dairy is high in phosphorous, you can do research on the best foods.

Did your doctor or anyone give you phosphorous after your blood test? I've experienced low phosphorous and it made me VERY tired, as did low potassium. So it's possible that your very bad crash was actually a symptom of low phosphorous, possibly combined with low potassium. That could be very rough.

Did anyone recommend potassium for you as well?

If you can tolerate dairy, you might try drinking several glasses of Kefir (that's what I did when I suspected low phosphorous after starting thiamine) - doing this caused my energy to start to return within a few hours. I was so relieved!

And I've found that drinking 2 or 3 or 3 even 4 glasses of low sodium V-8 (or equivalent) can help restore potassium levels within a few hours as well.

Do doing both these things might give you an idea of what's going on, if they make you feel better. And then you can decide how to proceed.

Also, I can't remember what I've written where, but it is possible to have low intracellular levels of potassium even if one's serum levels (your blood work) are normal or low normal. See Why is potassium supplementation needed in methylation treatmt? | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums

My potassium levels were always low normal, but I've been hit by low potassium several times and it would leave me wiped out for days, until I discovered what it was.

Ideally you'd be able to talk to your doctor about all this, but unfortunately most of us don't have ideal doctors.

You have an impressive handle on your nutrition. I believe that if you replete your magnesium your potasium will be more normal and other things with improve as a result. I posted info above this but I fear that it may be too complicated for brain fog to not be an issue.

I myself used to control my condition with high dose nutrition many many years ago. I do still take suppliments but not how I did. Fix the underlying issue is the key. More info in my threads if interested.

Daniel
Once the underlying dysfunction was corrected/controlled I started to not have nutritional issues. Part of this is magnesium/sulfur baths every 2-3 days as this is very hard to replete by ingestion so baths are the only practical option.

 

[CSMLSM]

Supplementation does seem to increase the uptake and need for potassium. I get very thirsty when I need potassium and the only thing which will quench my thirst is potassium supplementation. I have noticed that any amino acid supplementation also dramatically increases my potassium requirement.

Supplementing seems to create imbalances and can and does create problems. See refeeding syndrome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refeeding_syndrome

Hi Carl my name is Daniel.

We are biochemically out of homeostasis and these nutritional imbalances are a result.

Many have found temporary or limited use of nutrition in the sense of major improvement, but when you are so unwell fixing one little bit just takes the load off and feels to us like a major difference.

I would agree we are starving biochemically and do not have the right balance of nutrition nor can our bodies regulate that nutrition.

So some of us try as hard as we can to fix the nutrition but the nutrition is just part of it. Reach for the eitiology instead.

Daniel

 

[Mary]

Once the underlying dysfunction was corrected/controlled I started to not have nutritional issues. Part of this is magnesium/sulfur baths every 2-3 days as this is very hard to replete by ingestion so baths are the only practical option.

Interesting! I've taken lots of magnesium for years and my RBC tests (intracellular magnesium) are always in the normal range. But I'll give the baths a try - is there a post where you explain how doing this can help other nutritional deficiencies? You could provide a link to a post if you did one about this. To link to a specific post, click on the number on the right hand side at the bottom of a specific post (e.g., right above here is post #23). When you click on that number, it changes the URL to that specific post, instead of just the thread it's in, and then paste that link where you want it (e.g., Potassium | Page 2 | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums will take you to post #23 above. You can copy links to specific posts in other threads this way, or just copy the URL for the whole thread if you want.

So some of us try as hard as we can to fix the nutrition but the nutrition is just part of it. Reach for the eitiology instead.

I think that's what we're trying to do! I know that all the supplements I take are not solving the mystery of ME/CFS. They're just giving me some functionality I would not have otherwise. Have you done a post about what you think the etiology is? It would be helpful if you could post a link to any posts you may have done that explain this - thanks!

 

[CSMLSM]

Interesting! I've taken lots of magnesium for years and my RBC tests (intracellular magnesium) are always in the normal range. But I'll give the baths a try - is there a post where you explain how doing this can help other nutritional deficiencies? You could provide a link to a post if you did one about this. To link to a specific post, click on the number on the right hand side at the bottom of a specific post (e.g., right above here is post #23). When you click on that number, it changes the URL to that specific post, instead of just the thread it's in, and then paste that link where you want it (e.g., Potassium | Page 2 | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums will take you to post #23 above. You can copy links to specific posts in other threads this way, or just copy the URL for the whole thread if you want.


I think that's what we're trying to do! I know that all the supplements I take are not solving the mystery of ME/CFS. They're just giving me some functionality I would not have otherwise. Have you done a post about what you think the etiology is? It would be helpful if you could post a link to any posts you may have done that explain this - thanks!

Hi thanks for the questions Mary my name is Daniel.

Are you aware that every cell can be different in magnesium status? Its a useless test I am sorry to say. What cells were tested out of curiousity? you would need to at least test every different area of the body. It gets used at vastly different rates in different cell types from what I understand. I hope the baths help you.

If you click on my name and click on Find. Then Find all threads, You should find everything you need moving forward, there are only 4 or 5 to look through I am still adding stuff and organising. I have only been joined for a week so am still moderated so my messages are delayed so I am sorry about that.

Hope this helps

Daniel