Any riders in the south living with this tendency for too-low blood sodium? If so, how did you manage this summer through the heat and humidity? #thankGodforFall
I’ve been hospitalized a few times for low sodium so I feel your pain. LMNT electrolytes are a staple for me now, highly recommend them. They’re kind of an acquired taste but you can get a sampler pack on Amazon to figure out which flavors you like and go from there. I take some every day now regardless of the weather or if I’m working out that day and I find it helps a lot with keeping my sodium levels even. It’s much harder to bring your levels back up than it is to keep things level to start with, and being proactive about it has made the biggest difference for me. Depending on how bad your levels are you could also ask your doctor about prescribing salt tablets during the summer, which are disgusting but extremely effective.
The other main thing for me has been figuring out the signs that my body is running low on salt. The symptoms aren’t always super obvious, or easily connected back to sodium levels, which makes it hard to pin down when something is actually wrong. For me it’s usually food cravings (not necessarily for salty foods), and if I don’t address it then the fatigue sets in. Now anytime I have a weird craving or feel more tired than I should I reach for LMNT immediately and I usually feel better in an hour or so.
Do you know the reason for your hyponatremia? I only ask because for me it was the first sign that something more serious was going on. It took a few months for other symptoms to show up so they thought it was just an electrolyte thing for a while, but I was fighting a losing battle trying to keep my sodium up until they finally figured out the underlying cause.
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I also use LMNT when I need an electrolyte, it’s a great product. The citrus salt is my fav.
Dmveventer, Thank you so much for the information! The immediate cause that got me hospitalized was simply drinking way too much water too quickly after working at the barn in the heat and humidity, but a diuretic for blood pressure that I’d been taking for years as well as my age contributed as well. You’re so right about the subtle symptoms! I’m certain I was oblivious to them previously until it was too late, but I’m for sure paying attention now. I’ll look into giving LMNT a try instead of or alongside the Gatorade Fit that I’ve been using. All the best concerning your underlying cause and continued control of this unusual condition!
Simkie, Thank you! I’ll check it out!
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Good luck figuring out what works for you! It’s a weird problem to have, I swear I’ve never been crankier than when I was on limited water rations in the weeks after getting out of the hospital. If I never have to deal with that again it’ll be too soon. In the meantime it’s a good excuse to eat as much salty food as you want! I pretty much lived on salted bone broth, veggies doused in soy sauce, tortilla chips, and olives for a while. Now that I’m stable my diet is mostly back to normal, I just salt things to taste, but I still try to reach for salty snacks over sweets, etc as a general rule. I’ve also found I need to be much more mindful about alcohol consumption these days because of the dehydration risk, so that’s something else to keep in mind. I still drink on occasion, but I feel a lot better overall when I limit the frequency/quantity and pay attention to how I’m rehydrating.
Me! I eat olives all summer for the salt. High LMNT and 500mg sodium pills make me start vomiting. My doctor said hyponatremia can come from too much or too little (can’t remember) ADH - anti diuretic hormone. Something to do with the hypothalmus or pituitary. If you google ADH you’ll see the correlation.
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I’m not in the South (sadly) but we do get some of the heat and humidity. My doctor told me I can eat all the pickles I want, and I do! Literally carry a jar with me 
