Hospitalized for Low Blood Sodium from Diuretics

I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease in late August this year. The ENT put me on Spironolactone 25 mg once a day and a low NA diet. By late September, I had also been through four rounds of Predisone decreasing dose packs (horrible sleep disturbance from that.) October 4th I went to the ER because I had been so nauseated for 4 or 5 days that I couldn't eat, couldn't take any pills and just felt terrible. I was beginning to experience retching, but no vomiting because I hadn't eaten anything. I was shocked when the ER doctor said he was admitting me for a dangerously low sodium level (121). I was in the hospital for two nights on a very slow saline IV drip and liquid diet.

My blood NA has always run at the low end of normal, but I had been so healthy prior to the Meniere's diagnosis, that I never even thought about low NA as a cause of my nausea. I thought maybe I had flu or something. (I'm 78 years old)

I am no longer taking the diuretic and am not following a strict low NA diet either. I have gradually begun to feel better, and fortunately (knock wood), besides chronic tinnitus, I have regained most of the hearing in my left ear and haven't had anymore attacks of vertigo. Currently, I am taking L-Lysine and Lemon Bioflavonoids daily. I have seen an otology/neuro specialist and will follow up with him. (I will get an MRI in a couple of days and another hearing test when I see him again.) He is open to treatments such as Betahistine and Acyclovir if they might be helpful. At the moment I'm in a wait and watch phase.

I wonder if others have experienced such serious side effects from the diuretics and low NA diet regimen. It was a total and unexpected shock to me.

 

Thank you for your reply! I can sure relate to your experience. I tend to run low blood pressure also. It just seemed like so many things were going on with me at the time, it didn't even dawn on me that diuretics could make things worse. I also think I had way too much Prednisone and the sleeplessness contributed to things getting worse. At that time, I was also trying the L-Lysine in a large does, until I couldn't swallow pills. This time, I am trying the L-lysine at a lower dose (500 mg 2x/day) and have added 1 lemon bioflavonoid (700 mg)/day). At my age (I'm not a large person), I am thinking maybe I would be better off with lower doses. The only other meds I take are daily multivitamins and a calcium supplement.

I have only been doing the supplements for a couple of weeks, so it is hard to know if they will help me or not. I'm not having any acute Meniere's symptoms right now. Sometimes, even the tinnitus seems to be less. I'm hoping that maybe the supplements and the better sleep I'm finally getting will serve to prevent another acute attack, but who knows. I am also staying completely away from alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate. Sometimes I think that if I had to get this disease, better I'm older and not trying to manage a job and children, but on the other hand, as you say, the aging process brings other problems, especially with the medication issues. Wishing you well!