Kidney Disorders Community

In 2007, I was only 25 years old. I will never forget, I 3 wks after I had my 3rd daughter. I went in to attempt to have my tubes tied and low and behold, I could not have the procedure done because they said my potassium was too low and I was immediately rushed to the hospital and admitted. For years, I had saw many doctors and none of them could tell me what exactly what's going on. Finally, in 2009, I was diagnosed with Gitelman's Disease. I was one of the worst cases that they had seen as far as this condition was concerned. I have been on I think every prescription that you can think of , I have been hospitalized too many times to count on two hands, in intensive care. Everytime I am amitted, I'm there for at least 5 to 7 days per visit. I have to be hooked to heart monitors, Iv's coming from everywhere. I have been told that my heart can stop at any moment and I could just die without warning. I suffer from the worst pain ever. My legs have sever muscle spasms to piont where I can't walk. I have been in intensive care on all the medications and my hands suffered a muscle spasms so bad that they wouldn't open for 8hours. That was the worst pain in my life I had ever felt; worst than giving birth to me. My blood pressure is always low. My calcium, magenesium, sodium, potassium, and iron levels are always low. When I suffer from this disease my potassiums levels drop so low that doctors have told me they are death rate low. ( They have saw people die from my potassium levels.) Your potassium should be at least levle 5 and mine are 2, -1. I have to be put on morphine because that's how bad my pain is. I can't really participate with my family and friends because I am always tired or in pain. Now a days, I had been prescribed to take 20 pills a day for the rest of my life. I take 4 20mg of potassium twice a day, 4 amiloride 10 mg twice a day, 1 daily vitamin, 1 iron pill, 1 magnesium pill and 1 calium 500mg per day. And I just can't turned 30 years old this year. On top of everything else , I'm sick all the the time to point where I can't even get up and do anything for my kids. I had at one point went into a state of depression for a while. Then, something came over me and decided to deal with this disease. I stopped taking so many of the medications and started replacing them with fresh foods that have the same things in them. I have found to feel better when I do this. I try to keep fresh spinach, cantalopes, bananas of course, oranges and I drink at least 5 serving of orange juice per day. I found that vitamin water is and excellent source of potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron in it. Also V8 juices as well. When I start feeling really bad I try to go back to my proscribed medcation daily regimen and continue the fresh food diet as well. Eventually, it all starts working , your levels go back up enough for you body to function properly as it will again. I started looking at like this.... Either way it goes my potassium levels are never going to be on track because I loose potassium everytime I use the bathroom but I can try to controll it to the best of my knowledge. I know when I feel so bad where I can't walk( something like how I'm feeling now) then it's time for me to get to the doctors asap and more than likely I will be admitted at the hospital because their is only so that can be done at the doctor's office, So, with all this being said, i truely hope I have been some help and have give some insite on this disease. STAY POSITIVE, STAY STRONG, AND STAY POTASSIUMED UP!!!! Start with a BANANA & a GLASS OF OJ a DAY!!!