How low was your sodium intake when it was "almost nothing"?

I decided to just follow the sodium intake guidelines for a normal, healthy person. The low/no sodium diet, to me anyway, is like the no carb diet. A healthy adult body needs a certain amount of both.

I could never get my sodium intake down to 1000 anyway so I have done the same thing jwlee has done just eat normal and no shaky shaky.

I read in a reliable Meniere's information advice article that although MD people do have to lower their salt intake, the most important thing is to find the right level for our other health problems and keep it steady. We are more likely to have a salt attack with a sudden surge of salt ( too much at one sitting).
I dropped mine so low at first I ended up with very low BP. So increased my salt intake until I reached a better level with no symptoms and now keep my salt as steady as I can. Seems to work for me.
I do agree with claymom when she suggests that low salt doesn't work for everyone. I think it's the famous first line used by ENT's when MD is mentioned.
We really have to work it all out by ourselves. Ho Hum!!!!
Bless you

Daph

Great heads up for everyone! Thanks for sharing your experience.

I also have had Hashimoto's and in fact, had to have my thyroid removed a couple of years ago. Make sure you keep a check on your thyroid. My symptoms were that I was constantly choking on food or drinks and always felt like something was in my throat. I still didn't bother to get checked out for a couple of years until a huge lump appeared on my neck! After removal of the goiter, the biopsy showed a tiny spot of cancer right in the middle, so I always warn people not to follow my example and let it wait too long. Luckily, the doc was able to get all the cancer and I didn't need radiation.

My MD doctor insists on a salt intake of 2,000 mg, however, so it shouldn't have played a part in my thyroid disease. The 2,000 mg is recommended for all adults, but the average American eats at least twice that amount daily. I wanted to try 1,000 mg but my doctor said emphatically "NO!-- that is not enough to get what you need." Just cut back to a normal amount of 2,000 a day. As long as I stay near that amount, it doesn't affect my Meniere's.

Claymom, take care of yourself and thanks again for alerting others.

Aside from not using table salt any more, I have replaced most of my snacks with different cereals. I never did like dry cereal growing up so now it is a staple and also a treat. I don't do the high carb snack stuff. This seems to satisfy my salt intake as well as using dairy items like cheese and milk. I eat a lot healthier, get some sodium and am dropping sound weight also.

Great post claymom, thanks!

God bless!

Rich

I had heard this somewhere else also. It seems we try to fix one thing and cause another. I was taking ibuprophen for the pain of my fibromyalgia and ended up causing problems for my kidneys!! who would of thought!

Thank you for the reminder. I was warned initially about eliminating sodium. Never go below 400mg for any length of time. I was recommended to stay between 600-1000mg. I am a big fruit and vegie lover so I am usually betwen 600-700mg a day (sometimes I find it hard to get that much but there is sodium in almost everything we eat).

Rachel, I wasn't tracking my sodium during that time. I simply wouldn't eat anything at all that had sodium, other than that naturally occurring in vegetables, dairy, and meats, which is minimal. In restaurants I only ordered plain chicken or fish or steak, no seasoning, vegetables, no seasoning, and a baked or sweet potato. I was very rigid about it. No one warned me that I could over do it. My ENT said keep it under 1500mg. Like jwlee implies, all things in moderation. I was just so desperate to not have symptoms! Now I get about 1500 to 2000 a day. Some days more, some days less. And I don't know this caused my hypothyroidism, but knowing how careful most of us on this site are about sodium, I thought I would put out the word. I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!

These posts have been full of good information. A body must have some salt. If you are worried about not getting enough iodine because of the reduced salt intake, get a multi vitamin, checking to make sure iodine is one of the components, and you will be covered.
Thank you all for your input.

I keep my daily intake to 500-1000mg a day max. I have had my sodium level checked regularly and have always been within the normal limits on the blood tests. It's just what works for me!

A little late in coming back to this topic, but I've been thinking about what Daph (chinanan) posted. I think she's right about taking in a lot of sodium in one sitting being a more likely trigger than just eating sodium in general. I've read that keeping a steady state of hydration and blood sugar can make a difference in keeping our symptoms under control.

Thanks for your replies. I agree with the discussions. It seems that everything we need to do relates to wise decisions about our health anyways.... lower sodium, eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of WATER!, avoid too much sugar, get daily exercise, sleep!... I think sometimes my struggles relate to "I have to do this" instead of "I want to do this". I shouldn't blame MD for what are actually good healthy decisions.