How Much Sodium?

[Aquadiva]

I am wondering if any of you know how much sodium is actually suggested on a daily basis for POTS??

[pat57]

Hi,

I have NCS, I was told a minimum of 4000 milligrams a day.

[Ernie]

Hi,

I was taking 4 grams per day.

[Megan]

At mayo clinic they told me as much as I could stand.

Meg

[runningshoe]

I was told 4-11 grams of salt.

[Aquadiva]

Holy COW!! 4-11?? Do any of you "count" your sodium?? We too, were told as much as you can tolerate, but I'm not sure if we don't have an actual "number" my daughter will get enough. I have a hard time getting her to salt her food, so we are better off buying the processed foods we were always told not to feed our kids! It is SO hard to change the way of thinking!!

Thanks for all your replies! We are aiming for 2-4g right now. We will see how that goes!

[Megan]

I don't count my sodium, I just try to load up and eat ramen noodles guilt-free. :-)

Meg

[ljoeb]

My doc wants me to have 2000mg a meal at least and 6k - 8k a day. If you look further down in the discussion, you should find a list of foods and how much sodium is in each. Good luck!! Joe

[JaneEyre9]

Make sure you remember that salt is 39% sodium, so 4-11 grams of salt would be the same as 1.56-4.29 grams of sodium, like you would see on a nutrition label. Nutrition labels typically show sodium in mg, so that would be 1,560 mg to 4,290 mg per day. (Almost completely achieved by eating a 6-inch cold cut combo Subway sandwich in one sitting!)

When I was diagnosed, my doctor told me to eat 8 grams of salt a day. I thought I needed 8,000 mg of sodium, so I got really upset. When I finally realized it was more like 3,000 mg, I found that to be pretty reasonable. Things like deli meat and adding table salt to my toast in the morning really made it add up. I also like things with soy sauce (almost 1,000 mg in a tablespoon of restaurant soy sauce!), burritos, potatoes chips, popcorn with salt, hot dogs, grilled cheese, eggs with salt on them, and soup. A single serving of Campbell's Homestyle chicken noodle has 700 mg of sodium in it. Pickles, V8 juice (480 mg sodium), and tv dinners are also great options.

I think the main thing is to slowly increase the amount of salt consumed, and your tongue will become accustomed to it. I've found that I now crave salt and add table salt to compensate for days when I eat "regular food" with the family. It's easy to throw extra salt on a potato and piece of chicken to boost your sodium for that meal. After a while, you will find your balance and won't have to count or estimate mg of sodium. You'll just know what makes you feel good. The numbers are a guideline, not a hard and fast rule for each day.

Hope this helps!

Kristen

[mandasmom]

I was told 5grams daily at the minimum

[ajw4790]

I have been told different things, including 5 g of salt a day. I also was told that amount of salt doesn't matter and won't make a big enough of a difference and focus on other things. So, I don't worry about that as much now.

Thanks for reminding me of the sodium vs salt measurements Kristin! I knew it, just going from numbers as a goal (5 g) and reading food labels things can get a little backwards quick, especially in a foggy moment! Thanks!