Sodium-Help me understand

PrincessLou71186

Thanks everyone. I think I may have found the reason behind my sleeping problems.

Is there any links between sodium/potassium and headaches/migraines?

I'm seeing that both my levels are quite low and guessing they have been for quite a while going on what I eat, think I will speak to my doctor next week.

Sodium and potassium are vital to proper nerve function. Not to get too sciency on you, but that's how nerves send signals within themselves and what neurotransmitters cause to flow in/out of the cell. Also, sodium is used in water balance. Of course we've already addressed in this thread that sodium is also related to blood pressure regulation.

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if someone said that improper Na/K levels were related to migraine/headache. When things are off in our bodies, our bodies tell us so.

I'm just a geneticist/molecular biologist, not a physician. If you are having physical issues, please consult your physician or a local clinician. Given the things you've said on here, if we switched seats, I would be talking to my doctor to make sure I was within the levels I should be.

Thanks.

I see a doctor monthly to monitor them and I've seen a couple of neurologists but no one has ever mentioned Sodium to me. If I can find the cause of my headaches I would be sooooooo happy, been going on for years and effects everything. I can't even get a job because they are that bad.

I see my doc on Tuesday so I will definitely be mentioning it.

I can definitely understand the migraine thing. I had been getting them about 3 days per week. It was awful I couldn't concentrate. Ugh.

I just did a little search, and I feel so stupid for not remembering this! The guy who's lab was next door to me for 3 years of my career studies sodium channels in epilepsy and migraine. Anyway, here's a paper from his lab connecting sodium and migraine.
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/28/9799.full.pdf+html

And for a less science article, which is how I had found his paper...
http://www.livestrong.com/article/277354-sodium-deficiency-migraines/

I hope that helps and it might be something to mention to your doc on Tuesday.

Thank you for that. I shall give them both a read tomorrow, X