Pouches and mineral/electrolyte deficiencies

[squid56]

Just curious if others with urinary pouches have trouble with being low in certain electrolytes and minerals? For years I have been having dealing with awful leg pains and now foot cramps. It was discovered that I am extremely low in magnesium, B-6 and of course potassium, so I have been taking all those things as supplements. They have helped a tiny bit. I am going to start adding quinine to my regime and hopefully I will see an improvement. Has anyone else gone through this?

[peggy p]

Yes. My electrolytes go out of wack every few years. They drop percipitously low when I have had to do a bowel cleansing program pre-surgery. Last month I was given mega-doses of B-12 shots and Vitamin D [50,000 units per week]. My potasium, magnesium, manganese also tend to drop low. My primary physician is decided whether to test me for malabsortion syndrome. I think it is unnecessary, but since I am a double ostamate she wants to rule that syndrome out.

I try to modify my diet before taking and pharmaceuticals. I actually love to eat leafy greens sautees, omelets, vegetable lasangnas and vegetable/spinach pies for the B-12 & B-6 vitamins. Baked and mashed sweet potatoes/yams with chunks of mandarian oranges or apples is high in Potasium and I forget what else I also buy large quantities of pistachios and Blue Dimond smoked almonds at Costco or Sams Club for their trace elements.

Pistachios have: Thiamin 15%, Phosphorus 15%, Copper 20%, Vitamin B6 20%, Magnesium 10%, Manganese 20%, Iron 6%, Calcium 4%, and Vitamin A 2% per serving.
Almonds have: Vitamin E 35%, Magnesium20%, Calcium 8% and Iron 6% per serving.

If you tend towards iron anemia like I do, then I consume: organ meats [chicken livers, beef liver, liverwurst/braunschweger], chile con carne [ground red meat, kidney beans, tomatoes], meatballs, hamburgers with either salsa or sliced tomatoes, and just because I love Dark Choclate (6% iron) chocolate bars. FYI iron rich foods should be paired up with Vitamin C rich foods for best absorption rates.

I also keep V-8 juice on had as I hate Gatorade and all those other electrolyte packed drinks.

[NitaET]

Pretty much all persons with a continent diversion will need Vitamin B12 (cyanocolbalamine) injections, this is because the terminal ileum was resected to make your pseudo-bladder and that is the only area in your body that absorbs water soluble vitamins, A, D, E, K, AND B12, also bile salts. No matter how much food with these vitamins you eat ... it won't be absorbed. It is important to have your labs monitored on a regular basis.

[squid56]

I have been getting B-12 injections for many years now and they certainly make a difference in my life!