UOAA Discussion Board

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?

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.

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