[pct-l] Hypovolemic Hyponatremia

[jkeener at electricpath.com (Jim Keener)]

Greetings:

"Hypovolemic hyponatremia [HH] (with low blood volume due to fluid loss)
occurs in dehydrated people who rehydrate (drink a lot of water) too quickly
. . . "

I am convinced that this is the condition I suffered several times on the
trail last year. It is serious enough to make me want to get as much
information as I can and share it.

In the recent thread on this subject, several people mentioned problems
during the climb near Mission Creek. A friend got quite sick there and
someone had to carry his pack. For three days, at about 2:00 p.m., I would
get nauseous and start to stumble. I would shake a bush to scare away
rattlers and lay down under the bush for shade for an hour or so.

The information I have found online is mostly very clinical, with no advice
for hikers on how to prevent the onset of HH. In a thread last year on the
PCT-L, I got a wide range of advice. That which proved most effective was a
suggestion to put a fast-food sized packet of salt in each quart of water.
The point at which this failed was when I would get into town and drink a
gallon of liquid. Okay, in retrospect, it doesn't seem like such a good
idea. I'm sharing this so that people like me, who sweat a lot and might
have this problem, can make some important decisions. HH can be fatal and it
caused me some significant concerns.

If anyone has direct experience with solutions, either for prevention or
cure, please let me know. The more specific information, the better.

The clinical reports warn against a too-quick re-introduction of salts,
saying there might be brain cell shrinkage in that event. So it's not a
simple issue.

Peace,
J J