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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Potassium?
        
(Message started by: Sylvan on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 3:16pm)

Title: Potassium?
Post by Sylvan on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 3:16pm

Just wondering if there is any relation btwn potassium and CH?

I've been keeping a journal including everything i eat, drink and unusual stressors as well as BP and times/durations etc on the headaches.

The only thing that has been consistant on nights that i was PF was that i had a banana at some time during the preceding day.

Anyone else notice anything like this?

Sylvan

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by LeLimey on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 5:01pm

I had extremely low levels of potassium at the beginning of the year (and also calcium which I had to have IV treatment for.)Btw potassium is disgusting.. eat as many bananas as you can!
Any mineral deficiency will cause side effects such as headaches for instance but I think its probably (sadly) a coincidence.. try it again a few times and see, it has to be worth a try!
Let me know how you get on!
Helen

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Connie on Nov 22^nd, 2004, 7:13pm

Sylvan,
You may be on to something. This past week my husband has had at least one banana a day and he has had only 1 H/A per night. Coincidence or is his cycle winding down????

These clusters make me crazy.

Connie

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Sylvan on Nov 23^rd, 2004, 7:54am

3 for 3 - dare i hope?

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by floridian on Nov 23^rd, 2004, 2:08pm

Do keep us posted. Bananas and other fruit are definitely a better source of potassium than the mineral form - chloride itself may be as bad for the ion pumps as is sodium and a stiff dose of potassium chloride can induce migraine. Bananas also have a good dose of magnesium, serotonin (5HT), and who knows what else.

According to this abstract, bananas contain 3-4 mg of 5-HT. I remember reading that very ripe bananas contain more, although they may also contain more methanol, tryptamine, etc. Probably varies with the variety of banana and where it is grown. Bananas are a known trigger for migraine, but that seems to be an immune reaction in some people, not a universal trigger.

Quote:

Life Sci. 2000 Jul 7;67(7):799-806.
Dietary serotonin and alcohol combined may provoke adverse physiological symptoms due to 5-hydroxytryptophol.

Helander A, Some M.

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. anders.helander@cspo.sll.se

The urinary excretion products of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) are 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5HIAA) and 5-hydroxytryptophol (5HTOL), and the ratio of 5HTOL to 5HIAA is normally very low (< 0.01 ) in man. Intake of foods rich in 5HT (high amounts in banana, pineapple, and walnuts) induces a general increase in the output of 5HT metabolites, without affecting the 5HTOL/5HIAA ratio. In contrast, during metabolism of ethanol there is a shift in the catabolic pattern of 5HT, and the formation of 5HTOL increases appreciably at the expense of 5HIAA. Accordingly, the urinary 5HTOL/ 5HIAA ratio increases and does not recover to baseline levels until several hours after ethanol has been cleared from the body. When 10 healthy subjects ingested a moderate dose of ethanol (0.5 g/kg), the urinary 5HTOL/SHIAA ratio was increased approximately 70-fold on average at 4 h after intake. When the same amount of ethanol was ingested together with 3 bananas (approximately 10 mg 5HT), this ratio was increased approximately 100-fold at 4 h and still significantly higher than baseline levels at 24 h. Starting at 3-4 h after the combined intake of ethanol and banana, 7 subjects experienced one or more unpleasant symptoms (diarrhea, headache, and fatigue) which are associated with the 5HT system. The events were transient but typically lasted for several hours, and the duration correlated with the time period during which 5HTOL levels were raised. Intake of ethanol and banana separately produced much lower increases in 5HTOL output and caused no corresponding effects. This observation indicate that dietary 5HT intake together with even a moderate dose of ethanol can provoke unpleasant physiological symptoms. The symptoms may be attributed to the high concentration of 5HTOL.

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Sylvan on Nov 24^th, 2004, 7:35am

Thanks for that article!

And 4 for 4.

Thanksgiving is going to be a challenge though. Especially since i need to be on the road by 4:30 am friday. Busiest day of the year at work for me.

Sylvan

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Sylvan on Nov 25^th, 2004, 8:03pm

*sigh* 4 for 5.

Got one again last night. No clue what triggered it. Had a great day - very busy but very upbeat.

Minor spat w/ BF on the way home from work. Nothing earthshattering - but it did get me aggravated.

My 1:30 am visitor had a field day though. 45 minutes but not as intense as the prior ones.

EKG scheduled for monday. Blood work results should be back tomorrow.

Heading to bed now in the hopes that i can get a few hours sleep. 4 am wake up call - Black Friday starts at 6 am. The joys of retail.

Sylvan

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Apple on Dec 4^th, 2004, 10:33am

I can't stress enough to be careful about eating bananas. I get killer migraines from them. Some folks say it's the black spots that cause them...but I will get a h/a from any banana...it's just that if it has a black spot, it's much worse. Proceed with caution. I try to get my potassium from other sources. Gatoraide is more or less okay.

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by floridian on Dec 6^th, 2004, 9:26am

on 12/04/04 at 10:33:31, Apple wrote:

At the risk of defaming the mascot of a beloved institution, I will point out that Gatorade contains only 30 mg of potassium per serving. The same serving has 100 mg of sodium. A high potassium fruit might have 400 to 500 mg of potassium and no sodium. By all means avoid a food if it is a trigger for headaches. But kool-aid with salt and a smidgen of potassium is a poor replacement for fruit.

Title: Re: Potassium?
Post by Sylvan on Dec 6^th, 2004, 10:13am

Gatorade:
Ingredients: water, sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, natural flavors , salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, red #40, ester gum, sunflower oil

Nutrition Facts: serving size: 8fl oz; calories 50; total fat 0g; sodium 110mg; potassium 20mg; total carb 14g; sugars 14g; protein 0g;

Banana:
Serving size 1 - medium (126g/4.5oz)
Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 110
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Potassium 400mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 6%
Sugars 21g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

And since Bananas are one of my favorite snacks - and not a trigger - I'd much prefer the banana than the gatorade!

Thanks for the warning however. Anything that you knowis a trigger for you should be avoided!