I was. I came back from the hospital a while ago and needed laughs.
b3ta wasn't up. I needed laughs from b3ta.
(Poppet some assembly required., Tue 23 Jun 2009, 9:37, 1 reply, 16 years ago)

What were you at the hosipital for?

( Captain V, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 9:38, Reply)

Dad's been admitted again
he's been having a lot of tachycardia (arrhythmia) in the last week and he's got a history of heart problems. they tested him, found his magnesium levels were low and he's putting a strain on his heart. They ran a bag of magnesium into him but they want to test his thyroxine levels and observe him over night.

So he's pissed off and grumpy and in hospital. He's okay - just really grumpy that he's having problems again.
(Poppet some assembly required., Tue 23 Jun 2009, 9:40, Reply)

Sounds like things are under control at least
I hope things improve and he gets out soon.
( Captain V, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 9:44, Reply)

yeah yeah he's fine, being well looked after,
it's just not pleasant spending two hours in the emergency room is all.
(Poppet some assembly required., Tue 23 Jun 2009, 9:49, Reply)

Sorry to hear that
at least your Dad's in the right place.

Is he on a controlled diet to ensure he gets the right amount of magnesium?
(Eds Meds Mathskillz=1,Socialskillz=0, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 10:00, Reply)

no because they gotta figure out why his levels keep getting depleted in the first place,
I'm thinking it's probably the fault of one of his medications.
(Poppet some assembly required., Tue 23 Jun 2009, 11:06, Reply)

Hypomagnesia
Wiki is your friend :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomagnesemia

Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in hospitalized patients.

Elevated levels of magnesium (hypermagnesemia), however, are nearly always iatrogenic.

10-20% of all hospital patients and 60-65% of patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) have hypomagnesemia.

Hypomagnesemia is underdiagnosed, as testing for serum magnesium levels is not routine. Hypomagnesemia results in increased mortality.

Low levels of magnesium in your blood may mean either there is not enough magnesium in the diet, the intestines are not absorbing enough magnesium, or the kidneys are excreting too much magnesium. Deficiencies may be due to the following conditions:

Alcoholism. Hypomagnesemia occurs in 30% of alcohol abuse and 85% in delirium tremens, due to malnutrition and chronic diarrhea. Alcohol stimulates renal excretion of magnesium, which is also increased because of alcoholic and diabetic ketoacidosis, hypophosphatemia and hyperaldosteronism resulting from liver disease. Also, hypomagnesemia is related to thiamine deficiency because magnesium is needed for transforming thiamine into thiamine pyrophosphate.

Diuretic use (the most common cause of hypomagnesemia)(loop and thiazides)

Antibiotics (i.e. aminoglycoside, amphotericin, pentamidine, gentamicin, tobramycin, viomycin) block resorption in the loop of Henle. 30% of patients using these antibiotics have hypomagnesemia,

Other drugs
Digitalis, displaces magnesium into the cell. Digitalis causes an increased intracellular concentration of sodium, which in turn increases intracellular calcium by passively decreasing the action of the sodium-calcium exchanger in the sarcolemma. The increased intracellular calcium gives a positive inotropic effect.

Adrenergics, displace magnesium into the cell

Cisplatin, stimulates renal excretion

Ciclosporin, stimulates renal excretion

Excess calcium

Increased levels of stress

Excess saturated fats

Excess coffee or tea intake

Excess phosphoric or carbonic acids (soda pop)

Insufficient water consumption

Excess salt

Excess sugar intake

Insufficient selenium

Insufficient vitamin D or sunlight exposure

Insufficient vitamin B6

Gastrointestinal causes: the distal tractus digestivus secretes high levels of magnesium. Therefore, secretory diarrhoea can cause hypomagnesemia. Thus, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Whipple's disease and coeliac sprue can all cause hypomagnesemia.

Renal magnesium loss in Bartter's syndrome, postobstructive diuresis, diuretic phase of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and kidney transplant
Diabetes Mellitus: 38% of diabetic outpatient clinic visits involve hypomagnesemia, probably through renal loss because of glycosuria or ketoaciduria.

Acute Myocardial Infarction: within the first 48 hours after a heart-attack 80% of patients have hypomagnesemia. This could be the result of an intracellular shift because of an increase in catecholamines.
Malabsorption

Milk diet in infants

Acute pancreatitis

Hydrogen Fluoride poisoning

Gitelman/Bartter Syndromes
(Eds Meds Mathskillz=1,Socialskillz=0, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 11:24, Reply)

Oooh, a wikipedia cut-and-paste!
Now that's a sure sign of medical training there. Good show!
(Edmund has no idea what you mean, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 11:40, Reply)

He should eat more foods high in magnesium
www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/magnesium-foods.htm
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Tue 23 Jun 2009, 10:02, Reply)

Thank you Light!
I was meaning to look up a list of food with magnesium but was kinda tired and forgot. I'll print this off and book mark it. :)
(Poppet some assembly required., Tue 23 Jun 2009, 10:41, Reply)