Hi Crystalgray,
You too? Wow!!! I'm excited. I really didn't believe I'd run into someone else with it. You'll have to excuse me, I'm a bit hyperthyroid lately and can get excited pretty easy.
I've evidently had RTA since June 8, 1992. Just got diagnosed a couple months ago. So no, it's not likely to kill you but does need to be treated or it can cause some long term damage to the kidneys and the bones and the muscles. It can also muck with your other electrolytes and such and make you feel a tad bit ill.
My gp figured it out and sent me to a nephrologist for treatment. 6 week wait for the appointment and I saw him all of 5 minutes. He gave me a lab slip and said see ya in a month. I go back on the 5th of next month. Maybe. I may not. I didn't like him at all and he wouldn't answer any questions. I'm hoping my gp will take care of it. Thing is, there's lots of info on RTA out there. Very little on the actual treatment. From what I've gathered, treatment consists of buffering the blood with bicarbonate and keeping a real careful eye on things, especially when you're sick with something. I've got tons of information on RTA and what it is and what it does. I like to research.
In the meantime, I've been drinking milk. Lot's of it. Over the years, I've found there's times my body screams for milk even though I don't really like it. As much as a quart a day. I'm also consciously hyperventilating. May not be the wisest move but I didn't have kidney stones on my ct scan back in June even though my ionized calcium level is high so I figured I may as well try it. I've brought my chloride level down 3 points, gotten my phosphrous levels into normal range, and managed to get my blood ph into normal range. What I'm doing is trying to counteract the acidosis with an alkalosis until someone can tell me what to do. My fear is the kidney damage that it seems to have caused and the desire not to loose any more kidney function. I'll inform my gp what I've been doing on tuesday when I see him.
I've noticed a funky smelling sweat for years. It washes off but I find it quite offensive. No one else has mentioned it but I think that's out of politeness. I'm a smoker so I can't tell you about the breath but I do know my pee smells odd. Not offensive. Just strong and not what you'd expect to smell. I cannot place the odor. Strange, I never did relate the eyes that feel like they got acid in em sometimes to that. I just rinse em out with cold water when it happens. Never had a problem with the nose though. I too have thyroid problems and I've always attributed the exhaustion to that. However, it was discovered my vitamin d level was quite low and I've found a definite improvement in the muscle weakness since the gp prescribed 800 iu vit d twice a day two months ago along with the fish oil caps he already had me taking for my cholesterol. My d levels have now come back up to normal. I've had bone damage and kidney damage from it cause it went undiagnosed for so long. I've got alkaline urine too. It never goes below 6. The 24 hour jug shows that I excrete almost no sodium, potassium or chloride.
Woulda got back to you sooner. Just haven't had a chance to browse the boards. Now that I know you're here, I'd really like to talk.
Helen
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