Library/Electrolytes/Sodium/120

Sodium of 120 mmol/LWhat it means, and what usually happens next

120mmol/L Sodium
Profoundly low
125130135146

A sodium of 120 mmol/L is under 125 mmol/L, which European guidelines call profound hyponatraemia.

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Sodium120mmol/L
Where it fallsProfoundly low
The usual range135 to 145 mmol/L

What usually happens next

Call your doctor today, and get emergency care if you have confusion, drowsiness, vomiting, a bad headache or a seizure.

What a low sodium usually means, and its common causes

When a sodium can read wrong

A very high blood sugar pulls water into the blood and lowers sodium on paper. Very high triglycerides or protein can do the same on some analysers. Sodium mostly tracks water, not salt in the diet.

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Questions

Is a sodium of 120 mmol/L normal?

A sodium of 120 mmol/L is under 125 mmol/L, which European guidelines call profound hyponatraemia. The usual range is 135 to 145 mmol/L.

Worked out by LifeFrom from the European hyponatraemia guideline and the usual lab range, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. For your own understanding: only a lab test, read by your clinician, diagnoses anything.