Potassium Deficiency: Signs, Causes & Treatment

  • Medical
  • Thread starter Evo
  • Start date
In summary: I've been reading up on it and it seems that it's a pretty common problem. I've been told that it's due to some of the other medications I'm taking, but I need to take them to control my blood pressure. My levels have been getting really low and it's been really hard to manage because of that.In summary, the person suffers from a potassium deficiency, which is likely caused by the medication they are taking for their blood pressure. Their levels have been dropping and they have been having a lot of trouble managing because of it. They have found a way to temporarily fix the deficiency with a salt substitute, but they are still looking for a way to get their medications
  • #1
Evo
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
24,017
3,337
I suffer from serious potassium defiency, the doctor thinks it's due to some of the medication I take for blood pressure, but I need the medication. My levels get so low I have had to have intravenous potassium.

Today was one of those "ooops, I have no potassium" days. I woke up this morning and stretched and my leg cramped up so bad I couldn't walk, not to mention the PAIN. It's better, but still cramped and painful. Luckily I found a couple of potassium pills (I thought I was out).

I am having so much trouble finding information on potassium deficiency, there seems to be much more on having too much potassium. Can anyone help me find literature on this?

I did find this blurb. Boy does this make sense for me!

Potassium is an important mineral if you want a healthy nervous system and a regular heart rhythm. Potassium can help prevent stroke, and works with sodium to control your body's water balance. Potassium also aids in proper muscle contraction.

That's not all potassium does. This mineral helps you maintain stable blood pressure and transmit electrochemical impulses. When you have enough of this mineral, it aids in transferring nutrients through cell membranes.

Signs of potassium deficiency include dry skin, acne, chills, constipation, depression, diarrhea, salt retention/fluid collection (edema), nervousness, insatiable thirst, fluctuations in heart beat, glucose intolerance, growth impairment, high cholesterol levels, low blood pressure, sleep difficulties (insomnia), headaches, trouble breathing.

Potassium deficiency can also lead to thinking impairment, muscle pain, leg cramps, fatigue, and diminished reflex action so you bump into walls and walk around in a daze.
Gee, you think? And no, I am not menapausal, this link just described me to a "T".

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art19941.asp
 
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
The sodium and potassium are supposed to be balanced. One could have too much potassium which is fatal.

I'd suggest bananas and raises, but I believe one is allergic to bananas.

Here you go!
Many foods contain potassium. All meats (red meat and chicken) and fish such as salmon, cod, flounder, and sardines are good sources of potassium. Soy products and veggie burgers are also good sources of potassium.

Vegetables including broccoli, peas, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), sweet potatoes, and winter squashes are all good sources of potassium.

Fruits that contain significant sources of potassium include citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bananas, kiwi, prunes, and apricots. Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.

Milk and yogurt, as well as nuts, are also excellent sources of potassium.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002413.htm

and

A deficiency of potassium (hypokalemia) can happen in people with certain diseases or as a result of taking diuretics (water pills) for the treatment of high blood pressure or heart failure. Additionally, many medications -- such as diuretics, laxatives, and steroids -- can cause a loss of potassium, which occasionally may be very severe. You should have your blood levels of potassium checked from time to time if you take any of these medicines. Diuretics are probably the most common cause of hypokalemia.

A variety of conditions can cause potassium loss from the body. The most common are vomiting and diarrhea. Several rare kidney and adrenal gland disorders may also cause low potassium levels.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000479.htm
Hypokalemia is a lower-than-normal amount of potassium in the blood. It may result from a number of conditions.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/767448-overview

Just search on hypokalemia
 
  • #3
Yes, normal levels are 3.5 to 5 mEq, my blood test came back at 1.
 
  • #4
Astronuc provided you with a good keyword: hypokalemia, that should make your search easier (try Pubmed). If you are suspecting the medication to be the cause, ask whether it can be changed to something that does not have these side effects. Leafy green vegetables have high potassium content, supplements could also be an option. I hope you feel better soon!
 
  • #5
Evo, could you try to use potassium chloride as a salt substitute until you can get your medications adjusted? Processed meats and fast foods (like your KFC bucket 'o grease) contain lots of sodium chloride, so the salt substitute might help you get your electrolytes balanced out. You might want to ask your doctor if this might help short-term. I know that it can take hypertension patients some time to acclimate to new BP medicines, and even if he does change your meds, we don't want to lose you in the meantime.
 
  • #6
Monique said:
Astronuc provided you with a good keyword: hypokalemia, that should make your search easier (try Pubmed). If you are suspecting the medication to be the cause, ask whether it can be changed to something that does not have these side effects. Leafy green vegetables have high potassium content, supplements could also be an option. I hope you feel better soon!
I had previously searched on hypokalemia, but still couldn't find too much discussion on it.

The trouble is that the medication for blood pressure that I am on seems to be the one that works best (tried many over a period of years), so I am on prescription potassium, but I had run out and my level apparently dropped way too low this morning.

Thanks for the encouragement. It seems from the article I posted that most of my symptoms could all point to low potassium, I wasn't aware of all of the symptoms.
 
  • #7
turbo-1 said:
Evo, could you try to use potassium chloride as a salt substitute until you can get your medications adjusted? Processed meats and fast foods (like your KFC bucket 'o grease) contain lots of sodium chloride, so the salt substitute might help you get your electrolytes balanced out. You might want to ask your doctor if this might help short-term. I know that it can take hypertension patients some time to acclimate to new BP medicines, and even if he does change your meds, we don't want to lose you in the meantime.
Luckily I found two potassium pills that had fallen out when Dr foofer knocked the bottle off the counter a while back. I spoke to my pharmacist today and he said that unfortunately the type of potassium I have been prescribed can't be purchased over the counter. The problem is that they are too huge to swallow and if I break them in half they start to disintegrate the moment they hit my tongue and I end up gagging too much to swallow them. He suggested that I crush them and add them to juice. <slaps forehead> I can add them to my v-8 juice!

I also just found out that the severe tingling in my hands the past couple of days was a sign that I was about to crash.
 
  • #8
Just remember that potassium is essential for proper muscle-function and the heart is a pretty critical set of muscles.
 
  • #9
Evo said:
I also just found out that the severe tingling in my hands the past couple of days was a sign that I was about to crash.
Don't let yourself get like that!

Several years ago, my son had an epsiode where he was taking some medication, but didn't eat. He was standing in the kitchen beside me while preparing some food. He complained that he feet tingled and we slightly itchy. I turned and walked past him, and was facing the kitchen sink and counter with my back to him. The next thing I see out of the corner of my eye is my son falling backwards - he had feinted. I immediately extended my arm to catch him and was able to get my hand behind his neck to break his fall. He ended up bumping his head on the cupboard doors, but I held enough of his weight that it wasn't a hard bang. He was unconscious while he went down, and only regained consciousness while lying on the floor. He didn't know what happened.

So don't let yourself get hypokalemic!

I recommend poached salmon in a dill cream sauce and a baked potato. :tongue2:

And dried apricots.
 
  • #10
Evo said:
I had previously searched on hypokalemia, but still couldn't find too much discussion on it.
Here is a review article from the New England Journal of Medicine http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/339/7/451 you can sign in with a free trial.

It is not a very recent article, but it is something.
 
  • #11
Evo said:
I suffer from serious potassium defiency, the doctor thinks it's due to some of the medication I take for blood pressure, but I need the medication. My levels get so low I have had to have intravenous potassium.

Have you discussed, perhaps with a specialist, changing your hypertension medication if possible? I don't know enough to know whether you have any alternatives, but I do know there are a lot of hypertension drugs and not all of them may cause hypokalemia (ACE inhibitors are more likely to have the opposite problem).
 
  • #12
alxm said:
Have you discussed, perhaps with a specialist, changing your hypertension medication if possible? I don't know enough to know whether you have any alternatives, but I do know there are a lot of hypertension drugs and not all of them may cause hypokalemia (ACE inhibitors are more likely to have the opposite problem).
Yes, but the medication i am on now seems to work the best at lowering my blood pressure, so it was decided that I need to take potassium supplements.

I've tried adding potatoes to my diet, one large potato (299 gram portion) has 1600 mg of potassium (46% RDA), that's almost twice as much as a similar amount of a 225 gram portion of banana, 806mg of potassium (23% RDA). The thing is, I can't get enough potassium through food intake even without the medication.

astronuc, I finished off the last of the salmon a couple of nights ago, I'm grilling a t-bone tonight.
 
  • #13
Evo said:
I suffer from serious potassium defiency, the doctor thinks it's due to some of the medication I take for blood pressure, but I need the medication. My levels get so low I have had to have intravenous potassium.

Today was one of those "ooops, I have no potassium" days. I woke up this morning and stretched and my leg cramped up so bad I couldn't walk, not to mention the PAIN. It's better, but still cramped and painful. Luckily I found a couple of potassium pills (I thought I was out).

I am having so much trouble finding information on potassium deficiency, there seems to be much more on having too much potassium. Can anyone help me find literature on this?

I did find this blurb. Boy does this make sense for me!

Gee, you think? And no, I am not menapausal, this link just described me to a "T".

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art19941.asp

I feel for you Evo. I never use to get charlie horses, but over the last several years I've been going through spells where I can't even yawn without getting a charlie horse in my neck/throat, which is absolutely horrifying, as well as painful.
 
  • #14
Gnosis said:
I feel for you Evo. I never use to get charlie horses, but over the last several years I've been going through spells where I can't even yawn without getting a charlie horse in my neck/throat, which is absolutely horrifying, as well as painful.
Have you had your potassium level checked?
 
  • #15
Evo said:
Have you had your potassium level checked?

No doctors. I don't place much faith in them. It was extremely rare that we were taken to a doctor's office as children. I toughed out quite a few 105.x temperatures as a child, which leaves you more in a state of delirium than consciousness. I grew up with a sense that doctors were for people who were genuinely sickly. Subsequently, I tough out everything that comes my way. I've even set my own broken thumb and "Boxer's break" broken knuckle. Oh yeah, it’s painful especially without pain killers, but it’s made me one tough old bird. I also believe that when it's time for me to go, it was meant to be.
 
  • #16
Gnosis said:
No doctors. I don't place much faith in them. It was extremely rare that we were taken to a doctor's office as children. I toughed out quite a few 105.x temperatures as a child, which leaves you more in a state of delirium than consciousness. I grew up with a sense that doctors were for people who were genuinely sickly. Subsequently, I tough out everything that comes my way. I've even set my own broken thumb and "Boxer's break" broken knuckle. Oh yeah, it’s painful especially without pain killers, but it’s made me one tough old bird. I also believe that when it's time for me to go, it was meant to be.
Or you could die needlessly from a simple ailment a doctor could easily fix.
 
  • #17
Evo said:
Or you could die needlessly from a simple ailment a doctor could easily fix.

Or one could die needlessly at the hands of a doctor's misdiagnosis or a pharmacist's error in filling a doctor’s prescription, as has happened in my rather large family. I presently have 6 grandchildren although they are located several thousand miles away, so unfortunately, I don’t get to be a part of their lives. I've already lived a full life without the need for a doctor. At this point, I consider each day I wake, an extra...
 
  • #18
Evo said:
Yes, but the medication i am on now seems to work the best at lowering my blood pressure, so it was decided that I need to take potassium supplements.

I've tried adding potatoes to my diet, one large potato (299 gram portion) has 1600 mg of potassium (46% RDA), that's almost twice as much as a similar amount of a 225 gram portion of banana, 806mg of potassium (23% RDA). The thing is, I can't get enough potassium through food intake even without the medication.

astronuc, I finished off the last of the salmon a couple of nights ago, I'm grilling a t-bone tonight.

and i bet the medication is slow release.

thing is, most K supps that people can buy OTC are only a piddly amount, anyway. something like 3% RDA per pill. for good reason, i guess. too much at one time could stop the heart.


on a related note, does anyone know offhand how coffee consumption affects K balance? I'm sort of addicted to it. :redface:
 
  • #19
Proton Soup said:
and i bet the medication is slow release.
Actually it's not and I'm trying to read up on absorption rates, I know it is excreted daily, but I am wondering if taking smaller doses throughout the day is better.

Each pill is is the equivalent of 1,500 mg, so that's what about 30% of the RDA? They are prescription. People shouldn't self medicate with potassium, especially if they aren't getting their blood levels checked.

Although the initial excrutiating spasms ended quickly, my calf muscle is still spasmed and hurts. It's like the muscle won't move.
 
  • #20
Evo said:
Actually it's not and I'm trying to read up on absorption rates, I know it is excreted daily, but I am wondering if taking smaller doses throughout the day is better.

Each pill is is the equivalent of 1,500 mg, so that's what about 30% of the RDA? They are prescription. People shouldn't self medicate with potassium, especially if they aren't getting their blood levels checked.

Although the initial excrutiating spasms ended quickly, my calf muscle is still spasmed and hurts. It's like the muscle won't move.

well, if that's the case, and it's KCl, then you could just measure out an appropriate amount of NoSalt salt substitute next time you find yourself in bind.
 
  • #21
Proton Soup said:
well, if that's the case, and it's KCl, then you could just measure out an appropriate amount of NoSalt salt substitute next time you find yourself in bind.
This brings up what I said earlier about people not self-medicating themselves with potassium.

Can salt substitute kill you?


This one is truly bizarre
A mother, following the instructions in Adelle Davis's book Let's Have Healthy Children (1972), fed her infant about three-quarters of a teaspoon of potassium chloride mixed with her breast milk. The child stopped breathing and though rushed to the hospital died after 28 hours.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1364/can-salt-substitute-kill-you
 
  • #22
Evo said:
This brings up what I said earlier about people not self-medicating themselves with potassium.

Can salt substitute kill you?


This one is truly bizarre

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1364/can-salt-substitute-kill-you

um, yeah, as i mentioned before, too much at once will stop your heart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection#Potassium_chloride


i think you're not a bozo, tho, and can probably measure. and it wouldn't be self-medicating so much as substituting in a time of crisis. never know, you might get snowed in one day.
 
  • #23
Proton Soup said:
um, yeah, as i mentioned before, too much at once will stop your heart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethal_injection#Potassium_chloride


i think you're not a bozo, tho, and can probably measure. and it wouldn't be self-medicating so much as substituting in a time of crisis. never know, you might get snowed in one day.
Like today's blizzard.

I will get some No salt for emergencies. My ex husband at one time had refilled every salt container and shaker in the house with "no salt". Luckily the first taste alerted me to what he had done and I dumped them all out. He thought it was healthier for me and the children.
 
  • #24
My mom has had this problem on and off. The first time, she had it as a result of her blood pressure medication. You can get potassium supplements in both a pill and a liquid form by prescription (it's given by prescription because you really can overdose if you take too much). You need to take it daily if you are having problems with low potassium levels.

My mom's most recent bout with it was just recently while she was in the hospital getting both a gall bladder removed and a bleeding ulcer treated. This time it wasn't likely any medication, but either due to blood loss or a malabsorption problem. Considering your past surgery for your acid reflux, it may be that you have more than one problem going on too...partly the blood pressure medication, and possibly re-routing your stomach is affecting some nutrient absorption so you don't even get all of what you consume.

Do NOT let potassium get low...if you know you have a problem, take the supplements. The i.v. infusion burns like heck, so you REALLY don't want to let your levels drop so low that you have to get your potassium by i.v. (my mom learned this the hard way).
 

What are the signs of potassium deficiency?

The signs of potassium deficiency, also known as hypokalemia, can vary but commonly include muscle weakness, fatigue, constipation, and heart palpitations. In severe cases, it can also lead to paralysis or abnormal heart rhythms.

What are the common causes of potassium deficiency?

Potassium deficiency can be caused by inadequate intake of potassium-rich foods, excessive sweating, diarrhea, and certain medications that increase potassium loss. It can also be a result of underlying health conditions such as kidney disease or eating disorders.

How is potassium deficiency diagnosed?

A blood test is typically used to diagnose potassium deficiency. The test measures the amount of potassium in the blood, and a level below 3.6 mmol/L is considered low. Other tests, such as urine tests or electrocardiograms, may also be used to evaluate the severity and potential effects of the deficiency.

What is the recommended treatment for potassium deficiency?

The treatment for potassium deficiency depends on the underlying cause and severity of the deficiency. In mild cases, increasing potassium intake through diet or supplements may be sufficient. In more severe cases, intravenous potassium may be necessary. It is important to consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Are there any risks associated with potassium deficiency?

Potassium deficiency can have various adverse effects on the body, including muscle weakness, heart rhythm disturbances, and increased risk of stroke. It is essential to address the deficiency and maintain proper potassium levels in the body to prevent these risks.

Similar threads

  • Biology and Medical
9
Replies
287
Views
18K
  • General Discussion
Replies
1
Views
8K
Back
Top