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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Oct-06-02, 22:24
CindySue48's Avatar
CindySue48 CindySue48 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,816
 
Plan: Atkins/Protein Power
Stats: 256/179/160 Female 68 inches
BF:38.9/27.2/24.3
Progress: 80%
Location: Triangle NC
Exclamation Potassium warning!

I've seen a lot of posts on here relating to taking potassium supplements. This is not a supplement that should be taken without special warnings!

Too much potassium, as well as too little, can be very dangerous! Normally the body gets what it needs from the food we eat....even on LC diets! The body is usually very good at regulating the amount of potassium in your blood! Low potassium is most likely seen with excessive vomiting, diarrhea.

Symptoms of low potassium: You may have muscle cramps, feel weak or thirsty, and urinate a lot. When your potassium is low, it can change the way your heart beats, such as skipped beats. This can be very dangerous. (from Healthscout.com)

Symptoms of high potassium: paralysis; numbness or tingling in the hands, arms, legs, or feet; an irregular heartbeat; low blood pressure (dizziness, confusion, weakness, fatigue); seizures; coma; and heart attack . (from Healthscout.com)

If you suspect your potassium is to low, please consult your physician before taking supplements!

I was suprised to see potassium supplements on the market! I always thought it was by prescription only!

Please be careful, this is not a supplement you want to play around with!
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  #2   ^
Old Mon, Oct-07-02, 01:31
Rosebud's Avatar
Rosebud Rosebud is offline
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Posts: 23,882
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 235/135/135 Female 5'4
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Hi Cindy Sue,

The reason we encourage potassium supplementation here is that at the commencement of low carbing, a natural diuresis occurs which leaves us with low potassium levels.

In the absence of kidney disease or certain blood pressure medications, this level of potassium supplementation is not harmful.

We encourage people to either use potassium salt or take over the counter supps. These OTC tablets have 99mg or less, unlike prescription potassium which generally contains 600mg. I agree that 600mg tablets should not be taken without medical advice.

Most of us refer to the advice given by the Drs Eades in "Protein Power" - they suggest continuing supps until maintenance, in doses from 100 to 400mg per day (400mg in the first few weeks).

Let me repeat - potassium supplements should not be taken if one is taking certain medications for high blood pressure or certain diuretics. Check with your pharmacist to see if extra potassium will be a problem

For everyone else, potassium supps are not just totally safe, they are desirable.

Rosebud (ICU RN)
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  #3   ^
Old Mon, Oct-07-02, 02:15
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Rosebud Rosebud is offline
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Posts: 23,882
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 235/135/135 Female 5'4
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Just a bit more...

Always take potassium supps with food.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water while taking potassium.

Rosebud
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Oct-07-02, 19:15
CindySue48's Avatar
CindySue48 CindySue48 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,816
 
Plan: Atkins/Protein Power
Stats: 256/179/160 Female 68 inches
BF:38.9/27.2/24.3
Progress: 80%
Location: Triangle NC
Default Rosebud

I too am a RN....have been for over 25 years, over 5 of them as a CCU, ICU nurse.

I am sorry, but I don't agree with what you've said! I agree the dose over the counter is much lower than prescription....but I've also seen too many cases of people saying one is good, 2 is better, more will be even better!

I still say that people should see their doc if they think their potassium is too low!

I take potassium supplements...on the advice of a physician. I have a lot of digestive problems, and have frequent diarrhea, which can deplete potassium!

Quote:
Hypokalemia can be caused by decreased intake of K but is usually caused by excessive losses of K in the urine or from the GI tract. Abnormal gastrointestinal K losses occur in chronic diarrhea and include that due to chronic laxative abuse or bowel diversion. Other causes of gastrointestinal K losses include clay pica, vomiting, and gastric suction. Rarely, villous adenoma of the colon can cause massive K loss from the GI tract. Gastrointestinal K losses may be compounded by concomitant renal K losses due to metabolic alkalosis and stimulation of aldosterone due to volume depletion.
(Merck Manual. Setion 2, Chapter 12)

While it is true that excessive IV fluid intake can cause depletion of potassium, oral intake is not usually a problem, because your kidney regulate how much is excreted depending on what your total serum levels are.

Unless someone is taking a potassium depleting diuretic, has excessive vomiting or diarrhea, chances are their blood levels will be normal. If they question it, they should see their doc, not self-treat!

Cindy
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  #5   ^
Old Tue, Oct-08-02, 01:41
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Posts: 37,202
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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Healthy kidneys are very efficient at excreting any excess potassium. Also, if a large amount of potassium is ingested acutely, a significant % will be taken out of the blood and moved into the cells. From WholeHealthMD, Potassium:
Quote:
Most people can safely absorb up to 18 g (18,000 mg) of potassium a day. In fact, potassium toxicity--a condition called hyperkalemia--is very unlikely to occur unless you take potassium supplements inappropriately or your kidneys don't function properly. That's because the kidneys carefully monitor the balance of potassium in the body and excrete any excess.
Other contraindications are if you're taking ACE inhibitors, beta blockers or certain potassium-sparing diuretics for blood pressure.

The problem is that the kidneys aren't as efficient at recognising when blood levels of potassium are getting low, and they will continue to excrete potassium in the urine until levels are very, very low. As a temporary measure, potassium is released from inside the cells to make up for the depleted levels in the blood, but eventually this wears out. Many people are chronically borderline-low in potassium .. not low enough to have acute symptoms such as extreme weakness, and heart rhythm disturbance, but low enough that symptoms of fatigue, mild weakness and muscle aches are evident.

As an ICU nurse, I'm sure you're very familiar with using insulin and glucose to treat high potassium levels ... insulin forces glucose out of the blood and into the cell, and takes potassium into the cell along with it. In persons consuming a sugary, high-carb diet, their insulin levels are high. When they begin a low-carb diet, circulating levels of insulin and glucose go down .. and potassium is released from the cells. There is a transient rise in blood potassium levels .. but this is flushed out by the increased water output (diuresis from ketone production and breakdown of body fat). Within a few days to a week, the person is experiencing the symptoms of lowered potassium levels.

Another factor leading to decreased potassium levels in the blood is a high sodium intake. High sodium level in the blood will force potassium out of the blood and into the cell. The natural ratio of potassium to sodium in the body is 5:1 .. but experts estimate the average North American consumes almost twice as much sodium as potassium. Processed foods, soda pop, condiments, fast foods .. are all high in sodium and low in potassium.

For more information, check out the WholeHealthMD article I linked to above, and also Potassium Metabolism from the Merck Manual, 2002 edition.

The recommendation to take a nominal amount of potassium either as a supplement or by using a potassium salt-substitute is prudent for low-carbers in the weight-loss stages of their program. As noted above, the Drs. Eades of Protein Power recommend taking 4 x 99 mg pills a day, in divided doses. Low-carbers who are working out heavily, or live in hot climates and sweating a lot should definitely be taking extra potassium, since a significant amount can be lost in the sweat.

Doreen
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, Oct-08-02, 01:43
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Posts: 37,202
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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This is from a previous post of mine:

Potassium is restricted to less than 100 mg per tablet for over-the-counter use because it has the potential to irritate the stomach, not because of cardiac risk. Supplements will often have an "enteric" coating to slow absorption for this reason. Don't crush or chew the pill and make sure you take it with a full glass of water to ensure that it doesn't get lodged in your throat.

Potassium is found in amounts much larger than 100mg per portion of many foods, and no cardiac event imminent from consuming them.
  • 1 can (7 oz/ 200g) sockeye salmon - 1,391mg
  • 1 medium california avocado - 1,097mg
  • 1/2 pkg (5 oz/ 140g) spinach - 824mg
  • 1 medium stalk broccoli - 526mg
  • 1/3 cup natural sunflower seed kernels - 331mg
  • 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes - 290mg
  • 1 Tbsp dutch process unsw. cocoa powder - 254mg
  • 2 Tbsp peanut butter - 214mg
  • 1/8 tsp potassium-salt substitute - 325 to 500mg

    (all values from our carb counter tool, which is based on the current USDA)
Adults require 2,500 to 3,500 mg of potassium daily - depending on physical size, activity level and climate. Need will be even greater when there is increased water losses from the body, such as sweating due to high temperature or vigorous exercise, increased urination, vomiting and/or diarrhea. High blood sugars with high insulin levels will force potassium into the cells, thus causing levels in the blood to drop.

In general, potassium is acquired from the food we eat, as well, not all gets excreted from the body .. some is retained and recirculated. Healthy kidneys in concert with healthy adrenal glands will prevent blood levels from getting too high, but are less efficient at preventing levels from getting too low, unfortunately.

Conditions which can lead to too high potassium levels: kidney failure, adrenal failure, and large injuries such as severe burns or where there is crushing or internal bleeding (potassium is released from the injured cells and dumped in a sudden large amount into the bloodstream). Also, certain medications can cause the kidneys to retain potassium ... some diuretics such as Spironolactone or Aldactone, used to treat high blood pressure, and some heart and blood pressure medications called ACE-inhibitors, such as captopril, enalapril, Altace, Capoten, Lotensin .. CHECK WITH YOUR DR. OR PHARMACIST BEFORE USING SALT SUBSTITUTE OR SUPPLEMENTS WITH POTASSIUM.

Doreen
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