Potassium supplements?

I'm having charley horses all the time anymore an I have to find something to help.  I drink PLENTY of water....about 128 oz a day.  It's been going on for a while and I asked my hubby to pick up some supplements when he was at the store a while back, he couldn't find them an asked the pharmacist for help.  He told my husband that you can't buy potassium supplements because they are dangerous if you take too much. Anyone else had this issue?

OTC potassium comes in 99 mg tablets. My dietitian follows my labs and has me on 900 mg a day...just short of a prescription dose. Vitalady carries Puritan's Pride potassium and I bet you can find that on Amazon or at Vitamin Shoppe. Also, a great source of potassium is low sodium V8 juice and Morton's Lite Salt. The V8 juice is better than bananas and oranges because it's much lower in carbs.

--gina

Hi I am a nurse.  if you really think your potassium is low you should call your doctor (surgeon or pcp) and ask him to do a blood test.  Too low potassium can cause heart arrhythmias which can be dangerous. You don't want your potassium to be too low OR too high.  BEst to get it checked. Then if it really is low they can prescribe something for you.  the best source of dietary potassium is bananas. 

Anne

Thanks ladies! I knew there were supplements because my mom used to use them.  I can't be sure it's low potassium, I'm not sure what other side effects are?  I have an appointment in mid July with my surgeon for my three month check up and I asked him when we met last if they'd be doing labs then and he said they would.  Should I not wait?  I don't have them daily but I do have them often.

Also, water is one of those things where more isn't always better. If you drink too much water, you wash out your electrolytes and can have the exact same symptoms as if you aren't getting enough electrolytes.

Plus, it's not just lack of potassium that causes muscle spasms but also lack of magnesium, calcium, etc.

It might be a good idea to talk to someone at your surgeon's office and see what they recommend.