Should I go to the emer. room for symptoms of low potassium?
I need help determining whether I should go to the ER or wait until I can get an appointment with my WLS doctor. For the past several weeks I've had terrible headaches daily so I made an appt with my primary care doctor. The day before my appointment I passed out after working out on the treadmill. This was one week ago. I was dizzy with a fast heartbeat. My usual pulse is 40-60 (bradycardia) and since I passed out it has been consistently 90+. When I saw my PCP he gave me Motrin for the headaches (which I know I cannot take) and told me to eat before I exercise (which I do and did that day). He didn't order any bloodwork or spend more than five minutes examining me. Since I saw him I have been keeping track of my symptoms: I am constantly dizzy and feeling as though I am going to pass out. I have to stop what I am doing, sit down and put my head down for the dizziness to subside. My pulse rate has remained higher than usual and my blood pressure has dropped from my usual 120/70 to 95/65. I continue to have headaches and difficulty seeing because there are bright specks of light in front of my eyes. This morning I passed out again. I haven't exercised since last week, the first time I passed out, so I don't know what could have spurred this episode. Suffice it to say that I just don't feel right. Today is a holiday so I can't get in to see my WLS surgeon or my PCP (not that I want to see him again). After doing some research on this site and WebMD, some of my symptoms seem to be in line with low potassium levels. I bought potassium gluconate yesterday and took one yesterday and one this morning, but as I've said I'm not sure that is the problem and I don't want to do the wrong thing and possibly elevate my potassium if it is already normal. I am scheduled to go for bloodwork tomorrow, but I'm not sure when I or the WLS doctor will get the results. Basically I'd like to know someone's opinion of this. Should I go to the emergency room today or go for my bloodwork tomorrow and try to get a same-day appt? It is possible for me to get a same-day appt. My husband is in the military and if I can't get an appt at the military facility they will refer me out to a walk-in clinic for an immediate appt. Is this an emergency or can it wait 24 hours? Thanks for your help. I'm really uncertain what I should do.
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