Question:
What can be done for dangerously low potassium?

The first week of August and Aug 30th I was in the emergency room because of dangerously low potassium. Each time I had to have IV's to replace and build up my level. After the first time I was put on pills. It took some doing to find it in Gel Caps. I'm taking: Potassium CL 10mEq, (two a day). This seemed to be working however four weeks later I was back in the emergency room to go through the whole painful ordeal again. So it obviously "isn't" working. The WLS DIDN'T cause this problem but it sure has magnified it! I've had problems with low pot since 1993 when I've had to go on diuretics because of a botched surgery. Since then I've put on water weight like crazy and my pot has been on the low side since. However since the Bypass it has been dropping to "very dangerous levels" and even the pills are not keeping that in check! I am afraid one of these days it will be causing a heart attack, and heart attacks are already a big risk with my family's history of heart disease. Does anyone know if this is the "right form" of potassium? Perhaps the pills are not being absorbed because of the WLS? I know there are liquid forms of this, but it was so bitter I couldn't drink it. However if I did use the liquid form would it be absorbed better? Any help would be appreciated as I would just as soon avoid a heart attack if possible. ;) Yes I know I should call my surgeons office but I have always been so rushed by them that I don't feel comfortable calling them for any reason. He is the only surgeon I have dealt with that I've felt as if I'm intruding whenever I've had to call his office for any reason. Although I'm very happy with the bypass and the skill of my surgeon, I feel that I am not welcome to call. I have not felt this way with any other doctors office but this one. So it makes it hard to get help when I feel I need it for any reason. So far, post op, I have not needed to call until now. But I will have to as this can not continue to go on. But I am curious if any one else has had this problem and what if anything cured it. Thanks.    — Danmark (posted on September 2, 2001)

September 2, 2001
Daniel, I would suggest that you go to your PCP with this problem. S/he could refer you to someone more knowledgeable in this area. I would really doubt if your surgeon would know very much about it or how to handle it. Hope you get this taken care of; let us know when you do as it will also help others to know. Nina
   — [Deactivated Member]

September 2, 2001
You should never feel unwelcome by your dr......or feel you can't call with a question....this is very serious. Your muscles, especially the heart muscles are effected by this condition..and it needs to be addressed. Not only should you take the K+, but also eat foods rich in potassium....you will absorb something with the overload.
   — Lana K.

September 2, 2001
Daniel, I take 20 mEq of Potassium Chloride (KCL) a day. It is in an orange flavored owder form. The instructions say to dissolve it in "at least" 4 ounces of water. I take the "at least" to mean that you could dissolve it in more oz of water to dilute the taste. I can tolerate it at the 4 oz of water. I've found that it is better about 30 mins after a meal and I keep either a protein drink or Crystal Lite right next to me so that I can "chase" it down with that (to absorb the potassium better the instructions say to follow it with 8 oz of water). I think that you aren't absorbing the gel cap. Plus aren't gel caps time released? It wouldn't stay in your stomach long enough to realize the full 10 mEq. Anyway, I tried the powder with apple juice -- nasty. It was ok with V8 Splash (diet). But I prefer water. It does taste like orange flavored salt in my opinion but it is over in 5-10 minutes (the instructions say to sip it over 5-10 minutes and not to gulp). My level was 1 pt below normal 2 months ago and that's when my doc wrote the script. I will be having blood work done again next month. Please feel free to email me to get my results to see how it's working. Good luck. I'd say that you should try to get the orange flavored stuff and just hold your nose for 5 minutes while you sip it. Also did you know that Potassium Chloride is the same stuff that the "No Salt" brand is made of? People with high blood pressure use "No Salt" as their salt substitute. You can purchase it at any grocery store. If I were you, I'd inundate my diet with potassium. Try to get a serving of potatoes and/or bananas in a day. Gatorade has potassium (but also a lot of sugar so you'd have to weigh your options -- dumping vs. potassium), also the V8 splash (diet) has potassium too. Add the "No Salt" to all of your foods that require salt, then add the other foods/liquids, in addition to the Potassium Chloride. Good luck and feel free to drop me a line.
   — Kimberly L.

September 2, 2001
Boy do I love this website. Thank you so much "Anonymous" for posting the url on Potassium. It is printing right now. Well Daniel, according to that site, I was wrong about sports drinks. What did amaze me though was that only a 1/4 cup of raisins has a high amount of potassium. Also unsalted nuts. Again some of this stuff is higher in fat and/or sugar than necessary but I guess you need to decide what to sacrifice. Again, good luck!
   — Kimberly L.

September 3, 2001
HI there. Been to the ER for this myself. First of all, I don't know how you can get that orange stuff down, I just couldn't do it. I don't recommend you try the pediatric stuff either, it's all sugar, made me dump. The one thing I found that has helped is a salt substitute that's all potassium. Use this on whatever you're eating that's salty or could do with some salt taste. It has a lot more potassium in it than the regular supplements and a whole thing of it is $1. You know, those capsules might be time release. The doctors and pharmacists I talked to told me all the oral pills and capsules were time release. That might be why they aren't getting absorbed enough. Or, your people might know more than mine, mine certainly seemed clueless. At any rate, I did not have much luck getting a lot of potassium from foods directly. It's in everything you eat, but we eat so little. Just out of curiousity, how low has it been? Have you had any luck maintaining it? Do you know what caused the sudden drop? I'm watching mine real closely with my dr. because I don't want to end up in the hospital again. Good luck.
   — kcanges

September 3, 2001
Kathryn -- I guess I'm finding out that I'm lucky I can tolerate the drink. It was terrible at first but I have gotten used to it. I find that it is easier if I do it with 5 oz of super cold water and if I do it about 1/2 hour after lunch. I wish you and Daniel luck. I'm assuming that the $1.00 salt substitute you're talking about is "No Salt". I'm putting that on my grocery list! :-)
   — Kimberly L.

September 4, 2001
Kimberly - Thank you for the reply. I admit I'm kind of a weenie about drinking icky stuff. I could probably do it once a month, but not everyday. But, as I said, I'm a weenie. I get to put so little in my mouth, I want everything I take in to taste good. The salt substitute I got is just called "salt substitute", but I imagine there's more than one. It clearly states that it's potassium and it lists the number of mg per serving (which is like a sprinkle). It's a lot of potassium. This did help me, but I didn't do it as much as I should have and I think once my pot dropped to 2.6, I really needed some intervention to get it back to where I could maintain. I go in for another test today so tomorrow I'll know if I am maintaining.
   — kcanges