Egads-Potassium!

[StephanieC]

I've been on spiro and E for a couple of months. About 2 weeks ago, I had a complete blood workup at the advice of my gender doc. He tells me today that my potassium level is too high. Interesting that my normal doc did not catch this: she saw the T was low but did not comment on the potassium.

So it looks like no potatoes, OJ, apricots, avocados, raisins, etc. He mentioned the spiro affects but I didn't think it would be bad enough to have to worry about. So, I should eat more garlic?

-stephani

[melissaK]

Hmmm. Interesting. I kinda live on those foods. It's been a long time since I had a full blood panel. I think I should tend to that. I don't know about the Garlic, it doesn't agree with the vampire in me . . . .

Hugs,
'lisa

[sandra-leigh]

When I was on spiro, I had difficulties with potassium too, even though I was avoiding the foods that were higher in them. I don't eat a lot of bananas, but once I could no longer eat them, I developed a craving for them. But I held out. I don't know what it was in my diet that was contributing the potassium; perhaps the spinach or soy.

After going off spiro, my potassium levels fell, but later they rose again, and I was again told to go easy on it. And I'm back to telling myself that banana ice-cream doesn't really have enough potassium to matter :D

If you take a multi-vitamin then be cautious, as the majority of multi-vitamins include potassium.

Garlic -- yum!!

[KARI AN]

Im on spiro and my potassium is normal and I dont eat bananas any longer as I did to increase my potassium before spiro. My doctor said that my breasts would hurt and be sore he didnt say they would grow but luckly they did and the soreness went away, love my spirol

[Beth-Lock]

Spironolactone is a potassium sparing, (doesn't excrete enough of it compared to sodium), diuretic. I was especially conscious of that since I was also taking another medication (unrelated to TS), at the same time, that was also potassium sparing. A blood test taken around then showed low sodium in my system. I self-treated myself, by eating all the salty junk food munchies I wanted, while I was taking both meds. Serious, you want to avoid those low salt packaged foods like soups, that substitute potassium for part of the salt, (sodium), that they usually contain.

(Isn't it a potassium salt that has been used to execute criminals by injecting it, so it stops the heart? Too little potasium on the other hand, and as Pres. George Bush 1, discovered, you can throw up on someone else you are dining with, in his case, unfortunately, the Prime Minister of Japan. )

[StephanieC]

I did more research on this. We know that bananas are high in potassium. But it seems that OJ contains a lot of potassium. So does chicken, potatoes (baked and chips?), avocados, spinach, and tomatoes. Salmon and carrots as well. That pretty much knocks out a good chunk of the available healthy foods.

Maybe garlic supplements and lots of milk and yogurt (calcium).

Is there anyway to recognize excessive potassium before you actually have a cardiac arrest? Some warning sign?

[max]

Do you have plenty of sodium in your diet?

[StephanieC]

Do you have plenty of sodium in your diet?

Max, I must be missing some basic chemistry here. I'm not sure what sodium has to do with potassium. I don't use salt and refrain from processed foods. So any sodium would be naturally occurring in foods.

How does sodium cause reduction of potassium?

Beth,
I don't drink soda of any sort but do drink a fair amount of coffee. I've not had spells during summer. I try to stay hydrated.

-stephani

[max]

They are INTENSELY related. One of these so-called "doctors" should have given you an overview. I don't have any literature off hand to link you but you should look into it.

IIRC it has something to do with the potassium pump and intracellular transport

[Traci Elizabeth]

As a result of mega dosages of Spiro my salt levels are too low and my doctor told me to eat more salt. But yes, if you are on Spiro, you have to watch your potassium.

[CharleneT]

Normally before you get to cardiac arrest, you will be pretty sick ( from potassium inbalance that is....)

One thing about potassium when you are on Spiro - if you are not careful with how much you ingest, you can get some really bad muscle cramps. I mean screaming bad. You'll know 'em if ya get 'em.

Beth, yes Potassium cloride is used as a part of the cocktail that is given when they execute via injection. It depolarizes the electrical system of the heart which stops it from beating. Potassium chloride is also used extensively in IV medications - just very carefully. I work in acute pharmacy, and at least 50% of IV's I make up have some KCl in them . . . we put major warning stickers on any of those that are very concentrated !!!!

[Hope]

Max, I must be missing some basic chemistry here. I'm not sure what sodium has to do with potassium. I don't use salt and refrain from processed foods. So any sodium would be naturally occurring in foods.

I bet you have some HORRENDOUS leg cramps. Try some salt and they will go away. It is like magic.


How does sodium cause reduction of potassium?

Potassium and sodium are antagonists. As potassium levels increase it pushes sodium out of your system... and vice versa. Which is related to all of the peeing that happens with spiro... that is flushing sodium out of your body... and it leads to higher concentrations of potassium in your body... which leads to cramps...

Can some one explain the garlic thing?

[CharleneT]

. . .
Can some one explain the garlic thing?

While you are having trouble with potassium, the garlic will keep the vampires off your back, so you can get your inbalance straitened out more easily !!

Simple, really, right ?

[mikiSJ]

Every once in a while I will have cramps in my calves. The best way I have found to get rid of the cramping is to eat a banana. (I am not on any TS/GRS medication)

[Krististeph]

Sodium and Potassium are similar and may occasuinally be interchanged by one or two body processes- but it's not like it is simple chemistry. Often, high or low levels of a substance are indicators of other effects- it's usually not just a matter of 'i have too much K, i'll cut down on intake' although a minor reduction will probably do no harm. Kind of like seeing the forest through the trees- and even people with totally normal levels of minerals and other things can have different problems-

get a few more real medical opinions, if this is worrying you, and ask a doc where you yourself can find more information. Suggesting here are probably good- but look for yourself, and think about the details you may have forgotten to mention here.

I mess with my electrolytes simply by lots of exercise- i can lose 8 pounds in sweat in 4 hours even with water intake... even gatorade is not going to re-balance you right away. My best advice if you are going to actively make changes- do so only a little bit at first, and write down what you are doing. If you have an accurate record to show your doc- they will do better at diagnosing, and have a little more respect for your seriousness about your health.

take care- and go easy at first! :-)

[StephanieC]

I bet you have some HORRENDOUS leg cramps.

Can some one explain the garlic thing?

Actually, I NEVER get cramps. The garlic thing is from me. I did some Goggling, looking for a way to counteract high potassium. They suggested calcium (ie. milk) and garlic (including garlic supplements)

This all started with my gender doc who called me after reviewing my latest blood test and indicating my potassium was high but not high enough to change any meds. I was supposed to research, change diet, and get another blood test after 6 weeks.

I'm not aware of any medical symptoms since starting meds.

But, I have foot surgery planned for Sep 21.

-stephani

[StephanieC]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm laying off the bananas and trying to do more milk, but eliminating potassium is probably not possible. I'll try small things and wait for more until after the next test.

Thanks again everyone!
-stephani

[LaurenS.]

They should be watching you kidney function. You should have numbers on your GFR. I had to cut back on my Spiro because my potassium was high and also
my GFR was slowly going down. I had to go to a kidney specialist (nephrologist) ? and my function was fine after I lowered my Spiro dose.

Lauren

[ICU Nurse]

OK, let's talk about Potassium.

Potassium as an electrolyte in your body helps muscles in your body work. Potassium ions have a postive electrical charge. Potassium (K+) resides in your cells and as tehn need to create an electrical charge to work K+ is sent out of the cell and exchanged for Sodium (Na+), which has a slightly different postive charge. This is the sodium/potassium pump and it allows your muscles to depolarize and as the process is reversed, repolarized.

Calcium also has an effect here, but we don't really need to get into it for this discussion.

Too much K+ can cause some muscle weakness and fatigue and if severe enough may cause heart problems up to and including fatal dysrythmia.

Spiro is, as noted earlier, a K+ sparing diruetic. This means that normally your kindenys filter out and dump excess K+, but Sprio interferes with that process and more K+ is retained by the body and allowed to build up to higher levels.

Follow your Physicians advice, stay away from foods with lots of K+ and from the salt substitutes and you will probably be ok. If you have symptoms that concern you, go to the Emergecy Room immediately and get checked out.

Treatment would likely be a medication that would bind potassium in your gut and allow its' removal that way.

I tell people all the time, too much of anything, including water or oxygen, can kill you. If you're careful and pay attention to your body and your diet it's probably not a big deal.