Good Morning. Thinking about potassium

Potassium is almost a taboo subject on the DS boards due to the medical implications but I want you guys to take a look at your labs and see where you potassium falls. My lab's range is 3.5 - 5.5 and I have only been above 4 twice in 4 years of labs. I supplement with 800mg now and that's a drop in the bucket to prescription potassium. 

I went reading on the Linus Pauling web site and see that the "adequate intake" for potassium is 4700 mg a day for adult males and females, but the foods that are high in potassium, we as a WLS community rarely eat. I don't understand why we aren't given a preventative potassium supplement recommendation, but then, I'm not medical....

Please talk to your NUTs and docs about potassium and see how you've been testing since surgery. Ask if they would prescribe potassium since it seems OTC comes in 99mg tablets and seems barely enough for an infant. I know you guys could convince them you are less likely to be compliant if you have to take 10+ tablets a day. 

Here's a link to the Linus Pauling web site; lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/potassium/   

--gina

Great read.

The body sure is amazing at regulating electrolytes. I know the last labs I had mine was 3.9.
 
I know in the hospital setting we dont not supplement unless you are less than 3.5 except for  heart, kidney and liver patients. These patients need to supplement or greatly restrict potassium in their diets.

Thanks for keeping us educated. I think I will be looking at adding some potassium to my  regimen.

The main reason a blanket potassium supplement is not advised is that there are too many variables in a given patient.  Factors such as diet, kidney function, malabsoprtion issues, and other medication all factor into what a person needs. Too much potassium can be as dangerous as too little.  Either can cause heart rhythm problems, muscle function problems, and even death.  If the potassium gets too high the treatment can include medications that lead to (short-term) diarrhea, insulin and sugar injections (to drive the potassium temporarily into cells) and even dialysis (to permanently get rid of it).  

It is NOT always a good idea to try to exceed the recommended ranges.  And I suggest checking with your physician or CNP or PA, not the nutritionist, before aggressive suppliments.  I  hope I've not overstepped by bounds by saying all this, but I've seen too many patients in trouble over potassium issues in my job as a PA. 

~~Dee

The problem is, I don't think docs know what to say as far as a safe nutritional dose for potassium. But think about us malabsorbers and low carbers for a minute--we're not supplementing potassium and we aren't getting it in our food either. Ava's idea of using sea salt or perhaps a salt substitute is about the best idea I've seen.

My registered dietitian (not simply a NUT) is watching my labs and said it was ok to take 800mg as a supplement. Looking at the adequate intake (AI) on the Linus Pauling, Oregon State University, web site, I'm wondering if that's enough. My 2 multivitamins only contain 10mg each. I'm thinking our community is heading towards potassium deficiencies like gang busters. 

--gina

 theres  a REALLY EASE  REALLY   FOOLPROOF  way to " supplement "   Ur potassium  Guys .

Use either Kosher salt (  which is sea salt  and half potassium half sodium exactly the balance  that is found in our BODIES ....  ( because we come from the sea and 97 %  of our bodies are exactly the same mineral makeup as seawater ) ,sea salt or  potassium salt at home  (  called NO Salt ) .

Most  Athletes I know  exclusively use potassium salt in cooking ...  and that  balanced withthe exclusive  use of SODIUM   when U eat  away   from home gives U a pretty much 50-50  balance .

the one thing is  potassium salt tastes a considerably saltier - so use less of it  !! 

I personally keep  both 50/50  potassium salt (  LITE  salt )   and  regular 100%  potassium salt in my  arsenal and   use the latter for  things that require   a saltier taste - ie rice and beans .  

I very rarely use the former  because i use so many mixes  and  soy sauces etc .. all of which are made with regular sodium .    So it balances out .    But if someone wants table salt .. they get the  50/50 kind .  

A GREAT extra bonus  with using potassium salt  or  properly balanced salt  is U DONT crave more the next day .  The cravings are really because  uve  eaten one-sided and the body now craves POTASSIUM .to restore its balance   which tastes  the same...  

I have both Lite salt and sea salt, which does have some potassium in it. Switching the family over. Great ideas. Thanks.

--gina

Caitlyn is absolutely correct about the dangers of supplementing potassium without medical supervision. This is definitely a case that more is not necessarily better. It is a good idea to keep an eye on it, but potassium works with the other electrolytes to stay in balance and too much or too little of one, can upset the delicate balance and cause heart arrhythmia's, kidney problems, etc. The therapeutic range for the electrolytes is very narrow and I would NOT supplement with extra potassium unless my labs indicated the need to do so, and were outside the normal range.

I am an RN and would not supplement potassium, unless the values fell OUTSIDE the normal parameters. I would work with my PCP regarding this issue. The electrolyte balance is a delicate situation and increasing one electrolyte too much, could really cause problems and even death.


Gail

Please see my response to Caitlyn. Am I crazy?

--gina
 

Gina,

I'll have to see what the literature says about it. Malabsorption surgeries have been around for many years and we all know that malabsorption of micronutrients occur.  Whether or not, this affects potassium, I'm not sure, but I will ask the Bariatric Internist about it. I just know that I wouldn't supplement with potassium without knowing that I was too low. There is too much danger of cardiac problems and other issues to occur. Supplementing with vitamins is one thing, but prescription strength potassium supplements are reserved for those individuals that have kidney disease, cardiac problems, and taking diuretics (which pull potassium as well as sodium from the body). The OTC preparations are low for a good reason.

Our society may be low on potassium, which may be a contributing factor to hypertension, according to a recent article that I read, but prescription strength potassium is in a different league.

Gail

Please ask or research because I see low potassium happen with RNYrs and DSrs quite a bit...and remember Price had quite a scare with it earlier this year.
 
If we don't eat 4700mg of potassium via food as recommended, how are we supposed to get it? That's a lot of Morton's Lite Salt. 

--g