High Blood Pressure Support Group
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition wherein the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Persistent hypertension is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and arterial aneurysm, and is a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Doctors recommend weight loss and regular exercise as the first steps in treating mild to moderate...
Anyone here take potassium tablets?
My tiny half dose of diuretic is once again causing me to be hyperkalemic (low potassium) despite my big dose (32mg) of candesartan which is supposed to put you at risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium).
I have of course tried the natural route -- 2 - 3 bananas a day, plus orange juice, dried apricots etc in abundance, in addition to a vegetarian diet that should be rich enough in the first place. However, this alone will not lift me above 3.3 (reference range starts at 3.6 here; my doctor would like me up closer to my 'normal' level which is about 3.9.)
I was given a slow-release tablet (Slow-K) to start with, just one 600mg tablet a day (normal dose is 2+ but we need to be careful because of the candesartan). This lifted me to 3.5, but I had problems lasting much more than a week due to the nausea and loose bowels it caused me. On a postive note, within a day or two I was feeling less thirsty/dry-mouthed than I had for a long time.
My doctor suggested I try another formulation, this time effervescent (Sando-K), but after two days this seems to be doing similar things with my digestive system.
I am about to begin a new treatment for another condition, and the hospital would rather see me with healthy levels of potassium in case this treatment drives them down again.
Has anyone else had success with potassium tablets?
I have another option, which is to drop my diuretic, but I have done this in the past, and my BP slowly increases. (I have tried other BP medications with limited success)
I would be grateful to hear if anyone has had experience with these.
John
John
My tiny half dose of diuretic is once again causing me to be hyperkalemic (low potassium) despite my big dose (32mg) of candesartan which is supposed to put you at risk of hyperkalemia (too much potassium).
I have of course tried the natural route -- 2 - 3 bananas a day, plus orange juice, dried apricots etc in abundance, in addition to a vegetarian diet that should be rich enough in the first place. However, this alone will not lift me above 3.3 (reference range starts at 3.6 here; my doctor would like me up closer to my 'normal' level which is about 3.9.)
I was given a slow-release tablet (Slow-K) to start with, just one 600mg tablet a day (normal dose is 2+ but we need to be careful because of the candesartan). This lifted me to 3.5, but I had problems lasting much more than a week due to the nausea and loose bowels it caused me. On a postive note, within a day or two I was feeling less thirsty/dry-mouthed than I had for a long time.
My doctor suggested I try another formulation, this time effervescent (Sando-K), but after two days this seems to be doing similar things with my digestive system.
I am about to begin a new treatment for another condition, and the hospital would rather see me with healthy levels of potassium in case this treatment drives them down again.
Has anyone else had success with potassium tablets?
I have another option, which is to drop my diuretic, but I have done this in the past, and my BP slowly increases. (I have tried other BP medications with limited success)
I would be grateful to hear if anyone has had experience with these.
John
John
Jesus
May God touch you and bring you peace.
Nancy
The annoying thing is that I need only a tiny amount of thiazide (half usual starting dose) for it to work well with the candesartan. (I must also state that I find the full dose of any diuretic I have tried difficult to tolerate - I have tried a number of them)
I just looked up Aldactazide, which is a combination of potassium sparing diuretic (spironolactone) and hydrocholothiazide. I suspect I would have problems getting t
John
...I just looked up Aldactazide, which is a combination of potassium sparing diuretic (spironolactone) and hydrocholothiazide. I suspect I would have problems getting the correct dose (assuming I split the tablet in half).
John
What I do is to take my diuretics not every day .... I just take them a couple of days a week. But my case is different, I get the BP controlled by 3 other medicaments and use the diuretic only to release fluids.
Anyway, are you sure that the loss in potassium is due to the diuretic?? My understanding is that over the years diuretics make less effect (habituation).
Just a fast search tells me that kidney problems, low magnessium, and meds like insulin, asthma meds, and certain anthibiotics can produce loss of potassium.
Jesus
Every time I stop the diuretic (to try something else), my potassium levels return to a healthy level. I have gone off the diuretic a few times. So, yes, it does look like the diuretic.
John
I was hoping that I could fix this easily ahead of starting another drug (for a separate condition) -- but it appears not!
John
I need to get started on another tablet (not a BP one). This new tablet has a side effect in some people of reducing blood pressure. I will start on this as soon as the potassium blood test is through.
However, if after starting the new drug, I am not stable (potassium and BP) , the doctor suggests that we could try a potassium-sparing diuretic (such as spironolactone). possibly combined with a thiazide. This would be similar to what you take, Jesus.
John
BP has gone up a little bit (though still under 140/90 so far) but as I have started a different drug (not for BP) I need to see how I stabilise on that before worrying too much about BP (I am still on candesartan 32mg). I will have a blood test in a few weeks to see how the potassium is going, then possibly add in something like a potassium-sparing diuretic if needed.
John
Jesus
John
Despite your nickname, and this is a very long long shot, have you had your Vitamin D levels check out??
Although normal ranges are between 15-100, more and more studies indicate that they should be in 50-70 range to be considered adequate. It is estimate that 60% of people in western countries suffer deficiency of it.
Jesus