Loud x Mouth
11-28-2003, 03:38 AM
Hi... I think this goes here, I don't know where else I would put it.
I had an asthma problem a few weeks ago and I ended up in the hospital overnight. While I was there, they told me that I have a low potassium level. They told me that it is 2.7.
I tried looking up something online to tell me why a low potassium level is bad, but for some reason I can't find anything. This is the only informational thing I found:
Our arms and legs, for example, need potassium for the muscles to move.
The heart would not beat without potassium, which is also necessary to regulate blood pressure.
Low potassium can cause irregular heart beats, a racing heart, or chest pains.
I don't know if that's true...but I was thinking about something.
At the doctors, after they found out it was low, they gave me this disgusting drink. So it should have raised it, right? But that was over a month ago, so maybe it's back down. I haven't really tried to keep track of the potassium I've been consuming.
Anyway - today I have a really really bad cramp in my left shoulder. I can barely move it. I can bend it at the elbow, but if i try and move it any other way, i feel a horrible pain. It started a few hours after I woke up.
Also - I get chest pains a lot. I feel like someone is squeezing the top of my heart and then stabbing the bottom part over and over again. It happened for one straight year, every day, but it went away for about 3 months. Now it's back, and has been here for about a week.
I was wondering if any you guys thought that was caused by my potassium level being low? Could they go together?
And also - what are some other reasons that low potassium is bad? I can't seem to find anything online, I must be stupid.
Sorry this is so long.
I had an asthma problem a few weeks ago and I ended up in the hospital overnight. While I was there, they told me that I have a low potassium level. They told me that it is 2.7.
I tried looking up something online to tell me why a low potassium level is bad, but for some reason I can't find anything. This is the only informational thing I found:
Our arms and legs, for example, need potassium for the muscles to move.
The heart would not beat without potassium, which is also necessary to regulate blood pressure.
Low potassium can cause irregular heart beats, a racing heart, or chest pains.
I don't know if that's true...but I was thinking about something.
At the doctors, after they found out it was low, they gave me this disgusting drink. So it should have raised it, right? But that was over a month ago, so maybe it's back down. I haven't really tried to keep track of the potassium I've been consuming.
Anyway - today I have a really really bad cramp in my left shoulder. I can barely move it. I can bend it at the elbow, but if i try and move it any other way, i feel a horrible pain. It started a few hours after I woke up.
Also - I get chest pains a lot. I feel like someone is squeezing the top of my heart and then stabbing the bottom part over and over again. It happened for one straight year, every day, but it went away for about 3 months. Now it's back, and has been here for about a week.
I was wondering if any you guys thought that was caused by my potassium level being low? Could they go together?
And also - what are some other reasons that low potassium is bad? I can't seem to find anything online, I must be stupid.
Sorry this is so long.
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zuzu8
11-28-2003, 08:38 AM
Hi Loud x Mouth-
You're not stupid at all! Most of us don't know much about potassium, or for that matter the other "salts" (known as electrolytes) in our blood (sodium, magnesium etc), until, like now, we discover that there might me a problem with them.
The normal range for potassium is 3.5- 5.5 mEq/L, so, as the doctors at the hospital said, 2.7 would be low.
It's very possible that if you had an asthma attack, or if your asthma is not being properly controlled, overbreathing or hyperventilating can cause something called alkalosis, where the normal Ph balance of the blood becomes too alkaline. This is called alkalosis. Alkalosis can lead to low potassium over time.
If you want to do some further searches on low potassium, the medical word for it is "hypokalemia". But you came up with some pretty reliable basic info already.
Some medications can deplete potassium, particularly diuretics and beta blockers, often given for people with heart disease, high blood pressure and ASTHMA. Are you on any of these meds?
Also, if you take theophyline for your asthma, that too can cause low potassium.
Your chest pain could be definitely be related and indicate heart issues and you should make an appointment as soon as possible to get a full work-up, plus a simple blood test to determine how your potassium levels are now (This blood test is called an "electrolyte panel"). The muscle cramping could also be related to an electrolyte problem overall, including sodium depletion.
See your doctor...Your potassium definitely needs correction but you need a doc to get to the bottom of it....you may need potassium supplements but do NOT take these without a doctor's supervision!!
In the meantime, here is a link to some foods that are good to eat for potassium:
http://www.stuartxchange.com/Potassium.html
Hope this helped a little...but see your doctor who will tell you what's going on for sure.
zuzu xxx
You're not stupid at all! Most of us don't know much about potassium, or for that matter the other "salts" (known as electrolytes) in our blood (sodium, magnesium etc), until, like now, we discover that there might me a problem with them.
The normal range for potassium is 3.5- 5.5 mEq/L, so, as the doctors at the hospital said, 2.7 would be low.
It's very possible that if you had an asthma attack, or if your asthma is not being properly controlled, overbreathing or hyperventilating can cause something called alkalosis, where the normal Ph balance of the blood becomes too alkaline. This is called alkalosis. Alkalosis can lead to low potassium over time.
If you want to do some further searches on low potassium, the medical word for it is "hypokalemia". But you came up with some pretty reliable basic info already.
Some medications can deplete potassium, particularly diuretics and beta blockers, often given for people with heart disease, high blood pressure and ASTHMA. Are you on any of these meds?
Also, if you take theophyline for your asthma, that too can cause low potassium.
Your chest pain could be definitely be related and indicate heart issues and you should make an appointment as soon as possible to get a full work-up, plus a simple blood test to determine how your potassium levels are now (This blood test is called an "electrolyte panel"). The muscle cramping could also be related to an electrolyte problem overall, including sodium depletion.
See your doctor...Your potassium definitely needs correction but you need a doc to get to the bottom of it....you may need potassium supplements but do NOT take these without a doctor's supervision!!
In the meantime, here is a link to some foods that are good to eat for potassium:
http://www.stuartxchange.com/Potassium.html
Hope this helped a little...but see your doctor who will tell you what's going on for sure.
zuzu xxx
Loud x Mouth
11-28-2003, 09:25 AM
Thank you so much for all of that information...that helped me a lot. I'm going to go look up hypokalemia as soon as I finish this reply.
I don't take any medication for my asthma. Well, I mean, I've always had an inhaler (albuterol), but my asthma is very very mild, so I only take that about once a year. I'm not on any other kind of medication either.
I actually kind of think I know WHY I have low potassium. I'm not exactly what you would call a healthy eater...I fast a lot, restrict, eat too much...all of that good stuff. I don't eat right. Plus, I don't eat any meat, eggs, or drink milk. So that's more than likely the reason. I just wasn't sure if the chest pains and muscle cramps were linked to the low potassium, because I had no idea why it would be considered bad. I knew nothing about it.
You said you think I should make an appointment to get blood work done and to check up on my heart. Do you think if I just started eating more foods with potassium I could fix all of this myself instead of going to the doctor for work or to talk about supplements? I still feel bad about costing my dad money from my last hospital visit...
Thanks for all of your help.
I don't take any medication for my asthma. Well, I mean, I've always had an inhaler (albuterol), but my asthma is very very mild, so I only take that about once a year. I'm not on any other kind of medication either.
I actually kind of think I know WHY I have low potassium. I'm not exactly what you would call a healthy eater...I fast a lot, restrict, eat too much...all of that good stuff. I don't eat right. Plus, I don't eat any meat, eggs, or drink milk. So that's more than likely the reason. I just wasn't sure if the chest pains and muscle cramps were linked to the low potassium, because I had no idea why it would be considered bad. I knew nothing about it.
You said you think I should make an appointment to get blood work done and to check up on my heart. Do you think if I just started eating more foods with potassium I could fix all of this myself instead of going to the doctor for work or to talk about supplements? I still feel bad about costing my dad money from my last hospital visit...
Thanks for all of your help.
zuzu8
11-28-2003, 04:18 PM
Loud x Mouth- If your last known potassium level was @ 2.7 and you've been having chest pain, I would definitely see a doctor first. It very well may be that a doctor will reassure you and send you home with instructions to eat a more balanced diet.
But hypokalemia can be very serious and is absolutely nothing to second-guess. I would not fool around with this. Get the blood test.
zuzu xx
But hypokalemia can be very serious and is absolutely nothing to second-guess. I would not fool around with this. Get the blood test.
zuzu xx