Hi Zuzu...

[momofmany]

Hi Zuzu,
I've got a question about the HCTZ. About 6 weeks ago my potassium level was 3.5. (I think that 3.6 is normal)SO, I started on 10 meq of potassium Chloride. About a week ago they did more blood work because I was having muscle cramps in my legs and feeling real tired. My potassium level is 3.3. Can the HCTZ be the cause of this? I have been on it for 18 months...wouldn't this have shown up earlier? By the way, they doubled the potassium, and are going to check it again in 2 or 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Mom

[zuzu8]

Hey Mom,

Depending on which lab does your blood tests, normal serum potassium reference range is 3.5 or 3.6- 5.0 mEq/L.

Yep. Prolonged thiazide diuretic therapy can be responsible for potassium depletion, although your level is hardly alarming, except of course that you're feeling tired and are having muscle cramps which are both possible effects of low potassium.

Are you still on Sectral as well as the HCTZ?

You have a few choices actually, regarding the potassium issue. One is to have your doctor prescribe a potassium-sparingcombo diuretic like Dyazide which is HCTZ (non-sparing)combined with triamterene (sparing) in one pill OR I think you can take Triamterene alone without HCTZ. I think. Talk to your doc about this possibility.

OR you can take the potassium supplement and see what happens in a couple of weeks.

OR you can up your levels by eating more FOODS rich in potassium. Not very hard to do either since there are so many delicious things high in potassium.

Personally, if I had the choice, I'd opt for the natural food route rather than yet another pill!

Here is a great great link to good potassium sources :

[url]www.*************.com/Potassium.html[/url]

(The boards don't parse links anymore so copy and paste into your address bar, minus, of course, the bracketed urls at head and tail)

Hope you feel better soon. You haven't even mentioned your BP #s so I'm guessing all is great there!

zuzu xx

[momofmany]

Hi Zuzu,
I just wanted to update you...I went for a check up yesterday. My blood pressure was 135/100, and my cholesterol was 217.(everything was good except the"bad" numbers were a little high) Since my potassium was still 3.3 he switched me to Dyazide. I am still on 200 mg Sectral. He also switched me from the actocore to Lipator. I guess we will see how is goes. He is getting pretty aggressive now since my mom had a heart attack a month or so ago. She is 63. Ah, thus is life.....
Mom

[zuzu8]

Mom,

Oh my...I'm sorry to hear about your mother....how is she doing now?

As for you, hopefully the dyazide, (which is a combo of two diuretics, one of them being potassium-sparing), should help. But in theory, you should not be taking potassium supplements on top of this. Are you? Your potassium level of 3.3 is not low enough to warrant them while you are just starting on Dyazide until you get another blood test.

zuzu xx

[momofmany]

Zuzu,
My mom had a stint put in and is doing great. About the potassium...I ask the doctor if I should stop it and he told me to wait. I am taking 20 meq. If my body gets too much potassium will it flush it out, or should I be looking for signs of potassium overdose? When he did the last batch of blood work it included the regular tests for kidneys, and they were fine. I don't go back to see the doctor for another month, and blood work isn't scheduled until February.
Mom