Comments on: Freaky high potassium! http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/ Kidney dialysis and transplant news and views Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:19:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Tacrolimus level bouncing around » therenalunit.com http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-7136 Tacrolimus level bouncing around » therenalunit.com Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:27:01 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-7136 [...] I assume that this is because the level of the drug is highest in your blood at this time, just feels a little too wierd, and a little too like the symptoms of freaky high potassium to me. [...] […] I assume that this is because the level of the drug is highest in your blood at this time, just feels a little too wierd, and a little too like the symptoms of freaky high potassium to me. […]

]]> By: Phil Kuppersmith http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-6642 Phil Kuppersmith Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:00:54 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-6642 My Potassium level is 6.1 now. I drink approx. 3 glasses of red wine each night. Is this the reason why my level is high? My Potassium level is 6.1 now. I drink approx. 3 glasses of red wine each night. Is this the reason why my level is high?

]]> By: Daisy http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-6253 Daisy Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:51:27 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-6253 Somebody suggested I need potassium but my potassium level seems to be withing the low end of normal.. I get knotted muscles at odd times and in odd places. I do recognize that when I exercise my legs a lot, I get the knotted muscles in the morning as I am waking up and it turns into complete agony. Sometimes it hits me in the middle of the night too.. having to get up and walk the knots out when the pain is so great it brings tears to my eyes. I tried taking calcium for this but the knots continue. I am wondering if taking potassium OTC would be worth a shot. Is potassium known for helping muscle spasms? Strangely enough, drinking a cup of cool water seems to help. I think I'm going nuts from lack of sleep and fear of sleeping and waking up in a knot from which I can't get my feet on the floor to walk the knot out.. Somebody suggested I need potassium but my potassium level seems to be withing the low end of normal.. I get knotted muscles at odd times and in odd places. I do recognize that when I exercise my legs a lot, I get the knotted muscles in the morning as I am waking up and it turns into complete agony. Sometimes it hits me in the middle of the night too.. having to get up and walk the knots out when the pain is so great it brings tears to my eyes. I tried taking calcium for this but the knots continue. I am wondering if taking potassium OTC would be worth a shot. Is potassium known for helping muscle spasms? Strangely enough, drinking a cup of cool water seems to help. I think I’m going nuts from lack of sleep and fear of sleeping and waking up in a knot from which I can’t get my feet on the floor to walk the knot out..

]]> By: Bloody Christmas - therenalunit.com http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-968 Bloody Christmas - therenalunit.com Sun, 15 Oct 2006 07:04:36 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-968 [...] After my Freaky High Potassium last Christmas, I’ve been giving some thought to boycotting Christmas altogether this year. [...] […] After my Freaky High Potassium last Christmas, I’ve been giving some thought to boycotting Christmas altogether this year. […]

]]> By: Cheap, simple potassium meter released* - therenalunit.com http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-26 Cheap, simple potassium meter released* - therenalunit.com Sun, 16 Jul 2006 23:35:30 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-26 [...] Since my freaky high potassium at Christmas, I’ve been really paranoid about killing myself by having a high potassium level. I’ve become so damned careful what I eat, and so hyper-aware of any symptoms of high potassium that I’m just about driving myself crazy. [...] […] Since my freaky high potassium at Christmas, I’ve been really paranoid about killing myself by having a high potassium level. I’ve become so damned careful what I eat, and so hyper-aware of any symptoms of high potassium that I’m just about driving myself crazy. […]

]]> By: eva http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-10 eva Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:32:34 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-10 has happened to us all. Don't beat yourself up, learn from it! has happened to us all. Don’t beat yourself up, learn from it!

]]> By: DiscoStu http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-8 DiscoStu Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:08:05 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-8 Hi Alice, I wasn't really sure why they were giving me Calcium either. It's not the same as resonium. (Which I'd never had access to as my previous doctor didn't make available to me because I'd always had low potassium levels (7 mEq/L with toxic ECG changes), you need to shift potassium into the cells and eliminate potassium from the body. Therapies that shift potassium will act rapidly but they are temporary; if the serum potassium rebounds you may need to repeat those therapies. In order of priority, treatment includes the following: * Shift potassium into cells: 1. Calcium chloride (10%): 500 to 1000 mg (5 to 10 mL) IV over 2 to 5 minutes to reduce the effects of potassium at the myocardial cell membrane (lowers risk of ventricular fibrillation [VF]) 2. Sodium bicarbonate: 50 mEq IV over 5 minutes (may be less effective for patients with end-stage renal disease) 3. Glucose plus insulin: mix 25 g (50 mL of D50) glucose and 10 U regular insulin and give IV over 15 to 30 minutes 4. Nebulized albuterol: 10 to 20 mg nebulized over 15 minutes5–7 " ......at this address: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/112/24_suppl/IV-121 Cheers Stu Hi Alice, I wasn’t really sure why they were giving me Calcium either. It’s not the same as resonium. (Which I’d never had access to as my previous doctor didn’t make available to me because I’d always had low potassium levels (7 mEq/L with toxic ECG changes), you need to shift potassium into the cells and eliminate potassium from the body. Therapies that shift potassium will act rapidly but they are temporary; if the serum potassium rebounds you may need to repeat those therapies. In order of priority, treatment includes the following:

* Shift potassium into cells:
1. Calcium chloride (10%): 500 to 1000 mg (5 to 10 mL) IV over 2 to 5 minutes to reduce the effects of potassium at the myocardial cell membrane (lowers risk of ventricular fibrillation [VF])
2. Sodium bicarbonate: 50 mEq IV over 5 minutes (may be less effective for patients with end-stage renal disease)
3. Glucose plus insulin: mix 25 g (50 mL of D50) glucose and 10 U regular insulin and give IV over 15 to 30 minutes
4. Nebulized albuterol: 10 to 20 mg nebulized over 15 minutes5–7 ”

……at this address: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/112/24_suppl/IV-121

Cheers

Stu

]]> By: Alice http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-7 Alice Mon, 30 Jan 2006 02:48:57 +0000 http://blog.therenalunit.com/2005/12/27/freaky-high-potassium/#comment-7 You poor buggar! Stuart, what's the calcium you referred to? Is that what I know as resonium? cheers Alice You poor buggar! Stuart, what’s the calcium you referred to? Is that what I know as resonium?
cheers Alice

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