How Much Potassium to begin with?

[Ema]

1. Potassium off the shelf - Usually sold as Potassium Citrate/Gluconate/Asparate, and limited to 99mg. This is the what most people here buy, and this is also the one that is dangerous to start taking half a dozen at a time because it concentrates the dose. This is NOT a slow release tablet.
2. Potassium via doctors prescription - This comes under many brand names. Let's take Klotrix
   
   as an example. This is a potassium cholride in a special film-coated wax-matrix tablet....specially designed for slow release purposes. This is "safer" however take note of this precaution on the label EVEN though it's slow release. "​
   BECAUSE OF REPORTS OF INTESTINAL AND GASTRIC ULCERATION AND BLEEDING WITH CONTROLLED-RELEASE POTASSIUM CHLORIDE PREPARATIONS, THESE DRUGS SHOULD BE RESERVED.... " ​
   http://www.drugs.com/pro/klotrix.html

You can easily get enough potassium from your diet, you just have to structure your diet and eat the appropriate potassium rich content food.

I think you've misread my posts. I'll try to be clearer.

I would never suggest taking 99 mg OTC potassium tablets to correct a potassium deficiency. Personally, for me, I don't feel that they work well and the dose required is too hard to dole out in a slow fashion in order to avoid getting too much at once. This method makes it hard to bypass the feedback mechanism and actually raise the potassium level. I've never disagreed with that as you say I have.

However, I do not think that one can get enough potassium from the diet in many cases (especially when potassium wasting drugs are involved) and many will need supplementation with slow release potassium supplements. These are OTC in many countries as well and are considerably safer than trying to take large doses of the 99 mg variety in the opinion of every doctor I've ever queried on the topic when appropriate labs are done regularly.

Your last statement may be true for you, but it is not true for me and many others.

I've also queried doctors, pharmacists and other forum groups and never found a single person that has suffered gastric ulceration or bleeding from slow release potassium. That isn't to say that it has never happened but that it is not uncommon for labeling to have more to do with legal reasons than actual risk to patients. There are many cases of labeling that fit this description describing risks that are more theoretical than applicable in real life.

 

[SickOfSickness]

Time release does not seem commonly available if you have no prescription. I see a prescription drug Klor-Con that comes as 600mg or 750mg and the directions say you can take two of the 750mg together, but not more than two. Generics are apparently available. I would like to take 2-4 of these pills to get all the potassium I need.

 

[Ema]

Time release does not seem commonly available if you have no prescription.

In the US, one can mail order from many Canadian pharmacies where they are available OTC in 10 and 20 mEQ strengths.

I had good luck with one called Blue Sky.

 

[SickOfSickness]

Thanks. I don't think I can afford the pills either. I was assuming they would be cheap

How about I take a 99mg every time I remember, at least 90 mins apart? I would only remember 4-6 times, but it gets me closer.

 

[minkeygirl]

I can't afford to drink 3-6 glasses of quality coconut water per day. I would if I could. I hated the taste too, the brand I tried. I would have to mix it in a smoothie.

You can get coconut water on Amazon Subscribe and Save. O.N.E is pretty cheap, I think the Mango is under $14 for 24 8oz things. Also iHerb is the same price right now.

 

[minkeygirl]

Freddd takes about 8 to 10 99 mg potassium tablets at a time. FYI

 

[SickOfSickness]

Ok I am feeling better because I researched more. I realized I eat chard, spinach, and potatoes and they give me a lot of mg. It is still not enough but I can manage. When I wasn't eating chard and spinach, I think I craved potassium foods and couldn't stop eating them.

A baked potato with skin would be the easy and cheap way, along with beans, chard, spinach. A regular sized potato has almost 1g with skin!

 

[minkeygirl]

Haha, I was just going to look to see what I already eat that has potassium.

I eat blueberries every morning in my oatmeal with almond milk, and also have waffle fries, sweet potato fries or baked potato with dinner. I eat asparagus or brussels sprouts and iceberg lettuce. I think we are good and maybe just need to supplement a little.

Cool!

 

[Ema]

A baked potato with skin would be the easy and cheap way, along with beans, chard, spinach. A regular sized potato has almost 1g with skin!

Just make sure to account for the fact that only about 85% of dietary potassium is absorbed...in a healthy person.

 

[SickOfSickness]

Ok.

LOL this page is just us 3 cool cats

 

[minkeygirl]

Thanks.

 

[minkeygirl]

Ok.

LOL this page is just us 3 cool cats

Haha!!! Yep we be cool!

 

[Ema]

That's great! Cats rule...

 

[Phred]

So is potassium chloride in powder form a good option, or no? I found some that has 730mg per 1/4 tsp. It can be added to water or fruit juice.

First post. Hi everybody! *waves*

 

[Googsta]

Just make sure to account for the fact that only about 85% of dietary potassium is absorbed...in a healthy person.

This is exactly my problem, I am not absorbing enough of anything from my diet. I have no remarkable gut or intestinal issues to account for it either.

Can I just ask that people refrain from making this discussion personal, it's not pleasant to ask a question regarding a supplement & be told to call yourself an ambulance .

Friendly suggestions are most welcome .

 

[Adster]

I wouldn't take potassium chloride in a drink in any decent amount, it's really hard on the stomach lining if you don't put it in a main sized meal. Hurts a lot!