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Identifying Low Potassium Symptoms

arx

Senior Member
Messages
532
Hi,

I've been wondering about this for a while. I want to know what all symptoms people have experienced with low potassium. Sometimes when I'm feeling shortness of breath,weakness, anxiety,mental fatigue.. potassium makes it a bit better. Sometimes when I get tingling, potassium makes it better.

So I could never really come up with a definitive list of symptoms that I could attribute to low potassium. I guess it changes with supplement intake.

As potassium is a serious thing and one should get it regularly checked, I just want to know what all symptoms you guys experience with low potassium. This would help in getting a fair view of symptoms, which I think will be for the benefit of people who are or have been on B12 protocols.

I was planning to prepare a poll, but there is no way to add new options to a poll.

Please share your experiences and what symptoms you have attributed to low potassium.

Thanks.
 

arx

Senior Member
Messages
532
I'll go ahead and share a post by Fred on hypokalemia. This way we can have all the info about low potassium symptoms in one thread. Do share your experiences also.

Hypokalemia onset. Symptoms may appear with serum potassium as high as 4.3. May become dangerous if ignored. Considered “rare” with cyanocobalamin it is very common with methylb12 and adensosylb12 and less so with hydroxycobalamin..
IBS – Steady constipation , Nausea, Vomiting, Paralyzed Ileum, Hard knots of muscle, Sudden muscle spasms when relaxed, Sudden muscle spasms when stretching , Sudden muscle spasms when kneeling, Sudden muscle spasms when reaching , Sudden muscle spasms when turning upper body to side, Tightening of muscles, neck muscles, Muscle weakness, Abnormal heart rhythms (dysrhythmias), Increased pulse rate, Increased blood pressure, Emotional changes and/or instability, dermal or sub-dermal Itching, and if not treated potentially paralysis and death.
 
Messages
95
I have experienced both high K and low K - both have heart arrhythmia.

I have reached a point where I can't tell which is which anymore and need to be able to.

I am concerned about going too low of K by taking the B12 and MFolate and TMG right now. I am taking some K (I have potassium bicarbonate powder I am using) not sure how good it is - but I am also aware the my diet has more Na and less K than it used to. A year ago I was finally told my Na and Cl were too low in electrolytes and to increase salt and decrease water.
 

arx

Senior Member
Messages
532
kelly138
How much did you take that led you to hyperkalemia?

I've experienced the same. I need to know what symptoms I can attribute to low potassium. That's why I created this thread.
 

freshveggies

Senior Member
Messages
196
for me the symptoms are constipation, tight knots my my shoulder blades. Stiff neck and shoulders. sometimes itchy tingly skin.
 
Messages
95
the time I was hyperK was long ago ----- there have been other times I have suspected it

I seem to be very sensitive to K/Na balance and wish I could better tell which one I need at the time I have symptoms.

I too am looking for insight.

I also get palpitations when I eat too much free glutamate so I can't even attribute all the heart palpitations to a sodium potassium imbalance.
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
I've experienced heart palpitations and tachycardia. I noticed this happen a lot when I would lie down after having sat at the computer for a period of time. I don't know why I didn't notice it when I was sitting at the computer.
 

xjhuez

Senior Member
Messages
175
My potassium over the years has ranged from 4.0 to 4.4 and I constantly have muscle tightness and will often cramp, even after warming/stretching. (I've never blamed potassium because "normal" range is as low as 3.5) And this was before beginning my mb12 - I'd better start supping. What do folks here recommend? Potassium chloride powder?
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
My potassium over the years has ranged from 4.0 to 4.4 and I constantly have muscle tightness and will often cramp, even after warming/stretching. (I've never blamed potassium because "normal" range is as low as 3.5) And this was before beginning my mb12 - I'd better start supping. What do folks here recommend? Potassium chloride powder?
Potassium chloride is one of the cheapest (especially in powder form), but some people have voiced concern about the effect of its acidic pH on the digestive tract. I take both chloride and gluconate in powder form from NOW Foods. There are certain foods that are also high in potassium and V8 juice is another option. There's also V8 low sodium that has potassium chloride added. I have no idea what's the best. I take chloride and gluconate because they're cheap :)
 

dbkita

Senior Member
Messages
655
My potassium over the years has ranged from 4.0 to 4.4 and I constantly have muscle tightness and will often cramp, even after warming/stretching. (I've never blamed potassium because "normal" range is as low as 3.5) And this was before beginning my mb12 - I'd better start supping. What do folks here recommend? Potassium chloride powder?
Maybe you have a problem with potassium getting into the intracellular space but a fasting result of 4-4.4 is something I would kill for ... sorry I don't see that as the culprit. Maybe I am wrong.

Remember your fasting result on a CMP will be the nadir for the day. As you eat / supplement it will go up. I had values last summer when on higher amounts of methylfolate where even taking in 10-11 grams a day I was at 3.2-3.3 for many months. When I did timed tests (one for serum potassium in the morning and one in the late afternoon), the serum levels would rise to 4.4-4.8 by the latter time.
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
Some sources say tiredness is a symptom of low potassium, but if hypokalemia is from overmethylation then wouldn't the anxiety/overstimulation associated with that override the tiredness?
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
Hi,

I've been wondering about this for a while. I want to know what all symptoms people have experienced with low potassium. Sometimes when I'm feeling shortness of breath,weakness, anxiety,mental fatigue.. potassium makes it a bit better. Sometimes when I get tingling, potassium makes it better.

So I could never really come up with a definitive list of symptoms that I could attribute to low potassium. I guess it changes with supplement intake.

As potassium is a serious thing and one should get it regularly checked, I just want to know what all symptoms you guys experience with low potassium. This would help in getting a fair view of symptoms, which I think will be for the benefit of people who are or have been on B12 protocols.

I was planning to prepare a poll, but there is no way to add new options to a poll.

Please share your experiences and what symptoms you have attributed to low potassium.

Thanks.


Group 1 – Hypokalemia onset. Symptoms may appear with serum potassium as high as 4.3. May become dangerous if ignored. Considered “rare” with cyanocobalamin it is very common with methylb12 and adensosylb12 and less so with hydroxycobalamin..

IBS – Steady constipation , Nausea, Vomiting, Paralyzed Ileum, Hard knots of muscle, Sudden muscle spasms when relaxed, Sudden muscle spasms when stretching , Sudden muscle spasms when kneeling, Sudden muscle spasms when reaching , Sudden muscle spasms when turning upper body to side, Tightening of muscles, spasms and excruciating pain in neck muscles, waking up screaming in pain from muscle spasms in legs. Muscle weakness, Abnormal heart rhythms (dysrhythmias), Increased pulse rate, Increased blood pressure, Emotional changes and/or instability, dermal or sub-dermal Itching, and if not treated potentially paralysis and death.

Group 2a - Both

IBS – Diarrhea alternating with constipation, IBS – Normal alternating with constipation

Group 2b – Either or both

Headache, Increased malaise, Fatigue

Group 3 - Induced and/or Paradoxical Folate deficiency or insufficiency

IBS – Steady diarrhea, IBS – Diarrhea alternating with normal, Stomach ache, Uneasy digestive tract, increased hypersensitive responses , Skin rashes, Increased acne, Skin peeling around fingernails, Skin cracking and peeling at fingertips, Angular Cheilitis, Canker sores, Coated tongue, Runny nose, Increased allergies, Increased Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Increased asthma, rapidly increasing Generalized inflammation in body, Increased Inflammation pain in muscles, Increased Inflammation pain in joints, Achy muscles, Flu like symptoms, Depression, Less sociable, Impaired planning and logic, Brain fog, Low energy, Light headedness, Sluggishness, Forgetfulness, Confusion, Difficulty walking, Behavioral disorders, Dementia, Reduced sense of taste, Increase irritability, Loss of reflexes, Fevers, Old symptoms returning, Heart palpitations, Bleeding easily.



Group 4 - Hydroxycbl onset, degraded methylcbl onset, methylcbl after photolytic breakdown onset.

Itchy bumps generally on scalp or face that develops to acne like lesions in a few days from start.

 

dbkita

Senior Member
Messages
655
Some sources say tiredness is a symptom of low potassium, but if hypokalemia is from overmethylation then wouldn't the anxiety/overstimulation associated with that override the tiredness?
I think fatigue is not usually associated with low potassium unless it is VERY low in the serum (i.e. <2.9). Then again if your electrolytes are low and your try to use your muscles or do cardio you will have both tachycardia and fatigue ... not fun. There are a lot of things that low potassium does but there are a ton of other things that can cause fatigue (Mr. immune system is the one almost everyone on these boards seems to ignore for some reason).
 

xjhuez

Senior Member
Messages
175
Maybe you have a problem with potassium getting into the intracellular space but a fasting result of 4-4.4 is something I would kill for ... sorry I don't see that as the culprit. Maybe I am wrong.

Yes, could be an intracellular transport issue. The culprit is a mystery to me. All I know is I have issues with my skeletal muscles - easily fatigued, tightness, resistance to hypertrophy, love to atrophy, etc. Could be cortisol or myriad other things for all I know.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
I get a tingly, pins-and-needles type numbness in my hands which my docs say can be from that. Also with K+ supplementation generalized weakness and heart rate/arrythmias improved.

There is a (new?) cheek swab test which tests cellular ions including potassium. I have orders and a kit for it but haven't taken it yet. It also tests phosphorus which isn't typically included with CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel).
 

dbkita

Senior Member
Messages
655
Yes, could be an intracellular transport issue. The culprit is a mystery to me. All I know is I have issues with my skeletal muscles - easily fatigued, tightness, resistance to hypertrophy, love to atrophy, etc. Could be cortisol or myriad other things for all I know.
Other suspects can be hypothyroidism (even if T3 levels fine, RT3 may be high), chronically high norepinephrine levels, irregular cortisol patterns, high ammonia levels, low Krebs cycle activity, cellular hypoxia, etc.
 

xjhuez

Senior Member
Messages
175
Other suspects can be hypothyroidism (even if T3 levels fine, RT3 may be high), chronically high norepinephrine levels, irregular cortisol patterns, high ammonia levels, low Krebs cycle activity, cellular hypoxia, etc.

Funny you mention the thyroid - I just got my blood results and 3 items on my "hormonal assay" are low.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 1.22
Total Thyroxine (T4) 5.0
Triiodothyronine (T3) 80

T3 is below normal and the other two are at the bottom end of normal. I have no idea on rT3.

Ammonia could be an issue due to my CBS polymorphisms - haven't looked into that yet.

Potassium was 4 again, although as you said this doesn't mean it's readily available to my cells.
 
Messages
99
I get a tingly, pins-and-needles type numbness in my hands which my docs say can be from that. Also with K+ supplementation generalized weakness and heart rate/arrythmias improved.

There is a (new?) cheek swab test which tests cellular ions including potassium. I have orders and a kit for it but haven't taken it yet. It also tests phosphorus which isn't typically included with CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel).

I have low-normal serum potassium levels (3.6 to 4.0), tingling, and fatigue. When I take potassium chloride (3 tablets at 99mg), though, my tingling and fatigue subside for awhile. I wish I could test the potassium level in my tissues-- does the new cheek swab test do that?

Do you have more information on where to find the cheek swab test? I didn't see it in the QuestLabs test menu.

Thanks