snowathlete
Senior Member
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- 5,374
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- UK
It was my daughters first birthday today so went to Bristol aquarium about an hour from our house. I forgot to take my tablets this morning before I left, including my 99mg of potassium. I figured it would be okay until evening when I usually take my second dose.
I WAS VERY WRONG!
On the way home about four o clock I was driving and started to get tingling in my stomach. Then my chest. I pulled into a layby. Then my arms and hands tingled, then my nose and then my face.
I tried to speak to my wife but my words came out slurred-I couldn't control my face muscles properly.
Then the pain started. In the backs of my shoulders. It got worse quickly. My wife phoned 999 (911 to my American cousins). By the time the ambulance arrived I was in a lot of pain, and I had twigged what the cause was-low potassium. We had a banana with us so I quickly ate it. I was hitting my head against the steering wheel because the pain was so bad. It was like cramp I have had after heavy exercise many years ago, but you couldn't stretch it out.
The paramedic gave me morphine and gas and air. It didn't help.
After a while the banana did, a bit. On arrival at hospital my pain had gone from 9/10 to 7 or 8/10. Over the next hour it dropped to 6. Much more bearable.
I explained what was happening and that I had ME. The doctor said he thought I had had a panic attack. I te him I didn't. He then told me that they didn't call it ME anymore, but CFS. I told him again that he was wrong. He wanted to discharge me.
I told him to run a potassium test first. Grudgingly he did "it will come back high" he told me.
Five minutes later he came back sheepish, it had come back low.
He took more blood to get a formal reading and to test some other stuff. Two hours later a much more pleasant doctor came in and apologised that they had lost my blood and needed to take more. Rather than wait so they would give me potassium I got her to take the blood then discharge me so I could go take some potassium. Got home took some and feel a lot better. Pain now 3/10. I get the eesults of my test tomorrow.
Conclusion: do not go anywhere without potassium and don't forget to take it. Even if on a relatively low dose like me and haven't had any significant low potassium symptoms before. It hits hard and sudden if you stop respecting it.
I WAS VERY WRONG!
On the way home about four o clock I was driving and started to get tingling in my stomach. Then my chest. I pulled into a layby. Then my arms and hands tingled, then my nose and then my face.
I tried to speak to my wife but my words came out slurred-I couldn't control my face muscles properly.
Then the pain started. In the backs of my shoulders. It got worse quickly. My wife phoned 999 (911 to my American cousins). By the time the ambulance arrived I was in a lot of pain, and I had twigged what the cause was-low potassium. We had a banana with us so I quickly ate it. I was hitting my head against the steering wheel because the pain was so bad. It was like cramp I have had after heavy exercise many years ago, but you couldn't stretch it out.
The paramedic gave me morphine and gas and air. It didn't help.
After a while the banana did, a bit. On arrival at hospital my pain had gone from 9/10 to 7 or 8/10. Over the next hour it dropped to 6. Much more bearable.
I explained what was happening and that I had ME. The doctor said he thought I had had a panic attack. I te him I didn't. He then told me that they didn't call it ME anymore, but CFS. I told him again that he was wrong. He wanted to discharge me.
I told him to run a potassium test first. Grudgingly he did "it will come back high" he told me.
Five minutes later he came back sheepish, it had come back low.
He took more blood to get a formal reading and to test some other stuff. Two hours later a much more pleasant doctor came in and apologised that they had lost my blood and needed to take more. Rather than wait so they would give me potassium I got her to take the blood then discharge me so I could go take some potassium. Got home took some and feel a lot better. Pain now 3/10. I get the eesults of my test tomorrow.
Conclusion: do not go anywhere without potassium and don't forget to take it. Even if on a relatively low dose like me and haven't had any significant low potassium symptoms before. It hits hard and sudden if you stop respecting it.