High serum potassium but low RBC potassium

[sk123]

What can cause a high potassium level with serum testing (5.6) but shows low on RBC potassium on nutreval? She does have chronic kidney disease and also has a lot muscular cramps of legs etc. RBC magnesium levels are normal. She is however wasting a lot of taurine in urine. This is possibly from intestinal candida. So what is the electrolyte deficiency that would be causing the cramps?
So what is gold standard to know if she is actually low in intercellular potassium or not. Go by serum and disregard the RBC potassium in case of CKD?
Thank you for any insights.

 

[pattismith]

hyperkalemia is a known complication in CKD, and it can trigger muscle cramps, weakness, tingling...

 

[boolybooly]

I recently had a bout of heart arrhythmia which I put down to a bug of some kind making me immunologically lower than usual, which is pretty low.

I found dosing potassium made it worse and conversely more salt i.e. sodium chloride helped to alleviate the arrhythmia and the muscle cramps I had previously when dosing magnesium (which I had put down to low calcium), so I was able to dose more magnesium by taking more sodium salt and that combination helped even more with the arrhythmia.

I think sodium can be seen as a competitor with potassium as they have similar chemistry, ditto Mg/Ca also Zn/Cu.

I think there is a subclinical bug going around which messes with potassium / sodium balance.

 

[aquariusgirl]

I was amazed to read on here that some folks were taking 2grams of potassium a DAY.
Then I upped my B1 & coincidentally ran a hair test and wound up at urgent care with painful bloating and some myalgia in arm and leg.
I thought it was gastritis. So did the PA at urgent care.
I took amoxicillin & nada..then I read a post on here about the symptoms of low potassium & I figured out my potassium had bottomed out.
The recent hair test showed potassium off the chart (dumping I assume?)
I reviewed old tests...and saw potassium dumping going back to 2006. I started on potassium. I felt better.
My doctor pointed out that low ATP can interfere with the potassium/sodium pump.
But there was no way she would tell me to take potassium given the cardiac risks and the fact my potassium was in range on blood tests.
So there you are..... it's a tricky one & I am in no shape to advise you.
A poster on here pointed out that the symptoms of potassium deficiency and excess are similar....so there's that.
you can google the risks of high potassium. I think they include a heart attack.
I guess celery juice is high in potassium if you choose to go that route.....

 

[aquariusgirl]

Ok, I didn't really factor in the CKD. Does this person have CFS also?
Taurine wasting... Pretty sure Yasko found this in CFS patients.

 

[virtual]

RBC or Erythrocytes make use of the Na+/K+-ATPase (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na+/K+-ATPase). This pumps Na+ out and K+ in. Sometimes this mechanism is damaged (genetically) and the potassium level in serum is high and inside the cells low. If this is the case the drug Ouabain (and other glycoside class drugs) could help to establish better levels of the cations.