Managing Potassium Deficiency - Share your experience

[Freddd]

thanks Fred, interesting that you think ALA might be ATP support because when I take it around the clock I get more and more wired as the days go by...

Your comments give me hope for my wife's situation where I think chelation is too complex / difficult for her so I hope to accomplish the same thing with methylation.

Hi Howirecovered,

I found that TMG brought ATP wiring down quite a bit by changing the balance. Good luck.

 

[EastWest]

I've not read the whole thread but thought I would post my experience. I was taking 20 MEQ prescription potassium, 2 -4 packets a day for many months as I just seemed to always be low on potassium since starting the protocol over a year ago. Magnesium has tended to be low for me over time via various testing. I was using oral magnesium glycinate and magnesium sulfate via injection 1-2 times a week. In September, I realized I was not tolerating the magnesium glycinate (severe bloating among other things). Then I realized I was very low on magnesium and started taking daily shots to see if it would help. I started immediately feeling much better, more energy and stamina certainly. And I stopped needing potassium almost totally. Since then I have taken it only once or twice and am not sure I really needed it.

Then I stopped tolerating the magnesium shots somewhat. I discovered that by taking some Nutrimedix Sparga (sulfur detox) drops that I can resume taking the shots as often as I need them. I'm not taking any oral magnesium right now.

My sense is that low magnesium was a blockage for me.

 

[veronica_corningstone]

@Freddd - Do you have any thoughts on testing for the B1, B2, and B3 vitamins? All of my testing says I need more, but my potassium intake is crazy high.

A couple of months ago, I was on 1/2 of Yasko's Ultimate B which was 25mg of B2 and much lower amounts of B1 and B3 than you recommend. At that point, I was already up to 4-5g/day of potassium. I did a hair and urine elements test and potassium was a little high in urine and rock bottom on hair. I also did a MAP and once again, it pointed to needing more B1, B3, but especially B2.

I went up to a whole Ultimate B, so now 50mg B2 (all of it is Riboflavin 5-Phosphate) and now need 6-7g/potassium. I feel pretty great on this combination - much better than I have in a long, long time.

However, I was unable to get potassium in all day at work yesterday and tried to double up in the evening, but there's no way my body was able to absorb much of the 4g I took between 6-10pm last night and I'm HURTING today.

I hate being so on the edge with potassium but if testing keeps saying I need B2, perhaps I need to just get more disciplined and not allow myself to go 8 hours during the day without potassium.

 

[Freddd]

@Freddd - Do you have any thoughts on testing for the B1, B2, and B3 vitamins? All of my testing says I need more, but my potassium intake is crazy high.

A couple of months ago, I was on 1/2 of Yasko's Ultimate B which was 25mg of B2 and much lower amounts of B1 and B3 than you recommend. At that point, I was already up to 4-5g/day of potassium. I did a hair and urine elements test and potassium was a little high in urine and rock bottom on hair. I also did a MAP and once again, it pointed to needing more B1, B3, but especially B2.

I went up to a whole Ultimate B, so now 50mg B2 (all of it is Riboflavin 5-Phosphate) and now need 6-7g/potassium. I feel pretty great on this combination - much better than I have in a long, long time.

However, I was unable to get potassium in all day at work yesterday and tried to double up in the evening, but there's no way my body was able to absorb much of the 4g I took between 6-10pm last night and I'm HURTING today.

I hate being so on the edge with potassium but if testing keeps saying I need B2, perhaps I need to just get more disciplined and not allow myself to go 8 hours during the day without potassium.

Hi Veronica,

"but if testing keeps saying I need B2,"

What testing?

much lower amounts of B1 and B3 than you recommend

Not that I recommend. That I suggest as a MAXIMUM.

 

[veronica_corningstone]

Hi Veronica,

"but if testing keeps saying I need B2,"

What testing?

much lower amounts of B1 and B3 than you recommend

Not that I recommend. That I suggest as a MAXIMUM.

The most recent test is the Genova MAP which showed me slightly deficient in B1, B3 and very deficient in B2.

At the time of the test, I was taking about 30mg/day of B2 and B3. The level of benfotiamine is not listed, so I assumed that meant the level is low, which as I'm writing this, suddenly strikes me as not a great assumption. At these levels (and about 3mg of mB12, 3mg of aB12, 3mg of hB12, 100mcg methylfolate, 500mg l-carnitine - haven't moved over to LCF yet), I needed 4-5g of potassium.

After the test, I doubled B1, B2, and B3, so I'm now up to 60mg/day of B2 and B3 (5mg mB12, 4mg aB12, 3mg hB12, 100mcg methylfolate, 500mg l-carnitine). And now 6-7g of potassium is barely doing it for me.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Assuming they are water soluble, the B2 and B3 will wash out of your body in a few hours. Have you tried doubling they number of doses that you take rather than doubling the size of the doses?

 

[howirecovered]

Is anyone else here taking isocort or hydrocortisone? have started to wonder if my potassium loss is caused by cortisol supplementation... Seems to be a known side effect. I'm currently on 7 isocort tablets per day down from 9 a couple months ago and have been supplementing for years.

 

[caledonia]

In fact, I experience roughly the same side effects from chelation that I experience when increasing methylation...

I get the same thing, and this is because there are three things which can cause metal detoxification:

1) the bad bacteria hold onto metals, so doing a gut program and killing the bad bacterial will release metals

2) doing methylation treatment will release metals

3) a specific chelation program with DMSA, ALA, etc. will release metals

I've done low level chelation with DMSA etc. in the past, but knowing what I know now, I would save that as a last treatment (if it's even necessary) after doing #1 and #2 above.

 

[Freddd]

The most recent test is the Genova MAP which showed me slightly deficient in B1, B3 and very deficient in B2.

At the time of the test, I was taking about 30mg/day of B2 and B3. The level of benfotiamine is not listed, so I assumed that meant the level is low, which as I'm writing this, suddenly strikes me as not a great assumption. At these levels (and about 3mg of mB12, 3mg of aB12, 3mg of hB12, 100mcg methylfolate, 500mg l-carnitine - haven't moved over to LCF yet), I needed 4-5g of potassium.

After the test, I doubled B1, B2, and B3, so I'm now up to 60mg/day of B2 and B3 (5mg mB12, 4mg aB12, 3mg hB12, 100mcg methylfolate, 500mg l-carnitine). And now 6-7g of potassium is barely doing it for me.

Hi Veronica,

Based on my experiences and collection of pragmatic data, your b1, b2 and b3 appear too high and l-methylfolate is too low. The potassium is several times more than one might expect with healing. Benfotiamine would not be listed separately from thiamin. I found anything beyond 3000mg of potassium to be impossible for the stomach discomfort.

 

[Unim]

I'm struggling to get over two or three doses of 250mg potassium from gluconate powder. When I have taken more I felt better, but inevitably my gut gets upset.

I'm going to order some potassium citrate powder from the US, but can also get it as potassium L-aspartate. Does anyone know if aspartate would be a gentle form, perhaps moreso than the citrate?

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I'm struggling to get over two or three doses of 250mg potassium from gluconate powder. When I have taken more I felt better, but inevitably my gut gets upset.

I'm going to order some potassium citrate powder from the US, but can also get it as potassium L-aspartate. Does anyone know if aspartate would be a gentle form, perhaps moreso than the citrate?

I'm so intolerant of pill supplements I'm taking minerals in liquid form -- something you could look into as well.

 

[ahmo]

Aspartate can be excitotoxic.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Citrate is more easily absorbed by people who have low stomach acid and inhibits stones (in the kidneys?).

 

[caledonia]

Update on me. I've restarted methylation supps, specifically 1/32 of one Yasko All in One multi twice a week, and 16mcg of methylcobalamin and 4 mcg of adenosylcobalamin daily. I'm getting metal detox symptoms and reduction in MCS, so I know it's working.

I'm also getting an increase in my need for magnesium. I've gone from 450mg to 675mg based on the amount that I need to keep my feet from twitching during sleep and waking me up (a deficiency symptom).

The metal detox is still a bit too much, so I'm going to drop back to 1/64 of the Yasko multi twice a week.

The Yasko multi has methylfolate, methionine, SAMe, and a whole bunch of co-factors, all in small amounts, and is supposed to be tolerated by all SNP types. Of course, the oral B12 in it is virtually ineffective, so once you add some active sublingual B12 - BAM!

 

[brenda]

Hi

I have been back on Douglas Labs, one eighth every few days and 300mcg hydroxyb12 daily. OK so far till today and sudden weakness, really overpowering like l have never felt before and muscle tightness in legs plus waking with a start . so l have just taken 600 mg potassium chloride and staring to feela bit better but did not expect this on such a low dose of. methylation.. Did take a little vitamin e and d3 so might have had something to do with it.

 

[Freddd]

Hi Brenda,

Vitamin D is probably the most frequent deadlock item outside of the Deadlock Quartet. I've never seen anybody with methylation startup with E, but have seen quite a few with D.

 

[brenda]

Thanks Freddd. The amount l took was very small, rubbed in my skin . l slept well after the potassium and back to normal. I am going by muscle testing.

 

[Violeta]

I get the awful wake up screaming leg cramps when I eat foods containing purines. I keep trying to eat some of those foods as a source of protein. Dairy would be my alternative, but that gives me other problems. The past couple of days I've been eating tuna and this morning I got a cramp.

Does anyone know why meat, fish, and other purine foods such as oats would cause such a severe potassium deficiency problem similar to methylation start up?

PS: I will increase my potassium intake

 

[girlfromeurope]

Are there more people here with adrenal fatigue who are supplementing potassium?
I'm having problems

 

[howirecovered]

Hi Brenda,

Vitamin D is probably the most frequent deadlock item outside of the Deadlock Quartet. I've never seen anybody with methylation startup with E, but have seen quite a few with D.

hmm, I don't remember reading this anywhere previously - that's new to me!