Mary
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I've been dealing with low potassium for several years and generally have it under control, now that I know what I'm dealing with. I take supplemental potassium gluconate several times a day and in the middle of the night.
In the last couple of years I've also become aware that low phosphorous is an issue for me, causing sometimes severe fatigue. I first stumbled across the issue of low phosphorous when I started taking thiamine a few years ago, and after an initial boost in energy for a few days, developed severe fatigue. This was similar to what happened when I started taking methylfolate, only the methylfolate caused my potassium to tank, whereas with the thiamine, it was my phosphorous which tanked. I determined this empirically. The fatigue felt different than low potassium, and it resolved when I increased my phosphorous intake.
I believe both the potassium and phosphorous issues were related, at least initially, to refeeding syndrome. But they are continual and ongoing, which I find a little puzzling, though I know persons with ME/CFS can have trouble keeping intracellular levels of potassium where they should be. Perhaps the same is true of phosphorous?
Anyways, low phosphorous is often difficult to manage - I'm often wondering, what is this type of fatigue - trying to identify it. It's hit and miss a lot. Low potassium is much easier for me to identify - my right foot starts twitching, getting little spasms. But with the phosphorous, it's just fatigue.
Does anyone know of any type of doctor who would know anything about these issues?
In the last couple of years I've also become aware that low phosphorous is an issue for me, causing sometimes severe fatigue. I first stumbled across the issue of low phosphorous when I started taking thiamine a few years ago, and after an initial boost in energy for a few days, developed severe fatigue. This was similar to what happened when I started taking methylfolate, only the methylfolate caused my potassium to tank, whereas with the thiamine, it was my phosphorous which tanked. I determined this empirically. The fatigue felt different than low potassium, and it resolved when I increased my phosphorous intake.
I believe both the potassium and phosphorous issues were related, at least initially, to refeeding syndrome. But they are continual and ongoing, which I find a little puzzling, though I know persons with ME/CFS can have trouble keeping intracellular levels of potassium where they should be. Perhaps the same is true of phosphorous?
Anyways, low phosphorous is often difficult to manage - I'm often wondering, what is this type of fatigue - trying to identify it. It's hit and miss a lot. Low potassium is much easier for me to identify - my right foot starts twitching, getting little spasms. But with the phosphorous, it's just fatigue.
Does anyone know of any type of doctor who would know anything about these issues?