Numbness and Potassium

[Loretta]

I have two questions and am asking them together because they may be related.  I am having numbness in both of my hands and both of my feet.  When I talked to the Dr about it she thought for a while and asked a few questions and then told me to take Midoprine about three times a day.  I was taking the mediprine to keep my blood pressure up during dialysis.  When I check my blood pressure at home it is usually low.  Like 89 on top and often so low that it will not register.  The numbness is like going to sleep and by wiggling the arm or whatever they wake up.  What damage is this doing to my hands and feet?  I am diabetic but my sugars are very controlled

Then I have been having problems with my Potassium.  A week ago I was like paralyzed.  We called the ambulance and went to the hospital and my potassium was high.  That was scary!  Now today I got a phone call from my doctor and my potassium is low. Like 2.1.  Is that related to the numbness problem?  She, the Dr, said I was probably tired.  On Monday I was sick.  I vomited and had diarrhea for about six hours then felt better.  I was so sick I couldn't even drink.  Then I started to drink a little and then started to feel better.  Could this have been caused by the low blood pressure or the low Potassium

I ate on orange, how long before my potassium starts to go up?  Should I eat more potassium?

[Rerun]

Low blood pressure will make me light headed and see black spots.  My potassium runs high but I've never been paralyzed (yet).  I would not worry about low potassium unless you are still vomiting and having diarrhea because that will continue to deplete your potassium.  But, if you have stopped the sickness and you ate 1 orange then your potassium will only go up.  I would just continue my renal diet now. 

As for the numbness in your hands and feet it could be the low blood pressure.  Maybe go out on a limb and have some salty soup.  Not a lot, but just a half cup and see if your blood pressure comes up. 

Watch your dry weight.  I know it is a moving target and now that you have been sick you may have lost dry weight.  But, usually when my blood pressure is really low following dialysis then I need to raise my dry weight by .5.  So if it is 48 then I will go to 48.5 the next session.

Hope you feel better.             

[jbeany]

Numbness and tingling in your hands can also be caused by low calcium.

[Lucinda]

I have been in hospital for past couple of days with extremely high potassium.  It certainly caused numbness and pins and needles in my legs and feet.  It also cause servere muscles cramping like I had just done a six kilometre run.  I was vomiting from low potassium and then I ate one banana and it skyrocketed.  Stick to your renal diet.  Better to be low in potassium than high.  Too much of a strain on your heart. 

[willieandwinnie]

  Cindy. I am sorry to hear about your hospital stay. Your right about the high potassium, better to have low. Hope your feeling better. 

[BigSky]

Numbness can be caused by toxins building up from poor dialysis.

If the numbness happens when sitting in a certain position, it could be caused by dehydration and or bp.

As to getting sick.  If you feel it wasnt a bug or something then most likely it was your body reacting to out of whack labs.

What you describe happens to some people who have high K and the body reacts that way trying to purge it.

The best thing to do is keep track of what you eat with one of the free online systems and keep your K intake at the level recommend by the doctor and dietitian. 

Low potassium is just as deadly as high potassium.

[Zach]

Low potassium is just as deadly as high potassium.

Excellent point.

[nycrtst85]

I had the same thing happen,My potassium was high and i was almost paralized with cramps all over my body.The DIET IS LIFE OR DEATH ,don't eat anything you're not supossed to.I learned this the hard way.

[tyefly]

I often have problems with numbness or tingling in my feet legs and sometimes hands and arms....sometimes it feels like my whole body....but not lately..... I use to get this alot before I started D... back in the days of taking lasix and trying to get the water off of my body.... when We  ( the doctor and I ) didnt know why I was swelling in my feet and ankles.....   Since I was taking lasix  I was losing potassium and was prescribe potassium supplements ......  I use to get really bad cramps in my legs when  I was low on water retention  and had taking alot of lasix....  when I had a lot of water on my body  then the numbness and tingling would occur.....  I think its all because of  unbalance  chemistries in our body..... when things get out of control its hard for our bodies to help get us back in balance.... our pour kidneys do alot to control all of that.....So  bottome line  a balanced diet and good exercise program... will help alot...  Now that we have CKD  we live in very limited boundaries and we need to control as much as possible....  it seems like a never ending battle......   Good luck and good for you with the good diet....

[sullidog]

Yeah too high and too low can cause problems. I was too low and my heart was beating like I ran a race, they gave me some k lite which by the way is the worst stuff I ever drank.
Troy

[Tracy]

The best thing to do is keep track of what you eat with one of the free online systems and keep your K intake at the level recommend by the doctor and dietitian

Can you tell me what free online system you are talking about?  I just started Phoslo and need help in this area, as in What can I EAT???  or not eat.....

Thank you!  Tracy

[-Lady Noir-]

Wow, i never knew potassium could be on each end of the scale that quickly!
My partner was hospitalised for high potassium [7.2] and he had absolutley no symptoms. Took two - three days and they had him on all sorts of drips, made him drink real awful stuff, and it only lowered to 6.2! Heart rate was 175 though!

Hope you can get it sorted, some pretty good advice on this thread 

[Zach]

The best thing to do is keep track of what you eat with one of the free online systems and keep your K intake at the level recommend by the doctor and dietitian

Can you tell me what free online system you are talking about?  I just started Phoslo and need help in this area, as in What can I EAT???  or not eat.....

Thank you!  Tracy

Here is the USDA site:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

[Tracy]

Thank you so much!  Tracy 

[woodsman]

I take sps sodium polystyrene sufinate to lower my potassium. i am at 5.9 at times but with the sps it remains right around 4.9.5.2. 2 xs a week tastes like drinking liquid sand......

[totosidney]

It is exceedingly dangerous (life threatening) to take extra potassium. Many dialysis patients have been discovered dead at the kitchen table with an empty glass of orange juice. Do not self medicate. Ask for advice from the dietician and follow it. Phoslo has nothing to do with potassium, it binds phosphorus. The numbness is not a potassium issue.
 
sid

[peleroja]

Potassium regulates your heart.  Too high, potential heart attack.  Too low, potential heart attack.  Also dialysis, vomiting, peeing and pooing remove potassium from the body.  You may need to take potassium pills to regulate yourself if too low (I do).  Although your diabetes is tightly controlled, neuropathy may come after many years of diabetes.  Are you seeing an endocrinologist for your diabetes?  You should be.

[Quickfeet]

My two cents.

When my potassium is high I get the same numbness you described. According to the doctors numbness is not a sign of high potassium.