High potassium symptoms

[Deanne]

Are there symptoms for a high potassium level? I haven't been feeling very well the past couple of days / have had quite a bit of pain on my left side, about halfway down my ribs. I was thinking it's a digestive thing because it's worse about an hour or two after eating, but I'm not sure. A stabbing pain every time I take a breath. My neph put me on a low postassium diet last month and I'm due to be re-checked next week. I think I'll go for the recheck tomorrow (weather is bad today or I'd go now). I'm not convinced my potassium is high because of diet in the first place. My kidney function has been stable at 30% for three years --- why would my potassium suddenly start to go high? I kinda wonder if it's from medications. Anyway, I'm rambling. What would the symptoms be if I was starting to get into trouble?

Thanks!

[nee]

Hello Deanne,

This happened to my Dad (on HD for 7 yrs) 2 yrs ago. It should be taken very seriously. At the time. I did
not know much. We took him to his kidney doc and was told it could be symptom of shingles. My Dad himself
thought it was arthritis pain from the ribs. Oh no!!!
Then, just in 2 wks, he had shortness of breath and was taken to the emergency. Turned out that he got fluid
built up in the right lung - Xray showed serious blur !!! Well, if detected on time he only needed a tap, or
Thoracentesis. However, it was a late stage and he had to undergo a life or death surgery (right lung decortication)
to remove the pouch of bad fluid that already turned to gel.
We had to bet cuz the surgeon said he could not hang on long without surgery. However, thanks GOD millions &
millions time, the complicate surgery was successful for him a 81 yrs old at that time.

So, first thing first consider taking an Xray right away. I'm not a doc and I cannot guarantee anything, but this symptom is similar
to what my Dad experienced so I just would like to share it here.

Now back to the high potassium symptom, he got it last year. All of a sudden, his bp and diastolic number were unusually
LOW, and he felt like he could not move and breath normally. We took him to emergency where they found that he had very high potassium that it affected his heart. They gave him a fllush. He went to bathroom 5 times that day to flush out potassium. His doc also notified the dialysis center to reduce potassim level from his binder. The day after his bp stabilized and we took him home safe. Again, millions thanks to GOD.

Good luck to you.

Nee

[Rerun]

Deanne.  I doubt you have high potassium with 30% kidney function.  With high potassium you get extreme mussel weakness.  Maybe in your legs first then BAMB your heart.  I have not had symptoms of high potassium myself.  My potassium has been as high as 6 and no signs.

[Deanne]

Thanks to both of you. Thanks also for telling me about the typo Rerun! I write for a living and typos embarrass me.

The weather is looking better, so I'll go get my blood test done later this afternoon. At last check, my potassium was at 560 -- not THAT high, but I don't know why it should be above normal at all. After I confirm everything is ok with my neph, I guess I'll probably be calling my primary care Dr to see what else could be wrong.

[Amanda From OZ]

hey Deanne,

my potassium has been as high as 6.7, and i was very symptomatic, i had extreme muscle weakness in my arms and legs, which eventually caused me not to be able to move and thats when we called the Ambulance. The Doctors gave me an injection of insulin which apparently helps decrease your potassium in non diabetic people.

Some signs of high potassium are Nausea, Irregular heartbeat, Slow, weak, or absent pulse and weakness in muscles.

Good luck with blood test

[Deanne]

Thanks! From what ya'll are saying, I doubt I'm having any real problems with my potassium level. I just get scared sometimes. I've had a couple of near-death experiences and now I worry when I don't understand what might be wrong. My sister asked my once why I can't just catch colds like normal people. Instead, I catch blood sugar levels of 1500 (not normally diabetic -- prednisone-induced), or DVTs (supposedly not at risk for DVT).

[goofynina]

The way i found out when i had high potassium was i lost use of my limbs,  i couldnt lift my arms or move my legs, it was the ugliest, scariest feeling and i hope no one ever has to go through that, hope your feeling better Deanne,  take care...

Goofynina/Admin.

[brenda]

I can always tell them when my potassium is up, I get a tingling nose and upper lip. My legs get really stiff. But I feel it as soon as my potassium get over about 5.5.  I usually run a level of about 4.0 - 4.5ish.

[angela515]

Sometimes people don't show signs of High Potassium. For instance, when my potassium would run very high, I never knew based off of any feelings... I would only know by labs.

[bluedove57]

I've had  high potassium of 5.8. No symptoms showed except by labs. I usually know if my levels will be high by what I ate. Then I know how to bring it down by cutting potassium out. I mangae to maintain levels between 4.0 -4.7. This  is how it is for now but doesn't mean it won't change.

[renal30yrs]

In 1981 I once recorded blood serum potassium level of 9.6! (insane)  If your serum potassium goes up above 6 level you'll be having very unpleasant metal taste in your mouth.

[ILOVEFLUID]

Thank goodness for this thread.  i have been complaining about muscle weakness for a long time.  The last 3 weeks in Toronto I have fallen three times in stores.  One day i was in the grocery store and my legs gave out on me and I just crumpled.  i didn't have the strength to get myself up so they had to call two guys to the front of the store to lift me up.  It caused quite a scene and would you know it...5 minutes more i went down again.  They were asking me if I was on drugs and all sorts of embarrassing questions.  They went to the parking lot and got my fiance and he picked me up.  I was in tears mostly due to embarrassment.  I finally went and bought a cane that day.  Around the same time i was told my potassium was high at 6.2.  I have never had a high potassium level before.  I haven't changed my diet so I couldn't figure it out.  I never connected the potassium and muscle weakness until i read this thread.  How long does it take before the muscle weakness goes away?

[pierrat]

I had a bout of high potassium a little while ago. I was extremely week for about a week, with about another week before I started feeling "normal" again. Not sure how your situation is, just what my experience was.

[goofynina]

Thank goodness for this thread.  i have been complaining about muscle weakness for a long time.  The last 3 weeks in Toronto I have fallen three times in stores.  One day i was in the grocery store and my legs gave out on me and I just crumpled.  i didn't have the strength to get myself up so they had to call two guys to the front of the store to lift me up.  It caused quite a scene and would you know it...5 minutes more i went down again.  They were asking me if I was on drugs and all sorts of embarrassing questions.  They went to the parking lot and got my fiance and he picked me up.  I was in tears mostly due to embarrassment.  I finally went and bought a cane that day.  Around the same time i was told my potassium was high at 6.2.  I have never had a high potassium level before.  I haven't changed my diet so I couldn't figure it out.  I never connected the potassium and muscle weakness until i read this thread.  How long does it take before the muscle weakness goes away?

The last time i had a bout of high potassium i was on hemo.  It happend so fast, i woke up, felt fine, got in the shower, felt ok but kinda funny, got dressed, and by the time my ride got there i knew.  I had a hard time walking to the car so she drove (usually i drive) by the time we got to the clinic, they needed to come out with a wheelchair to get me out of the car, ugh, by the time my dialysis session was over, i was able to walk out of there, i felt as if nothing ever happend.  So i would think once you do a dialysis session it would clean out the potassium in your blood.  Maybe they need to change the K-1 or whatever that stuff they use (i always heard them talk about K something in the solution but i never paid no attention)  oh where is Zach when you need him    Good Luck to you and take care 

[ILOVEFLUID]

They have chsnged my K1 to a K2 but I didn't notice too much of a difference.  Maybe it will take a couple of shifts.

[Rerun]

1K takes out More Potassium.  2K takes out Less Potassium. 

Protocol is if your K labs are above 5.5 they put you on 1K for two weeks (to pull out more K) until the next blood draw.  If it is back to under 5.5 then they put you back on 2K.

I finally told the doc to just LEAVE me on 1k.  I was tired of watching my food and my labs were always high.  I've been fine.  The nurses argue with me everytime but they can't tell me why 1k is bad.

[ILOVEFLUID]

oops....my bad...I was changed from a 2K to a 1K

[luckaholic]

Potassium is known as the silent killer, as often it doesnt show any symptoms. I dont usually get symptoms until Im over 6. Highest Ive had was 6.8 and I had weakness in the arms and legs (almost collapsed when I stood up), nausea, and just overall felt off. I also had a temperature of 39 but there was nothing found to be causing it. After you have had a few high episodes you come to learn when to feel the signs early enough to get treatment. The first signs I really notice is weakness, and my calf muscles sort of spasm when I walk. If you have any of these symptoms dont hesitate to call an ambulance and make sure you tell them your potassium may be high. But like rerun said it is unlikely if you still have 30% function left. To treat high potassium the best thing is dialysis, but theres not always time. In an emergency it is treated with IV glucose and I think some sort of calcium, I cant quite remember. They then give insulin afterwards to counteract the affects of the glucose on sugar levels.

[kianhu]

Have you started any new medications recently?  Some medications (even over the counter) can affect your potassium level.  A high potassium level can kill you so be careful and review your diet again to make sure there isnt something that you are missing.  Also, salt substitutes contain potassium, avoid them.   

[kitkatz]

Is mild chest pain a sign?

[kianhu]

The main signs and symptoms that patients have mentioned to me are unbelievable weakness.  Also look for nausea, tingling, fatigue, difficulty breathing, low pulse, irregular heartbeat.  Each person may react a little differently, but when a patient mentions weakness (more than normal) or tingling, that is when I look at the potassium level.  Hope this helps.

[luckaholic]

I have only ever experienced mild weakness. When I came in at 6.8 I started twitching after a while and I think I was a little disoriented. You may experience chest pain. If you are ever at all worried dont hesitate to get help. You are better off going and risking it be nothing rather than leaving it. 9 times out of 10 I have been right about having high K when I went into emergency. It is important to tell them this so they can test your blood levels asap.
The first time I went in it wasnt until a while later that I mentioned I sometimes have trouble with potassium. Being the first time I felt symptoms, it didnt really click that thats what was wrong. Lucky I mentioned it or I might not be here.

[okarol]

From: The Renal Unit
Dialysis and Kidney Transplant news and views

This is Potassium and the dialysis patient

15 Jun

Posted by Stu as Articles

Any dialysis patient who has had a brush with high potassium will know only too well how dangerous this can be. We are forever being told to watch our potassium intake, so I thought I would explore the reasons for this, and what practical steps we can take to limit the risks.

For your cells to function properly, it is important that you maintain the right level of potassium, unfortunately, for those of us with kidney disease, there is no way for our bodies to rid themselves of this potassium. As too high a level of potassium can cause muscle weakness, affect the heart rhythm and may even cause death, it is critical that we manage our intake carefully, in consultation with our dietician, clinical nurse, and renal specialist.

Some signs that your potassium may be too high might include, but are not limited to: nausea, diarrhea, muscle weakness, and irregular heartbeat. If you experience any of these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider, or take yourself off to the nearest hospital - post haste!

So it’s all well and good to know that a high potassium level is dangerous, and what the symptoms are and what to do if we experience the symptoms, but what can we do to avoid this danger? Well I’m glad you asked!

Whilst some external factors affect the level of potassium in the blood of a dialysis patient, the one major thing that you can do is to manage your diet. Avoid foods that are high in potassium, and you stay out of the danger zone. It’s as simple as that!

“So what are these foods I should be avoiding?” I hear you ask. Whilst this list provides some of the foods that may put you into the danger zone, it is by no means a comprehensive list. It should also be noted here that very few foods should be considered completely “off limits”, just because you are on dialysis, doesn’t mean that your life must stop and that you shouldn’t be able to enjoy some of it’s finer offerings.

The list: All meats, poultry and fish,. apricots (fresh more so than canned), avocado, banana, cantaloupe, honeydew, Kiwi Fruit, lima beans, milk, oranges and orange juice, potatoes, prunes, spinach, tomatoes, vegetables and vegetable juice .

Your next question should be: “But that seems like a lot of vegetables, what can I do to lower the potassium level in vegetables?” I’m glad you asked again! To lower the content in vegetables, simply cut the vegetables up into small pieces, and boil them well in a saucepan then drain them thoroughly.

Hopefully this has given you some idea of what symptoms to look out for, what foods to avoid, and generally how to live with a low potassium diet. For more information, talk to your dietician, clinical nurse, or doctor.

http://therenalunit.com/articles/potassium-and-the-dialysis-patient/

[kitkatz]

Yeah. like I am going to boil the crap out of a watermelon to get the potassium out of it. 

[Amanda From OZ]

Thanks for the article Karol.

Does anyone know if Soda / mineral water is high in potassium?? my dietitian said she didn't know...