I have a high potassium, why?

Question

I have High Potassium, what to do for that?

Answer 1

I have High Potassium, what to do for that?

Comments

High potassium isn't a disease, it's a symptom. When you have the symptom, you go to your Dr. digging out the cause. When the cause disease is treated, the potassium comes down.

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How to bring your potasdium down immediately

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When blood potassium is more than 6.5 mol/L, it can be rapidly reduced by dialysis. When slightly high, drugs such as calcium gluconate can be transfused. All these need to be done in hospitals.

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I have high potassium! What causes this?

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Several things can cause hyperkalemia (high potassium), including health problems and use of certain medications.

Kidney failure is the most common cause of high potassium. When your kidneys fail or don’t function properly, they can’t remove extra potassium from your body. This can lead to potassium buildup.

High potassium can also be linked to certain health problems, such as:
dehydration
type 1 diabetes
Addison’s disease
internal bleeding

Certain medications have been linked with high potassium levels. These include:
certain chemotherapy drugs
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
angiotensin receptor blockers

Overuse of potassium supplements can increase your potassium levels to a range that’s higher than normal or even dangerous.

Heavy alcohol or drug use can cause your muscles to break down. This breakdown can release a high amount of potassium from your muscle cells into your bloodstream.

Certain kinds of trauma can raise your potassium levels as well. In these cases, extra potassium leaks from your body cells into your bloodstream. Burns or crush injuries where a large number of muscle cells are injured can cause these effects.

Answer 2

I have very low potassium level

Comments

Because of medication?

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Normally, your blood potassium level is 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).  Potassium helps carry electrical signals to cells in your body. It is critical to the proper functioning of nerve and muscles cells, particularly heart muscle cells. A very low potassium level (less than 2.5 mmol/L) can be life-threatening and requires urgent medical attention.