Question 1

i keep having to take potassium because i keep losing it. what can cause this?

Accepted Answer

Diagnosis first: I would first have to ask why you know you are always losing potassium.  The kidneys are very good at being able to hold onto potassium, especially when you aren't eating very much.  Most people who are losing potassium are on blood pressure medications called diuretics (lasix, chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide).  A switch to a different medicine may be the solution.

Question 2

i am losing my potassium and the doctors can't find the reason?

Accepted Answer

More info: Do you have bp. Best to see endocrinologist or nephrologist. There are lots of causes. Keep fo;;owing with your doctor.

Question 3

what condition would cause you to lose magnesium and potassium through urine?

Accepted Answer

Mg and K wasting: Urine losses of Mg and K are promoted by diuretics, exposure to cisplatinum and carboplatinum for chemotherapy, high glucose and glucose passage thru urine, and in a few genetic renal diseases, such as Gitelmans syndrome.

Question 4

does the diuretic effect of alcohol make the body lose potassium? if so how much?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Directly proportional to the amount of alcohol you drink.

Question 5

are there any teaching hospitals that i can contact anywhere in the united states that will hospitalize me and get to the bottom of why im losing potassium?

Accepted Answer

NIH: Contact The National Institute of Health ,NIH, in Bethesda Maryland.  Your tax dollar has paid for their help.  They are the best research facility in the world and have hundreds of different research projects going on all the time.

Question 6

i keep having this thought of losing my electrolytes and dying if i dont consume enough any sodium, potassium, etc. everyday, am i experiencing health anxiety or something else potentially?

Accepted Answer

Obsessive fear?: If you are a healthy 26 year old who has not had problems with electrolyte disturbances and you are plagued by this fear- it might be reality based. If that is the case, psychotherapy (especially cognitive behavioral therapy) may be helpful.

Question 7

my dr wants to switch me from 20 mg of lisinopril to 50 of losartan will the transition be easy & should i worry more about potassium on losartan?

Accepted Answer

It's OK to switch: Lisinopril and Losartan are both great medications with equal efficacy and you can easily switch from one to the other. They both may increase the potassium level equally but unless you have advanced kidney disease, neither should affect your potassium significantly.

Question 8

i keep losing potassium doctors can't find out why. all of my major organs and cat scan came back good. any ideas of what it could be? please help.

Accepted Answer

Few possibilities: Causes of hypokalemia include fluid losses in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, &amp; even excessive sweating, medication induced from laxatives or diuretics, and alcohol abuse to name a few. If your renal function is normal it&#x27;s not due to Chronic kidney disease, a common cause. Did they check for primary or secondary Hyperaldosteronism, aldosterone &amp; renin levels? CT only detects 70% of aldosteronomas

Question 9

how come bananas make you gain weight,yet when i eat like 8 bananas,since i have low potassium,i lose my belly fat,while i usually gain weight easily?

Accepted Answer

100 calories: Each banana, depending on size, is roughly 100 calories. If you eat 8, you're eating 800 calories. For a 19 year old, that's only a fraction of your daily requirement. Gaining weight (fat, not fluid) is all about how much you eat vs how much you burn up.

Question 10

what would cause my potassium to be low with cardiac issues and flank pain? doc said urine looked good. im 24/eat well/do not overly lose fluids

Accepted Answer

Urinary losses: Unless you have long standing diarrhea or take water pills, you abnormally lose potassium in urine. Need to see a nephrologist. It is possible that your adrenal gland secretes more of aldosterone hormone than normal. Lab tests would confirm this. There are other possibilities too that need to be ruled out by your doc. It may end up that you will need to take a potassium pill or two, long term.

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Doctor answers about:

How easy to lose potassium

A member asked:

I keep having to take potassium because i keep losing it. what can cause this?

A member asked:

I am losing my potassium and the doctors can't find the reason?

A member asked:

What condition would cause you to lose magnesium and potassium through urine?

A member asked:

Does the diuretic effect of alcohol make the body lose potassium? if so how much?

A member asked:

Are there any teaching hospitals that i can contact anywhere in the united states that will hospitalize me and get to the bottom of why im losing potassium?

A member asked:

I keep having this thought of losing my electrolytes and dying if i dont consume enough any sodium, potassium, etc. everyday, am i experiencing health anxiety or something else potentially?

A member asked:

My dr wants to switch me from 20 mg of lisinopril to 50 of losartan will the transition be easy & should i worry more about potassium on losartan?

A member asked:

I keep losing potassium doctors can't find out why. all of my major organs and cat scan came back good. any ideas of what it could be? please help.

A member asked:

How come bananas make you gain weight,yet when i eat like 8 bananas,since i have low potassium,i lose my belly fat,while i usually gain weight easily?

A member asked:

What would cause my potassium to be low with cardiac issues and flank pain? doc said urine looked good. im 24/eat well/do not overly lose fluids

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