A 41-year-old male asked:
Can low potassium cause fluid in the lungs of a heart patient? and how
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
Internal Medicine 39 years experience
No: Fluid in the lungs , in a heart patient , is usually the result of the heart dysfunction.A low potassium in a heart pt with lung fluid, can be caused by many factors in the treatment of the underlying heart disease.Ex. A diuretic is given to reduce the lung fluid but can cause a loss of potassium in the urine.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Jason Klineanswered
Nephrology and Dialysis 21 years experience
Not usually.: Super low potassium (k) can sometimes cause arrhythmias and fluid backing up into the lungs from a poorly beating heart, but most of the time fluid building up in the lungs of a heart patient is due to too much sodium (salt) in the diet. Diuretics help the body get rid of excess sodium and can lead to low k in the process. Usually this low k causes muscle cramps before it leads to arrhythmias.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Feb 4, 2017
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