A member asked:

Can low potassium cause fluid in the lungs of a heart patient? and how

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. Bradford Romans answered

Specializes in Internal Medicine

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.

Answered 7/28/2013

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Dr. Jason Kline answered

Specializes in Nephrology and Dialysis

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.

Answered 2/4/2017

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