Potassium

What is it?
Potassium is a mineral used for potassium deficiency. It also may be used for high blood pressure, heart disorders and kidney stones.

Other names for Potassium include: Potassium chloride, Potassium acetate, Potassium bicarbonate, Potassium citrate, and Potassium gluconate.

Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you need more information about this medicine or if any information in this leaflet concerns you.

Before Using:
Tell your doctor if you

• are taking medicine or are allergic to any medicine (prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) or dietary supplement)
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine
• are breastfeeding
• have other health problems, such as high blood pressure or heart or blood vessel disease

Dosage:
Talk with your caregiver about how much Potassium you should take. The amount depends on the strength of the medicine and the reason you are taking Potassium. If you are using this medicine without instructions from your caregiver, follow the directions on the medicine bottle. Do not take more medicine or take it more often than the directions tell you to.

To store this medicine:
Keep all medicine locked up and away from children. Store medicine away from heat and direct light. Do not store your medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down and not work the way it should work. Throw away medicine that is out of date or that you do not need. Never share your medicine with others.

Drug and Food Interactions:
Do not take Potassium without talking to your doctor first if you are taking:

• High blood pressure medicine (examples: captopril (Capoten(R)), lisinopril (Prinivil(R), Zestril(R)), enalapril (Vasotec(R)))
• Water pills (examples: spironolactone (Aldactone(R)), triamterene (Dyrenium(R), Dyazide(R)), amiloride (Midamor(R))
• Indomethacin (Indocin(R))
• Herbs including dandelion, gossypol, and licorice

Warnings:

• You should not take Potassium, except under the guidance of your doctor, if you have hyperkalemia (high potassium levels in the body) (1)
• Check with your doctor before taking Potassium if you should have Addison's disease (adrenal gland disorder) or severe kidney problems (1)
• Before taking Potassium, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

Side Effects:
Stop taking your medicine right away and talk to your doctor if you have any of the following side effects. Your medicine may be causing these symptoms which may mean you are allergic to it.

• Breathing problems or tightness in your throat or chest
• Chest pain
• Skin hives, rash, or itchy or swollen skin

Other Side Effects:
You may have the following side effects, but this medicine may also cause other side effects. Tell your doctor if you have side effects that you think are caused by this medicine (1).

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following side effects:

• Confusion
• Fast, pounding, or irregular heart beat
• Numb hands or feet
• Excessive weakness or heaviness of legs
• Trouble breathing
• Severe stomach pain or vomiting
• Pain in chest or throat
• Red or black stools with diarrhea

If you have problems with these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

• Mild nausea or cramps
• Stomach discomfort or loose stools

References:
1. Product Information: KDur (R) potassium chloride. Key Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, NJ, 2002.
2. Akbarpour F, Afrasiabi A & Vaziri ND: Severe hyperkalemia caused by indomethacin and potassium supplementation. South Med J 1985;78(6):756-757.
3. Liu GZ, Ch'iu-Hinton K, Cao J et al: Effects of potassium salt or a potassium blocker on gossypol-related hypokalemia. Contraception 1988; 37(2);111-117.
4. Hook I, McGee A & Henman H: Evaluation of dandelion for diuretic activity and variation of potassium content. Int J Pharmacog 1993; 31:29-34.
5. Kageyama K, Watanobe H, Nishie M et al: A case of pseudoaldosteronism induced by a mouth refresher containing licorice. Endocr J 1997; 44(4): 631-632.