Low potassium and magnesium

[ETFCfan]

I’m halfway through a Pace and Ablate procedure, Pacemaker placed on June 30th. My recovery was going well until yesterday when I got a phone call from my GP to say that my routine blood test showed low Potassium and Magnesium and to go straight to A&E. Went and spent 12 hrs there several in Resus, I was given intravenous Magnesium and Potassium and have got to take tablets for three days. Think they found it hard to understand that my heart is always erratic and high and 100 is okay for me. They told me to try and contact my consultant on Monday to see what he wants me to do but I was wondering if anyone else has had anything like this?

[10gingercats]

Apparently low potassium can be an emergency so your GP did the right thing in sending you to A and E. I am not a doc. but something similar happened to me although a lot less dramatically than yours sounded.

[ETFCfan in reply to 10gingercats]

Thanks for your reply, think you’re right I was never once given the feeling that they thought I was there unnecessarily. I think they panicked as what’s normal for me is no5 for most. Think I’ve become a bit blasé. Hopefully will be fixed soon.

[jeanjeannie50]

Sorry to hear this, please make sure you search online for foods that contain potassium and magnesium. Hopefully you wont have this problem again then.

Wishing you great success with your pace and ablate, let us know how you get on please.

Jean

[ETFCfan in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you for replying. I’ve been searching today and won’t have any problems eating the fruit etc . I especially like the dark chocolate recommended for magnesium 😆.I’ll let you know how I get on. Pacemaker check is 5th August, wound is healing very well.

[CDreamer in reply to ETFCfan]

If you can get pure coconut water - rich in a electrolytes.

Maybe worth asking your GP if having a drink such as Diorlyte in the cupboard?

[ETFCfan in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks I will ask, I would imagine pure coconut water should be available here as we have Caribbean shops locally. I much prefer to have something like that than meds.

[Mike-tyson in reply to ETFCfan]

Are you having a pacemaker fitted for high heart rate or low. Mine is high and Stoke cardiology have recommended the same. I thought pacemakers only worked on low heart rate. Would like to know what your consultant advised. Any advice would be reassuring

Many Thanks

Regards

Mike.

[ETFCfan in reply to Mike-tyson]

Yes I’m in the middle of having a Pace and Ablate for high AF. All other options have been tried, cardioversions, three ablations totalling 15 hours and all the drugs either don’t work or have nasty side effects for me. Last September I was advised by my consultant at Barts that this was the best thing for me, I’ve had the Pacemaker three weeks now and will be getting an AV node ablation mid August. The Pacemaker will then kick in and do all the work. The atrium will still be Fibrillating but they stop it affecting the Pacemaker in the bottom half. I have a great doctor and feel confident with his advice. Good luck to you x

[Mike-tyson in reply to ETFCfan]

I am in the same situation but was concerned as Dr Beynon at Stoke cardiology informed me that the pacemaker would not stop the AF and would render my heart completely dependant on any pacemaker. This was in a letter he sent me on 18/5/21. But when I went to see him last week he recommended a pacemaker as my heart rate still goes high at times 140bpm at the Hospital. But goes back down to around 70bpm when relaxed at home. I am on Bisoprolol 5mg twice per day Degoxin 0.187mg taken at night and Entresto to help my heart pump better twice per day. So get very tired most days especially in this hot weather 😡😡. Again thanks for your advice it is very reassuring 😊😊

[etheral]

Low potassium is commonly caused by diuretics. This can result in serious and possibly deadly arrhythmias. If you are not taking diuretics, then the cause should be investigated.

[ETFCfan in reply to etheral]

Thank you, yes I am taking Indapamide. They did infer my medications might be the cause.

[Dozer5]

I was diagnosed with AF last October and have been on Bisoprolol. My heart rate has reduced to the bounds of normality but a Chiropractor suggested taking Magnesium supplements to help with occasional cramps. The net result has been far fewer episodes of AF. I've since done some searching around and, it appears, that Magnesium plays a big part in controlling heart rhythms. Apparently foods we currently eat have nowhere near the Magnesium levels found in foods in the past. I shall continue to investigate!

[kathie659 in reply to Dozer5]

Which magnesium do you take? I know there are a few different types and i was told to avoid mag citrate...because its a laxative

[Dozer5 in reply to kathie659]

I've been taking 100gm Magnesium Citrate every day but I'm currently abroad and trying a higher dosage (300gm per day). I have friends with similar problems and they have been on Magnesium supplements for a while. The general opinion is try different types and quantities until you find something that works for you. The 100gms of Magnesium Citrate was working well for me.

[ETFCfan in reply to Dozer5]

Thanks I’ll ask my cardiologist x

[KMRobbo]

Maybe sorting your mangesium and potassium levels may sort out your arrhythmia?? Every cloud........

[ETFCfan in reply to KMRobbo]

Thanks can’t do any harm x

[Jetcat]

It’s good you visited the AE dept, low potassium can cause all sorts from cramps to heart rhythm disturbances.

[ETFCfan in reply to Jetcat]

Thanks, Jetcat, my heart rate was even higher than normal when I went in.

[Jetcat]

Hope you’re feeling better now. It’s bugger this afib stuff init.😂👍

[ETFCfan in reply to Jetcat]

Must admit feeling rubbish at the minute and love your description, so true 😂.

[Jetcat]

You’ll get there. Believe me.👍x

[cali111]

Yes I battle with is daily. Low potassium and magnesium is a killer. It causes problems with the kidneys. I take Sando-k every other day to keep heart attacks ar bay. Treat a low potassium as serious.

[ETFCfan in reply to cali111]

Thank you x

[Raewynne]

I have been getting a lot less chest pain since taking magnesium every night.I was taking potassium before that but magnesium has helped the most.

[Goosebumps in reply to Raewynne]

That is so interesting because I have found exactly the same thing. I started 150 mg of Mag Citrate 8 weeks ago and there has been a marked reduction in the chest pains I used to get. It’s wonderful.I have seen contributors say Magnusium helps them with ectopic beats but yours is the first post I’ve seen refer to chest pain, but then I don’t come online much now so I may have missed posts of a similar vein.

Before anyone posts about chest pain and going straight to A&E, I would be permanently in A&E if I did that. I have had two angiograms and now waiting for a pressure wire angiogram so I don’t have lone AF

[JCH53]

Sanjay Gupta a cardiologist in York has been advocating magnesium supplements to improve AF symptoms for many years.He is on U tube.

[ETFCfan in reply to JCH53]

Thank you I’ll take a look.