Does anyone else use potassium to help with breathlessness, cough, "asthma" etc?

[wiserlady]

Ive found that when I get very thick mucus in my throat - supposed asthma, breathlesness etc, potassium helps the best.

[Hidden]

Never heard of potassium as a remedy. How do you buy it? From a health food shop?

I nebulise hypertonic saline but it’s a double edged sword - helps thin the mucus but makes me more wheezy

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hanne. I dont know what your particular illness is. Potassium is a natural thing but you can buy it in liquid or tablet form, quite cheaply , ebay , amazon and many health stores etc. I also use saline solution. I know what you mean about the saline solution. I also use VENTOLIN in the nebuliser and through inhalers, and they can give you a potassium deficiency, so it may well be that using the ventolin causes me to top up with potasssium. But ive read that potassium is often used to prevent cough, breathlessness, thick mucus anyway.

[Hidden in reply to wiserlady]

Oh wow, I’ll give it a whirl. I nebulise ventolin too. I’ve got non-cf Bronchiectasis & a couple of other problems. Mucus impossibly sticky & thick yeuuch

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

IF its of any help its best to take it with food as it can give you a stomach ache. I am taking about four pills a day, spaced out. I dont know about you but am now finding that it must be affecting my pancreas as struggling to process/digest cheese/fats. Which is new. I READ that the thick mucus can cause all sorts of problems so am trying my best to keep ita thin - it also means I can actually lay down and sleep.

[Hidden]

Not heard of that wiserlady, I take carbocisteine and drink plenty of water to help keep the mucus thin. I find I don't cough unless airways have narrowed with poor air quality/pollution, illness or my medicine inhaler is empty without my realising it.

For those interested, Potassium rich foods:-

webmd.com/diet/foods-rich-i...

How much potassium the body needs each day:

healthline.com/nutrition/ho...

12 foods that have more potassium than a banana:

webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow...

The other thing I usually look at is interactions with other meds:

webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingre...

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

I find water doesnt work and carbo rarely works.

[Hidden in reply to wiserlady]

Pity they don't work for you, just keep doing what works for you, that's the ticket

Happy St Pat's Day

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. You too.

[grannyk3 in reply to Hidden]

Like adding potassium rich foods to the mix! Best way to get it!

[wiserlady in reply to grannyk3]

Does not work. I need more potassium than that and would have to eat nothing but potassium rich foods non stop try to get it from diet. Not eating 100 bananas a day, that in itself would cause problems.

[grannyk3 in reply to wiserlady]

We all have to do what is right for ourselves, we're all unique in that. Me, I eat a wide variety of foods to get the right amount because going to the hospital er to have my heartrate brought down to normal everyday wouldn't work out well.

[wiserlady in reply to grannyk3]

Yes of course, i understand. But if the only thing that helps you to breath and stop wheezing and coughing is a potassium tablet you take it. YOu cannot afford to ask other people first, you would be dead or in an ambulance by then.

[grannyk3 in reply to wiserlady]

Perhaps you misunderstood my original reply to Bkin. I was just adding my opinion, not offering medical advice for others to follow or do as I do. I did post we all do what right for ourselves. Wasn't suggesting you give up breathing. It's up to you and your doctor what you do, no explanation to me is necessary. Some people can take the supplements just fine, others can't.

[grannyk3 in reply to grannyk3]

I'm unable to take potassium supplements because they will cause my heartrate to spike high due to afib. I once drank 2 bottles of nutritional drinks (Boost) and my pulse went up to 175bpm😨I also had potassium supplements prescribed once and my heartrate went up too high.

[wiserlady in reply to grannyk3]

We are all different. I dontd get any of that, just the ability to breath and stop coughing and wheezing, but there again I dont take big doses either and would not be able to get the same amount of support from eating potassium rich foods, I would have to eat nothing but bananas and eat masses to get the same effect.

[knitter]

Read the dosage very very carefully.....and the contraindications.

Bananas and orange juice are good sources.

[wiserlady in reply to knitter]

I need proper doses of potassium to stop my cough, wheeze, breathlessness. A plate of bananas etc would not work. And there are no set doses for this. Everyone has a different dose according to how their symptoms are.

[knitter in reply to wiserlady]

Hi , it’s just that for some people with certain health conditions, and taking certain medications should check first.

My daughter was diagnosed with low potassium after a blood test, so was my father. Diet was recommended first , but again my father had to be careful as he was diabetic and on blood thinners. He had to be careful with his sugar levels.

My daughter was on asthma medication, so ok with diet.

[wiserlady in reply to knitter]

I understand athat but I dont take any medications it can interact with and was not able to breath at all without it, so that flies out of the window then.

[Hidden in reply to wiserlady]

One of the links I posted above offered 12 foods that have more potassium than a bannana. And other links give the daily dose the body needs, the amount in each foods and cautions + med interactions.

Perhaps consuming more of the the foods mentioned you could readjust your supplement dose of the potassium to avoid any long term side affects for instance - a safe dose for your body to handle.

webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingre...

Good luck with your potassium dose.

(taking inhaler medication as prescribed also helps with cough, breathlessness, asthma)

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

Hi. I had already researched foods which are rich in potassium. And I am only taking a relatively small dose of potassium in tablet form. But would not be able to get the same from food. I would have to eat about 50 bananas a day etc to do that. I really did just want to know an answer to my question - although obviously nobody here can diagnose for sure. But thankfully some of the people who responded DID answer the question and have got similar experiences to relate, so because I heard from them I am glad I posted.

[wiserlady in reply to Hidden]

I have been taking inhaler as prescribed and it is now giving me severe diarrhea. Hence switching to potassium. And taking enough foods which are rich in potassium will not cut it, I would have to eat something like 100 bananas each day.

[astragal]

Good morning

I have taken potassium for years in gluconate form , it is kinder to stomach. As you no doubt know, electrolytes are generally synergistic and if you consume too much potassium it can affect heart and kidneys. Naturally sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas, coconut water all have good amounts.

Some people find adjusting diet helps to thin mucus and aid breathing.

Increasing water intake and vegetables, omega 3 foods. Reducing or removing dairy, gluten , meat from the diet. A blood test would be useful to check levels of minerals, B vitamins, especially B12, vitamin D. As those with both lung and digestive issues often seem to have deficiencies in these.

As for your symptoms, you have clearly researched. From what you say your GP is not being very helpful. If it is possible to see another doctor, then that may be the best option or speak with surgery manager and express your concerns. If your GP refuses to refer you, then you do have the right to ask for a second opinion.

Your symptoms could be due to quite a few conditions, possibly even a crossover. I have bronchiectasis, Lpr, gastroparesis. spine and chest deformity, gallstones, Sibo plus ...... Some of the symptoms are the same, excess mucus, coughing, choking, breathlessness, tight chest , blocked sinuses , inability to digest fats, meat and dairy. Etc ..... When one flares it can aggravate the others. It took years to reach the diagnosis in each case, testing one body system at a time. Lpr causes a vapour containing pepsin, sometimes acid and bile rise up esophagus into the throat and airways. Which in turn causes mucus, possible infection and inflammation., asthma/bronchiectasis exacerbation.

However to get to the root it required CT scans, endoscopy, colonoscopy, ENT scope, 24 hour ph test, impedance, manometry test, ultrasound of gallbladder and general abdomen, numerous blood tests, stool samples, mucus samples, breath test for Sibo, h pylori test.....and so on.

It can take a frustrating amount of time to get answers.

Unfortunately, as others have said, there won’t be any definitive answers until results are in.

There are some amazing, knowledgeable, supportive, caring people in this forum from whom l have learned so much and I am very grateful to have found this group.

So you are not alone . I hope you manage to get the answers you need.

[wiserlady in reply to astragal]

Thank you for your reply. Ive already checked vitamins etc and have been taking omega 3 for years. I do a lot of research online and cover all of the bases I can as quickly as I can. I too have a spine deformity - very "round shouldered" but had no problems at all until getting on a bit, was very agile and speedy and fit when younger. I understand that for a real diagnosis you need tests etc. But Ive been to the doctor who dismisses everything as just asthma or bronchitis, and same with the lung expert. And no I cannot go elsewhere, would have thought of that.

[Lulu9]

Can this be used while having chemotherapy and immunotherapy, I have copd as well, get awful stuff stuck in my throat.thankyou

[wiserlady in reply to Lulu9]

Hi Lulu. I am not sure to be honest but with potassium it is a natural thing. Unless you are allergic to it or got some sort of problem where you may have too much in your system I cant see why you would not be able to take it. Lots of people buy potassium tablets and take 1 or 2 a day as natural and normal, even though their health is fine. I only take it because if I dont I get a lot of wheezing, breathlessness and coughing. A naive person will say ah but u can eat potasasium rich foods but they d ont contain enough to make a difference and I dont want to eat 100 bananas a day.

[Hidden in reply to Lulu9]

I would check with your oncologist Lulu