Potassium

[Timberman]

A bit of background: I am a severe COPD sufferer with emphysema and bronchiectasis. I also have arrythmia and aortic stenosis. So my breathing is bad. But some time back I was checked and found to have low potassium. I took a supplement and two things happened - the arrythmia subsided and the breathing got better.

And I forgot all about it.

This last year has been very bad, with a really tight chest and bad breathing.

Then I tidied my bedside cabinet and found the unfinished potassium bottle. And remembered. So I took the dose and guess what?

No more tight chest, far better breathing and, I am guessing here, little or now arrythmia.

So if you have anything like me and cannot get a response it get your potassium levels checked. Must be worth a try.

[Cliff_G]

Hi Timberman,

Good advice. And one's potassium doesn't actually need to be "low" (i.e. less than 3.5). There's good evidence that for those prone to arrhythmias, being "high normal" (above 4.5 on a range of 3.5 to 5.3). Helps. I managed to finally get off amiodarone by getting mine to 4.6.

[Hidden]

Thankyou for sharing your experiences…This should help most people unless they have any kidney issues.

You might understand why this is happening if you look at the kerbs cycle… and switching pathways between sodium and potassium… in order for this to work properly you need adequate magnesium in your diet…. If you take a lot of zinc.. this lowers absorption of magnesium..and copper.

Potassium supplements may cause you to pee more.. which is a sign you have low magnesium too ..this is often due to the release of sodium ions but remember to keep hydrated as this issue can be affected in warm spells.. sweating acute illnesses.. etc… often arrhythmias occur due to imbalances and like

Cliff_G explains it doesn’t have to be by much … keep cream of tartare in the kitchen one teaspoon in half a tumbler of water supplies 435 mg of potassium..

Always keep bananas to hand..

Sodium bicarbonate one teaspoon lowers calcium serum if you get twitching… ectopics you get faster results but use with caution.. too much too often and sodium gets locked into tissue.. water retention.

Magnesium binds to ATP to create the switching pathway between sodium ions and potassium ions.. low magnesium causes sodium ions to remain longer in cellular tissue hence retaining fluid in the body…bloated legs difficulty taking a deep breath… Mg also helpful to reduce ectopics for this reason.

Introduce nuts and dark chocolate into your diet these contain Mg but also selenium and copper in the right ratios.

Best way to rebalance is by using foods that contain the right ratios.. bananas… spinach (good ratios between calcium/Mg/Potassium) etc.

Asthma sufferers benefit when they address electrolytes imbalances too.These problems increase as we age…experiments by adjusting food combinations is much safer … as always

a little of something is often enough.. so don’t get carried away.. or you end up sea sawing between good and bad episodes.

I apologise if you already knew of these things.. better to be sure.. and be well everyone.