Low potassium

[Frenchfancy]

Hi, my first positive appointment with new rheumatologist at new hospital!

ANA is now 1:320 homogeneous

Dsdna 13 which I’m guessing is normal

awaiting some other blood results still but she said my urine was normal apart from blood trace on the last two tests ( 3 months apart) , I have a kidney stone so not sure if could just be that? But my potassium is getting lower every test?

It’s now 3.2 ( normal I think she said was 3.5 upwards?)

Can this be a marker for autoimmune or maybe just unrelated red herring?

She also said my ESR surprised her as my hand was visibly very swollen & stiff at apt & diagnosed synovitis, ( has ordered an ultrasound on hand) - also feet were swollen but she said my ESR was 2! Which is low?! She said I’m a real mystery!

However I feel so lucky to have now got a lovely rheumatologist who genuinely wants to thoroughly investigate & hopefully give me some answers

[Spanielmadlady]

Hi FF.really pleased you have someone you can trust to treat you with the respect you deserve.we are all mysteries in our own way... I'm described as "complex" 🙄.Can't help regarding potassium hope you get it sorted soon xx

[PMRpro]

Some people don't "mount the acute phase response" that raises the ESR - sometimes other inflmmatory markers are raised, such as ferritin. I have polymyalgia rheumatica - my ESR was raised for me but never out of range and that is the case for up to a fifth of patients. And some people don't do it when on certain medications.

Don't think low potassium is necessarily linked to autoimmunity - but it can be a sign of a wrong balance of medications or medications causing potassium loss through the urine and it can be a sign of poor adrenal function. And it can happen in Sjoegrens or lupus nephritis because the kidneys are involved.

This an extreme case but shows how it can happen if it goes on long enough

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Did she suggest you raised your intake of potassium rish foods? Losing a bit through the kidneys might not register but in combination with not having enough in your diet would contribute.

[Tiggywoos]

So happy you got the appointment you deserve 😘. I might be wrong but I’ve got a feeling potassium can fluctuate daily ? Regarding inflammatory markers I was in hospital a few years ago with blood infection from 🐈‍⬛ bite and my ESR was also 2. What mysteries we are ! Big hugs xx

[dg70]

Your dsdna is classed as borderline between 10 and 15 as far as i understand. Over 15 is a positive. I understand this can fluctuate. Since my diagnosis I've been 55 then six months later 13. All other blood tests negative. Diagnosed lupus/sjogrens. It does suggest autoimmune but hopefully your Rheumatologist wont go on just that but will look at all your symptoms too. I think hydroxychloroquine has helped my flare ups and lowered my dsdna. So glad you have a good and thorough rheumatologist

[StriatedCaracara]

I get low blood potassium - down to 2.9 some times.

Goes down when insulin (eat too much carb) or adrenaline (get stressed) go up - it was suggested I had Hypokalaemic periodic paralysis but genetic tests were normal. I have been prescribed Sando K.

Do wonder whether in my case it might be autoimmune - maybe self-antibodies being produced to ion channels

Sometimes hardest to maintain potassium in the summer probably due to sweating.

My ESR doesn't go up much so I ask to have ultrasounds to prove inflammation

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