High Potassium

Hola,
There is good news and bad news re the high potassium.

Cancer hates potassium, that's the good part.
High potassium can kill you way before the cancer does.

So I googled around trying to find foods that bind with potassium, I recommend you read this site, print it out, figure out what you would like your doc to explain/clarify for you and see where you are then.

You should find out how high is high. Can you get your medical records. Usually they are free but you need an ID.

Find out what the symptoms are for danger. This is very important. And for all of those of you who have mentioned I seem to be bossy, in this case you are absolutely right. I am very concerned for Fayard. So, there's that.

I had low potassium, very low, which not only promotes cancer but can stop your heart.I got a call too. It was low enough to cause cardiac arrest.

So, he called or she(your doc) because this is a very important situation and I guess he wanted to be covered. Make an appointment and ask a lot of questions, til you get it and have a course of action.You should be able to ask to speak with the doc prior to your appt also. Be persistent. You are paying for their service. You are the employer, but they need to serve you correctly.

Site
http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/28/Potassium-imbalance.html
This is way too tricky for me to even take a stab at figuring out.

Love ya take care, do not dilly dally

Claudia

Fayard said:

Claudia
Thank you for your input.
When the doctor called me, I was in the middle of working.
I told him I wanted a copy of the results, and that I would give him a call if I had questions.

I am expecting the results between Monday and Tuesday.
He also mentioned something else as being a little high, but again he called me when I was not focus on him.

I am going to check the page you sent me and wait for the results, so I can write down my questions when I call my doc next week.

Gracias!

eFAX
When I was diagnosed, I realized that I wanted all the information my doctor got to also come to me. So I got myself an eFAX number (faxes come to my e-mailbox) and whenever I have any tests or scans, my fax number is right there along with the doctors' fax numbers. Oftentimes, I know my results before the doctor even calls me.

Regarding potassium....low potassium is the major cause of death for those with anorexia or bulemia. As Claudia said, low potassium can make your heart stop.. I had a niece who dropped dead at 36 from this.

Elevated potassium is called "Hyperkalemia" and I read that for diagnosis of this "the measurement of potassium needs to be repeated, as the elevation can be due to hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells) in the first sample."

This was interesting to read: http://www.bami.us/Diet/Hyperkalemia.html

california_artist said:

Hola,
Went to the site Joann recommended. Great info, here's some, but go there to read the rest:

Symptoms of Hyperkalemia (Elevated Potassium)
Mild hyperkalemia causes few, if any, symptoms. Usually, hyperkalemia is first detected when routine blood tests are performed or when a doctor notices changes on an electrocardiogram. A high level of potassium in the blood is dangerous.

It can cause the heart rhythm to become abnormal. If the level is very high, the heart can stop beating.(3)

Treatment of Hyperkalemia (Elevated Potassium)
For mild hyperkalemia, reducing the potassium intake or discontinuing drugs that prevent the kidneys from excreting potassium may be the only treatment that is needed. If the kidneys are functioning, a diuretic may be given to increase potassium excretion.
For severe hyperkalemia, immediate treatment is essential. A resin that absorbs potassium from the digestive tract and passes out of the body in the stool can be given by mouth or enema. When more rapid treatment is needed, the person may be given an intravenous solution. If these measures do not work or if a person has kidney failure, dialysis may be necessary to remove the excess potassium.(3)

Potassium-Restricted Diets
Look on labels for symbols listed as KCL, K+ or potassium and avoid these foods. Potassium may be used in some foods as a preservative or a salt substitute.
Foods and food additives that are high in potassium should be avoided (above)
Soaking or boiling vegetables and fruits in water helps reduce the potassium content.

I would probably drink more water, lots more water to help your kidneys get rid of the potassium.

Normal potassium levels are 3.5- 5.1
So sorry for you to have this new worry. You need to check the labels on all your supplements, etc., & see if there's a chance you are over-dosing yourself inadvertently. But usually if potassium is out of whack (when is pretty easily kept normal through a healthy diet) it is important to get to the root cause. Maybe I missed it; did they say what you potassium # is? It doesn't have to be off much over or under the norm to require action.

For the 1st time ever, on Friday, my labs showed a LOWERED potassium level of 3.1 (normal 3.5 - 5.1) and I was immediately prescribed 'Klor-Von M10' pills & must take 3 a day. I know if my potassium number continues to drop that a potassium transfusion will be next, as really low potassium levels is life-threatening. I have to go in Monday again for new labs. These nutritional abnormalities are taken very seriously because there must be a reason for changes in basic elements that have always been normal, and your medical team needs to determine what's up. I agree that glass after glass is a good strategy for both of us, high or low.

I posted on the Ovarian Discussion Board about my emergency run to oncology Friday, an unscheduled visit because the whites of my eyes turned yellow. I won't repeat that all here; if you are interested, you can check over there, & I figure I'll post an update here after I get new labs & see my oncologist Monday. But all of my symptoms point to a bile duct obstruction which surprisingly snowballed into all kinds of other problems: platelets dropping to 64; ALT climbing to 91; and this potassium drop: all related to the obstruction. I'll be having a stent inserted this week to open up and release that trapped bile. I guess I'm saying, even seemingly small things are usually inter-related to something else, and can snowball into bigger problems. When will you have a treatment plan? Or is the rise so low that they think it will right itself? ((((Hugs))))

Fayard said:

Tests results
I just received my blood work results.
Potassium is just a little high, 5.9.
I am guessing it could have been something a eat on the same day.
My WBC is 5.8 and RBC is 3.57, still a little low.

I feel good, so I hope the RBC goes up by itself.
I think the last time I had a blood work, about 2 and half months ago, the RBC was the same.

Any super powerful foods out there to raise RBC?

Foods for blood building
This is gonna sound weird and you did ask for suggestions so here goes: raw bone marrow. It's greasy stuff and the easiest way to get it in you is by mixing it with something else (like hummus). You have to get soup bones sliced up so you can get to the marrow. The stuff is also great for osteoporosis.

After platinum chemo, residual metal stays in the bones & depresses RBC production. I'm trying to figure out how to get platinum out my own bones besides doing chelation therapy.

Bon appetite!

daisy366 said:

Interesting
Thanks Carolen,

My mother used to like the marrow - thought it gross when I was a kid. I have osteopenia and not taking any meds. Doing weight bearing exercise. I will add the bone marrow to my diet. (My mother will be smiling down on me!).

Mary Ann

What about the littlle soft bones in canned salmon
related to bone marrow, perhaps.....My mother always said to crush the little soft round bones in canned salmon and add them to the croquettes, that the bonwa were so good for you. Think there's any truth in that? Based on her advice, I used to steam the dozens of little fish my kids caught, steamed gutted but whole, until the bones were soft enough to crush and include in the croquettes I'd make out of the meat I was able to pick off those tiny crappies and sunnies. I thought I was adding calcium. Any idea if "Mom knew best"?