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Hypokalemia

nessa1970

Well-Known Member
Messages
386
Location
New Zealand
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Can hypoglycaemia cause hypokalemia?
I had both the other day
I was 1.5 for the hypokalemia which apparently is life threatening
I was in hospital on couple of different drips? I'm wondering tho once you get your numbers back to a safe place is this likely to happen again? It was pretty scary and my heart felt like it was going to explode.
Any insight would be appreciated.
 
If you are having a hypo then adrenaline released in response to the hypo, and excess insulin in situ which caused the hypo, can stimulate the uptake of potassium from the bloodstream causing hypokalemia.

Low potassium is thought to play a part in dead in bed syndrome because it causes long QT waves and cardiac arrhythmia.

So, avoid such serious hypos.
 

Oh really whow ok thank you very much for that.
Are some people more prone to getting it tho than others or can it just happen when having a hypo?
 
Apparently hypokalemia can be caused by several medications taken by diabetics, and also can occur as a result of a ketogenic diet. My levels of K dropped while i was doing keto,and GP advised a supplement and eating bananas.

I had problems with a diuretic I was using, and most of my heart and blood meds were either contraindicated or had the symptoms listed as a side effect. Googling the condition will not show these other med interactions, so you should check each of your meds in turn. Medscape or drugs.com are usually quite helpful websites.
there is also a salt replacement that can be used instead of table salt (table salt is mainly sodium).
 
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nessa1970 said:
Oh really whow ok thank you very much for that.
Are some people more prone to getting it tho than others or can it just happen when having a hypo?
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Hi Nessa,
Some patients with Conn's syndrome leak potassium in the urine because they produce too much aldosterone and retain sodium. When sodium goes into tissue potassium is lost through urine. Derek
 

I wouldnt use any sodium if one had low potassium, its like trying to put out a fire with petrol!
There are two potassium sparing diuretics, Oldvatr. One is cheap: Spironolactone and effective but affects male and female hormones. There is also Eplerenone which is less effective than spironolactone and doesn't affect hormones so much but is expensive. I take 150 mg of the latter per day because my adrenals produce an astronomical amount of aldosterone.

I was once on three BP drugs now after a Conn's diagnosis I only take one medication for BP and an anticoagulant because aldosterone stuffing sodium into my heart has knackered it.
Derek
 
I'm not aware that hypoglycemia causes hypokalemia. Diuretics are the most common cause by far. There are rare diseases like hypoaldosteronism which can cause high blood pressure.
 
TheBigNewt said:
I'm not aware that hypoglycemia causes hypokalemia. Diuretics are the most common cause by far. There are rare diseases like hypoaldosteronism which can cause high blood pressure.
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Perhaps not as rare as thought but I think I am the only diagnosed person with hyperaldosteronism in our our practice. But it is reckoned that probably 20%? Of resistant hypertensives have some form of P.A. There is a high rate of T2D amongst them because the tumours also put out unregulated cortisol. D.
 
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