Potassium rash

Well, I guess I reached "titration" for potassium! Very itchy rash that started on my lower back then progressed to chest, legs and arms. I started with the chelated magnesium working up to 600mg/day. Then started with a scoop of potassium in the morning, a low-sodium V8 at lunch, and then added another scoop before dinner. Stopping all potassium has reversed the rash. Anyone ever experience this?

Gary

I have never had a rash such as you describe, but I wonder at your word "scoop." What does that mean? Is that a teaspoon? A tablespoon?

It makes me think of "Two Scoops of Raisins," It could be 80 or 800 raisins.

lisa
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So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

Another question. Were you monitoring your K levels during this time?

lisa
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So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

Gary - No... and I've taken a lot of potassium... What form is the 'scoopable' you mention? I assume it is the potassium gluconate? but a 'scoop' might be quite a bit... since 1 teaspoon = 540 mg. Remember that while we need potasssium and it's a key element for NSR.... you can overdo potassium...and the result of overdosing is very serious...can promote arrhythmias AND stop your heart... in very high doses.

Jackie

I thought the little scoop that I've been using came with the Now bulk K powder, but maybe not. It's 6.5 cc which is about a teaspoon and a quarter. One teaspoon of the bulk powder is 540 mg. My "scoop" provides about 700 mg, I guess. So, I was taking 1400 mg in powder and 1180 in the V8 juice plus another 500 mg from the banana in my morning smoothie for a daily total of about 3000 mg. Isn't the "RDA" for K about 3500 mg? This does not count any other food sources. And, no, I'm not monitoring.

The only thing I get a rash from is too much Niacin. As for Potassium I was overdoing it without knowing it. I checked the bottle a week ago - Potassium Chloride powder - and it says serving size 1/4 Teaspoon (1.4g) Amount of Potassium per serving 730mg.. I has misread it as 1 teaspoon for 1 serving. But I was only talking it occasionally anyway.

Hello Hound, try getting a jar of the powdered potassium gluconate from iHerb, Hans' vitamin contact. It tastes a lot better than the KCl anyway.The amount one uses is a gently rounded teaspoonful in a BIG glass of water. and i can barely taste it. I do not know how you can drink anything with a whole teaspoon of KCl in it anyway. I certainly could not. Luck to you in all things.

PeggyM

I'm on prescription niacin as well (Niaspan 500 mg 2 x day). But I've been on it over 6 months and this rash thing seemed to coincide with my ramp up on the potassium. The potassium I'm taking is the Now brands gluconate form right off Han's link into the iHerb site. Frankly, I've always been prone to weird reactions to meds.

Interestingly, now that I have taken a second look, I see that "skin problems such as redness, rash, and itching" can occur with the MULTAQ (400 mg 2 x day) that I've also been on for 6 months. I had formerly been on Flecainide for years with no side effects whatsoever. It was not until my cardiologist spotted some afib during 3 weeks of me wearing a monitor that he switched me off the Flecainide and on to the Multaq. He also started me on 325 mg of aspirin a day.

MULTAQ has a long list of contraindications. I'm wondering now if adding the Mg, K, or taurine has "stirred up" a reaction with the MULTAQ. Probably time to get the kidney function checked.

Gary

Peggy, thanks for the suggestion. It (KCl) tasted marginally better than Cod Liver Oil. I'm not even sure it works for me anyway.

gleeloyd, surely the most likely culprit is Niacin, even if it just started manifesting itself. Niacin is weird and I stay off mega doses.

Niacin can give you a warm flush, I have had that happen, you can feel the warmth and you will turn red, lasts about 15 min., usually happens when you take it on an empty stomach, but I have never had it cause a rash. whatever caused your rash, I would try to track it down and stay away from it.

Liz

I have just 'lost' my family physician to 'retirement'. He was burned out and I am looking for another GP as easy going as he was and as accomodating. I have about three or four months before I start to get nervous....

One of the things that he did for me was to monitor my INR, serum Potassium, etc. and gave me a requisition to have this done every two weeks if I desire it. I go about once a month and the requisition is good for six months I believe. I monitor my serum Potassium closely and try to keep it in the 4.5 range. Too much higher than that and you are overdoing it. Much less than that and you are Potassium poor.

Another benefit of this "Eat to Live" diet (Dr. Fuhrman... the book is available online for downloading) is that, amongst other benefits, my blood sugars are coming into line and I am taking less and less Metformin and spreading it out over the day as opposed to loading up 20 minutes before every meal..... Fuhrman's diet is essentially vegetarian with some fish and eggs thrown in. No dairy, etc. I feel great and I have not had any palpatations since starting it. I think that nutrition is essential to the picture and that includes EVERYTHING you put into your body by any means. (Heck, I know folks that have worked with Epoxy glue for building things and have wound up with severe reactions and allergies to all sorts of things.... one now knows to wear Nitrile gloves when coming into contact with chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin). I guess what I am saying is that it seems to all be interconnected and demands monitoring. I am going to have blood drawn tomorrow and will be especially interested in my INR and Potassium levels on this new diet.

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

afhound99:

It was the Niaspan! My cardiologist had me on 500mg 2xday. I'm going to try an over the counter flush-free formula at 250mg. Probably the Now Foods product through iHerb.