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low potassium

by kchiar516, Aug 11, 2007 09:11AM
my dad was admitted to hospital for angina. was dx with low potassium. he has taken potassium for a long, long time. what could be the cause. i might add he is on 70mg of lasix qd. karen   puzzled.  also has chf
Member Comments (1)

by BhumikaMD, Aug 29, 2008 12:49PM
Hi,

What symptoms is he having? How much is his potassium levels? Has a serum magnesium level been done? What medications is he taking for the low potassium?

The most common cause of low potassium is excessive potassium loss in urine or from the gastrointestinal tract, such as due to:

-Certain diuretics
-Chronic or severe vomiting or diarrhea
-Impaired kidney function
-Overproduction of a hormone (aldosterone) that causes your kidneys to excrete more potassium
-Excessive use of laxatives
-Eating disorders

So his low potassium could be because of a decraesed oral intake, lasix, etc.

You could consult a doctor for his symptoms and let us know if you need any further information.

Regards.
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