I have been feeling for the past weeks now the need to constantly urinated and it is accompanied with excessive salivation. I’ve done a urine culture and had no infection found. I have been taking for quite a while now diuretic herbal teas and have been using many diuretic slimming products which I have all stopped now but symptoms persist. Could I be suffering from a potassium defeciency? as I also at times feel pressure in my head, my hands shake and I feel tired.

I posted a question earlier about bladder symptom relief… After doing some research, I discovered the real issue could be lack of potassium. I have been incredibly tired all the time, I’ve passed out, I get weak easily, my heart palpitates (even been to the ER for chest and heart pain) and I get light-headed and dizzy for the last month or so. However, all of these symptoms apply to anemia as well. Only difference is that bladder issues can arise with lack of potassium. Since I can’t get in for an appointment until next week, what do you think? Should I begin vitamins with potassium, iron or both? I’m going to get blood work done once I go in but for now, I don’t know if it’s wise to try and supplement what I may not actually be missing. A few people have suggested already that either one could be causing all this. Any suggestions?

I am having a lot of health problems and they all seem to point to an issue with my adrenal gland overproducing hormones. I’m not jumping to conclusions or anything, as I know it could be a variety of things because my symptoms are multifarious. So, just wondering.

I’m scheduled to see a doctor, unfortunately not for a few weeks though.

If you were wondering, my symptoms in a nutshell;
Neurological: Episodes where I lose the ability to read and write (I can read, but I always see the wrong word and none of it makes sense. Same with writing, I use the wrong words). During the most severe reading/writing episode, I lost peripheral vision in my right eye. Spacing out constantly, which feels very good (weird, I know).

Fatigue. Not just like, standard my-ass-is-dragging-because-I’m-having-a-bad-day fatigue. It’s scary. Walking 300 feet causes my heart to race, my knees to buckle, and I need to sit down. I’m also noticing what feels like orthostatic hypotension (head rush, dizziness, loss of vision, etc.) I can’t make it through a shower without sitting down. I am a fairly active, young female.

Hair loss. I’m losing it in clumps. I have patches of missing hair. I eat a healthy diet and am pretty regimented with vitamins and supplements (prenatal, calcium, thiamine, biotin, iron, vitamin c, potassium).

Increased sex drive. Not enjoyable AT ALL. It’s constant and does not get better, even with hours of stimulation. It is interfering with my day-to-day activities.

Those are my major complaints. I went to the ER at the onset of the neurological problems. Had a CBC, which was fine and a head CT (also fine). I’m supposed to have an EEG and MRI, but the tests need to be ordered by my PCP, not the ER doctor.

How high does potassium have to be before you feel tired, weak in the calves when walking sometimes ( as if you were exercising but you are not), and kind of nauseated after eating, and have a resting heart rate sometimes at 50 but not all the time? I have been having the symptoms after lowering my Fludrocortisone (synthetic aldosterone, mineralcorticoid). I know that lower aldosterone can cause hyperkalemia. I am feeling worse after eating food. I get kind of spacey and slow. I don’t know whether to attribute it to another medical condition, but I have definitely felt different after lowering the Fludro. I was on .05 mg Fludro daily, backed down to 2 day on and one day off for 11 days, and then backed down to .05 mg every other day for 10 days. Felt worse with these hyperkalemic symptoms shortly after I lowered to the every other day dose.

I`ve just found out the my potassium level is 3.2…on the exceptionally low side. I`ve been browsing on Google and came across some scary bits of information that basically state`s that having low potassium to such an extreme could literally stop your heart. I`ve had all the symptoms of having a depleted potassium level; Muscle cramps, irregular heart beat, lethargy and so on. All of which I`ve had for over 4 years; since 2006.

I just don`t get it, I eat incredibly healthy foods. Most of which are loaded with rich potassium levels. yet my body doesn`t seem to absorb any of the good I`m putting in. I`m also aware of the possibility that having low potassium my be indicative of an underlying disorder; like diabete`s, Cushing syndrome and adrenal tumors. I have also been recently been diagnosed with a pleomorphic adenoma tumor, a benign tumor of the salivary gland that`s extremely rare in people my age… I`m only 20. I`m sure, at least I don`t believe my benign tumor has much of anything to do with the low potassium level. I`m still scratching my head looking for answer`s.

should I be worried..

About me and my rats, I’m 26, a huge animal lover, and a first time rat owner. I initially only wanted to get one rat but after some research, I learned that rats are social animals and being a solo rat can be very depressing for a rattie. So I opted to get two from the same age range. Solene was my first purchase along with another rattie. But the other did not seem to be very fond of me infact she was a biter. She would even bite Solene. So the biter was returned and exchanged for a more docile and friendly rat. Enter Lossette. after a week, I went to the pet shop to buy a new toy for my babies. When I went, the pet shop owner was trying to talk a customer out of purchasing a tiny little rattie because they intended to use her for snake food. This little rattie was a light brown hooded rattie. My heart went out to her and I purchased her and added her to the family. My son named her Nova. They reside in a 4 level rat manor, their bedding is a concoction of aspen shavings, recycled paper bedding fluff, and recycled paper pellets. The have plenty of chew sticks, an exercise wheel, two water bottles (One for each floor), and a clear running ball for trips outside the cage to play with the cat without being eaten (LOL) It’s been nearly 3 weeks since that wonderful day when they all were settled in with our family, and my three girls have been best of friends and the love of life (Next to my son, of course). Solene (3 month old Albino Fancy), Lossette (2 month old Albino Fancy), and Nova (1 month old Brown Hooded fancy)….

But for the past 2 days, Lossette has become very lethargic, she seems to be eating less and less, and there is a more prominent discharge of red fluid from her nose and eyes. I know that the discharge is supposed to be normal in rats, but this seems like a lot and I’m beginning to speculate that it may infact be blood. Also, I know that rats are prone to a respiratory infection called Mycoplasmosis (or something like that) and there is now a rasping to her breathing. She has become very thin to the point I can feel her spine and ribs when I hold her. And that’s not a good sign in ANY animal. I feel horrible for not seeing the thinning sooner. When Lossette first came into my life, I noticed her raspy breathing and my vet prescribed Baytril. She seemed to recover but now, she looks terrible.

To try and fatten her up, I have concocted a meal for her to feed by plastic syringe. A mashed banana, some watered down apple juice, a pinch of sugar, and a crushed rat food pellet. The banana for the protein and potassium, the apple juice for the energy boost and immunity assistance, the sugar also for energy, and the pellet for everything else I know she needs in her diet. I have been giving her a feeding session every two hours trying to give her at least 4ml each feeding. I don’t want to over feed her because I know that could do more harm than good, so I’m doing the small feedings to keep from over stretching her stomach. I am also making an effort to keep her warm by giving her a terry cloth wash rag to snuggle into at night.

I know the typical response would be "Take her to the vet". Well no duh, people, I’m not stupid. The symptoms set in friday night, after the vet clinic was closed, and there’s no emergency clinic that cares for exotics. I’ve already taken that into consideration. Infact, my vet is the ONLY vet in my town that cares for exotics. Another issue is that I dont get paid until This upcomming friday. I have a whole week to wait before I can pay a vet for their services. (All though, I plan to call and see if they will allow a payment plan given Lossette’s situation)

What I am asking, is there anything else I can do for her in the mean time, to keep her well, warm, and alive?

If you choose to answer, PLEASE dont respond to me like I’m an incompetent child.

before the recall, i had been feeling dizziness, lightheaded, nausea, typical low blood pressure symptoms, but now i feel it even more. went to e.r., before the switch and my digitallis was a 1. needs to be 7. could there be other issues going on? i do have tachycardia, and now i have been on the adalat for 3 days so i have had 3 ddays of over tiredness, and chest and s.o.b., is ths a concerned matter to go on and see a cardiologist? cause i only saw my internal medicine dr. i am also having cold achy feelings in my left shoulder, which when i told the er dr. he wanted to do some test for my heart, i was hardheaded and didnt stay the 24hrs it wouldve taken. but to a specialist that can answer this ,, does this sound like a panic attack, or stress, or something more serious?. see i do have m.g. and on alot of meds including cytoxan, and gamma globin, prednisone, and potassium, and warfarin, thats for the pulmonary embolism. sounds like my body is breaking down?

I’m am a 22 year old female with a repaired VSD in 1996. I have been cleared from the doctor that I was a-ok since then. About a year now I have been experiencing some serious problems. My whole life my cholesterol, sugar, potassium, blood pressure, and what have you- have been perfect. My blood pressure now jumps from the 130’s/90’s to 170’s/150’s! I have episodes of extreme heart palpitations where it makes me feel faint, and there are times when my heart just pounds extremely hard, like it’s going to beat out of my chest. At times it is pounding so hard I can feel it in my lips, fingers, toes and it gets so loud I can barely hear anything around me. I will get chest pains some shard, some stabbing, some squeezing. Although I never have the pounding/palpitations with chest pain.I get exhausted so easily, I am constantly dizzy and nauseous. If I am ever out and on my feet I end up being pushed in a wheel chair because I cannot stand without wanting to fall over.

Since I’ve graduated from high school in 2006 I have been experiencing extreme fatigue. It’s a daily thing with me, especially recently, if given the opportunity I can sleep for an entire day-no exaggeration there. I would skip school, and I have even missed work because of my lack of energy.

I took myself to the emergency room one night, because I was scared. They did a full heart attack work-up. Heparin drip, Nitroglycerin patch, Oxygen, Blood work every four hours…they kept me for two days. The nurse noticed an abnormality on my first EKG, and noticed several PV-C’s. Nothing of this was ever mentioned again, not even by the on-call cardiologist. I was referred to the MACH clinic in Detroit, the Adult Congenital Heart Clinic. I was put on holter/event monitors, had echos done, and more EK-Gs. The doctors there said I was in perfect condition and sent me home, come back in one year they said. Since then I have been in the hospital six more times, conditions worsened, including extreme dizziness to the point of passing out and nausea.

I have been through 6 cardiologists who either shake their heads refusing to treat me because of my history and severity of symptoms and refer me back to the clinic, or have no clue on whats going on with me. I have been on a number of blood pressure medicines toprolol, metroprolol, bystolic.. of course their working for my blood pressure but it actually makes my symptoms worse. Currently my doctor has me on Lisinopril, Hygroton, and Atenolol and I have never felt so sick in my life.

A year later I have ran out of resources, me being so sick if effecting my life severely, it is hard for me to do my job, I have had to post-pone making wedding arrangements, and it’s almost impossible for my to start my career now that I am done with school. I am so frustrated and looking for a little light on my situation. I am only 22 years old, I do not want to take dozens of pills for the rest of my life. I cannot find a doctor who will just listen to me- it’s not panic or stress and these blood pressure medicines will be the end of me! HELP!

i recently went to the doctors to have a blood test he also checked my BP and heart beart on the same day my blood pressure was 120/80 and 78 bmp on my heart

in my blood test it came back all normal except my potassium levels which came back low at 3.1 I decided to read up online what that meant and read some things that have scared me first i noticed a few symptoms i can relate to like muscle twiching but i read you can suffer a heart attack at any moment when its that low and even slip into a coma!! other than that also my cholesterol level is 6.5

anyway i went back to the doctor she said she wouldnt have called me in personally for the potassium levels she said its fine and no danger just that i should obviously lower my cholesterol.

i am a mild hypocondriac and suffer from panic attacks so reading that has really set me off and i just sit here thinking somthing bad might happen

has anyone got experience of this and can offer some advice?

ow high does potassium have to be before you feel tired, weak in the calves when walking sometimes ( as if you were exercising but you are not), and kind of nauseated after eating, and have a resting heart rate sometimes at 50 but not all the time? I have been having the symptoms after lowering my Fludrocortisone (synthetic aldosterone, mineralcorticoid). I know that lower aldosterone can cause hyperkalemia. I am feeling worse after eating food. I get kind of spacey and slow. I don’t know whether to attribute it to another medical condition, but I have definitely felt different after lowering the Fludro. I was on .05 mg Fludro daily, backed down to 2 day on and one day off for 11 days, and then backed down to .05 mg every other day for 10 days. Felt worse with these hyperkalemic symptoms shortly after I lowered to the every other day dose.