The last time I saw the MDS, I mentioned I was taking potassium, a small amount and she went ballistic, said it could kill me, that I should discard it. The amount I took was less than the K in a banana. Prunes have potassium, too. I've been having more leg spasms lately, so I'll start taking it again, along with Magnesium.

I am surprised that the Pauling site states such a high amount of potassium is safe. Too much potassium can cause problems, or am I wrong about that? My neuro was very scared of potassium.

This is perplexing. I keep running up against claims of the dangers but find little research backing it up. Potassium supplements are the only regulated minerals OTC and there is bound to be a history but I haven't found it yet. Studies of potassium supplements for hypertension don't seem to worry about the problem either. One example-


1: CMAJ. 1999 May 4;160(9 Suppl):S35-45.

Lifestyle modifications to prevent and control hypertension. 6. Recommendations
on potassium, magnesium and calcium. Canadian Hypertension Society, Canadian
Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control, Laboratory Centre for
Disease Control at Health Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Burgess E, Lewanczuk R, Bolli P, Chockalingam A, Cutler H, Taylor G, Hamet P.

Division of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alta.

OBJECTIVE: To provide updated, evidence-based recommendations on the consumption,
through diet, and supplementation of the cations potassium, magnesium and calcium
for the prevention and treatment of hypertension in otherwise healthy adults
(except pregnant women). OPTIONS: Dietary supplementation with cations has been
suggested as an alternative or adjunctive therapy to antihypertensive
medications. Other options include other nonpharmacologic treatments for
hypertension. OUTCOMES: The health outcomes considered were changes in blood
pressure and in morbidity and mortality rates. Because of insufficient evidence,
no economic outcomes were considered. EVIDENCE: A MEDLINE search was conducted
for the period 1966-1996 with the terms hypertension and potassium, magnesium and
calcium. Reports of trials, meta-analyses and review articles were obtained.
Other relevant evidence was obtained from the reference lists of articles
identified, from the personal files of the authors and through contacts with
experts. The articles were reviewed, classified according to study design, and
graded according to the level of evidence. VALUES: A high value was placed on the
avoidance of cardiovascular morbidity and premature death caused by untreated
hypertension. BENEFITS, HARMS AND COSTS: The weight of the evidence from
randomized controlled trials indicates that increasing intake of or supplementing
the diet with potassium, magnesium or calcium is not associated with prevention
of hypertension, nor is it effective in reducing high blood pressure. Potassium
supplementation may be effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with
hypokalemia during diuretic therapy. RECOMMENDATIONS: For the prevention of
hypertension, the following recommendations are made: (1) The daily dietary
intake of potassium should be 60 mmol or more, because this level of intake has
been associated with a reduced risk of stroke-related mortality. (2) For
normotensive people obtaining on average 60 mmol of potassium daily through
dietary intake, potassium supplementation is not recommended as a means of
preventing an increase in blood pressure. (3) For normotensive people, magnesium
supplementation is not recommended as a means of preventing an increase in blood
pressure. (4) For normotensive people, calcium supplementation above the
recommended daily intake is not recommended as a means of preventing an increase
in blood pressure. For the treatment of hypertension, the following
recommendations are made. (5) Potassium supplementation above the recommended
daily dietary intake of 60 mmol is not recommended as a treatment for
hypertension. (6) Magnesium supplementation is not recommended as a treatment for
hypertension. (7) Calcium supplementation above the recommended daily dietary
intake is not recommended as a treatment for hypertension. VALIDATION: These
guidelines are consistent with the results of meta-analyses and recommendations
made by other organizations. They have not been clinically tested. SPONSORS: The
Canadian Hypertension Society, the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure
Prevention and Control, the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control at Health
Canada, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

PMCID: PMC1230338
PMID: 10333852 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n117851211k56469/

This is a scanned pdf of a report from 1988 of a "rare" report of cardiac arrest due to use of a potassium salt substitute. The patient was an American MD visiting the Netherlands who had convinced herself that she was dangerously low in potassium and had used the salt substitute to self-medicate. When that didn't work she called for an ambulance and demanded IV potassium in addition.

There is something screwy here. My paranoid nature has noted that there was a lot of research on using potassium for hypertension. This was a time when blood pressure meds were the big money makers.

Penicillin VK is formulated with a potassium salt. The larger of two tablets is a pretty decent dosage of about 60 mg. I have found three anecdotes linking PVK to reduced PD symptoms.
1- An anecdote reported about three years ago by Ron, I think, of having read of a fellow who had a bad tooth abscess and was given large dose prescription. PD disappeared but returned soon after completion.
2- A woman in the Ask the Doctor forum of the NPF reporting a similar experience.
3- A member of PLM who has been on PVK for years as a part of prophylactic treatment after cardiac valve relacement. Her symptom progression graph is the best I have seen.

And this-

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ght=penicillin

Rick-

Orexin cells use potassium channels as glucose sensors.
I know you guys worry about your basal ganglia, but you are losing orexin cells rapidly too.

Tandem-pore K+ channels mediate inhibition of orexin neurons by glucose.
Burdakov D, Jensen LT, Alexopoulos H, Williams RH, Fearon IM, O'Kelly I, Gerasimenko O.
Neuron. 2006 Jun 1;50(5):711-22.

Low carb diets also deplete potassium. When I am low-carbing I take at least 600mg a day.

Heidi

I know of a case with cardiac issues where potassium sodium levels were attempted to be 'balanced' by increasing potassuim levels. It went fatally wrong. It may be that in clinical situations where there is a pre-existing problem it is unwise, and that is why doctors don't like people self medicating. I personally would be wary, the patient concerned and his wife were very good friends, and the family has not really recovered from this, he went in for a completely different problem that was not severe at all, and was still young.

I'm treading water waiting for Mrs D to return from holiday. I want to know more but the literature is confusing. A lot of warnings but few cases. Oddly enough, the one I found involved an MD self-medicating with a salt substitute. Now Lindy reports one in hospital.

I suspect that some of our meds may cost us potassium which then makes symptoms much worse. Poor diet, peeing a lot, and certain BP meds all contribute. Stress too.

...this is where my current studies fall and I am approaching the present day.

We need whole food supplementation. Everything you take in pill form is isolated. If potassium levels are low..eat foods with high levels of potassium . Finding foods good for you can be a challenge if you don't favaor the taste of them, but there is such a wide range of foods out there...it's worth the trouble to find something that you like. Eat Whole Foods, not pills.....you will be healthier and have less symtoms. We are responsible for what we put into our bodies, not the doctors. God Bless and guide us in this journey