Muscle Pain, Heart Palpitations, and Low Potassium: Importance of Potassium Supplementation

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cancerfree

I don't know if anyone else has had this problem but... after trying beta blockers and calcium blockers which just made my slow heart rate slower, the cardiologist advised me to take a potassium pill every day and I have been for more than a year now. Sometimes I just get tired of taking pills, mainly vitamins, so about a month ago I started slacking off and the last couple of weeks my feet have felt like solid bricks of pain. Could barely walk a lot of the time and was awake half the night from throbbing pain.

I had started taking the potassium again a couple of days ago and the feet felt not perfect, but noticeably better. Mentioned this to the doctor this morning. He did check their circulation which was good but he did say it was most likely from slacking off on the potassium pills. That it was rare for both feet to hurt so much at the same time.

So, if anyone is having unusual muscle pain ask your doctor if you should be taking potassium if you aren't already. It did completely resolve the heart palpitations a year ago too. But do check any and all health conditions with your physician.

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Xerxes

Cancerfree,

I am glad that you are feeling better. When our electrolytes are off, we can suffer from many effects, including what you have described. Perhaps you should try to see a nephrologist (kidney specialist) for fluid and electrolyte studies.

X_

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WOUNDED DOE
Hi sweetie,
Xerxes is right too. How things can so quickly be tossed out of whack on us, that is for certain. I hope you are feeling better with it all. I have also had those problems with low potassium and was put on pills, but no longer take them as I discovered a banana each day did the trick and my blood tests prove the power of the 'nanna' lol. But I am also wondering if you might have fibromyalgia like so many of us? I have it bad and it's getting quite out of control. The muscle pain from fibro is terrible.
Primeboy
Hi Cancerfree,
I had leg cramps for months after my surgery. My MD ran tests for potassium and magnesium to eliminate them as problems. Levels were good. Over time, however, these cramps disappeared and I think it's because I increased my fluid intake. Potassium can be very dangerous if not taken properly, especially if there are heart issues.
Prime
Past Member

I found that drinking a sports drink before I went to bed stopped my leg cramps. I haven't had any for ages now. I think it's all to do with hydration.

 
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~traci~

I have tried and tried over the years to tell my doctors that my heart condition could be ostomy-related and my docs didn't think so. When I'm at rest, my pulse is 130. When I'm out and about like shopping today and I was so weak, I took my blood pressure and my pulse was 160. It's really hard to get anything done lately. I have tried beta blockers and nothing works! I have tried pot pills before, and I kept finding them in my bag. So what should be the next step in getting this problem solved, guys? Thanks~Traci~

Past Member

This is a great post. Every time I eat a banana, which is only 10% of the daily recommended amount, but it makes me feel better, with more stamina and my arrhythmia feels better. I eat it with cereal and milk, so I thought maybe it was the cereal that was making me feel better. But, I started to suspect it was the banana. I found that kind of odd, so I have not followed up. I will have a talk with my Dr. I wonder if the over-the-counter are any good. I think a prescription is better.

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