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PORPHYRIA FACTS: POTASSIUM
POTASSIUM
Potassium is essential to acute porphyria patients.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Potassium is a mineral that is involved in both electrical and cellular functions in
the body.
In the body it is classified as an electrolyte.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body.
It has various roles in metabolism and body functions.
Potassium assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance and water balance
in the blood and the body tissues.
Potassium assists in protein synthesis from amino acids.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
In porphyria patients potassium assists in the carbohydrate metabolism.
Carbohydrate metabolism is essential to acute porphyria patients.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Potassium is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.
Potassium is also needed for the proper functioning of nerve cells, in the brain
and throughout the body.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Food sources for potassium include fish such as salmon, cod, flounder, and
sardines are good sources of potassium.
Various other meats also contain potassium.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Porphyria patients need to remember to check on sources of fish in order to
avoid high levels of mercury.
SOURCE:
Sheryl Wilson MNS RD (HCP)
+++++++++++
Vegetables providing potassium include broccoli, peas, lima beans, tomatoes,
potatoes (especially their skins), and leafy green vegetables such as spinach,
lettuce, and parsley.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Porphyria patients who are taking blood thinners such as wayfarin/coumadin
because of a history of coagulation problems must limit the amount of spinach
and othe leafy green vegetables they ingest since all are vitamin K containing
substances.
SOURCE
Sheryl Wilson MNS, RD (HCP)
+++++++++
Often acute porphyrias patients need to have potassium added to their
intravenous solutions during porphyric episodes.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Low potassium is partially responsible for restlessness, fatigue and mental
changes that occur during acute attacks of porphyria.
SOURCE:
Dr. Kenneth Carlson
Neuropsychiatric Medicine
+++++++++++++
Fruits that contain significant sources of potassium are citrus fruits, apples,
bananas, and apricots.
Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
While dried fruits, especially apricots, are a high source of potassium, such fruits
often contain high levels of sulfites which have been added to preserve them.
Sulfites should be avoided by porphyria patients.
SOURCE:
Sheryl Wilson MNS, RD, (HCP)
+++++++++++++
A deficiency of potassium is known as hypokalemia.
Hypokalemia occurs in some acute porphyria patients.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Hypokalemia (low potassium) can occur in people with chronic disease.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
The most common problems associated with reduced potassium levels are
hypertension, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, depression, and
fatigue.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Low potassium has been clinically found to contribute to the problems with
cardiac arrythmia during porphyria episodes.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
A variety of conditions can cause the loss of potassium from the body.
The most common of these conditions are vomiting, diarrhea, and other
gastrointestinal problems.
The use of diuretics can also cause a loss of potasium.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Low potassium is commonly found during porphyria attacks due to vomiting
or/and diarrhea.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Renal diseasemacute renal failure and diabetes, depending on the stage, can
also cause fluctuations in the levels of potassium.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Many medications can cause depletion of potassium.
Examples include diuretics, cortisone, prolonged use of aspirin, and laxatives.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
The most common symptom of potassium depletion is fatigue.
Other symptoms of potassium deficiency include slow reflexes, muscle
weakness, and dry skin.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Muscle weakness in acute porphyria patients has been attributed to low
potassium levels.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
A quick loss of potassium could lead to cardiac arrhythmias.
Severe potassium deficiency symptoms include decreased heart rate, extreme
muscle weakness, bone fragility and, if untreated, death.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
A low level of potassium can be determined with a blood test and can be treated
with potassium supplements.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Blood serum potassium testing should be routinely performed during the
monitoring of porphyria patients during acute episodes.
SOURCE:
Robert Johnson MD
Internal Medicine
+++++++++
Increased levels of potassium in the blood is known as hyperkalemia.
Some common causes of this are reduced renal (kidney) function, an abnormal
breakdown of protein, and severe infection.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
There is no recommended daily allowance for potassium, although experts
recommend approximately 2 to 2.5 grams per day.
The average American diet provides 2 to 6 grams of potassium per day.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
Potassium supplementation should never be taken without the approval of a
health care provider.
SOURCE:
Steven Angelo, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT.
+++++++++
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