Poor is Potassium!

dakitten2

Actually I've had low potassium following surgeries because I take a diuretic for my high blood pressure. So my blood panel is run by my doctor every 6 months. Last year when I had knee replacement surgery, my post surgery bloodwork showed low potassium which is not unusual following surgery. Anyways, I said something about having to add a banana a day to my daily food. My doctor laughed and said I could not eat enough bananas or anything else with potassium to raise my potassium level with any significance. You've had blood work done that actually shows you have low potassium you should be taking potassium supplements. I did this for a while and my next bloodwork was back to normal and stayed that way ever since. So I would ask your doctor about the supplement dosage if your blood work does show a decrease or low level.

UsedToBeHusky

Actually I've had low potassium following surgeries because I take a diuretic for my high blood pressure. So my blood panel is run by my doctor every 6 months. Last year when I had knee replacement surgery, my post surgery bloodwork showed low potassium which is not unusual following surgery. Anyways, I said something about having to add a banana a day to my daily food. My doctor laughed and said I could not eat enough bananas or anything else with potassium to raise my potassium level with any significance. You've had blood work done that actually shows you have low potassium you should be taking potassium supplements. I did this for a while and my next bloodwork was back to normal and stayed that way ever since. So I would ask your doctor about the supplement dosage if your blood work does show a decrease or low level.

You cannot get any over-the-counter supplements that have enough potassium. You can only get that kind of potassium from prescription supplements. If you eat high-potassium foods throughout the day, you can get enough potassium. I get very close to MFP's recommended 3500 mg every day. It just takes a matter of effort.

Sublog

a 200g russet potato has 1100 mg of potassium for 194 calories.

dakitten2

I think mine was low due to the surgery and the supplements were given in the hospital as well as by my personal physician. Also people with high blood pressure who take large amounts of diuretics and I do, run the risk of having low potassium regardless of how much potassium we get in our daily diet. We have to keep it monitored through blood work. I'm lucky that I also get enough potassium to keep mine in the right category even with the diuretics. But through surgeries I lose too much potassium to replenish through regular diet. Once I can get it back up to normal I can maintain it or at least I have always been able to in the past. I take in excess of 20 pills a day so my blood work is pretty important to me and maintaining the right levels can be difficult and hard to correct without medication at times. Sorry but didnt mean to sound like I was the "know all" of potassium. Sometimes I wonder why I even post. LOL

Here is an article about potassium and over the counter potassium supplements.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/474531-information-on-over-the-counter-potassium-supplements/

kandrews24

I take a potassium supplement. But I've noticed that when I eat brown rice and beans I don't need it. Otherwise, I just don't seem to eat foods that are high in potassium.

andrejjorje

+1 The answer.

Are you sure you are low in potassium? At least in Canada and the US nutrition labels don't require it be listed. There are a bunch of foods that I have eaten that I know are high in potassium, but the nutrition information come up as 0. That is why I don't bother tracking potassium here, the numbers just won't be accurate.