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What Does High Pottasium Level Indicate?
Question: I am a 44 year old woman. I have type 2 diabetes with recent a1c at 7. My last two potassium results were 5.9 and 5.5. All other tests were fine. Cortisol, Albumin, etc etc. My doctor prescribed 250mg of metformin twice a day. I am on day 4. I feel terrible. Have zero energy, bad flautlence and nausea, with no appetite. Potassium has a history of being high last year I had 5 high readings from 5.3-6.0 and then a 4.9 so all was forgotten. Have had struggles with numbness and tingling in arms and legs for about a year and had MRI and neurology to rule anything out on that end. Is potassium a concern at these levels?
Brief Answer:
Not a serious concern but the cause should be investigated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
potassium at levels < 6,0 mEq/L are not that high to cause serious problems but the reason must be investigated. You haven't mentioned any medications besides metformin. Some drugs may cause high potassium levels. Many diabetic patients have hypertension and take angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers which both cause a mild (usually) elevation of potassium levels.
It would be helpful to know the time of onset of your diabetes. Diabetes can cause kidney problems but this is not expected right after diagnosis. If your creatinine and urinalysis is OK and the estimated glomerular filtration rate is OK too then the kidneys problems can likely be excluded.
Endocrinological problems may also cause rising potassium levels. Lack of aldosterone causes low sodium, high potassium and orthostatic hypotension among other problems.
Other potential causes include supplemental potassium, muscle problems, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), metabolic acidosis etc.
Potassium at these levels may be asymptomatic. Hyperkalemia may cause muscle problems like weakness and also cause nausea and fatigue. Flatulence in your case is probably caused by metformin.
The bottomline is that you should cooperate with your doctor to seek the cause of your hyperkalemia and manage it accordingly. Since it seems to be stable over a long time, you won't likely benefit from potassium lowering treatments. Avoiding food potassium is recommended. Potassium is included in higher quantities in bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables etc
I hope I've helped you understand your situation better.
If you have more questions, please ask and I'll be glad to answer.
Kind Regards!
Not a serious concern but the cause should be investigated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
potassium at levels < 6,0 mEq/L are not that high to cause serious problems but the reason must be investigated. You haven't mentioned any medications besides metformin. Some drugs may cause high potassium levels. Many diabetic patients have hypertension and take angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers which both cause a mild (usually) elevation of potassium levels.
It would be helpful to know the time of onset of your diabetes. Diabetes can cause kidney problems but this is not expected right after diagnosis. If your creatinine and urinalysis is OK and the estimated glomerular filtration rate is OK too then the kidneys problems can likely be excluded.
Endocrinological problems may also cause rising potassium levels. Lack of aldosterone causes low sodium, high potassium and orthostatic hypotension among other problems.
Other potential causes include supplemental potassium, muscle problems, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), metabolic acidosis etc.
Potassium at these levels may be asymptomatic. Hyperkalemia may cause muscle problems like weakness and also cause nausea and fatigue. Flatulence in your case is probably caused by metformin.
The bottomline is that you should cooperate with your doctor to seek the cause of your hyperkalemia and manage it accordingly. Since it seems to be stable over a long time, you won't likely benefit from potassium lowering treatments. Avoiding food potassium is recommended. Potassium is included in higher quantities in bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables etc
I hope I've helped you understand your situation better.
If you have more questions, please ask and I'll be glad to answer.
Kind Regards!
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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