Our Doctor Explains Why This Common Medication Can Raise Your Potassium To Dangerous Levels – Health Digest

According to Dr. Scott Noorda, your heart health is what’s mostly impacted when you have too much potassium. Potassium — by influencing the electrical signals of the myocardium – keeps your heart beating at the right rhythm. “Having high potassium can drop the heart’s rhythm, potentially leading to irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias. In severe cases, it can lead to heart palpitations or even a heart attack,” added the board-certified physician. 

Chronically elevated potassium levels can impair your kidney function too, per the expert. Since the all-important job of regulating potassium belongs to your kidneys, persistently high levels can stress your kidneys and lead to burnout, so maintaining the right level of potassium in your system is important. Low blood potassium, also known as hypokalemia, can impact your muscles, nerves, and heart health too. Just like Ibuprofen can increase potassium levels, other medications like diuretics, vitamins (vitamin D), and mineral supplements (calcium, magnesium, and sodium) can decrease levels, Noorda shared. 

Some signs can alert you to either high or low potassium levels. “The most common signs of low potassium are muscle cramping and restless legs. Fatigue can also be a symptom of low potassium.” Constipation, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing are signs too. There are some symptoms, like heart palpitations, tingling or numbness, and muscle weakness, that are common to both low and high potassium levels, the doctor noted. There is the right level of potassium to maintain, which can be aided by supplements.