OT severe low potassium

[suede]

I posted this thread on the vitamin forum..
However my friend is in real trouble I don't think she will make it much longer if something isn't done to help, so please if you have any help post..
She has been in and out of the hospital and to numerous Dr's locally..


A friend of mine is severely ill and has been undergoing all kinds of test and treatments to no avail.
Her kidneys have almost shut down and her heart stop, she is severely fatigued and losing muscle control.
The Dr's have her on supplements and everything they can think of and it's not working, mind our local Dr's are NOT anything to brag about, she is planning on going to Cleveland Clinic as she has a young daughter to care for with no help and is really scared.
A stiff wind would blow her away now, she stays dehydrated also.
Any one with any answers or sugestions as to what type of Dr she should be seeing..
Oh yea, she has extremely low blood pressure and one Dr has even put her on blood pressure meds in hopes it would help her absorb the potassium and it is making her worse.
Any help/advice appreciated.
Linda

Oh yea I don't know if this matters but this all started after she had viral meningitis..

[debhun]

I am very sorry that your fiend is very ill. I hope that she can fine help very soon. My potassium gets low too sometimes. But I was put on this horse pills. It is potassium. Why didn't the Dr just put her on them and have her eat food high in potassium. I am NOT A DR. But I think they need to take her off all the supplements. Some times that can make things worse then better. Is she on any pain meds? if she is that will lower her BP too. BP meds will lower her BP even more. I was put on a very low dose for my heart to keep my heart in rhythm not for BP. But now I need it for both.

From what I hear it take a long time to get back on your feet after having viral meningitis. I will pray for her and the lord will heal her.
Keep us up to date so we know what is going on with her.


Hugs
Deb

[mrsdoubtfyre]

you post on the Vitamin Forum.

[suede]

Deb,
I'm sorry I meant she is on the vitamin, they have even had her on IV'S for some reason it isn't absorbing and she is having serious bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.
I have had the oppisote with the high potassium..
I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks
Linda

MrsD I'll ck it out thank you

[gizmogirl]

they need to find out what is causing the severe diarrhea and vomiting which would eventually kill anyone. You could ask if they have tried giving her LESS food that is bland and binding such as hard boiled eggs with oatmeal and no milk, sort of like doing less to her and ramping up slowly, but it sounds like she is in acute distress, in a hospital or should be, and needs to be stabilized and diagnosed first.
Good luck

[suede]

Thanks,
I agree and so does she, they have had her in and out of the hospital, they get her stabilized, release her, then st up more testing and then she is to sick to get it done.
Around here you would not believe the medical care.
Nothing she eats stays down or in, she looks so bad.
She didn't have ins, cause where she works dropped her ins. because she has been so sick she couldn't keep up her full time status to get it, however she recently got medicaid so hopefully she can get in to some good Dr's. SOON..
Thanks,
Linda

[Mark N]

Linda, I would have her get to the Cleveland clinic right away. I hope she finds a good doctor that gets her moving in the right direction soon.

[Rozia]

my potassium was deleted twice and had to spend a few days in hospital 2 times . they gave me potassium thru IV.

[BrokenBladder]

At the beginning of this year I started getting sick everyday. I couldn't keep anything down and my weight dropped like crazy. After having gone through this for 3 months my DH made me go to the doctor. Needless to say he took one look at me and sent me to the hospital to be admitted. This was March 12, 2007. They found my potassium was way too low along with something else(sorry I can't remember)so they ran it in me through an IV. I just want to add that getting straight potassium through the IV hurts!! Anyway it slowly came up but it took a real jump up when I started eating banana's in the hospital.
So here's what they found with me and some thoughts of my own. They found that I have stomach ulcers and it did help when I started taking Protonix. The one thing I figured out by going to my urologist was that I had a kidney infection. He was so upset that the hospital never discovered it and he told me that it probably started the whole thing. I started antibiotics and got rid of that!!
If we fast forward to August of 2007 I was completely over the throwing up but my weight is still not where it should be.
I know what your friend is going through and it's a horrible place to be. I know how bad I was and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. I will say a prayer for her and her family.