WARNING: Potassium is NOT a mineral to fool around with or experiment with as a dietary supplement! It is one of the main electrolytes in the body and you can get a HEART ATTACK from an overdose. Potassium is one of the drugs that heart surgeons use to stop the heart during heart surgery. The BALANCE of daily intake between potassium and sodium is VITAL. Most people get too much sodium in their diet, REDUCE sodium to the required amounts and INCREASE intake of potassium rich FOODS. Potassium supplements can be a benefit, but it should not substitute a healthy diet. http://www.drugs.com/mtm/potassium-gluconate.html
Regarding muscle cramps and associated heart arrhythmias, MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY is VERY often related. Jodi <[email protected]> wrote: Ode Coyote wrote: > Muscle cramps are often Potassium deficiency related. I so agree. My husband used to cramp up so badly, he thought he was having a heart attack. Suddenly cramping up and not being able to move his arm, or another part of his body. I first started giving him about an ounce of Apple Cider Vinegar when it would happen, which seemed to help somewhat, but not enough. Then I started giving him 1000 mg. of potassium whenever it would occur, and that stopped the cramping in its tracks. Now, he carries potassium gluconate caplets with him while he is working out in the heat and will down 6 at a time, instead of the 10, because he doesn't want to have to worry about the only downside there may be with it - which is possibly having to use the bathroom after. He's also taking 800 mg. in the mornings before leaving for work. He no longer has to worry about the cramping now. Another thing is that I had alot of inflammation a while back, very suddenly. I was frightened by it. My feet, ankles, lower back and lower legs seemed to swell up over night to twice their size. My abdomen seemed to swell, and my face and eyes suddenly seemed very puffy. I went to the ER with the lower back pain the inflammation caused (I could barely move for a few days), and the doctor there said he suspected organ failure (without testing me for anything - no blood tests, no x-ray, nothing!). I left there frightened and remembered what I had read about potassium for inflammation and started taking 700 mg. of potassium gluconate at a time, 3 times a day at first, and then went up to 5 times a day (3500 mg.), and ALL of the inflammation went down very quickly (less than a week). It is just non-existent now, as long as I take my potassium. If I miss a couple of doses, the inflammation seems to creep back. Potassium, as far as I know, can be taken at any time of the day. You may find yourself in the bathroom getting rid of extra fluids and such when you take alot of potassium, but there is no other negative, that I have found. I used myself as a guinea pig and went up to 10,000 mg. in one day once, and all I noticed was that I seemed to look alot thinner by bedtime [grin]. I don't know about long term effects though. I guess I'll see. Inflamation is a dangerous thing. But it's just your body depositing fluid where fluid is not supposed to be. Potassium deficiency causes electrolyte disturbances, cramping, heart attacks, high blood pressure, heart disease, inflammation, and possibly more. There is some kind of pharmaceutical version of potassium you might be prescribed, for those with high blood pressure, heart problems or congestive heart failure. It will surely thin the blood, counter high sodium, inflammation and lower blood pressure. It may be just the same potassium you can buy at the store, in a higher dose, but I really don't know for sure. My friend who has congestive heart failure was prescribed a pharmaceutical version of potassium. I just take high doses of the kind I can get at Walmart and my blood pressure has dropped 50 points. Jodi -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: [email protected] Address Off-Topic messages to: [email protected] The Silver List and Off Topic List archives are currently down... List maintainer: Mike Devour --------------------------------- Yahoo! Answers - Get better answers from someone who knows. Tryit now.
