Potassium Levels & PVC's

Hello everyone!

First of all, just a great big thanks to everyone on this site. It is so very helpful! Kudos to you all!

For the past couple of days I have been feeling pretty "funky", generally tired and spacey, blood pressure goes up/down more than usual, I have had a slight (very slight) pressure at the bottom of my throat and upper chest at times, and a bit dizzy or lightheaded and slightly nauseous. Last night my blood pressure kept rising, and the symptoms were worsening. My hubby took my pulse and thought I was missing about every 5th beat. I was also beginning to feel very hot and clammy. So.... off to ER we went.

They ran me through the basic tests, a 30 second EKG, a heart monitor for a short time, blood work, etc. Basically they told me I was having PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) and my symptoms were likely related to my potassium level which was low. It was 3.1. Interestingly enough almost each time I have been in ER or in the hospital my potassium level has been low. I am on a potassium therapy with pills and consciously eat foods high in potassium. They told me to take extra potassium for the next 3 days and see my regular doctor. Apparently no enzymes in my blood work. The ER doctor didn't think this was a "serious" event.

Anyone else have these issues with Potassium? I wonder if there is any other meds I may be taking that is blocking potassium absorption, or if my body just isn't absorbing it for some reason. I do take a diuretic, but this issue with the potassium is relatively "new" in the last 6 months or so.

I guess I am just wondering if this might be a "easy fix" for my PVC's.... sounds to simple to me. I am also curious why my pacemaker doesn't seem to control the PVC's ~ or is that something they don't do? I have a dual lead Medtronic.

Thanks in advance for any information. It is much appreciated!

Swedeheart

5 Comments

same symptoms

by karma - 2008-06-01 04:06:17

I actually have quite a few of the symptoms you are describing, I have the pressure at the bottom of my throat and lightheadedness , my BP fluctuates quite a bit, i'm having Afib but it feels exactly the same as PVC's.
Before I had the Pm(also dual chamber) my potassium was low, and I need to get a blood test to see if its changed at all.
I know this doesn't answer your question but we have alot in common so I thought I'd add this little note :)

diuretics

by verger - 2008-06-01 04:06:44

it's the diuretics messing with your potassium levels. i have congestive heart failure and take the diuretics to get rid of the water, hence must take the potassium to balance it out. to even get more i use nusalt, a salt substitute, basically just potassium.
my blood tests for the most of the time show normal potassium, if i take a lot of diuretics, i'll take the potassium, if not, i don't even bother to take it.

check with your doctor and i find this site extremely helpful explaining medications;
www.medlineplus.gov/


hope you feel better. keep away from the ER

Potassium and PVC

by SMITTY - 2008-06-01 07:06:11

Hello Swedeheart

People taken diuretics that are not the potassium sparing diuretics, (such as spironolactone, amiloride, or triamterene) are likely to have issues with potassium levels. This is most frequently noticed as muscle cramps. However, since potassium is important in maintaining a steady heart rhythm, people with low potassium may notice an irregular heart rate. The higher your diuretic dosage the more likely you are to have problems. Many fruits are high in potassium and will help maintain optimum potassium levels. On the other hand, a high potassium level can be dangerous and an ultra high level can cause heart failure.

For those of us that are subject to muscle cramps from a low potassium and have been tempted to buy over the counter potassium supplements, I would say go ahead. The amount of potassium in the over the counter pills is very low when compared to all the prescription potassium pills I have seen. My prescription is for one 10 MEQ (milliequivalent) potassium chloride tablet per day. The over the counter potassium chloride tablets I have seen are 80 MG (milligrams). That means the over the counter pill is slightly more than one-tenth the strength of my prescriptions tablets as 1 MEQ is equal to 74.6 MG of potassium chloride.

I point out all this for two reasons. Potassium levels are not something we should tamper with to a great degree, but they are something that if we have symptoms that make us think we have a low potassium level we do need to speak to our doctor.

As for you wondering about an easy fix for PVC, I know of none but if you do find one for PVC or PAC and skip beats please let me know. However, I have a comment about why our pacemaker will do little, if anything to control or prevent these.

To try and explain this so that I think I know what I am saying, let’s go back to square one with our pacemaker. The function of a pacemaker is to assist our heart in maintaining a regular heart rhythm. Unless less you are 100% pacemaker dependent, it will not take total control of your heart beat. It sits there checking each impulse sent by your heart's natural pacemaker to see if it will make your heat beat and when it senses such impulse the manmade PM does nothing that time. It goes through this checking process every time you heart beats. It goes through this checking procedure with each heart beat so long as your heart rate is between the low and high set points on your PM. If your natural heart rate drops below the low set point on your PM then it will come on line and bring your heart rate up to at least that low set point. Conversely, if your rate exceeds the high set point on your PM then it takes itself out of the game entirely and waits until your heart rate is back between the low and high set points.

When we have a PVC or PAC our heart's natural pacemaker has sent out an impulse to make our heart beat, but the problem is that impulse may be at the wrong time, or it may be too weak to make the heart chamber contract as it should. However, the fact that the heart sent that impulse stopped our man-made PM from sending one. Only when our heart rate is below the low set point on our PM will the PM try to override these abnormal impulses by the heart. My favorite description of what is going on when we have PVC, PAC and skip beats that our PM seems to ignore, is that our heart's natural pacemaker has faked out our manmade PM.

I had a visit with an electrophysiologist a couple of weeks ago about this problem and last Friday I completed a two week run with an even recorder. The purpose of the recorder was to see if the source of these irregular heart beats could be pinpointed. This EP seems to think that by learning point of origin of these irregular beats he may be able to get a handle on their cause.

I have been plagued with these type irregular heart beats fro more than 25 years. The started before I had even heard of a pacemaker, and I cannot say how many different medication I have had prescribed to help. For me the only sure help has been time. Until this last one started about 15 months ago, they would usually come and go within a three-month period. Some episodes would last for a week or less and a few did hang around as much as three months. But they all left of their own accord.

My suggestion to anyone having PVC, PAC or skip beats, is that unless they are bad enough to cause fainting, chest pain or some other problem, try to ignore them as they are usually harmless. I know, I know, when our heart starts skipping beats it will get our attention. My wife, bless her kind hearted soul, says that when I start having an irregular heart beat my ears perk up to the point they look like they should be on a donkey.


Iwish you the best,

Smitty

Thanks for info & encouragement

by Swedeheart - 2008-06-01 07:06:22

Thank you all for responding so quickly! I always look forward to everyone's posts.

Smitty, especially thanks to your great explanations. I do take a prescribed potassium supplement, because of the diuretic. I will query my doctor when I see him in 2 days about the situation. This current appointment is to review my medications so it all came at an opportune time.

I especially want to thank you for reminding me these (PVC's) are not horribly serious. I am not sure who is worse, me or my hubby.... when he feels my pulse jumping around he gets pretty excited and Wooosh ~ often we are off to ER!

Interesting that they seem to "come and go"... I have noticed mine seem to do that as well although I haven't been savvy enough to really notice or write down when they appear/disappear. Do you notice that if you exercise more or less they subside? Is there anything you have found in your experience with these (this is all new to me...) you avoid doing when PVC's are active?

Well, enough questions here... hopefully others who have had PVC's will also respond and give us their story. Certainly is nice to know we aren't alone! Thanks again!

Swedeheart

pvc's

by luckyloo - 2008-06-02 08:06:48

hi swedeheart,

you could have the dr.'s check your kidney function. if there is a problem there it can make you lose k+ and affect your blood pressure. if you're on k+supplements but still losing k+ with your diuretic. that's what i'd do.

i have a neuromuiscular condition that also involves the heart so am taking 100meq of micro-k a day. i also have klor con EF as a quick acting k+. my k+ gets caught in the muscle cells....k+ ion channel disorder.

magnesium can also help smooth your pvc's.

luckyloo

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