Potassium

[shrinky]

Can anyone help? I'm confused. I am following DANDR's advice and taking a potassium supplement (500mg once a day) to combat leg cramps. But I've just been told by my pharmacist that a) it is very easy to give yourself potassium poisoning and b) that too much potassium causes water retention and an irregular heartbeat.

Since I don't fancy any of these, my question is, how much is too much? Should I drop the potassium? I understand it's present in meat and green leafy veg, both of which I eat liberally... but why would Atkins suggest it if it was unnecessary?

Thanks

[not2late]

Re: Potassium

Can anyone help? I'm confused. I am following DANDR's advice and taking a potassium supplement (500mg once a day) to combat leg cramps. But I've just been told by my pharmacist that a) it is very easy to give yourself potassium poisoning and b) that too much potassium causes water retention and an irregular heartbeat.

Since I don't fancy any of these, my question is, how much is too much? Should I drop the potassium? I understand it's present in meat and green leafy veg, both of which I eat liberally... but why would Atkins suggest it if it was unnecessary?

Thanks

Your pharmacist is very correct: too much potassium is just as bad as too little potassium.

Leg cramps can be due to a number of things: from overuse of the leg muscles to a lack of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. During Atkins Induction, the cramping is most likely due to the diuretic effect of the diet and so you lose these minerals. That's partly why Dr. Atkins recommends a daily multivitamin supplement. In Chapter 12 he does recommend a potassium, magnesium and calcium supplement for leg cramps in addition to the multivitamin until the cramps are relieved.

Did you see your doctor before you began this diet for "routine" blood work and a physical examination as the book advises? If not, I suggest you see your doctor and ask him to order a blood chemistry panel on you to make sure you aren't overdosing yourself with potassium. We get more than enough through this diet.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Potassium

yep only our poor food choices from the induction foods lists make for a potassium deficit. I love veggies but during induction with all the aded water my potassium was too low and my doc recommended 3 OTC potassium pills for a 9% boost in my intake based on my blood chem and the ones he recommended.

Also leg cramps can be caused by some medical conditions too so please check with your doc and get the blood panel.

happy low carbing.

[shrinky]

Re: Potassium

Thanks very much. I take a whole slew of supplements -- Basic 3, Essential Omegas, Q10, L-carnitine etc etc, as well as a cal/mag one. I think I'll drop the potassium. They're not leg cramps as such, just kind of leg fatigue -- but it might very well be caused by the fact that I'm walking for the first time in years, not by any deficiency.

Yes, did check with my GP. No blood tests, but he'd taken a whole load a month before I started on Atkins. He is monitoring my progress, and very happy!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Potassium

if you have a fitday.com free account you can click on the reports and if you log your vits and supplements it will tell you from all that and your foods what your intake is and you can see how you are doing.


Congrats on getting your exercise going. Walking is a great exercise too.
Happy low carbing

[shrinky]

Re: Potassium

Thanks, 2big. I'm probably being really really dumb, but I can't see where I can add in my supplements. I get the Reports page which tells me how I'm doing with the food I've eaten nutrition-wise, but not the one where I can add my pills.

While I'm asking stupid questions: I also entered my SW wrongly in Fitday -- I put 231 when I meant 213. There doesn't seem to be any way of correcting this... Or is there?

Thanks so much

[2big4mysize]

Re: Potassium

okay first enter your vits and supplements as custom foods with all the vits and minerals they contain logged and then "eat" one every time you have it.

now the start weight back up your calander to the day you started using FITDAY or the day you actually started Atkins and log your weight for that day and log out and log back in so you don't have to advance the calander back all the way to today.

[shrinky]

Re: Potassium

Thanks 2big! Very very helpful.

I went back to the doctor's yesterday for a full blood panel test. Results today. Can't wait to see. Doc says diet should provide enough potassium, bu thinks I may be deficient in B12. Anyway, we'll see.