Od-ing On Potassium

[Rumors]

Albatross,
Vitamin overdose is actually a common occurrence. People don't realize that it isn't the same as eating a meal that simply contains that supplement. Common vitamins that people overdo are iron and potassium. Vitamins are meant to be taken with food and should only be taken with the advice of a medical physician. The vitamins to be especially careful taking are the sustained release tablets and understanding which vitamins the body stores vs which vitamins the body uses or sheds quickly like vitamin c and vitamin d.

Celiac's adds another dimension to how you process foods. I have often wondered if I am becoming gluten intolerant and have promised myself that I would give a gluten free diet a chance this summer. I may have to PM you to get some recipes and advice on how to eat! Sorry, off topic!

 

[nursenurse]

One of the worse overdoses I ever dealt with was iron. Never, ever want to deal with that again. I won't get into the particulars of what I had to do with the patient, but in the end, she ended up being intubated and in renal/liver failure. Unfortunately, I don't know what the outcome was, I was doing a contract in the Arctic at the time. All over being jilted by her boyfriend. She didn't think the iron tabs were dangerous, just wanted to scare him.

Potassium is a fat soluble mineral, which means it stays in your body longer. Water soluble gets flushed out easily every time you void. Doesn't mean you should not be careful with water soluble vits and minerals, though.

 

[DharmaGirl]

I had a patient with potassium (K) overdose. His K was so high I'm surprised he lived. It is not something that I would mess with without a doc to help. It can be deadly. As nursenurse said, its fat soluble so you can overdose on a small dose if you are getting K in your diet. If you are on a certain med for hypertension, it could have a K sparing effect and make it easier for an overdose. Also if one's K is low normal, that supplement could push it over the edge of high.

I guess the moral of the story, no matter what you believe, is that supplements and herbal medicines can be dangerous.

 

[99Phoenix99]

So I looked up on google what it meant by being fat soluble. I got the basic gist of it, that it's stored in fat and builds up over time. But how do you get it out of your system?

Exercise?

 

[Rumors]

Exercise and drinking plenty of water to continue to flush your system. Certain foods can help offset the pH balance in your body but that is a whole separate conversation.

 

[Loner]

Didn't take the time to read the replies, but how much water are you drinking? More supplements minerals vitamins etc youre taking in the more water you need to process it.

 

[99Phoenix99]

I know I'm drinking at least 6 cups of water a day. I don't like soda or any carbonated drinks, they give me the hiccups lol. So I drink water mostly and maybe 1-2 cups of milk a day with a dash of juice.

I'll try to drink more though. And I'll try to exercise a bit more.

Again thank you for all of your replies!