CHF'ers, Who Takes Liquid Potassium?

[Ross]

20% meq. When do you take yours and what do you take it with? This stuff is worse then drinking 151 rum!

 

[Mary]

20% meq. When do you take yours and what do you take it with? This stuff is worse then drinking 151 rum!

Why are you taking the liquid? I'm taking the pills and that's bad enough.
I make sure I take mine with meals, and then I can still expect to feel like I have an upset stomach for several hours.
You know that you can't use salt substitutes with it, don't you?

 

[Natanni]

K Liquid

K Liquid

Hi Ross

About 10 years ago, I was a nurse in a nursing home and I think I used to mix that Potassium Liquid with orange juice (about 2 ounces) for patients that didn't like it straight but I am very foggy on that one....the potassium was a bright orange liquid. Some people were unable to tolerate the quite large K-Dur horse pills, and crushing them wasn't recommended at that time, so this is why we had some pts on liquid form.

My Dad used to take some sort of potassium in powder form, but we are now talking about the 1980s....and I have no idea if that is available anymore...

 

[Ross]

I can't swallow those atomic pills, hence the liquid and also price is a factor.

I know when I was in the hospital, a smart nurse found something to mix it with, wasn't oj, but something else. Hid the taste a whole lot better and made it a little more tolerable. I just wish I could remember what it was she mixed it with. I suppose I'll find out through trial and error, but man, this stuff is terrible. Yes I know about the salt substitutes. Wish I didn't have to take this at all. Coumadin I can handle, this stinks!

 

[Harrybaby666]

I take the potassium pills

I take the potassium pills

I take the Klor Con 20 meq tablets, and I do agree they are very hard to swallow, so what I do is make sure I swizzle them down (more like choke them down ) with plenty of liquids, considering I take them with about 9 more pills at the same time...I take mine in the morning about 9 or 10am. I know this may not be of much help Ross, but I just wanted to lend you some support on this as I am one who HATES taking pills for the very same reason. Harrybaby

 

[azpam]

They do make KCL in capsule form also. ask your pharmacist.capsules are usually easier to swallow.

 

[geebee]

I was unable to take the potassium horse pills and couldn't stand the taste of the liquid. I now use Sundown Potassium pills. I take 2 of them a day, crush them into a powder and mix with just enough water to make a "shot glass" quantity. I test my potassium regularly and it runs on the low end of normal which seems to be OK for me. If I get low potassium symptoms (leg cramps, extra beats, etc.) I take an extra dose.

DISCLAIMER: This is something my cardio and I worked out so I wouldn't suggest anyone switch to this without a doctor's supervision but it does work for me.

 

[Ross]

Ok folks, it's official. This will now replace digital exams for 1000 mark post counts or should I still offer a choice?

 

[Mary]

Ross,
Here's a thought. I take the 10mEQ (generic) and they are small compared to the 20's. Can you take two 10mEQ in place of the liquid you have? I couldn't swallow the big ones either, but I have no trouble with these.

And forget both of your 1000 posts awards. As I get ready to hit 2,000, I want 2mEQ cream puff pastries. (one per 1000 posts)

 

[Ross]

I wouldn't know why not, but I'm stuck with this bottle for 30 days anyhow now. Orange juice is not the hiding factor. Still wish I could remember what that nurse used. In fact, she's the one that got me the liquid form because the silly Doctor ordered the pills while I still had the trach tube in. Sometimes I think Doctors to be as such:

 

[geebee]

Ross,

Considering it was a hospital, the choices as to what she used have to be limited. Here are the usual liquids available in hospitals:
Cola
Lemon-lime soda
Ginger ale
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Cranberry Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Milk
Coffee
Tea
Water

Now maybe she had some vodka or gin stashed away??????

 

[Mary]

Maybe she mixed it up with something like Tang. That's strong enough to mask the taste of almost anything.

 

[terryj]

How about Welchs grape juice? I know its really good with vodka.

 

[Ross]

This stuff will kill anything that it's put into, so it's got to be something with a bitter strong taste to it to start with. I'll figure it out, but thought maybe someone in here is as priviledged as I and had some other advice.

 

[Nan]

Ross, I also take two 10 meq's instead of one 20 meq.....I couldn't swallow the 20 either. The 10 is a whole lot easier to swallow .... not wonderful, but doable!

Hope you can give it a try instead of what sounds like a ghastly (or ghostly this time of year) liquid concotion!

Take care.

 

[twinmaker]

Ross, I had to take the liquid potassium while in the hospital a couple of times as I couldn't swallow or even gag the pills down. It seems like I "chased" my potassium with something, but can't remember what it was. I'm thinking it was cranberry juice as that is pretty strong itself. I know it wasn't orange juice and I think that apple juice would be too bland for the potassium liquid. The stuff is BADDDD!!!!! Linda

 

[Ross]

Linda I think you are right! I tried with the 4 ounces of cranberry juice I had left and it at least made it drinkable. Sure kills a good tasting thing though. Man this stuff is nasty!