Nephrotic Syndrome

[Guest]

The reason for my potassium depletion cannot be diagnosed and gets so critically low that I must be hospitalized for IV therapy. Is there some diagnostic test to determine the reason for this problem. Thank you

[Guest]

Potassium depletion--hypokalemia can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness and cardiac arrythmia if severe enough. By far the most common cause of hypokalemia is due to side effect of medications such as diuretics!!!
Some rare patients develop hypokalemia that is not induced by medications. In general this due to either diarrhea and loss of potassium in the poop or inappropriate urinary potassium losses. The patient requires a Nephrologic evaluation which includes blood and urine tests to determine the cause and allow specific treatment.
[quote] The reason for my potassium depletion cannot be diagnosed and gets so critically low that I must be hospitalized for IV therapy. Is there some diagnostic test to determine the reason for this problem... [/quote]

[Guest]

My situation is similar in that the nephrologist can't tell what's causing the problem- he's done blood work cmp w/magnesium and aldosterone (done every week) and a urine same, including 2 twenty four hour tests. Yet I have absolutely no symptoms of hypokalemia. So where does one go from here. He wants to take a wait and see attitude even though it's been 9 months already and i'm just ready to get on with it. i am not on any diruetics or any medication that the dr thinks may be causing the problem... so what do you do when the dr doesn't know- get a referral to mayo or Rush Presbyterian in Chicago?
[quote] Potassium depletion--hypokalemia can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness and cardiac arrythmia if severe enough. By far the most common cause of hypokalemia is due to side effect of medications such as diuretics... [/quote]