Blood Pressure Meds And Potassium

[nailit]

Further to my post last week RE: blood tests and high blood pressure....
Having spent the best part of this year on meds for high blood pressure, I had a call
from GP's asking me to call in as my blood test results (taken last week) showed that I had a high potassium reading.
Had another blood test today at surgery.
(Nurse that took it asked if I was OK with needles while looking at a tattooed arm, but hey..)

All a bit confused.
My potassium readings are all of a sudden reading high.
Had numerous bloods done b4 so why now?
Had GP himself telephone me yesterday morning,
Asking if I had chest pains, shortness off breath, urinating more than normal etc.

Just had more blood taken from me....
WHY? You only took it a few days ago.
Is it going to change from red to blue overnight or something?
Dont mean to be facetious or anything,
Just trying to understand whats going on.

Its my blood, my body etc.
would be nice if my gp shared what was going on.

[naomi24]

Why didn’t you ask him?

[nailit]

//Why didn’t you ask him?//
Bit of a language barrier but also a bit abrupt at putting the phone down. (Can't fault his job at following this through though as others have have just stuck me on meds and not followed through with any check-ups or bloods like they are supposed to have done anyway)

[nailit]

//would be nice if my gp shared what was going on.//

Might have been better to have said
would have been nice of my GP surgery shared what was going on...

[Sqad]

Complicated but here in simple terms:

Some BP tablets can, rarely, but can increase the ampont of potassium in the blood which can under certain circumstances affect the heart, particularly if there is a history of renal impairment......RARELY.
The symptoms of a high level of potassium are the symptoms that you exhibited, but so does many other medical conditions.

Only an ECG can suggest a high potassium due to BP tablets with kidney problems can defintely make that diagnosis.
If....IF ..the level of potassium in the blood is really high, then it can be life threatening.

Clearly the medics have found your blood potassium levels are elevated and want to associate them or disassociate them with your present problems.

At the moment, no big deal.

[jno]

not all blood tests measure the same things

[Togo]

When blood is taken Nails it is only "tested" for what was requested by the GP or other, qualified medical practitioner. So if one blood test is taken to check, say vitamin D levels, and that comes back OK subsequently needing a test for , say cholesterol, then you need fresh blood. Your blood, although pure bred Stoke, will not stay fresh enough to run different tests over an extended period. Have you thought about moving into the blood testing clinic? (^_*)

[davebro]

probly been having Special K for brekkers?

[Sqad]

/////WHY? only took it a few days ago./////

If a patient provides surprising results then the first step is to repeat them........good medical practice.

[Togo]

Crossed posts there.

[nailit]

//Only an ECG can suggest a high potassium due to BP tablets with kidney problems can defintely make that diagnosis//
I had to have an ECG and a chest exray a few weeks ago.
(along with the bloods)

[nailit]

exray?
where the f*** that come from????

[nailit]

//Have you thought about moving into the blood testing clinic? (^_*) //

Might as well have.
Could have gotten a free tattoo while I was at it the mount of needles stuck in my arm....

[nailit]

//Clearly the medics have found your blood potassium levels are elevated and want to associate them or disassociate them with your present problems//

May have previously misunderstood...

Do you mean that they are trying to establish whether potassium is drug related (IE: BP Meds)
Or a pre-existing condition??

[Sqad]

//Do you mean that they are trying to establish whether potassium is drug related (IE: BP Meds)////

exactly.

/////Or a pre-existing condition??////

Nearly right......or another condition completely unrelated yo your BP medication.

[andres]

Did you get your anal bleeding problem sorted. Could that have something to do with the high potassium levels?

[nailit]

Cleared that one up then ;-)
Thanks Sqad!

[Sqad]

andres.........it could ;-)

[nailit]

//Did you get your anal bleeding problem sorted. Could that have something to do with the high potassium levels? //
andres,,,,
thanks for asking.
Had polyps removed and have internal piles.

Its an age thing I think ;-)
Still bleed like a pig from my arris...

[nailit]

//andres.........it could ;-) //

What do you mean it could??

(Lots of cross posting here)

[Sqad]

I knew that I shouldn't have posted that LOL.
You have to be anaemic from bleeding to affect your potassium levels and from all the blood tests that you have had, there is no indication of anaemia..........so forget it.