How Long Before Muscle Damage?

[Guest guest]

How long do you have to be experiencing low K before the muscles start

to get damaged? I ask because my bad mitral valve showed up around

the same time as my low K did, or maybe slightly before it, and the

cardio doc says I've got damaged cords (heart tissue that holds the

valve in place) inside the left ventricle that is causing the bad

valve. Is it possible that my low K did this? I guess also, just in

general, I'd like to know how long you can go with low K, and how low

does it have to get, before muscle damage occurs, and how serious it is.

Thanks,

Jim

[Guest guest]

That's a good question. I have documented myopathy and never have

shown low potassium when I've been tested (which has not been

often), so it might not be a lot.

I would not recommend the EMG, though--most painful test I've ever

endured, and that incudes open muscle biopsy and bone marrow biopsy.

Thanks,

Mike

> How long do you have to be experiencing low K before the muscles

start

> to get damaged? I ask because my bad mitral valve showed up around

> the same time as my low K did, or maybe slightly before it, and the

> cardio doc says I've got damaged cords (heart tissue that holds the

> valve in place) inside the left ventricle that is causing the bad

> valve. Is it possible that my low K did this? I guess also, just

in

> general, I'd like to know how long you can go with low K, and how

low

> does it have to get, before muscle damage occurs, and how serious

it is.

>

> Thanks,

> Jim

[Guest guest]

> That's a good question. I have documented myopathy and never have

> shown low potassium when I've been tested (which has not been

> often), so it might not be a lot.

>

> I would not recommend the EMG, though--most painful test I've ever

> endured, and that incudes open muscle biopsy and bone marrow biopsy.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Mike

>

>

Mike,

After you mentioned myopathy, that got me thinking so I did a search

on google of " myopathy hyperaldosteronism " and found this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=3\

914413 & dopt=Abstract

This study indicates that damage does occur with low K, but the

mechanism by which it happens is not known.

Jim

[Guest guest]

There are a number of ways to miss a low K when the blood is drawn or processed.

BE sure these are not a problem when they check your K.

1. Clenching your fist so they can get blood.

2. Having a tourniquet on to while blood is being drawn.

3. Letting the blood sit too long.

4. Breaking up the red cells (hemolysis) when the blood is drawn.

5. Having a very high platelet count.

Some things that may give a falsely lowered K include:

1. Hyperventilatinf for 2 minutes before the blood is drawn.

2. Hypertriglyceridemia enough so that the serum looks like milk.

May your pressure be low!

CE Grim MD

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine

Professor of Epidemiology

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

[Guest guest]

I had an EMG several years ago and agree there must not be anything more

painful. I would have never made a good spy as if they did this test on me till

I would confess very quickly to what ever they wanted.

May your pressure be low!

CE Grim MD

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine

Professor of Epidemiology

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension