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What is Potassium Chloride?

Potassium chloride is a prescription drug used to replenish potassium in people with low blood levels of potassium, to prevent potassium depletion in specific diseases or resulting from specific drug therapies, and to help manage high blood pressure in some people. Potassium chloride can also be obtained without the need for prescription in some supplements and in salt substitutes found in grocery stores. While potassium depletion or deficiency is a health risk, high to excessive amounts of potassium are also linked with toxicity and health risks. Potassium-containing drugs should be used only under medical supervision because accurate dosing of Potassium Chloride is essential to avoid side effects and toxicity problems associated with overdosing. The potassium available in fruit is both safe and healthful for most people, except for people undergoing treatment with potassium-sparing diuretic drugs and individuals with kidney failure.

Potassium is an essential mineral needed to manage and control water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure, and neuromuscular function. This mineral is also responsible in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart. Most fruits are excellent sources of potassium, as well as beans, milk, and vegetables. People with low blood levels of potassium who are undergoing heart surgery are more susceptible to developing heart arrhythmias and an increased need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Potassium is also necessary for carbohydrate and protein metabolism.

The best way to ensure you have enough or extra potassium is to consume several pieces of fruit per day, as well as liberal amounts of vegetables. The amount of potassium found in the diet ranges from about 2.5 grams to about 5.8 grams per day. The amount common in supplements, which is around 99 mg per tablet or capsule, is very low since a single banana can contain approximately 500 mg. High potassium intake (several hundred milligrams at one time in tablet form) can produce stomach irritation. People using potassium-sparing drugs should avoid using potassium chloride-containing products, such as Morton Salt Substitute®, No Salt®, Lite Salt®, and others and should not take potassium supplements, except under the supervision of a doctor. One should not attempt to achieve higher potassium levels by taking large numbers of potassium pills, as concentrated form of potassium such as this can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, a side effect that can be avoided if a large portion of potassium requirements is derived from dietary sources.

What is Potassium Chloride used for and who uses it?

Potassium is of paramount importance in the human body and oral potassium chloride is one of the more common means to replenish it. It can be diluted and given intravenously, or it can be taken with food or used as a salt substitute for food. However, due to its weak, unpleasant, bitter, and unsalty flavor, it is usually mixed with regular salt (sodium chloride) to improve the taste (for example, in Morton Lite Salt). Clinically it is used in the treatment of hypokalemia and related conditions, for digitalis poisoning, and to replenish electrolytes. Popular brand names and proprietary formulas include K-Dur, Klor-Con, Micro-K, and Kaon Cl. A large fraction of the potassium chloride manufactured is used to make fertilizer, since the growth of many plants is limited by their potassium absorption. As a chemical feedstock it is used in the synthesis and production of potassium hydroxide and potassium metal. It also has a huge role in medicine, scientific applications, food processing, and as a sodium-free substitute for table salt (sodium chloride).

Abnormally low levels of potassium in the cells can cause what is known as hypokalemia. Hypokalemia can be the result of prolonged vomiting, the use of some diuretics, kidney disease, anorexia, bulimia, or any other condition that might cause the exit of potassium from the body faster than it ca be replenished. Fatigue, muscle weakness and cramps, and intestinal paralysis are among some of the symptoms, which may lead to bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain. Severe cases of hypokalemia can lead to muscular paralysis or even fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

Other manifested symptoms of potassium deficiency include constipation, poor appetite, abnormally dry skin, acne, depression, diarrhea, diminished reflex function, edema, nervousness, insatiable thirst, glucose intolerance, growth impairment, high cholesterol levels, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, proteinuria (protein in the urine), respiratory distress, and salt retention. The intake of prescription medicines like aldactone, colchicines, digitalis, ACE-inhibitors, steroids, furosemide and other diuretics, and penicillin, and the abuse of alcohol or laxatives, impairs the body’s ability to absorb potassium. If you are undergoing treatment with any of these medications, have an eating disorder, or are alcohol-dependent, you should consult your physician regarding getting more potassium in your diet and the possibility of incorporating potassium supplements in it.

Clearly it’s critical to have adequate amounts of potassium into your system. Potassium is vital for nerve and muscle functions, can help reduce hypertension and treat allergies, and a deficiency of potassium can lead to hypoglycemia. Potassium is a mineral that functions as an electrolyte in the body, transporting nutrients into your cells and carrying wastes out and away from them. Because electrolytes are electrically charged (they dissolve in water to form positively charged ions), they can easily bypass cell membranes, and are thus able to transmit electrical messages from the nervous system to the heart and other muscles to ensure regular muscle rhythm and contraction. An optimal potassium-to-sodium ratio helps keep high blood pressure at bay and significantly lessens the risk of stroke. Otherwise known as the membrane potential, this is achieved by having more potassium inside the cells while keeping more sodium outside the cells to enable the body to perform the chemical reactions needed to convert carbohydrates to energy. A normal cell membrane potential is critical for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heart function.

How pure is your Potassium Chloride?

This pharmaceutical grade Potassium Chloride is assayed by the manufacturer to be 99.9% pure product. You will receive a sealed and labeled heavy duty 4 mil polyethylene bag containing this white odorless crystalline powder product. It contains no fillers, taste additives, or anti-caking agents. The remaining 0.1% by weight are inactive byproducts of the extraction.

Potassium Chloride is a well absorbed and highly bioavailable form of potassium. Potassium is an important mineral used in various bodily functions. It is a crucial element in keeping bodies healthy, ensuring optimal acid-base balance and nerve conductions, as well as the movement of nutrients through cell membranes. Potassium is available in a variety of dietary sources, including dairy, fish, and other meats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Because food processing significantly lowers the amounts of naturally occurring nutrients in foods, supplementation may be necessary to ensure adequate intake.

What are some of the common effects of Potassium Chloride?

Potassium Chloride is normally used to treat the symptoms of potassium deficiency in the body. Potassium levels can be low as a result of a disease or from taking certain medicines, or after a prolonged illness with diarrhea or vomiting. Certain drugs used for treatment of high blood pressure tend to reduce the level of potassium in the body, making this supplement necessary to such patients to restore the potassium content.

What is the daily suggested dose of Potassium Chloride?

Accurate dosing of Potassium chloride is essential to avoid side effects and toxicity problems associated with overdosing, so be very careful and cautious when measuring your bulk powder dose. Volumetric dosing utilizing standardized measuring spoons can be accurate enough for most people; however, not all individuals possess the manual skills and mental acuity to accurately dose bulk powders consistently, so please exercise caution and care when dosing this bulk powder product. Dosage can be a little confusing because products are marked with the amount of elemental potassium or the amount of potassium chloride or the milliequivalents (mEq) or all three. To avoid any confusion and for easier comparison, all dosages can be reduced to elemental potassium or mEq (milliequivalents) and be compared at that level. What counts is the elemental Potassium and mEq.

To convert mg of elemental potassium to mEq, take the mg value (whether it is Potassium Gluconate, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, or Potassium Bicarbonate) and divide it by 39.0983 (atomic weight of potassium). For example, 90 mg is equivalent to 2.30 mEq, 99 mg is equivalent to 2.53 mEq. Conversely, if you know the mEq, multiply by 39.0983 to find the elemental potassium. For example, 2 mEq is equal to 78.0 mg, and so on.

The maximum allowable Over-The-Counter (OTC) dose for elemental potassium is regulated by the FDA to be no more than 100 milligrams (or no more than 2.53 mEq per day), which is the reason why most potassium supplements are designated as containing 99 milligrams elemental potassium per capsule or tablet. Since there's 373 mg of elemental potassium in 600 mg of potassium chloride, using a U.S. Standardized measuring spoon, one level 1/32 teaspoon (138 milligrams potassium chloride) will yield an equivalent elemental potassium dose of 86 mg, or 2.19 meq. You can see the full bulk density/volumetric conversion chart for Potassium chloride here. Since this does not exceed FDA guidelines on doses, this should be enough to supply daily potassium needs from potassium chloride. Mix it with 8 to 12 ounces water and drink, or take it as directed by your physician.

As always, if you have concerns or questions, consult a physician or a health care professional before taking any supplements. Before taking any kind of medicine, check with your doctor to ensure that the supplement you want to take is right for you. You may be allergic or you may have a sensitive stomach which may raise the need for special instruction as far as dosage goes.

What kind of results do people anticipate while taking Potassium Chloride?

Potassium is an essential mineral needed to regulate water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure, and neuromuscular function. This mineral also plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the heart. People with low blood levels of potassium who are undergoing heart surgery are at an increased risk of developing heart arrhythmias and an increased need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Potassium is also required for carbohydrate and protein metabolism.

Precautions and Potential side effects of Potassium Chloride

Salt substitutes (No Salt®, Salt Substitute®, Lite Salt®, and others) contain potassium chloride in place of sodium chloride. They are used by people on sodium-restricted diets. When used in moderation, they are a more healthful choice for many people compared with using regular table salt. However, people taking potassium chloride drug products should consult with their prescribing doctor before using salt substitutes or even eating large amounts of high-potassium foods (primarily fruit).

Orally, KCl is toxic in excess; the LD50 is around 2.5 g/kg (meaning that a lethal dose for 50% of people weighing 75 kg (165 lb) is about 190 g (6.7 ounces), or about 3.4 fluid ounces). Intravenously this is reduced to just over 100 mg/kg, but of more concern are its severe effects on the cardiac muscles; high doses can cause cardiac arrest and rapid death, which is why it is used as the third and final drug delivered in the lethal injection process. (Source: Wikipedia) Side effects can include gastrointestinal discomfort including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding of the digestive tract. Overdoses cause hyperkalemia which can lead to paresthesia, cardiac conduction blocks, fibrillation, arrhythmias, and sclerosis.

The following drugs can interact with potassium chloride. Tell your doctor if you are using any type of diuretic (water pill) such as bumetanide (Bumex), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Hygroton, Thalitone), ethacrynic acid (Edecrin), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Hyzaar, Lopressor, Vasoretic, Zestoretic), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Mykrox, Zarxolyn), or torsemide (Demadex). (Source: Drugs.com) This list is not a complete list and there may be other drugs that can interact with potassium chloride. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

The information at Purebulk.com is NOT a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not use any dietary supplement as a replacement for conventional care, or as a reason to postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem. Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Taste, solubility, and suggested preparation of Potassium Chloride

Potassium Chloride should be taken with meals and with a glass of water or other liquid. This product should not be taken on an empty stomach because of its potential for gastric irritation. Tablets should be swallowed whole and chewing or crushing should be avoided. Liquid, powder, and effervescent potassium chloride products may be dissolved in a glass of cold water or juice to mask the unpleasant flavor. Again Potassium chloride drugs should be taken after meals to avoid stomach upset.

Potassium Chloride is used in the following Proprietary Formulas

K-Dur, Klor-Con®, Micro-K, and Kaon Cl, and salt substitutes (which contain potassium chloride in place of sodium chloride) such as No Salt®, Salt Substitute®, Lite Salt®, Bonsalt, AlsoSalt, LoSalt, Nu-Salt, Morton®Salt

References & Further Research

Effect of Short-Term Supplementation of Potassium Chloride and Potassium Citrate on Blood Pressure in Hypertensives
Randomized trials have shown that increasing potassium intake lowers blood pressure. However, most previous trials used potassium chloride, whereas potassium in fruits and vegetables is not a chloride salt. It is unclear whether a nonchloride salt of potassium has a greater or lesser effect on blood pressure compared with potassium chloride. We performed a randomized crossover trial comparing potassium chloride with potassium citrate (96 mmol/d, each for 1 week) in 14 hypertensive individuals. Our results, in conjunction with the evidence from many previous trials that potassium chloride has a significant blood pressure-lowering effect, suggest that potassium citrate has a similar effect on blood pressure as potassium chloride. These results support other evidence for an increase in potassium intake and indicate that potassium does not need to be given in the form of chloride to lower blood pressure. Increasing the consumption of foods high in potassium is likely to have the same effect on blood pressure as potassium chloride.

Safety of Continuous Potassium Chloride Infusion in Critical Care
Patients in critical care often require supplemental potassium chloride if levels in their blood are below acceptable level. Common practice is to administer a single dose of potassium chloride under controlled conditions via a drip, before checking if a further dose is required. The purpose of this study is to ensure that it is safe to administer potassium chloride continuously with the dose varied according to patient needs.

The influence of oral potassium chloride on blood pressure in hypertensive men on a low-sodium diet
Clinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that the intake of potassium chloride lowers blood pressure. To investigate whether supplemental potassium chloride (96 mmol of microcrystalline potassium chloride a day) reduced the need for antihypertensive medication in hypertensive men on a restricted-sodium diet, we conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. We conclude from the overall research data gathered that supplemental potassium chloride does not reduce the need for antihypertensive medication in hypertensive men on a restricted-sodium diet.

Potassium Chloride for International Customers

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