Potassium is essential to the health of all individuals and can play a major role in treating complications that may arise if you have Type 2 diabetes. Adequate amounts of potassium in your diet help to regulate muscle function, including the action of the heart. Too much potassium can cause hyperkalemia, although one of the main concerns for diabetics is a drop in potassium levels, known as hypokalemia, brought on by the large amounts of insulin and fluids necessary to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.
Dietary Potassium
Even though you may have diabetes, you require the same amount of potassium as other individuals. The recommended dosage for adults is 2,000 mg of potassium per day. Meats, certain types of fish, fruits, dairy products, legumes and vegetables are sources of potassium. Eating too much salt, as well as excessive sweating, diarrhea, malnutrition and vomiting, can cause a reduction in potassium levels. Inadequate amounts of potassium can lead to an irregular heartbeat, weakness and muscle cramps. If you have diabetes and take ACE inhibitors, you are at an increased risk of hypokalemia. Ace Inhibitors are drugs that your doctor may prescribe to treat scleroderma, heart disease or high blood pressure, as well as other conditions. Benazepril, Fosinopril, Ramipril and Moexipril are all types of ACE inhibitors.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs most commonly in people with Type 1 diabetes, although it can also affect you if you have Type 2 diabetes. Inadequate amounts of insulin cause diabetic ketoacidosis. Without enough insulin, the body begins breaking down fat for fuel, flooding the bloodstream with ketones, a type of blood acid. Missed insulin treatments and infections or other illnesses can cause diabetic ketoacidosis. This serious condition requires treatment with insulin and fluids, which can cause hypokalemia.
Serum Potassium
Standard treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis involves administering an intravenous drip that contains a solution of insulin and helps to lower the amount of ketones in your blood. This necessary treatment can cause serum potassium levels to drop to a level that endangers heart and nerve functions. The general method of treating potassium deficits during acidosis treatment is to supply intravenous potassium when your blood serum levels of potassium drop below 5 milliequivalents per liter (mEq per L).
Prevention
Preventing diabetic ketoacidosis is the best way for you to avoid the serious complication of hypokalemia during treatment. Carefully checking your ketone levels and blood sugar levels, as well as adjusting insulin dosages to keep your blood sugar levels within the targeted range, will help you reduce the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Seek emergency medical care if you show symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, such as a high blood sugar level combined with a high level of ketones in your urine.
