Because potassium plays a vital role in maintaining your heartbeat and nervous system function, your physician may recommend taking a potassium supplement if you are deficient in potassium. Just as too little potassium can be dangerous, too much potassium can be problematic -- and sometimes life-threatening -- if you do not take the correct dosage. Knowing how to recognize the symptoms of excess potassium intake is vital when you are taking potassium supplements.
Dosage
The dosage for potassium supplements depends upon the type of potassium prescribed and the condition your physician prescribes it for. For example, oral tablets of potassium bicarbonate prescribed to replace lost potassium is typically prescribed in dosages of 25 to 50 mEq taken one to two times per day, according to Drugs.com. With potassium's powder form to replace potassium loss, adults and teenagers take between 15 and 25 mEq taken two to four times per day. Because you may take potassium supplements several times per day, always speak to your physician about the amount you should not exceed in your daily diet.
Symptoms
If you take in too much potassium via your supplements, you may experience symptoms such as confusion, irregular heartbeat, numbness in your body, difficulty breathing, unexplained fatigue or heaviness in your legs can be side effects of excess potassium supplementation, according to MayoClinic.com. See your physician if you experience these symptoms to avoid a progression to potentially fatal levels of potassium supplementation.
Monitoring
If your physician has prescribed potassium supplements, he should check your blood at regular intervals to ensure you do not have excess potassium in your blood. Normal potassium levels are between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L, according to MayoClinic.com. However, if your levels are higher than 6.0 mEq/L, this can be dangerous to your health. You also should tell your physician if you experience blackish stools or have blood in your stool. This can indicate intestinal bleeding as a result of potassium supplementation. This can be hazardous to your health.
Potentially Fatal Symptoms
If you do not seek treatment for mild potassium overdose symptoms, your symptoms can progress to potentially fatal ones. This includes an abnormal heart rhythm, which can progress to cardiac arrest, an occurrence that can be fatal. Because excess potassium can cause paralysis, it is possible for your lung muscles to become paralyzed, ceasing oxygen flow to your brain and body.
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