There are several conditions associated with a deficient level of potassium in your blood. One is excessive excretion of the electrolyte through frequent urination. Because insufficient serum potassium is a serious threat to your health, it is imperative to understand its symptoms, as well as to notify your doctor if you notice more frequent urination than what is normal for you.
Causes of Frequent Urination
Causes of frequent urination include certain medications, such as diuretics, as well as beverages, such as those containing caffeine or alcohol, that increase urine production and excretion. Some treatments for cancer, such as radiation therapy to your lower abdomen, also cause frequent urination. You might notice you are urinating more often if you have a bladder or kidney infection. The same is true if you have diabetes insipidus, type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Men who have an enlarged prostate gland or prostatitis also might notice the need to urinate more often than normal.
Hypokalemia
An ideal potassium level falls within the range of 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L. If laboratory results of your blood test reveal a serum potassium lower than this, expect your doctor to diagnose you with hypokalemia and order tests to uncover its underlying cause. If you have not already done so, it is important for you to tell your doctor about your frequent urination at this time. If your potassium falls below 2.5 mEq/L, you require emergency treatment to prevent potentially dangerous symptoms.
Symptoms and Complications
You might be asymptomatic if you have only mild hypokalemia, but if your condition progresses, symptoms of the disorder include spasms or weakness of your muscles, constipation and abnormal fatigue. More dangerous symptoms of hypokalemia include paralysis with possible involvement of your lungs and disruptions in the normal rate and rhythm of your heart beat. If left untreated, these symptoms are potentially fatal. Additionally, a chronic serum potassium deficiency might cause hypokalemic nephropathy, a condition associated with kidney damage.
Treatment
If your doctor determines that the cause of your potassium deficit is the result of excess urination, expect additional testing and treatment of that cause. Treatment of the underlying cause should resolve your hypokalemia over time. If necessary, your doctor might recommend oral supplementation of potassium, or a medication called a potassium-sparing diuretic, until your serum levels return to normal. If your potassium is profoundly low, your condition warrants intravenous administration of potassium to prevent the development of dangerous complications.
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