Potassium Citrate For Kidney Disease

Potassium citrate is a supplement that can be used to control kidney stones and reduce the pain and frequency of urine that is very acidic. It is effective because it alkalinizes the urine, or increases the pH. Potassium citrate is also used as a supplement to raise blood levels of potassium. This supplement should be used under the direction of a physician because its use maybe harmful in a person with certain medical conditions.

Potassium Citrate

Potassium citrate comes in the form of a liquid or a powder that can be dissolved and ingested. It is easily absorbed and excreted in the urine as carbonate. Potassium is a mineral that is essential for many body functions and is found in foods such as bananas, avocados, potatoes and oranges. Citrate is converted to bicarbonate, a base, by the liver thereby alkalinizing the blood and urine.

Kidney Stones

Potassium citrate is beneficial in minimizing the formation of kidney stones that are composed of crystals containing uric acid or cystine. It is imperative for a person prone to stone formation to drink adequate fluid to wash the crystals out in the urine before they can adhere and form a stone. Citrate, a form of citric acid, and fluids that contain citrate, are beneficial to stone formers because they inhibit formation of the most common stones. After a person passes a kidney stone, it can be analyzed to determine its composition. This, in turn, can assist a physician in establishing a plan of care.

Acidic Urine

Acidic urine can be detected by chemical analysis of a urine sample, and the treatment often involves potassium citrate. One example is Renal Tubular Acidosis, which is a disease that leads to a person's blood becoming too acidic due to an inefficient excretion of acid in the urine. Healthy kidneys help to maintain the body's acid-base balance by either excreting or reabsorbing acidic or alkaline compounds depending upon the body's needs. According to UroStoneCenter.com, a kidney stone prevention and informational site, when potassium citrate is given, the urine will alkalinize and raise the pH to between 6.5 and 7.5

Other Uses for Potassium Citrate

Potassium citrate can be used to treat and correct other conditions related to the imbalances in the urine, such as high oxalate or uric acid levels in the urine, and low levels of citrate in the urine. According to the Department of Urology at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in Miami, a person with high levels of uric acid in the urine should drink three liters of water per day and can be prescribed potassium citrate to make the urine more alkaline. If a higher pH is maintained, crystals of uric acid and cystine will remain in solution and will be excreted before they can form a stone. Low levels of citrate in the urine, which is determined by a 24 hour urine test, can also be treated with a dosage of potassium citrate, depending upon the amount of urinary citrate.

Potassium citrate can also be used as a supplement to replace blood potassium that may have been lost in the urine as a symptom of other diseases or as a side effect of diuretic drugs, which are used to lower blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic's Dr. Sheldon Sheps, MD, a hypertension specialist, explains that some diuretics eliminate potassium in the urine and the treatment may include increasing potassium in the diet, adding a supplement such as potassium citrate, or changing the prescription.

Side Effects Potassium Citrate

According to Dr. David Goldfarb, MD, a nephrologist and professor of medicine at NYU, sodium citrate is sometimes prescribed instead of potassium citrate due to some of the side effects of the supplement. Potassium citrate can increase blood levels of potassium, have an unappealing taste, and can cause gastrointestinal intolerance, such as heartburn, diarrhea, and cramping.