Potassium chloride is a common treatment for low potassium, which can occur for a variety of health or dietary reasons. If you have low potassium and are also pregnant, you may be wondering if you should continue taking your potassium chloride or if there are alternative options for you. Speak with your obstetrician to decide if the benefits you receive from potassium chloride outweigh any potential risks.
Uses
Potassium chloride is used most often to treat hypokalemia. Hypokalemia is a condition that occurs when you have low levels of potassium in your blood. Because your body relies on potassium for proper heart and muscle function, a deficiency can be potentially life-threatening. The medication is often prescribed if you have an underlying medical condition that causes low potassium or if you have been vomiting or experiencing diarrhea for long periods of time, which can deplete your stores of potassium.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, potassium is essential for your own health, but it also helps support the health of your unborn baby. Your blood volume increases by 50 percent while pregnant, which means that you will need to consume adequate amounts of potassium to maintain a healthy fluid balance in your body. If you experience muscle cramps, it may be due to low potassium in your diet. If you are otherwise healthy, you do not need a potassium supplement to reach the 4,700 mg you need on a daily basis. If you have low potassium, your doctor will determine whether you should continue taking the medication, particularly if your condition will become life-threatening if your potassium levels drop.
Cautions
Potassium chloride has been given a category C rating from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The ratings help pregnant women determine what medications and substances are safe during pregnancy and which should be avoided. A category C drug is one that may pose a danger to an unborn baby, but that conclusive evidence to prove this has not be found. A category C drug is also one that may have more benefits than risks for a pregnant woman. Tell your doctor right away if you get pregnant and are taking potassium chloride.
Tips
If you have a small potassium deficiency, adding potassium-rich foods to your diet may help you boost your levels back to normal and make sure your unborn baby also gets what she needs for growth and development. Add baked potatoes, beans, yogurt, juice, bananas, avocados, cantaloupe, spinach and squash to your pregnancy diet to increase your intake of this essential mineral. If you must continue taking potassium chloride to protect your own health, ask your doctor what the safest and lowest dosage is for you so you do not expose your baby to more than what is necessary.
References
- Drugs.com: Potassium Chloride
- "Neonatal Formulary: Drug Use in Pregnancy and the First Year of Life"; Edmund Hey, et al.; 2006
- Baby Center: Potassium in Your Pregnancy Diet; August 2009
- American Pregnancy Assocation; FDA Drug Category Ratings
- MayoClinic.com; Low Potassium (Hypokalemia); August 2011
