Some Tips To Keep Your Potassium From Being Too High When You Have Kidney Disease:
You should limit foods that are high in potassium. A renal dietitian is required.(YES-a special KIDNEY (renal) dietician is very important. Ask your nephrologist for a recommendation.)The renal dietician will help you plan your diet so you are getting the right amount of potassium. We find a food diary kept strictly for 3 days helps the dietician understand your particular diet.Sometimes it is ONE significant source of high potassium food that needs to be removed like a patient that eats 1 banana a day. Sometimes removing this one high source of potassium food can bring level to WNL without a rigid diet. Other patients require a strict globally low potassium diet. The dietician can help find what is right for you.
Make sure none of your medications include potassium supplements (because WE HAVE seen this happen)
Make sure your salt substitute does not contain potassium.
Make sure your vitamins and other OTC medications do not contain significant amounts of potassium. If in doubt, ask your nephrologist to look at the medication label or insert. (Bring it to the visit).
Do NOT squeeze or pump your fist when having labs drawn (can cause a falsely high value). We prefer you keep your fist open as blood is drawn. Explain this to the technician who draws your blood. (Our lab slips all give this instruction in writing to the technician!)
If you have your labs done early in the day, make sure the lab is processed without sitting around for excessive time (can lead to falsely high values)
Eat a variety of foods but in moderation.
Do not drink or use the liquid from canned fruits and vegetables, or the juices from cooked meat.
Remember that almost all foods have some potassium. The size of the serving is very important. A large amount of a low potassium food can turn into a high- potassium food.
If you are on dialysis, be sure to get all the treatment or exchanges prescribed to you.
