Many patients with high blood pressure often have a dose of diuretics in their boxes. They have a good antihypertensive effect and are cheap, but if you are not careful, you may cause hypokalemia.
Double-gram medication, once a day
Thiazide diuretics, such as dignoxes, were one of the first drugs to lower blood pressure and are still recommended by numerous guidelines as the initial and maintenance treatment of hypertension. Its effect is not inferior to that of the famous leveling and pry antihypertensive drugs, but the price is much cheaper.
Sodium is excreted with urine and increased, and potassium is excreted with excess. Especially when taking diuretics in large doses, the body will lose a large number of valuable potassium and other minerals, which can easily cause low blood potassium, and in severe cases, it will even induce life-threatening arrhythmias.
Indapamide, in small doses
Indapamide is also an important member of thiazide diuretics, and its antihypertensive effect is more stable and long-lasting than that of double grams. Although the effect of indapamide on blood potassium is not obvious, its diuretic effect will be enhanced in the elderly or at high doses, and there is still a possibility of causing hypokalemia.
Oral potassium supplementation is safe and effective
The digestion and absorption capacity of the elderly is not so strong, even if they eat enough vegetables and fruits, the potassium content in the body is still easy to be insufficient, and eating thiazide diuretics that are easy to lose potassium is more likely to lead to the occurrence of hypokalemia.
If you feel weak, tired, weak, numb in your limbs, or have palpitations when taking these drugs, be alert to the possibility of hypokalemia. If potassium deficiency is diagnosed, most potassium deficiency patients should take oral potassium supplements, such as potassium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium gluconate, etc.
Remember to take double grams or indapamide, either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive drugs, in small doses, especially in elderly patients. Eating such diuretics should eat more potassium-rich fresh vegetables and fruits, because potassium is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and cardiovascular health, and potassium-rich foods can also help lower blood pressure.