Why do doctors not prescribe potassium for high blood pressure?

It can be dangerous.

“The effects of either low potassium or high potassium can be life-threatening. Since potassium is necessary to the healthy functioning of nerves, cells, and membranes, it is an important electrolyte to monitor. Low potassium is a major cause of cardiac arrhythmia; diuretics for the treatment of high blood pressure or congestive heart failure may interfere with potassium absorption and excretion. Although potassium supplementation is usually not necessary, individuals on diuretics or laxatives or who have excessive diarrhea may require extra potassium.”

Source

Thanks for the answer!

Seems to me I did get a medication with potassium in it when my doctor was trying to reduce my BP long ago. I think that might have been the one that made me too sleepy to be a good high school student, though. I gave it up pretty quickly.

@Zaku besides the sleepiness did you see improvement? What on earth caused HBP at such a young age? Was it genetic? Did you get a better alternative?

It is possible to have an overdose of potassium that can be fatal. Without control over other sources of potassium in the diet it would be difficult to prescribe the right dose. It could possibly be combined with a dose of magnesium (in the same tablet) as that controls potassium use in the body.
It’s better to ask your doctor these questions as s/he has a better knowledge of your condition etc. and can give a more definitive answer.

If your potassium levels are normal it doesn’t make any sense to me to take potassium. Maybe increasing healthy foods with naturally occuring potassium might be worth trying. Electrolyte balance is incredibly important. The body fights to keep the balance. If you take in a lot of sodium, your body will do it’s best to get rid of the extra sodium, same with potassium. Imbalance can cause a heart attack, and it is known to be a cause of death in people with anorexia.

My mom takes blood pressure medicine and has to actively avoid high potassium foods because of her meds.

I would say be careful. If you try increased amounts of potassium or sodium, do it only if you can get regular blood tests to monitor how your body is dealing with it and obviously monitor your blood pressure daily. I still would only do it naturally with food if your electrolytes are always normal typically. Talk to your doctor about it.

@ZEPHYRA I think the medication might have caused a slight reduction in BP, but not enough to get it back to normal (and my measurements always vary quite a bit). No one really knows what caused it. It’s just been high since I was about 15. I don’t think anyone had it in my family as a child. They tried putting radioactive iodine in my blood and scanning me while that was there, and didn’t find anything unusual. I developed an on/off habit of tracking it myself, and learned that it goes up a considerable amount when I’m nervous, in a doctor’s office, or have been physically active. But it’s always somewhat high. However it can get down to like 130/80 or so if/when I am in good physical condition. There are better medicines available now and I know some people who use them and say they don’t know of any side effects. I prefer to stay in shape and avoid medication.

I’m sure they must check your thyroid, but if not I recommend it. I know my thyroid is slowing down when my blood pressure goes up. I just take more thyroid medicine (I get a blood test to confirm the thyroid levels) and poof my blood pressure problem disappears. My TSH can be normal, but I need to see the T4 and T3 numbers. My thyroid out of whack also can make me feel irritable and more nervous and have sleep disturbances. All that is very common. It is the egg not the chicken. The thyroid imbalance causes those things.

More likely, because I loath to think the doctors don’t test your thyroid, your baroceptors or some other mechanism doesn’t work well. Some sort of genetic blip that you got stuck with so your body doesn’t read your pressure well. I believe that is my cholesterol problem. I eat a bunch of cholesterol and my body is unaware and keeps pumping out cholesterol. Other people eat a bunch and their blood levels stay normal.

I have serious thyroid issues and my blood pressure was NEVER effected…. so…. that shit don’t fly.

Chances are it’s your weight.

My weight? Or, the OP?

@cazzie When I’m over-medicated, basically when I am medically induced hyperthyroid, my blood pressure is low. Doctors tend to not give a crap about lowish blood pressure unless the patient is actually symptomatic. You are hyperthyroid so I wouldn’t expect you to have high blood pressure.

Some hypothyroid people don’t have their blood pressure affected much. More than one of my friends gets elevated blood pressure when their TSH is high.

It’s a fact that it can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, but not everyone with hypothyroidism experiences it of course. And, obviously, people get high blood pressure for many reasons.

Link for you.

@JLeslie Just because I have Graves doesn’t mean I’m always hyper. Quite the contrary. You are a example of one and are not proof of anyone else’s medical condition other than your own.

I only became hypo 12 years ago and one of my symptoms was high blood pressure. It happens every time I need more medication. Doesn’t matter my experience. What does matter is I gave you a link from a reputable site. Your one experience doesn’t discount my experience, and the experience if many people I know. Read the link. Google hypertension and hypothyroid. You usually appreciate medical and scientific facts. Hypertension is secondary to a lot of conditions. Plus, I don’t understand what year you developed Graves disease has anything to do with anything.

I said in my answer I doubt the OP has a thyroid condition, because I can’t imagine he hasn’t been checked for it. The OP has had hypertension since teen years. I would assume he has been checked for diabetes and other common diseases that often happen in conjunction with high BP. If he is overweight, I would be pretty sure the doctor told him to try losing for multiple reasons, including BP.

Why are you harping on my answer. Because of you this Q is now several posts about thyroid, which is ridiculous. It was just one mention about my experience, and often overlooked by doctors, within other suggestions. I talked about genetics too. I have a girlfriend who has a beautiful figure, works out 5 days a week, eats well, and has to take BP medicine. Her body just doesn’t regulate well regarding BP. There doesn’t seem to be any other explanation. She’s been taking meds for many many years. It runs in her family.

@JLeslie you talk a lot and say very little.