How Can Potassium Levels Be Increased?

Posted on Thu, 25 Feb 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 Answered on

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I am currently taking 40 mg of Lasix a day and I take 120 mg of potassium a day but my potassium will run so low at times I will get short of breath, can’t walk by myself and sometimes I will pass out. What can I do to keep my potassium level up?

Thank you

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
fruit, low salt diet

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question. You do not say why you are on the lasix but if you must be on a diuretic it may be more helpful for you to be on something like spironolactone which actually is a diuretic that raises potassium.
If you must be on lasix then eating plenty of fruit, especially berries can raise your potassium especially if you are on a very strict low salt diet.
Consider the DASH diet which you can find online to help with the low salt diet.
I wish you the best and let me know if you have further questions
Dr. Robinson

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar