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Do Low Potassium Levels In The Body Cause Pain In The Knees, Lower Back And Neck?
I'm 77 yrs old and taking meds for hi bp including carvidelol and chlorthalidone. While bp has improved, the last few weeks I have developed achy knees, my calves hurt, low back pain above the waist, also pain in neck on left side . I also have a bulging disc in my lower cervical area which was not causing any trouble for quite awhile.
QUESTIONS
could I be developing low potassium from the chlorthalidone, leading to all these aches and pains or is it something else ?L.B.
QUESTIONS
could I be developing low potassium from the chlorthalidone, leading to all these aches and pains or is it something else ?L.B.
Wed, 22 Aug 2018
Hello,
Although low potassium may lead to rhabdomyolysis (damage in muscle cells) which may indeed present with pain in various muscle groups, it is a rather unlikely scenario, as it requires an extremely low potassium (less than 2.5 mEq/L) and usually other symptoms alert the patient first (serious weakness and perhaps arrhythmias). A bulging disc may exert pressure on nerve fibers and cause pain in lower parts of the body. Checking serum potassium and magnesium and CPK (creatine phosphokinase) are important tests to do before diagnosing anything.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Although low potassium may lead to rhabdomyolysis (damage in muscle cells) which may indeed present with pain in various muscle groups, it is a rather unlikely scenario, as it requires an extremely low potassium (less than 2.5 mEq/L) and usually other symptoms alert the patient first (serious weakness and perhaps arrhythmias). A bulging disc may exert pressure on nerve fibers and cause pain in lower parts of the body. Checking serum potassium and magnesium and CPK (creatine phosphokinase) are important tests to do before diagnosing anything.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
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