Meq Versus Mg

I've experienced severe leg cramps during sleep. Eating an occasional Banana stopped the problem but I don't like Bananas. So I decided to try Potassium pills. I read on Webmd that the recommened dosage for prevention of Potassium deficiency is 20 mEq, which brings me to my question. The smallest dose I can find is 99 mg. Is 99 mg per day too much ? I asked the two assistance at the local GNC where I bought them and they said 99 mg per day is fine and that the body will only absorb what it needs. This doesn't sound right to me.

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The 99mgs is actually very low. You can't convert the mEqs to mgs, but I can assure you that the 99mgs is actually very low.

The 20mEq is a dosage that's only available by prescription and only given when someone has tested and shown a severe deficiency, it's not safe to take all the time. The people at the store were incorrect, as too much potassium can be just as dangerous as not enough.

The FDA classifies this as a supplement and it may cause some nausea, so it is best taken with food.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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Thanks Verwon. That confirms what I thought. As I have done some more research on the cause of severe leg cramps, I'm now hearing ( through gossip ) that Dr. Oz says that leg cramps are caused most often by a Magnesium deficiency, not Potassium as I thought. I can't confirm that Dr. Oz claims this since I didn't hear it from him directly. All I know is my Potassium levels are good from my lab results but yet when I have leg cramps and eat a few Bananas each week, they stop. I know Bananas are high in Potassium too, so know I am completely confused. If the leg cramps were not so severe, I would not even bother about all of this, but they wake me from a deep sleep and nearly put me into tears. Looks like I need to do more research. Thanks for your reply.

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Please take into consideration when you're eating bananas or other foods that up your potassium in relation to when you have your blood work done that checks it.

If you ate such foods within a few days of the test, then the test is going to show the improved level, but not what they levels were before you did so.

Thus, you may still be going low sometimes.

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I know this is quite a long time ago that you wrote this, but I'm just seeing if for the 1st time. The reason the bananas are helpings you is bc/ potassium actually helps the absorption of calcium & magnesium. I eat them too twice/day. They're also a soluble fiber, which is good for diarrhea. People always say fiber in general is good for you, but that's absolutely not true! If you suffer from diarrhea anything that's insoluble fiber is bad for you. It causes water to drawn into the bowels making diarrhea much worse, but it's good for constipation. Dr.Oz recommended a type of fiber that is far superior to other fibers and is the only one on the market specifically made for IBD patients. It's called Heather's Tummy Fiber. Mix it with plane water and it has no taste. After I told my gastroenterologist I wanted to try it he said,"yes please do. I recommend it to all my patients." It helps some of the side effects from taking Hyoscyamine and Cholestyramine. I also take magnesium and calcium supplements daily. You need both! It isn't necessarily caused my the magnesium itself. The body doesn't absorb calcium if you don't have enough magnesium in your blood. I get Citracal with D3. It's the only brand made to be gentle on the stomach that you can take with or without food. I take it twice/day along with magnesium. I use Nature's Way Magnesium Complex. I get mine on Amazon (2 bottles for under $10). It's superior to the other magnesium supplements I've tried. Another thing is that Cholestyramine won't let your body properly absorb the vitamins and minerals you need. It binds to them just like food and passes them through your stool. You must wait 6-7 hrs after taking cholestyramine for them to absorb. You can also take it and any other medications and supplements at least an hour before your cholestyramine. 2 hours before would be great, but I seldom have 2hrs to wait, so 1 hour is usually good. I take it in the am and before bed. I had your exact problem with severe joint and tendon pains in my legs and feet, but it also spread to my wrist and elbow. I got severe charlie horses and had to use heating pads, and ice packs. I take the fiber and my magnesium/calcium & the problem is solved. Whenever your body is sore to help it recover you can put Epsom Salts into your bath tub. It works wonders for any body aches. It lowers inflammation and draws out negative fluids from the swelling. I've used it for everything from leg pains to hemroids. I highly recommend it. A bath before bed along with my mag/cal supplements helps me sleep like a baby. I hope this helps. Sorry that I didn't do paragraphs...

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