Any drs or nurses that could help? Please

Hopefully it is being safely monitored. I wish you all the best OP.

I think it’s maybe area specific, as they said here the GP can give treatment as long as it’s not below 2.5 x

I have experience of this. If a blood level of 2.8 is unusual for you, then normally you would be sent to A&E for an infusion.

Thanks for updating @Potassium123 . What a mystery, I do hope it can be sorted out for you soon .

Hi!

sorry, I’m the OP- I meant to update and then I forgot to and since then I’ve forgot the bloody password to my MN account so had to make a new one. Just wanted to post an update in case anyone is still around

so it’s been a few weeks since I’ve made this post and basically it’s still happening. I’ve been back and forth to the GP and the hospital, the lowest it’s been to was 2.2 (or something like that) and now it seems to be hovering about the low 3s/high 2s. It was better last week then I felt the symptoms start again- fast heart, weird feelings in my hands and feet and just general exhaustion. It honestly feels as I’ve been knocked down by a tractor. I had another blood test at the GP because of this to check the potassium and the results came back today at 2.7 so more sando K and another blood test to check it in a week but thankfully don’t have to go back to hospital which is the main thing! I’ve never felt as shit as I’ve felt recently in all my life so hoping it goes up and stays up soon.

thanks everyone for all the help and advice.

Receptionists don't "discuss" bloods. They read out the message the gp have attached to the results. Normally "bloods are fine" "go to a&e" "make a routine appt with Dr x to discuss y"

Stop scare mongering

@Potassium123 I'm hoping you are ok and got some help yesterday?

@penguinbiscuits It's not a discussion. They just read out the note that the doctor has left for you on the system. You don't need an appointment to be told "Prescription left at reception." If the doctor feels that a discussion is needed, they will phone you, or you will be told to make an appointment. As for PAP/STI/whatever, the doctor's note will just say "everything is normal" or "make an appointment". The receptionist doesn't give diagnoses. They don't normally give results either unless you specifically ask them what was the result.

My mum was blue lighted to hospital when she took a really bad turn. Her potassium like yours was found to be 2.8. Please please go get checked out

It's been like this for years, I had a call from receptionist recently telling me I needed to book in for a blood test, no idea what test, id had no conversation with the doctor and yes they have read out results to me, one even read out my ct scan result, it's a
bloody disgrace.

'Please don’t start implying that non clinicians will be acting independently on blood tests. That would never happen.'

So receptionist discusses test results with the patient? Whether the Dr passed on the message or not, I stand by what I said. That is very grim. I don't want a receptionist to discuss my results with me, I want to be able to ask questions related to the results that only a qualified Dr would be able to answer.

Why would I want to discuss my personal health results with someone who answers a phone? How interpersonal and almost insulting. I have a doctor-patient relationship with my doctor and it is nice to discuss things with him only as he'll be able to see (and knows) my whole medical history.

And how far do they take it? Would they discuss Pap smear results too? STI results? What is someone has gonorrhoea?

What a dire state this is in.

Jesus you are so awful to post like this. Op is seeking medical advice as advised. It's not enough to say lots of posters have told her to go A&E when she doesn't know if they're medically qualified or not!!!

@penguinbiscuits no of course it’s not. The receptionist will have been relaying the message given by the doctor, who will have seen the result. Please don’t start implying that non clinicians will be acting independently on blood tests. That would never happen.

There's no point ringing 111.

You need to go to A and E.

You can turn up in hospital and say you've been advised your K is 2.8. It's not strange and what would a gp do if you actually suffered as a result of them saying take another course and come back next week.

Please don't add to your anxiety, they won't accuse you of not taking it. The gp, labs and pharmacists are paid and trained to monitor patients and should query and ask themselves is there a reason why 5 cycles of the same medication hasn't made a difference.

Rather than go to A&E, where it will be a bit strange to say “my potassium is low so I’ve come to A&E”, wouldn’t it be beneficial to ring the GP and talk through their rationale for the plan they have given you and discuss whether more urgent care is needed? The GP is better placed to get you seen by the appropriate team in the hospital if on reflection they deem it necessary

The receptionist will be relaying information the Dr wants them to tell the pt

No we can't tell if uve takes it, but we assume the best in people that they tell us the truth

They don't. The gp interprets and asks the receptionist to pass on the message

Is this your previous thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5074411-low-potassium-help

Oh, one more thing, pins & needles could definitely be due to low electrolytes, definitely mention it to the nurses

Not surprised you were complaining, I hated that stuff! Tastes horrible and the fizzy texture is awful when you're ill anyway. I'm sure they'll believe you and have some awareness of what it's like to take, mine did anyway. They're probably confused/surprised because it doesn't seem to be working after so long. I honestly don't know if that's common, or if it points to a bigger issue. Mine was caused by chemo so not really relevant to your situation. Hopefully you can talk to a Dr and maybe they'll give you an IV and check if there's anything else going on. Try not to worry. I was phoned at midnight once to be blue lighted to A&E because my phosphate levels were zero (in a blood test taken 12 hours earlier). They treated it like an emergency but I was fine and the Drs giving me the drip were rolling their eyes

At my hospital trust the normal values for potassium are 3.5 to 5.3. Higher or lower potassium does put you at risk of a cardiac event. It does need investigating and possibly IV potassium.