Hypokalemia And CVD: The Mask of Potassium Deficiency

Although CVD (cardiovascular disease) occurs when the heart and cardiovascular system don’t function efficiently, this disease often affects other parts of the body, especially when certain dietary or nutritional factors need to be supplemented.

In this case, I’m talking about potassium deficiency, also called hypokalemia. I recently experienced a long stretch of this (again) and have personal experience with how it can impact one’s heart and health, which I would like to discuss it in order to help others avoid the same thing.

So, let’s find out what hypokalemia is, how it impacts the heart, and why it is a good idea to avoid it.

Briefly put, according to the article, Hypokalemia, by Cleavelandclinic.org, “hypokalemia is when the amount of potassium in your blood is too low. Normal levels of potassium for an adult range from 3.5 to 5.2 mEq/L (3.5 to 5.2 mmol/L). Anything lower than 3 mEq/L (3 mmol/L) may be considered severe hypokalemia” (Cleveland Clinic 2022). This is important because “potassium is an electrolyte. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when they’re dissolved in your bodily fluids. Your body needs potassium for your cells, muscles, and nerves to function correctly. Your body gets potassium through the food you eat. Your kidneys remove excess potassium through your urine (pee) to keep a proper balance of the mineral in your body” (Cleveland Clinic 2022). Therefore, such electrolytes are essential not only to cardiovascular function but also to one’s general health as well.

For example, the article continues with how “you need potassium to keep your muscles, nerves, and heart working well. You also need potassium for a healthy digestive system and bone health. Low levels of potassium can affect these important functions in your body. Over time, low levels of potassium in your body can cause effects such as abnormal heart rhythms, muscle weakness, and even paralysis” (Cleveland Clinic 2022). As one can imagine, this is particularly an undesirable situation if you have a heart condition.

The article, Hypokalemia-Induced Arrhythmia: A Case Series and Literature Review by Thu Kyaw May and Zay Maung Maung, states that, “potassium homeostasis plays a key role in regulating cell membrane excitability. Hypokalemia usually presents with cardiovascular and neuromuscular abnormalities. Hypokalemia can lead to clinically significant, life-threatening arrhythmia. Typical electrocardiographic (ECG) features of hypokalemia include widespread ST depression, T wave inversion, and prominent U waves. However, hypokalemia may present with different types of arrhythmia, such as premature ventricular contractions, ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation, and torsade de pointes. Thus, clinicians should be familiar with ECG manifestations of potassium disorders that may warrant timely diagnosis and effective management. Herein, we report three patients with arrhythmia who were found to have typical ECG characteristics of hypokalemia after resolution of arrhythmia and later proved to have low serum potassium levels,” (Thu Kyaw and Maung 2022). Thus, the article clearly illustrates a direct connection to cardiovascular function, particularly to arrhythmia.

The article “Low Potassium (Hypokalemia)” by Augusta Clinic lists the symptoms as: “weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, and irregular heart rhythms, called arrhythmias” (“Low Potassium (Hypokalemia) – Augusta Health” 2025). These arrhythmias can have a whole other slew of symptoms, including confusion, nausea, and brain fog, to name a few. And I have a great deal of experience with arrhythmia.

The first time I had hypokalemia was a few years ago, when a certain diet that was needed to prevent migraines (which ultimately didn’t help) ended up causing me several complications. I ended up in the hospital and needed to begin taking potassium pills as a precaution against further arrhythmia.

Recently, however, I had several months without my full dose of this medicine, where I had to take other, lesser supplements and ration what medicine I did have during that time.

Before I continue, I want to make it crystal clear that this was a terrible situation, and I don’t ever recommend anyone ever do what I had to do.

Anyway, as I am trying not to share too much of the specifics, my medicine, or lack thereof, was used as a means to compel me to do something I was adamant about not doing.

I recently discovered that a certain relationship in my life was very emotionally and mentally abusive. It was all tied up with my medical condition. So, when I left and wanted to build my life separately, it wasn't well-received. I assumed that the abuse would not go into the physical realm because the whole point of the other forms of abuse could be excused as overzealous efforts to keep control, with the ultimate goal of keeping me alive.

I was wrong.

This led to the intentional withholding of my potassium medicine in an effort to compel me to return. I used supplements and bananas to help alleviate the symtoms, but it wasn’t sufficient. Luckily, I eventually got the medicine, and it all worked out… after almost four months.

However, I am writing this to explain and illustrate the impacts of hypokalemia through my experience with it, not to focus on the details of the situation that led to this instance of hypokalemia.

During these months, I felt very much like a fish out of water. Basically, I was suffocating and unable to articulate or explain what was going on since my cognitive abilities became increasingly compromised. I could barely sleep and was growing ever weaker. Furthermore, I felt like I was in some stage of arrhythmia and was constantly confused and exhausted from it.

As a result, the quality of my writing suffered, and my ability to learn and understand new, complex problems and meet deadlines on my stories/articles was negatively affected by the situation.

Meanwhile, my family, friends, and colleagues all said I just had depression, and some of them used the situation they caused as a reason to declare me too weak to continue on my own… even though they, again, were the ones primarily responsible for the situation.

Even though, over time, I also started to believe that the entire situation was just due to burnout or depression, it was eventually revealed that the withholding of the concentrated potassium, which was the cause, was done intentionally.

But I did not return as they wanted. I made it through on my own.

When the medicine arrived after three months, it initially felt like a breath of fresh air, but it took me three whole weeks to regain my full strength.

In hindsight, I sincerely wish I hadn’t lost the majority of August-November to suffering from intense hypokalemia. However, I survived. That’s all that matters, and I can only move forward. At least my writing on both the blog and Substack will become more frequent, predictable, and better from now on.

This experience was personal, and I hope no one else has to go through something like that. But I am telling the story because I want to make it clear that one should never, ever, ever neglect or overlook their potassium or any medicine or have it withheld for any reason.

It is extremely dangerous to do so. In my case, it was not intentional, and I made it out ok.

But I was lucky.

I do not want to point fingers or get upset with anyone involved in this sequence of events. But I hope this experience raises awareness of the effects of hypokalemia and the absolute necessity of potassium for the cardiovascular system.

If you are experiencing symptoms of hypokalemia, it is no joke, especially to the cardiovascular system. Go to your doctor and have it checked out. Better safe than sorry.

Keep ticking, my friends!

What topics about CVD or pacemakers would you like to learn more about?

Let me know.

Reference List:

Cleveland Clinic. 2022. “Hypokalemia.” Cleveland Clinic. May 10, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17740-low-potassium-levels-in-your-blood-hypokalemia.

“Low Potassium (Hypokalemia) – Augusta Health.” 2025. Augustahealth.com. 2025. https://www.augustahealth.com/symptom/low-potassium-hypokalemia/.

Thu Kyaw, May, and Zay Maung Maung. 2022. “Hypokalemia-Induced Arrhythmia: A Case Series and Literature Review.” Cureus 14 (3). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22940.

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