Patient

A free workbook to download for those who are in the diagnostic process, contains information on each type of PP, diagnostic testing, available therapies, how to determine episode triggers and  work out a management plan. download here

by Elson M. Haas, M.D.

This information is based on diet recommendations found in many medical journal and textbook articles about Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis. (HyperKPP). According to physicians and dieticians those with HyperKPP should follow a diet which is high in carbohydrates and low in potassium. Because muscle tissue is stressed in the periodic paralyses it is also essential that patients obtain liberal amounts of high-quality protein.

Designed by the National Institutes of Health    

This information is based on a diet designed at the National Institutes of Health in the 1960s for a young man with Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis (HypoKPP). According to the NIH physicians and dietician Mary R. Emerson, plus many other medical authorities, those with HypoKPP should follow a diet which is high in protein, low in carbohydrate, and low in sodium.

Correlation of Saliva and Human Blood Serum Potassium Results

The Cardy results are reported in ppm (parts per million), so saliva results are calculated by multiplying the saliva potassium measurements on the Cardy Potassium Meter by 0.026 to convert the values from ppm to mmol/L.

The correlation results are based on normal human ranges for blood serum as 3.5 - 5.5 mmol/L and for saliva as 8 - 40 mmol/L. The saliva values, as measured by the Cardy K+ meter, have proven accurate when compared to serum values drawn and processed in labs.

It is now possible for the patient with periodic paralysis to test their potassium level at home, just as patients with diabetes test their glucose levels. The LAQUA potassium ion meter is not currently approved for medical use by the FDA, nor is it sold as a medical device, but it is the new and improved version of the Cardy C-131 Potassium Ion Meter, which was a very sensitive measuring device which has given excellent results to many patients in our group who have used it. Patients do not test their blood with these meters, but their saliva.

Clinical Synopsis

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (THKPP) is an uncommon disorder characterized by simultaneous thyrotoxicosis, hypokalemia, and paralysis that occurs primarily in males of Asian descent, including patients of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Filipino ancestry.