Hypokalemic PP Medications

Potassium supplementationPotassium supplementation can be used in patients who have episodes that involve a drop in potassiumlevels. These supplements come in multiple forms. Different forms of potassium may be easier forpeople to take due to size and texture. Some people find that a certain manufacturer/brand ofpotassium is easier to swallow due to the coating on…

*Starting Acetazolamide (Diamox)

Question: My doctor wants to prescribe a medication called acetazolamide. Is that okay for someone with Hypokalemic periodic paralysis? When I look on the web it says this medication causes you to excrete potassium. How can that be good for me? Answer: The “starter pak” is Diamox (acetazolamide) plus a potassium supplement. While Diamox reduces…

Bumetanide potential treatment for HypoKPP

Submitted by deb on Tue, 03/05/2013 – 00:34 Neurology. 2013 Feb 20. [Epub ahead of print]Bumetanide prevents transient decreases in muscle force in murine hypokalemic periodic paralysis.Wu F, Mi W, Cannon SC. Source: From the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics (F.W., W.M., S.C.C.) and Program in Neuroscience (S.C.C.), UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To…

Physician’s Sheet: Acetazolamide Drug Interactions

Submitted by deb on Mon, 06/27/2011 – 20:54 Acetazolamide (aka Diamox) is frequently prescribed as therapy for the periodic paralyses. While most patients take this drug without incident it can interact with other drugs. Physicians should be aware of potential problems which might arise. Acetazolamide can decrease excretion of dextroamphetamine, anticholinergics, mecamylamine, ephedrine, mexiletine, or quinidine because…

Starting Acetazolamide (Diamox)

Submitted by deb on Fri, 02/01/2013 – 21:45 Because this is a frequently asked question from patients we post here a reply: Question: My doctor wants to prescribe a medication called acetazolamide. Is that okay for someone with Hypokalemic periodic paralysis. When I look on the web it says this medication causes you to excrete potassium. How…

The Use of Bactrim in the Periodic Paralyses

Submitted by deb on Sat, 07/25/2015 – 18:54 The antibiotic Bactrim is well-known to produce muscle weakness, even paralysis in patients with Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis. It is contraindicated in patients with Anderson-Tawil Syndrome because of its propensity to produce cardiac arrhythmia, but many clinicians do not realize that it also produces hyperkalemia in a majority of patients…

New Findings Suggest Genetics Behind Drug Response

Submitted by deb on Thu, 07/26/2012 – 17:00 PLoS One. 2012; 7(7): e40235.Published online 2012 July 10. Splicing of the rSlo Gene Affects the Molecular Composition and Drug Response of Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels in Skeletal Muscle Maria Maddalena Dinardo,#1 Giulia Camerino,#1 Antonietta Mele,1 Ramon Latorre,2 Diana Conte Camerino,1 and Domenico Tricarico1,* The molecular composition and drug responses…