Hypokalemic

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.

People with Hypokalemic periodic paralysis, and some Andersen-Tawil Syndrome patients, need to eat a diet low in carbohydrates and sodium, since both carbohydrates and sodium trigger attacks. But how do you do it? Here are handy tips on how to plan a diet that is reduced in sodium and carbohydrates.

Tips on Reducing Sodium

At Home

When I'm in the middle of an abortive attack meal planning goes right out the window. I can look at a fridge and pantry full of food and not be able to figure out what to do with any of it.

The only way to avoid feeding the family cheese on toast and a glass of tap water for dinner again is advance planning.

I can follow clear and simple directions. So if I plan exactly what we will eat for each meal I can;

1) avoid wasting food,

2) feed us something other than crud on rice (which is going to make me weak anyway) and

Use this chart to help determine patterns to your food triggers. Blanks have been left for you to individualize the chart to your needs. Check food labels for sodium content, etc. This chart is intended to be utilized as an adjunct to a food journal.

This chart allows comparison of the forms of primary periodic paralysis, symptoms, clinical and cardiac signs, effect of potassium, triggers and therapies. 

Introduction:

The major features found in all the periodic paralyses are:

1. Attacks almost always begin before the age of 25, though occasionally later in life. ATS patients can develop first symptoms at any age.

2. Serum potassium fluctuates shortly before an attack, but serum potassium level will normalize before the attacks resolves and will be within the normal range between attacks. This is not a disorder of the blood but one in which there is an inappropriate shift of fluid, K+ and NA+ during attacks. 

When evaluating patients for periodic paralysis it is vital to obtain accurate results from blood draws. Because potassium levels which vary only a fraction of a point may be enough to trigger weakness in some patients, the lab may need to be made aware of specialized procedures which should ideally be used to obtain samples for K+ evaluation.

From "A Manual of Laboratory Diagnostic Tests" by Frances Fischbach, Page 247-253.

Potassium (K+) Normal Values: 3.5-5.0 mmol/liter 4.0-4.7 mmol/liter (average)

Patient's Name:

Birthdate: ________Height: _______Weight: _______

Address:

Primary Physician:

Emergency contact:  Your emergency contact should be someone who can speak for you when you cannot advocate for yourself.
Name:                                                                               Relationship:
home phone#                                         cell #                            FAX:

Are Weakness and Fatigue Between Paralytic Attacks Symptoms of Periodic Paralysis?