POTASSIUM BICARBONATE

(poe tass EE um) Brand: Effervescent Potassium, K-Effervescent, K-vescent

What is the most significant information I must know about potassium bicarbonate?

• Avoid taking potassium supplements or using another commodity that contain potassium without first asking your doctor. Salt substitutes or low-salt dietary commodity often contain potassium. If you take determined commodity together you may accidentally get too many potassium. Read the label of any another medication you are using to see if it contains potassium.

• There are much another medicines that can interact with potassium bicarbonate. Speak your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start using a new medicine without telling your doctor. Hold a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or another healthcare provider who treats you.

What is potassium bicarbonate?

• Potassium is a mineral that is found naturally in foods and is necessary for much usual functions of your body, especially the beating of your heart.

• Potassium bicarbonate is used to prevent or to treat a potassium deficiency (hypokalemia).

• Potassium bicarbonate may also be used for another purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking potassium bicarbonate?

• Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

· kidney disease;

· Addison's disease;

· stomach ulcer or an intestinal blockage; or

· chronic diarrhea (colitis).

• If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use potassium bicarbonate, or you may need a doze adjustment or particular trials during treatment.

• FDA pregnancy category C. This medicine may be deleterious to an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

• It is not known whether potassium bicarbonate passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take potassium bicarbonate?

• Use this medicine exactly as directed on the label, or as predesigned by your doctor. Do not use it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended.

• Take every doze with a full glass of water.

• Take potassium bicarbonate with food or milk to lessen stomach upset.

• Drop the effervescent tablets into a glass of water (at least 4 ounces, or one-half cup). Let the tablets to dissolve completely and then drink this mixture right away. Do not save it for later use.

• Do not stop taking this medicine without first talking to your doctor. If you stop taking potassium bicarbonate suddenly, your condition may become worse.

• Store potassium bicarbonate at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If you are more than 2 hours late in taking your medication, skip the missed doze and wait before your following regularly scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medicine.

• Overdose symptoms may include numbness or tingling in your hands or foots, uneven heart course, paralysis, feeling like you might pass out, chest pain or hard feeling, pain spreading to the hand or shoulder, nausea, sweating, common ill feeling, or seizure (convulsions).

What must I avoid while taking potassium bicarbonate?

What are the possible side effects of potassium bicarbonate?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Stop using potassium bicarbonate and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

· confusion;

· uneven heartbeat;

· unusual tiredness, weakness, hard feeling in your legs;

· severe stomach pain cramping; or

· black, bloody, or tarry stools.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or upset stomach;

· a rash;

· slight tingling in the hands or foots; or

· anxiety.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Speak your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect potassium bicarbonate?

• The next drugs can interact with potassium bicarbonate. Speak your doctor if you are using any of these:

· digoxin (Lanoxin);

· an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik);

· a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Blocadren);

· a diuretic (water pill) such as amiloride (Midamor, Moduretic), chlorothiazide (Diuril, others), hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril, HCTZ, others), indapamide (Lozol), metolazone (Zaroxolyn), spironolactone (Aldactone, Aldactazide), or triamterene (Dyrenium, Dyazide, Maxzide);

· aspirin or another NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis),, and others; or

· a steroid such as prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone), dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol), and others.

• This list is not complete and there may be another drugs that can interact with potassium bicarbonate or affect your condition. Speak your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about potassium bicarbonate.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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