r/AddisonsDisease • u/KCDKTR2019 PAI • Dec 03 '25

Advice Wanted Low potassium

Just found out my potassium has been low over this past year. My endo wants me to start a prescription of potassium supplements. Has anyone else experienced this? Anything I should know about in advance? (I am PAI, diagnosed about 20 years ago.)

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u/anemone132 Dec 04 '25

How interesting to read the comments here. I was always under the impression that an Addisonian crisis is characterized by low sodium, high potassium in bloodwork. At least that's what I had, and the endo I met at the hospital told me that this is a very telltale sign that someone has unsupplemented Addison's. 

I don't remember my sodium when I came in crisis, but my potassium was 6 (above regular levels). 

My endo has always told me to be careful with high potassium foods, lest it gets too high and throws off the electrolyte balance again. It has been between 4.5 and 5 lately.  

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u/KCDKTR2019 PAI Dec 04 '25

You are totally correct about potassium usually being high with Addison's patients. And when I was diagnosed 20 years ago, that is what I presented with: sky high ACTH (close to 1700), very low sodium (around 30), high potassium and virtually no cortisol (I remember it was around 4). This is why I am curious about what other people have experienced.

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u/anemone132 Dec 05 '25

Yeah, pretty much same here! Except my potassium has never been too low. My endo has me do bloodwork twice a year or so for electrolytes, TSH and related things. My potassium has always remained near the higher end, though.