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Thursday, March 25, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Treatment for high potassium connected to cause DEAR DR. GOTT: Can you please address high potassium lev- els? My husband’s level went from 4.6 in 2008 to 5.6 in 2009. Other than food that is high in potassium, what could cause the level to jump? Should he be on a restricted diet? Can exercise bring it down? His physical this year did show his total cholesterol level rose, main- ly his LDL to 143, HDL to 77 and triglycerides to 115. His blood pres- sure is normal. We would welcome any advice, as this is Dr. Peter Gott all new to us. I did search the Internet but was unable to find an answer. DEAR READER: Potassium is impor- tant for the function of nerve and muscle cells. Common causes of elevated levels (known as hyperkalemia) are acute or chronic kidney failure. A normal blood- potassium level is between 3.6 and 4.8 mil- liequivalents per liter, known as mEq/L. Levels above 6.0 can be the result of type 1 diabetes; Addison’s disease; angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; alco- holism; heavy drug use; severe injury, such as burns, that cause destruction of red blood cells; and potassium supplements. As you have discovered, elevated potas- sium levels are commonly found when a physician orders lab testing. Let’s pause briefly here. Does your husband have a spe- cific problem his physician was attempting to confirm or rule out? Or is he on a med- ication (such as an ACE inhibitor) that might require monitoring? If so, the eleva- tion might be medication-related and can be corrected with a substitute drug. My guess is that his physician would have checked him for diabetes, so we can likely rule that out. Addison’s disease results from either partial or complete failure of the adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney and produce hormones that control many functions. Causes of Addison’s include tumor, bleed- ing into the gland, infection and autoim- mune diseases. Another possibility is a false Bartlett & Spence COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer and • Payroll Open year around 1395 Montgomery Rd. • Bookkeeping Red Bluff, Ca • 527-2276 Marie Bartlett & Shirley Spence recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. positive, and a repeat test may reveal a normal level. Elevated potassium levels can result in heart arrhythmias, weak- ness, fatigue, nausea and more. Treatment is commonly tied to the underlying cause, so your husband may need additional testing. At the very least, he should return to his physician for a thorough discus- sion of the situation and what can be done to correct it. I would be surprised if your husband’s diet were the cause of his hyperkalemia. Foods high in potassium include lima beans, bananas, cantaloupe, cooked spinach, win- ter squash, raisins, tomato products and more. If your husband consumes substantial amounts of the foods mentioned, he might wish to make modifications. It will not harm him to follow a low-potassium diet. In terms of his cholesterol levels, did he eat prior to the testing or did he fast? Cho- lesterol is fickle, and reports can be conflict- ing if food or drink has been ingested. You don’t indicate what his total cholesterol level was, nor if he has any medical condition(s) that might not have been mentioned. He should speak with his physician before starting an exercise program. If he is relatively sedentary and there are no restric- tions, he might begin by walking or using a treadmill at home. He might speak also with a physical therapist at a local hospital or fit- ness center and join an abbreviated exercise program. Water aerobics are low-impact and often beneficial. The possibilities are limitless. To provide related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Understanding Cholesterol” and “Vitamins and Minerals.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form at www.AskDrGottMD.com. DW PLUMBING INC. Local Plumbers Serving all Your Plumbing Needs Since 1993 530 527-6403 Major Credit Cards Accepted Lic. No 679492 Hubby vacations sans wife Dear Annie: Once again, my husband is taking a vacation without me. We both work. My job, however, is part time with no paid vacation, and after taxes and pay- ing my student loan, my annual income is $10,000. With that money, I pay a couple of household bills, feed and care for our pets, and pro- vide all of our household necessities. My husband had a free ride to college and now has generous earnings and ben- efits. At home, I do all of the chores while he runs off to play with his friends. He thinks housework is a woman’s job. His job is to pay the mortgage and utili- ties. I feel like a live-in maid. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar roommate whom he expects to clean up after him. He’d rather go away without you than help pay for your expenses so you can enjoy a vaca- tion together. Unfortunately, the disparity in your incomes makes it unlikely that he will ever consider you an equal partner, since he doesn’t value the other attributes you bring to the marriage. This is a recipe for divorce. Please get counseling — with or without him — and figure out what, exactly, you are getting out of this arrange- ment. Dear Annie: We have My company would give me unpaid time off for a vacation, but my hubby says it is up to me to pay my own way. So I cannot afford to go with him. I am hurt and angry and feel abandoned. I have conveyed these feel- ings to him, but it makes no difference. He seems to think this is normal and isn’t willing to go to counseling with me. He does read your column, though, so please help. — Exhausted Wife Dear Wife: This is not a healthy marriage. Your hus- band treats you like a distant $ Money $ 2 Lend Cash 4 Notes McKinley Mortgage Co. CA DRE # 01773837 Call 530-241-0977 800-909-1977 two highly intelligent, charismatic grandsons. Their father could not possi- bly afford to send them to college, so I promised I would pay for their educa- tion and buy them each a car for transportation. The older grandson spent two weeks in college and dropped out. Over the next two years, he put 125,000 miles on the car, got into two accidents and turned it into a piece of junk. He finally decided to get a job and go back to college (at his own expense) and did extremely well. However, he won’t return a telephone call or answer an e-mail. We see him about once a year. We invited him for Christ- mas dinner, but he never replied. Our other grandson fin- ished college with a 3.8 GPA and is now teaching school in China. He answers my mail and calls his mother whenever possi- ble. I have told both grand- sons that my will gives them $10,000 each. I have no problem doing this for the second grandson, but am no longer in favor of giving so much money to the older one. Should I avoid giving money to either, or do I give the younger boy the money and not his brother? — What To Do Dear What: You can do whatever you like with your money. However, you made a promise to these boys, and now you’ve decided to add strings. If getting the money is contingent upon their behavior, you need to tell them so there won’t be any surprises. You might also keep in mind that it throws a wedge into their sibling relationship when one becomes ‘‘Grandma and Grandpa’s favorite.’’ Dear Annie: I had the same type of relationship with my daughter as ‘‘Just for Argument’s Sake,’’ beginning with her teen years. Last year, at age 22, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It is usually not diagnosed until children are in their late teens or early 20s. Please pass this on. Perhaps it will save some- one else the heartache and tears I suffered through. — BTT Dear BTT: Sometimes argumentativeness can be a symptom of bipolar disor- der, especially if it is accom- panied by mood swings. But in many instances, tak- ing a contrary position is simply a personality trait and nothing more. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.