Potassium Chloride vs. Potassium Citrate: What’s the Best Potassium Supplement?
Explore the differences between potassium chloride and potassium citrate to find the best potassium supplement for your needs.
potassium chloride
Used for Hypokalemia
Used for Hypokalemia
Potassium chloride is a prescription supplement used to treat or prevent low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia) in adults and children. It's available in several forms, including extended-release tablets, extended-release capsules, packets, and oral solutions. You take it by mouth, usually once or multiple times daily depending on your potassium levels. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
Note: Potassium chloride is also available as an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement.
What is Potassium chloride?
What is Potassium chloride used for?
- Treat and prevent low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
How Potassium chloride works
Potassium chloride is a potassium salt, which is a type of supplement. Potassium is an important mineral and electrolyte for your heart, nerves, and muscles to work properly.
Potassium chloride helps replace potassium in your body when your levels are too low, so your body can function normally again.
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Klor-Con, Klor-Con M, Pokonza |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Dietary supplement |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
More on Potassium chloride essentials
Side effects of Potassium chloride
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Passing gas
- Stomach pain or discomfort
- Diarrhea
Less Common Side Effects
- Skin rash
Potassium chloride serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Dangerously high potassium: tiredness, weakness, muscle cramps or pain, chest pain, unusual heartbeat, trouble breathing
- Injury to the stomach or intestines: vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, black-colored or tarry stools
When do Potassium chloride possible side effects begin and end?
Time passed since treatment started:
M
H
D
W
M
Nausea
Stomach discomfort
If a line continues to the right, you'll likely keep experiencing this side effect once it starts.
The following Potassium chloride side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Stop taking this medicine and check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common
Confusion
irregular or slow heartbeat
numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips
shortness of breath or difficult breathing
unexplained anxiety
unusual tiredness or weakness
weakness or heaviness of legs
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Sometimes you may see what appears to be a whole tablet in the stool after taking certain extended-release potassium chloride tablets. This is to be expected. Your body has absorbed the potassium from the tablet and the shell is then expelled.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get your GoodRx coupon
$179.14
GoodRx discount
$31.73
Pros and cons of Potassium chloride
Pros
- Works well to raise potassium levels
- Available in many different forms
- Safe for both adults and children
Cons
- Commonly causes stomach upset
- Typically taken multiple times a day
- Requires regular monitoring of potassium levels
Pharmacist tips for Potassium chloride
- Keep track of your appointments and lab tests when you take potassium chloride. Your prescriber will check things like your potassium level and kidney function. They might adjust your dose based on your results.
- Take potassium chloride with a meal or right after eating to lower the chances of stomach upset. Don't take it on an empty stomach.
- Don’t take more potassium chloride than prescribed, since high potassium levels can be dangerous. Too much can cause high potassium levels, which can be dangerous. Tell your prescriber if you have vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, or an irregular heartbeat.
- Potassium chloride might not be needed if you already get enough potassium from your diet. Ask your prescriber about your potassium intake because they might recommend lowering the dose or stopping the medication altogether.
- Make sure your care team knows about all of your other medications, especially if you take ones that can change potassium levels.
- Tell your prescriber if you take diuretics (water pills) like furosemide because they can lower potassium levels. If so, your prescriber will most likely need to adjust your dose.
- Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, while taking potassium chloride unless your prescriber says it's safe. Taking them together can raise your potassium levels too much.
How to take potassium chloride:
- Potassium chloride extended-release tablets should be swallowed whole with a meal and a full glass of water. Don’t crush, chew, or suck on them.
- Klor-Con M extended-release tablets can be split in half or dissolved in water. Ask your pharmacist for instructions on how to take it this way.
- Potassium chloride extended-release capsules, can be swallowed whole or opened and sprinkled on soft food like applesauce or pudding. Don’t use hot food, and don’t chew the mixture. Drink water or juice afterward to make sure you get the full dose.
- Potassium chloride pouches and oral solution__ should be mixed with at least half a cup (4 ounces) of cold water before taking it. Drink it right after mixing.
Risks and warnings for Potassium chloride
Potassium chloride can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk of high potassium levels
Risk factors: Taking too much potassium chloride | Taking other medications that can raise potassium levels | Kidney problems
Only take potassium chloride as directed by your prescriber. Taking too much can cause high potassium levels, which can be dangerous. Your risk is higher if you also take other medications that raise potassium, like spironolactone or lisinopril.
Tell your prescriber right away if you have symptoms like nausea or muscle weakness. High potassium levels can become serious if not treated.
Stomach or intestinal injury
Risk factors: Taking a pill form of potassium chloride | Difficulty swallowing or slow intestinal movement
Pill forms (capsules or tablets) of potassium chloride can irritate your stomach and intestines and cause stomach-related side effects. In rare cases, this can lead to serious problems like ulcers, bleeding, or other internal injury. Stop taking potassium chloride and contact your prescriber right away if you have severe vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, or black-colored stools.
If you have trouble swallowing or a condition that slows movement in your intestines, your prescriber could recommend the liquid form (packets or oral solution) of potassium chloride. The liquid form is less likely to cause stomach irritation.
Potassium chloride dosage
The average cost for 30 packets of 20meq of Potassium chloride is $32.36 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 89.02% off the average retail price of $294.67.
Interactions between Potassium chloride and other drugs
Potassium chloride may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Potassium chloride. Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these dietary supplements, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using dietary supplements in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with dietary supplements in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Amantadine
- Atropine
- Belladonna
- Belladonna Alkaloids
- Benztropine
- Bepridil
- Biperiden
- Burosumab-twza
- Cisapride
- Clidinium
- Darifenacin
- Dicyclomine
- Dronedarone
- Eplerenone
- Fesoterodine
- Glycopyrrolate
- Hyoscyamine
- Mesoridazine
- Methscopolamine
- Oxybutynin
- Pimozide
- Piperaquine
- Procyclidine
- Saquinavir
- Scopolamine
- Solifenacin
- Sparfloxacin
- Terfenadine
- Thioridazine
- Tolterodine
- Trihexyphenidyl
- Trospium
- Ziprasidone
Using dietary supplements in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alacepril
- Alfuzosin
- Amiloride
- Amiodarone
- Amisulpride
- Amitriptyline
- Amoxapine
- Anagrelide
- Apomorphine
- Aripiprazole
- Aripiprazole Lauroxil
- Arsenic Trioxide
- Asenapine
- Astemizole
- Azilsartan
- Azilsartan Medoxomil
- Azithromycin
- Bedaquiline
- Benazepril
- Buprenorphine
- Buserelin
- Candesartan
- Canrenoate
- Canrenone
- Captopril
- Ceritinib
- Chloroquine
- Chlorpromazine
- Cilazapril
- Ciprofloxacin
- Citalopram
- Clarithromycin
- Clofazimine
- Clomipramine
- Clozapine
- Crizotinib
- Cyclobenzaprine
- Cyclosporine
- Dabrafenib
- Dasatinib
- Degarelix
- Delamanid
- Delapril
- Desipramine
- Deslorelin
- Deutetrabenazine
- Digoxin
- Disopyramide
- Dofetilide
- Dolasetron
- Domperidone
- Donepezil
- Droperidol
- Efavirenz
- Enalapril
- Enalaprilat
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Eplerenone
- Eprosartan
- Erdafitinib
- Erythromycin
- Escitalopram
- Fingolimod
- Flecainide
- Fluconazole
- Fluoxetine
- Formoterol
- Foscarnet
- Fosinopril
- Fostemsavir
- Gatifloxacin
- Gemifloxacin
- Glasdegib
- Gonadorelin
- Goserelin
- Granisetron
- Halofantrine
- Haloperidol
- Histrelin
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Hydroxyzine
- Ibutilide
- Iloperidone
- Imidapril
- Imipramine
- Indomethacin
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
- Irbesartan
- Ivabradine
- Ivosidenib
- Ketoconazole
- Lapatinib
- Lefamulin
- Lenvatinib
- Levofloxacin
- Lisinopril
- Lofexidine
- Lopinavir
- Losartan
- Lumefantrine
- Macimorelin
- Mefloquine
- Methadone
- Metronidazole
- Mifepristone
- Mirtazapine
- Moexipril
- Moxifloxacin
- Nafarelin
- Nilotinib
- Norfloxacin
- Nortriptyline
- Octreotide
- Ofloxacin
- Olmesartan
- Ondansetron
- Osilodrostat
- Osimertinib
- Oxaliplatin
- Ozanimod
- Paliperidone
- Panobinostat
- Pasireotide
- Pazopanib
- Pentopril
- Perindopril
- Pimavanserin
- Pitolisant
- Ponesimod
- Posaconazole
- Procainamide
- Prochlorperazine
- Promethazine
- Propafenone
- Protriptyline
- Quetiapine
- Quinapril
- Quinidine
- Quinine
- Ramipril
- Ranolazine
- Ribociclib
- Selpercatinib
- Sertraline
- Sevoflurane
- Siponimod
- Solifenacin
- Sorafenib
- Sotalol
- Spirapril
- Spironolactone
- Sulpiride
- Sunitinib
- Tacrolimus
- Telavancin
- Telithromycin
- Telmisartan
- Temocapril
- Tetrabenazine
- Toremifene
- Trandolapril
- Trazodone
- Triamterene
- Triclabendazole
- Trifluoperazine
- Trimipramine
- Triptorelin
- Valsartan
- Vandetanib
- Vardenafil
- Vemurafenib
- Vinflunine
- Voclosporin
- Voriconazole
- Zofenopril
- Zuclopenthixol
How much does Potassium chloride cost?
To access savings, use a GoodRx coupon and pay just a fraction of the retail price.
Potassium chloride contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Potassium chloride will not be safe for you to take.
- Currently taking potassium-sparing diuretics, such as amiloride or triamterene
What are alternatives to Potassium chloride?
There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Potassium chloride. Compare a few possible alternatives below.
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