Blood Disorders

Signs and Symptoms of Hyperkalemia

By
Tanya Feke, MD
Tanya Feke, MD
Tanya Feke, MD, is a board-certified family physician, patient advocate and best-selling author of "Medicare Essentials: A Physician Insider Explains the Fine Print."
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Updated on February 03, 2022
Medically reviewed
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 by
Jeffrey S. Lander, MD
Lander
Medically reviewed by Jeffrey S. Lander, MD

Jeffrey S. Lander, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist and the President and Governor of the American College of Cardiology, New Jersey chapter.

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Without potassium, we could not live. The electrolyte is responsible for a number of essential life functions. Not only is potassium responsible for regulating water balance in the body, it keeps the heart pumping, the muscles contracting, the gut digesting, and your nerves firing.

That said, too much of a good thing can be harmful. High potassium, medically known as hyperkalemia, is a common laboratory finding. The diagnosis is made when levels in the blood are greater than 5.5 mEq/L. Interestingly, most people do not get any symptoms from it. When they do, those symptoms are often mild and nonspecific, including common complaints like fatigue and generalized weakness.

Most people do not experience more concerning symptoms until their potassium level reaches 7.0 mEq/L or more. However, symptoms can occur at lower levels if the potassium level rises abruptly. Keep an eye out for these symptoms.

hyperkalemia symptoms
Verywell / Joshua Seong

Neurologic Symptoms

Normally, there is more potassium inside and more sodium outside of any given cell. This gradient of electrolytes helps to drive the sodium-potassium ATPase pump that is needed to set off an action potential. Without an action potential, a nerve cannot generate an impulse.

Too much potassium outside of a cell changes the electrolyte gradient so that an action potential is slower to trigger and, in the worst case scenario, may not occur at all.

Given this, common neurologic symptoms of hyperkalemia can include:

Musculoskeletal Symptoms

Nerves, in turn, can then stimulate muscle fibers—cardiac, skeletal, or smooth—to contract. If potassium affects action potentials, it by default affects muscle function too.

Skeletal muscles, also called striated muscles, are the muscles that are attached to your bones. They allow you to move your arms and legs and other parts of your body. A muscle that does not receive nerve impulses could have a difficult time contracting or could become weak.

Musculoskeletal symptoms of hyperkalemia can include:

GI Symptoms

Smooth muscle lines the GI tract and is necessary to propel food from your esophagus all the way through the colon in a process known as peristalsis. When potassium levels are high, smooth muscle contractions may be too weak to coordinate that forward movement through the GI tract. This can lead to nausea, vomiting, and the build-up of abdominal gas.

Gastrointestinal symptoms of hyperkalemia can include:

Cardiovascular Symptoms

The heart conducts signals between cells called myocytes. Action potentials are needed to send the automatic impulses to the myocytes that keep your heart beating.

When blood levels of potassium are too high, contractions of the heart may not be forceful enough to pump enough blood out of the heart to the brain and other organs. The heart rate can also slow down from the delayed firing of action potentials.

In that way, abnormal heart rhythms can also develop. Depending on the arrhythmia, this could be a life-threatening situation.

Cardiac symptoms of hyperkalemia can include:

When to See a Healthcare Provider

Remember that most people do not develop symptoms until their potassium level is above 7.0 mEq/L. If you develop any of the symptoms above, especially across different body systems, you could have very high levels of potassium.

You are encouraged to be proactive and contact your healthcare provider for an evaluation. Most of the time hyperkalemia is found incidentally on blood work. In that case, your healthcare provider is likely to repeat your labs and follow-up with any necessary testing.

Hyperkalemia Doctor Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions.

Doctor Discussion Guide Woman

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do symptoms for hyperkalemia and hypokalemia differ?

    Hypokalemia (low potassium) has many of the same symptoms of hyperkalemia, including numbness and tingling, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. Arguably, the biggest difference is the development of muscle cramps and twitches, which is more common with hypokalemia. In the end, the only way to diagnose either condition is with blood and urine tests.

  • What are severe hyperkalemia symptoms?

    Severe hyperkalemia symptoms can include chest pain, vomiting, weakness, breathing issues, cardiac arrest, paralysis, and palpitations. The presence of any of these symptoms should warrant an immediate visit with a medical professional or your healthcare provider.

  • How does hyperkalemia cause cardiac symptoms?

    Potassium and sodium regulate electrical signals in the heart’s muscle, called the myocardium. When the potassium level is too high (or too low), it can interfere with electrical signaling and lead to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) or heart palpitations (skipped beats).

8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Merck Manual Professional Version. Hyperkalemia.

  2. Viera AJ, Wouk N. Potassium Disorders: Hypokalemia and Hyperkalemia. Am Fam Physician. 2015;92(6):487-95.


  3. U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus. Potassium Blood Test.

  4. American Heart Association. What Is Hyperkalemia (High Potassium)?


  5. UpToDate. Clinical manifestations of hyperkalemia in adults


  6. MedlinePlus. Low Blood Potassium.

  7. MedlinePlus. High Potassium Level.

  8. Weiss JN, Qu Z, Shivkumar K. Electrophysiology of hypokalemia and hyperkalemia. Circ: Arrhythmia Electrophysiol. 2017;10(3). doi:10.1161/CIRCEP.116.004667

By Tanya Feke, MD
Tanya Feke, MD, is a board-certified family physician, patient advocate and best-selling author of "Medicare Essentials: A Physician Insider Explains the Fine Print."

See Our Editorial Process
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