Exact Answer: 4 Hours
Several diseases in the world do not have a cure yet as of today. But scientists are still trying their level best to find those cures with a lot of hard work and research. The rate at which medical science improves each year is no doubt a fascinating thing to watch. On the other hand, some diseases that were once treated as incurable can be cured with help of a few medications.
Diseases do not have to have a virus every time. Sometimes deficiency or surplus of nutrients in the body can also lead to medical problems. One such problem is hyperkalemia. In this case, the potassium level in the body becomes high. To make it normal, the person is given kayexalate. Generally, kayexalate takes 4 hours to reduce the potassium level in the body.
How Long After Kayexalate To Recheck Potassium?
| Type | Time |
| Minimum | 4 Hours |
| Maximum | 6 Hours |
Kayexalate takes some time to kick in. The 4 hour time is minimum and the maximum is 6 hours. Within the designated time the medicine will show the results. At this time, the medicine can reduce up to 0.5 – 0.10 mEq of potassium in the body. Kayexalate has been the standard medicine for years to treat hyperkalemia. Having it, the person needs to lie down and wait for the reaction.
Kayexalate, also known as sodium polystyrene sulfonate is a cation exchange resin. After thorough research, it was finally approved in the year 1958, to treat hyperkalemia. By exchanging sodium for potassium in the human colon and then excreting potassium from the body helps to reduce the potassium level in the body. Excess potassium in the body can make cause different medical conditions which further worsens the health of the person.
The most deadly situation which can occur in the case of excess potassium is that it causes heart diseases. A body needs potassium to live but too much of it in the blood is problematic. Potassium is found in a lot of things including the food that people eat. It is an important nutrient that helps the heart, nerves, and muscle work properly.
Hyperkalemia can occur due to several reasons. A few of them are kidney diseases, maintaining a diet with high potassium, or consuming certain drugs that restrict the kidney from letting out excess potassium. When the body suffers from severe injuries or burn, the body releases extra potassium in the blood.
Why Does It Take Long to Recheck Potassium After Kayexalate?
As mentioned above, it takes at least 4 hours for the medicine to show effect. It is completely normal for kayexalate to take time. Sometimes old people cannot cope up with the sudden change in the potassium level in their body. As the medicine takes time to work, the old people do not have to suffer much. But it is very important to recheck the potassium level in the body 4-6 hours after the kayexalate to know whether it is working or not.
Kidneys help in filtering the potassium that is taken in through the food. Later it is passed out with the help of urine. But when the kidney suffers from any disease, the potassium is not properly filtered. As a result, the potassium starts to get stored in the body which further causes hyperkalemia. So it is important to get immediately checked in case of a kidney problem and have kayexalate with the doctor’s permission.
In the 21st century, almost every disease has at least one medicine that can cure it to some extent. But in a few of the cases, when a person takes a certain medication after suffering from a certain disease, it may not suit that person. The person may not know but the medication is leaving an aftereffect in some way or another. In some cases, the after effect restricts the kidney from losing excess potassium.
When this happens, the person may feel nauseating, his muscles may feel weak, numb, and other things. To prevent this from happening the person needs to check everything beforehand and have kayexalate to prevent further complications.
Conclusion
The most important thing is to first visit a doctor and then do as he or she says. Sometimes a person may have the symptoms of hyperkalemia but it may not be hyperkalemia. The doctor will check the potassium level first, which in the case of a normal human is between 3.5 and 5. If it is more, he will prescribe kayexalate and then again recheck after 4-6 hours to see if the medication has worked or not.
A person should always follow the rules and avoid taking any harsh decisions which he or she may regret later. Not only in the case of potassium, but all the other nutrients in the body also should be kept under a certain amount.