When is the best time to take potassium?

In this article:

• Best time to take potassium
• Factors influencing efficacy
• How long does it take to work?
• Dosage
• Interactions
• Expert takeaway

In this article

• Best time to take potassium
• Factors influencing efficacy
• How long does it take to work?
• Dosage
• Interactions
• Expert takeaway

Potassium is an essential mineral that supports many functions in the body. It helps your muscles move, your nerves transmit signals, and your cells maintain a proper electrolyte balance. Most people get enough potassium through potassium-rich foods, such as avocados, bananas, acorn squash, salmon, and lentils. However, certain medications, medical conditions, and even dehydration can affect potassium levels, in some cases leading to a deficiency. In such cases, healthcare providers may recommend a supplement. While there’s no universal rule for when to take potassium, a few key factors can help you find the best time for your routine.

The best time to take potassium

Potassium is a vital, but often overlooked nutrient, says Leigh Erin Connealy, MD, medical director at Center for New Medicine in Irvine, California. “Potassium is an electrolyte and mineral that helps regulate fluid balance and blood pressure, maintains electrical charge across cell membranes, and supports glucose metabolism, nerve function, muscle function, and heart function,” she says. Healthcare providers commonly prescribe or recommend potassium supplements to treat hypokalemia, or low blood potassium levels. Depending on the type of potassium you are using, you may take it once or twice a day.

When prescribed any supplement or medication, it’s important to know the best time of day to take it to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects. While there’s no strict rule for when to take potassium, taking it with a meal can help minimize digestive side effects. Here’s what to consider.

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Always take it with food

Timing your dose with a snack or meal helps to minimize side effects. “It’s important to take potassium with food because on an empty stomach, it can cause irritation and lead to nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and other digestive issues,” Dr. Connealy says. If you’re prescribed twice-daily doses, taking them with breakfast and dinner is a good cadence.

Consider the energy effects

Because potassium helps the body convert glucose into energy, some people feel more alert after taking it. If you notice this boost, consider taking it earlier in the day rather than close to bedtime.

It’s a common misconception that potassium makes you sleepy. “It can help promote the relaxation of muscles and promote a calm nervous system by restoring nerve cell function,” explains Dr. Connealy. However, it doesn’t promote sleep the way certain other minerals, like magnesium, can.

Swallow your dose with lots of liquid

Potassium chloride supplements can cause drug-induced esophagitis, swelling or irritation of the throat triggered by prolonged exposure to a medication or vitamin. To prevent this, wash each pill down with a full glass of water and remain upright for at least 30 minutes. This helps the pill move safely to your stomach and reduces the risk of discomfort or inflammation. 

Factors that impact potassium’s efficacy

There are many different factors that impact how well the supplement works for you, most related to how well your body can absorb and retain the mineral. Check with your healthcare provider before using a potassium supplement; be sure they know your medical history and all the medications you take.

Medical conditions

Certain health conditions can deplete potassium or prevent your body from absorbing it well, such as: 

• Chronic kidney disease or impaired kidney function
• Vomiting or diarrhea for an extended time
• Alcohol use disorder
• Adrenal disorders such as Cushing’s syndrome

Other medications

Some medications interact with potassium supplements or can cause low potassium levels, such as:

• Diuretics (also known as water pills)
• Laxatives (frequent use)
• Insulin
• Some antibiotics
• Corticosteroids

The following high blood pressure medications raise levels of potassium in your body, increasing the risk for hyperkalemia (too high levels of potassium), which can be exacerbated when taking supplements:

• ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) 

“Too much potassium can be dangerous, especially if your kidneys don’t work well,” explains Raj Dasgupta, MD, a quadruple board-certified healthcare provider specializing in internal medicine based in California.

How long does potassium take to work?

The body begins to absorb potassium within 30 minutes, but it can take a few hours for someone to notice relief from low blood potassium levels, Dr. Connealy says. The form you are taking and your starting potassium levels can affect how quickly it works. 

• Form: Clinical research shows that rapid-absorption oral mixtures and tablets can raise potassium levels in the blood within two hours. Slow or extended-release tablets may take up to four hours to produce the same effect.
• Potassium levels: “If someone has been in a state of chronic potassium deficiency, it can take a few days or months to completely replete levels and restore normal cell function,” Dr. Connealy says. Normal potassium levels for adults range from 3.5 to 5.2 mEq/L. A person is typically diagnosed with severe hypokalemia when that number falls below 3 mEq/L. 

How much potassium should I take daily?

The amount of potassium you need every day varies by age and sex. For example, adult women typically need about 2,600 mg per day, while adult men need about 3,400 mg. “Some doctors suggest that the actual amount the body needs is around 4,000 mg to ensure proper cell function throughout the whole body,” Dr. Connealy says. “This is typically very difficult to obtain from dietary sources alone. In fact, many people are deficient in potassium today.”

Most over-the-counter potassium supplements contain no more than 99 mg of potassium due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) safety findings. Depending on how deficient you are, your healthcare provider may recommend you take one pill once or twice daily (or they may instead recommend a higher dose prescription version of potassium), though it varies based on your health conditions and any medications you are taking. “For example, if you are on diuretics, you may require more potassium because your body is excreting at higher levels,” Dr. Connealy says. “An individualized approach based on blood tests can help determine what’s best for the patient.” If taken as directed, potassium can safely be taken every day, Dr. Connealy adds.

What should not be taken with potassium?

To get the most benefits from potassium, it’s important to be aware of medications and supplements that should not be taken at the same time. You should avoid taking potassium while on the following medications because of the potential for significant drug interactions. Some drugs may increase or decrease potassium levels or counteract the supplement’s effects, so be sure to go over your medication list with your healthcare provider, including prescription and OTC drugs, vitamins, and supplements.

Some multivitamins contain small amounts of potassium, so be mindful when calculating your total daily intake. Always seek medical advice from a healthcare professional before starting a new treatment. “Potassium is essential for your body, but too little or too much can be harmful,” Dr. Dasgupta says. 

Expert takeaway

“Many medications, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs—as well as potassium supplements— come with warnings about using salt substitutes. If you are taking a medicine or supplement that can increase potassium, check with your healthcare provider before using a salt substitute. Many salt substitutes contain potassium, so you may need to monitor your total intake.” – Karen Berger, Pharm.D., member of the SingleCare Medical Board