Gitelman's syndrome with persistent hypokalemia - don't forget licorice, alcohol, lemon juice, iced tea and salt depletion: a case report.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Chronic hypokalemia is the main finding in patients with Gitelman's syndrome. Exogenous factors can trigger deterioration of the patient's condition and provoke clinical symptoms. We discuss the pathophysiology of and therapy for Gitelman's syndrome, with a focus on dietary factors which may aggravate the disease.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a 31-year-old, previously apparently healthy Caucasian Swiss man who presented to our hospital with gait disturbance of subacute onset and a potassium level of 1.5 mmol/L. A detailed medical history revealed that he had been consuming large amounts of licorice (in the form of Fisherman's Friend menthol eucalyptus lozenges). Despite discontinuing the intake of glycyrrhizinic acid, his potassium level remained lo

SUBMITTER: Knobel U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3155122 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature