Having searched today for facts about Potassium, I note that it is just as important as sodium and chloride or any of the other minerals/electrolytes, i.e. magnesium, calcium and arginine.
Every cell in the body has a sodium-potassium pump which actually pumps sodium out and potassium into the cell. If the sodium is not pumped out then water accumulates in the cell and causes it to burst. Out of all the electrolytes, Potassium is the most important and is essential for converting blood to sugar in the muscles and the liver. So obviously low potassium levels would cause rapid depletion of energy. Wherever sodium goes, potassium follows so you would need to constantly replenish potassium if your losing sodium by the sounds of it. The first signs of deficiency are fatigue and muscle weakness. Diuretic medications and those that help to store and retain sodium can also cause Potassium deficiency. Low potassium is associated with high blood pressure. It helps to promote a regular heart beat, normal muscle contraction, it regulates transfer of nutrients to cells (so if it were depleting---wouldn't it cause or be associated with excessive calcium secretion?) Maintains a water balance in the body and preserves or restores normal function of nerve cells, heart cells,skeletal muscle cells,kidneys,stomach juice secretion.
I have studied the kidney stones. 80% of those are caused by excessive secretion of calcium. I also looked at dhea (which is elevated when cah sufferers are under suppressed) and that is associated with calcium retention. Normally as we get older dhea's lower naturally anyway which is when most folks get osteoporosis so I am thinking more and more that there is a connection there between all those minerals.
The only reason I know anything about kidney stones is because I have a friend who has lupus and she has been on prednisolone for 10 - 15 years now. She has since then been diagnosed with osteoporosis, diabetes and finally she had kidney stones a year and a half ago. Because of the steroids she was scripted calcium supplements. She has not been scripted the medication that you mention, Fosamax, but I will be e mailing her and letting her know about that. It may help her.
Checking out the calcium and the rda's for kids I found the following:
children 1-3 yrs 700mg per day
children 4-7yrs 800mg per day
So it would seem that a supplement of 200mg per day Valerie would be ok for your son. My son gets a total in supplement form of 150mg.
It recommends 2-3 milk or milk product servings per day for kids.
I think it was Sandra that was concerned about her son's renin levels was it and whether the dose of florinef was enough? Maybe that is why they don't like to put the dose up above what is normally recommended. Most of the kids I know only have 100mcg per day in florinef. You get the occasional one that has a higher dose, but like I said, my sons has never been altered since birth. The average person needs the same level per day. Somewhere on one site too I read something about florinef only being naturally produced at night (nocturnal) so I stopped giving my son the tablet split in half and started giving him the whole amount last thing at night again with his 11.30 pm meds.
Here is a URL for a site about Potassium for those interested:
Regards
JH