Kaochlor S-F

Serious side effects have been reported with potassium chloride including:

• Hyperkalemia. Potassium chloride can lead to dangerously high levels of potassium, which could cause the heart to stop beating. Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or kidney disease.
• Digestive tract injury. Potassium chloride can remain in the digestive system for too long, leading to injuries in the digestive tract (stomach, intestines). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of digestive tract injury:
  • stomach pain
  • swollen stomach
  • dark or black stools
• Metabolic acidosis (too much acid in the body). Patients should be treated with a particular potassium salt such as potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate, potassium acetate, or potassium gluconate. Use with potassium chloride is not recommended.

Do not take potassium chloride if you:

• have high potassium levels (hyperkalemia)
• have any physical, disease-related, or drug-related problems that would stop or slow the passage of this medication through the gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines) tract
• have an enlargened heart that narrows the esophagus; a liquid form of this medication should be prescribed instead of the capsule or tablet

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Potassium chloride falls into category C. This medication may be given to a pregnant woman if her healthcare provider believes that its benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to her unborn baby.

It is not known if potassium chloride will harm your unborn baby.