Indications & Uses
Normo-K is indicated for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is mainly caused by Acute or Chronic Kidney Disease. Other causes may include Liver failure, Adrenal insufciency, Use of certain drugs like ARB, ACE inhibitors, Beta blockers or Excessive use of Potassium supplements.
Dosage Reference
Reference Information Only
Dosages shown are general references from official sources. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized dosing.
Adults:
Dosage Adults (including the elderly)- Oral Dose: The average daily oral dose for adult is 15 gm to 60 gm (1 Sachet 1-4 times daily). Rectal dose: In patients who are unable to intake this medicine orally, rectal administration is possible (as enema). 30 gm to 50 gm of resin is given once or twice daily (at intervals of 6 hours). Each dose is administered as a warm emulsion (at body temperature) in 150 ml to 200 ml of aqueous vehicle (such as plain water, 10% dextrose in water or equal parts of water and 2% Methylcellulose suspension). The emulsion should be agitated gently during administration. The enema should be retained for as long as possible and should be followed by a cleansing enema. Children- Oral dose: In smaller children and infants correspondingly lower doses should be employed. An appropriate initial dose is 1 gm/kg body weight daily in divided doses in acute hyperkalemia. For maintenance therapy, dosage may be reduced to 0.5 gm/kg body weight daily. Rectal dose: When refused by mouth, the resin may be given rectally using a dose at least as much as that which would have been given orally. The resin should be suspended in a proportional amount of 10% Dextrose in water. Following retention of the enema, the colon should be irrigated to ensure adequate removal of the resin. Neonates- Rectal dose: Since it is advised that the oral route should not be employed, only rectal administration should be considered. With rectal administration, the minimum effective dosage within the range of 0.5 to 1 gm/kg of resin should be employed. The resultant suspension should be diluted as for adults. Following administration of the resin, the colon should be adequately irrigated to ensure recovery of the resin.
Side Effects
The drug may cause some degree of gastric irritation. Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and constipation may occur especially if high doses are given. Also, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and significant sodium retention, and their related clinical manifestations, may occur. Occasionally diarrhea develops. Large doses in elderly individuals may cause fecal impaction. Rare instances of colonic necrosis have been reported. Intestinal obstruction due to concretions of aluminum hydroxide, when used in combination with such resin has been reported.
Cautions & Contraindications
Warnings & Precautions
Caution is advised when Normo-K is administered to patients who cannot tolerate even a small increase in sodium loads (i.e., severe congestive heart failure, severe hypertension, or marked edema). In such instances compensatory restriction of sodium intake from other sources may be indicated. In the event of clinically signifcant constipation, treatment with Normo-K should be discontinued until normal bowel motion is resumed. Magnesium-containing laxatives or sorbitol should not be used.
Contraindications
Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate is contraindicated in the following conditions: patients with hypokalemia, patients with a history of hypersensitivity to polystyrene sulfonate resins, obstructive bowel disease, neonates with reduced gut motility (postoperatively or drug induced) and oral administration in neonates.