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Kaleorid

Travellers familiar with Kaleorid from the Nordic region are unlikely to encounter the same brand elsewhere — it is registered in only six countries. Five of those are clustered in Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), with Vietnam as the one outlier on the list.

The active ingredient in Kaleorid is potassium chloride, classified within the category of agents used for normalising water-electrolyte balance and addressing potassium deficiency. Potassium chloride preparations are prescribed in the management of hypokalemia and the prevention of hypokalemia, and may also feature in the management of certain arrhythmias, metabolic alkalosis, and as part of broader electrolyte management in patients whose potassium balance has been disturbed by other treatments or by gastrointestinal losses. The structured indication block further down this page lists each registered use as recognised by the regulators in the markets where Kaleorid is sold.

Outside the Nordic countries and Vietnam, the Kaleorid brand will generally not appear on pharmacy shelves, although potassium chloride itself is one of the most universally available electrolyte preparations in the world. A traveller or expatriate who has been prescribed Kaleorid back home will usually find a local potassium chloride product in their destination country — frequently as a slow-release oral formulation, sometimes as an effervescent or liquid preparation — but under a different brand name and possibly with different release characteristics. A local pharmacist is the right person to identify the regional equivalent and to flag any practical differences between formulations.

Potassium replacement is a clinical decision that depends on blood-test results and concurrent therapy, not a self-service category, and the specifics of how it is managed differ across countries. Anyone using Kaleorid, considering a switch, or trying to continue therapy abroad should treat the substitution as a matter for their healthcare provider rather than handling it independently at the counter.

Countries
Denmark Finland Iceland Norway Sweden Vietnam
Diseases
Hypertension Burping Diarrhea Hypokalemia Prevention Of Hypokalemia Arrhythmia Alkalosis Metabolic alkalosis Arnold's neuralgia Dietary supplementation Familial periodic paralysis
Ingredients
Potassium chloride
Drug Actions
Normalizing water-electrolyte balance Potassium deficiency

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Overdose

Capsule; Capsule, Extended Release; Elixir; Granule; Liquid; Powder for Solution; Powder for Suspension, Extended Release; Solution; Tablet, Effervescent; Tablet, Extended ReleaseConcentrate for solution for infusion; Concentrate for solution for infusion and oral administration; Powder; Solution for intravenous administration; Solution for intravenous and oral administration; Substance-powder

The administration of oral potassium salts to persons with normal excretory mechanisms for potassium rarely causes serious hyperkalemia. However, if excretory mechanisms are impaired or intravenous administration is too rapid, potentially fatal hyperkalemia can result (see

Clinical signs and symptoms of potassium overdosage include: Paraesthesia of the extremities, listlessness, mental confusion, weakness or heaviness of the legs, flaccid paralysis, cold skin, grey pallor, peripheral vascular collapse, fall in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias and heart block. Extremely high plasma potassium concentrations (8-11 MMOL/litre) may cause death from cardiac depression, arrhythmias or arrest.

Cardiac arrhythmias or a serum concentration above 6.5 MMOL/litre, require immediate attention and may be treated by intravenous injection over 1 - 5 minutes of 10 - 20 ml of 10% Calcium Gluconate Injection B.P. with E.C.G. monitoring. Serum concentrations may be reduced by infusion of 300 - 500 mls per hour of 10% - 25% glucose solutions containing up to 10 units of insulin for each 20 g of glucose, or by the infusion of sodium bicarbonate solution.

Incompatibilities

The compatibility of the large volume IV fluid intended for dilution should be checked before use.

Undesirable effects

Capsule; Capsule, Extended Release; Elixir; Granule; Liquid; Powder for Solution; Powder for Suspension, Extended Release; Solution; Tablet, Effervescent; Tablet, Extended ReleaseConcentrate for solution for infusion; Concentrate for solution for infusion and oral administration; Powder; Solution for intravenous administration; Solution for intravenous and oral administration; Substance-powder

One of the most severe adverse effects is hyperkalemia (see CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS, and OVERDOSAGE).

The most common adverse reactions to oral potassium salts are nausea, vomiting, flatulence, abdominal pain/discomfort, and diarrhea. These symptoms are due to irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and are best managed by diluting the preparation further, taking the dose with meals, or reducing the amount taken at one time.

Skin rash has been reported rarely.

Pain at the injection site and phlebitis may occur during IV administration of solutions containing 30 MMOL potassium or more per litre.

Hyperkalaemia is the most common and serious hazard of potassium therapy.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Preclinical safety data

No further information other than that which is included in the Summary of Product Characteristics.

Pharmacodynamic properties

Potassium is the major cation of intracellular fluid and is essential for maintenance of acid-base balance, isotonicity and the electrodynamic characteristics of the cell. Kaleorid is used as a source of the potassium cation for treatment or prevention of potassium depletion in patients in whom dietary measures are inadequate. Kaleorid may also be used cautiously to abolish arrhythmias or cardiac glycoside toxicity precipitated by a loss of potassium.

Pharmacokinetic properties

Kaleorid is generally readily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract. Potassium is excreted mainly by the kidneys; it is secreted in the distal tubules which are also the site of sodium-potassium exchange. The capacity of the kidneys to conserve potassium is poor and urinary excretion of potassium continues even when there is severe depletion. Tubular secretion of potassium is influenced by several factors, including chloride ion concentration, hydrogen ion exchange, acid-base equilibrium and adrenal hormones. Some potassium is excreted in the faeces and small amounts may also be excreted in saliva, sweat, bile and pancreatic juice.

Effects on ability to drive and use machines

Not known.

Special precautions for disposal and other handling

Use as directed by a physician.

Administrative data

Frequently asked questions

What conditions does Kaleorid treat?

Kaleorid is prescribed in the management and prevention of hypokalemia — low blood potassium — and features in the broader management of conditions linked to disturbed potassium balance, including certain arrhythmias and metabolic alkalosis. It belongs to the category of agents used for normalising water-electrolyte balance. The structured indication section below this introduction lists each registered use recognised by the regulators in the markets where Kaleorid is sold.

Which active substance is in Kaleorid?

Kaleorid contains potassium chloride, a simple inorganic salt used to correct or prevent potassium deficiency. Potassium chloride circulates internationally under a wide range of brand names and formulations — slow-release tablets, effervescent tablets, oral solutions, and powders — but the underlying active ingredient is the same molecule everywhere it is sold, including in markets where the Kaleorid brand itself is not registered.

In how many countries is Kaleorid available?

Kaleorid is registered in six countries: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Vietnam. Five of those form a tight Nordic cluster, with Vietnam as the only market outside that region. If your country is not on this list, a local pharmacist can almost certainly identify a potassium chloride product available locally under a different brand name, since the active ingredient itself is widely distributed worldwide.

Are there other medications with the same active ingredient as Kaleorid?

Potassium chloride is one of the most widely sold electrolyte preparations in the world and is marketed under numerous brand names, in slow-release, effervescent, and liquid forms. Other agents used in water-electrolyte balance and potassium correction also exist, although they are not freely interchangeable — formulation matters, and so does the underlying cause of the deficiency. Search the active ingredient on Pill2Trip or ask a pharmacist about regional options.

Should I consult a doctor before taking Kaleorid?

Yes. Potassium replacement is guided by blood-test results, the underlying cause of any deficiency, and the patient's other medications, which makes it a clinical rather than self-service decision. Prescription requirements and available formulations also vary between countries — particularly relevant for travellers and expatriates trying to continue therapy abroad. Any decision to start, stop, or substitute Kaleorid belongs with a healthcare provider familiar with the patient.

Kaleorid

Available in 6 countries