Contraindications

• The prescribing information for Urocit-K contains a long list of people who cannot take the medication. Hyperkalemia---a blood concentration of potassium greater than 5.2 milliequivalents per liter---tops the list of contraindications for Urocit-K use. Other patients who cannot take the medication include those with active urinary tract infections, chronic kidney failure, decreased kidney function, uncontrolled diabetes, poor adrenal gland function, blocked intestines, compressed esophagi, delayed stomach emptying or peptic ulcers.
  
  

Common Side Effects

• Patients taking Urocit-K most often report mild diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea and vomiting as side effects of the medication. Eating a meal or snack at the same time as taking an Urocit-K dose can minimize the occurrence of these side effects.
  
  

Overdose

• Taking more than 100 mEq/L of Urocit-K within a 24-hour period can produce hyperkalemia. Exceeding the overdose threshold, which equals 10 large Urocit-K tablets, can cause an irregular heartbeat, muscle paralysis and cardiac collapse. Treating severe hyperkalemia may require dialysis or injections of insulin or dextrose solution.
  
  

Warnings

• Doctors need to monitor patients' blood concentrations of potassium at least every four months to check for hyperkalemia. Also, patients should not take doses of Urocit-K immediately after strenuous exercise or if they are very dehydrated. Last, Urocit-K has the potential to cause ulcers in both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Any patient who experiences severe or bloody vomiting or diarrhea should stop taking Urocit-K and seek medical care.
  
  

Drug Interactions

• No one taking a medication classified as an anticholinergic agent should take Urocit-K, because anticholinergics cause dehydration and dehydrated people should not take Urocit. Commonly used anticholinergic agents include tolterodine (Detrol from Pfizer), oxybutynin (Ditropan from Ortho McNeil Janssen) and solifenacin (Vesicare from Astellas). Other medications to avoid while taking Urocit-K include amiloride (e.g., Midamor from Paddock), spironolactone (e.g., Aldactone from Pfizer) and hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene (e.g., Dyazide from GlaxoSmithKline). Amiloride, spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene are known as potassium-sparing diuretics; taking them at the same time as Urocit-K puts patients at risk for hyperkalemia.