how many meq's is 595 mg of potassium gluconate in pill
form?
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You seem to be asking how translate a dose of potassium
chloride, which is often expressed as mEq's when prescribed as a
drug, into an equivalent dose of potassium in supplemental
potassium gluconate, which is generally expressed in mg.
595 mg of potassium gluconate contains about 99mg of elemental
potassium.
189 mg of potassium chloride also contains about 99mg of
elemental potassium.
189 mg of potassium chloride is about 2.54 mEq
That said, the potassium in potassium gluconate is more easily
absorbed by the body than is the potassium in potassium chloride,
so seeking the equivalent elemental potassium dosage may not be
what you want as it may produce different effects in the body.
For example, my mother had been prescribed 20mEq of potassium
chloride by her doctor, which contains 781.960 mg of elemental
potassium. The large pills were hard for her to swallow. Instead i
gave her about 1/4 teaspoon of powered potassium gluconate mixed in
a glass of water, which contained only about 135 mg elemental
potassium, about the same contained in 3.5 mEq of potassium
chloride. That was less than a fifth the amount prescribed by her
doctor, yet her potassium levels in her blood tests were just
fine.
