Potassium 595mg equals how many potassium meq?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

To convert potassium from mg to mEq, you need to divide by the atomic weight of potassium (39.1).

So, 595 mg of potassium is equal to 15.2 mEq.