The Effect of Diuretic Therapy on Adrenaline-induced Hypokalaemia and Hypomagnesaemia

We have examined the interaction between the administration of bendrofluazide, frusemide, spironolactone, and placebo and increased plasma adrenaline concentrations in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross over study. We studied healthy subjects on the fourteenth day of each treatment period and after a two hour infusion of adrenaline (0.06 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 [0.33 nmol.kg-1.min-1]) we measured their heart rates, blood pressures, and plasma potassium and magnesium concentrations. There were no differences in heart rates or blood pressures for all four treatments. Baseline potassium concentrations were not significantly different compared to placebo, and plasma potassium fell during the period of the infusion on all study days. this fall was significantly greater on frusemide (0.5 mmol.l-1) and bendrofluazide (0.4 mmol.l-1) compared with both placebo and spironolactone. Baseline plasma magnesium concentration were not different and similar falls in plasma magnesium were seen on all four treatments during and after the adrenaline infusion. We conclude that chronic diuretic therapy with a thiazide diuretic or frusemide may increase the severity of hypokalaemia during short-term rises in plasma adrenaline. Pretreatment with spironolactone had no effect on adrenaline-induced hypokalaemia. None of the diuretics studied altered adrenaline-induced hypomagnesaemia.