How to Take LOKELMA for High Potassium

New to LOKELMA? Start here

There are 3 steps to taking LOKELMA:

Fill your cup with at least 3 tablespoons of water

Empty the entire contents of the LOKELMA packet(s) into the cup

Stir well and drink immediately.

Don’t worry – it is tasteless and odorless. If there is powder left, add more water, stir, and drink again. Repeat until all the powder is gone.

Take 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking other oral medications

Take with or without food

Tasteless and odorless

No refrigeration, so you can pack LOKELMA when traveling

In studies, people did not have to be on a low-potassium diet

Keep taking LOKELMA as prescribed to control potassium levels over time

Take 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking other oral medications

Take with or without food

Tasteless and odorless

No refrigeration, so you can pack LOKELMA when traveling

In studies, people did not have to be on a low-potassium diet

Keep taking LOKELMA as prescribed to control potassium levels over time

Taking LOKELMA

I am NOT on hemodialysis treatment
I AM on hemodialysis treatment

For people not on dialysis:

Initial treatment:

Take one 10 g packet
Three times a day
For up to 48 hours

Maintenance therapy:

Take one 10 g packet
Once a day

Your doctor may monitor your potassium level and adjust your dose within the recommended maintenance dose range from 5 g every other day to 15 g daily. Continue to take LOKELMA as directed by your doctor.

Your doctor may advise you to adjust dietary sodium, if appropriate.

For those on hemodialysis, the recommended dose of LOKELMA is:

One 5 g packet once a day on non-dialysis days only.
If you are taking other medications, you may need to take them 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking LOKELMA.
Your healthcare provider will monitor your potassium levels and may adjust your dose within the recommended maintenance dose range from 5 g to 15 g once daily, on non-dialysis days. Work with your healthcare provider to find the dose that works for you.

NEXT: Savings and Support

Patient Services

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR LOKELMA^® (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate)

What is the most important thing I should know about LOKELMA?

Don’t take LOKELMA if you have:

severe constipation, a blockage (obstruction) in your bowel, or hard stool that will not pass (impaction)
problems with your bowel movements after surgery

LOKELMA may not work and may worsen gastrointestinal conditions.

LOKELMA can cause fluid retention (edema) in your feet, ankles, hands or other parts of the body.

LOKELMA contains 400 mg of sodium in each 5 g dose. Watch for signs of fluid retention (edema) in your body especially if you limit sodium in your diet or are likely to have fluid retention in your body due to heart or kidney problems. Your doctor may tell you to reduce the sodium in your diet or to increase the dose of your diuretic as needed

If you are a hemodialysis patient:

Do not take LOKELMA on dialysis days
Tell your doctor if you suddenly feel sick such as decreased oral intake of food or fluids or have diarrhea, as you may be at risk of developing low levels of potassium in your blood while on LOKELMA; therefore, your dose of LOKELMA may need to be adjusted

Tell your doctor(s) you are taking LOKELMA before having an abdominal X-ray as it may appear on the X-ray.

What are the most common side effects with LOKELMA?

The most common side effect of LOKELMA is swelling in your body caused by fluid retention (edema). Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. LOKELMA may affect how some oral medicines work. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need to take LOKELMA 2 hours before or after other oral medicines.