Kayexalate Patient Information

Kayexalate is the brand name for the prescription medication sodium polystyrene. Doctors prescribe Kayexalate for the treatment of high levels of potassium in the blood or hyperkalemia.

Function

• Kayexalate works by releasing sodium in your intestines, resulting in negatively charged polystyrene atoms being present. The potassium in your body is attracted to the polystyrene and freely binds with it, and then the potassium and the polystyrene compound can be eliminated through defecation.

Effects

• Kayexalate typically decreases the potassium contents of your blood by an average of 33 percent, according to RxList.

Types

• Kayexalate can be administered by rectal enema, by an oral solution or through a feeding tube in patients who are unable to swallow.

Risks

• Side effects of Kayexalate include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and constipation as well as a risk for removing too much potassium causing hypokalemia. Risks associated with Kayexalate include fecal impaction, ulcers in your gastrointestinal tract, perforation or holes in your digestive system and bronchitis or pneumonia, cautions RxList.

Considerations

• Because its effects on fetal development are unknown, doctors rarely prescribe Kayexalate for use in pregnant women. If you have a history of bowel obstruction, congestive heart failure, hypokalemia, heart disease, edema or kidney disease, it may not be safe for you to take Kayexalate, warns Drugs.com.