Over-the-counter medication · Electrolyte Supplement
potassium chloride
Also sold as Klor-Con, K-Dur. This medicine treats or prevents low potassium (hypokalemia).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 109,144
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 6
- InteractionsFew interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
potassium chloride (Klor-Con) is an over-the-counter Electrolyte Supplement, more reported than most tracked drugs (109,144 FDA reports), with 6 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
potassium chloride (Klor-Con) is an over-the-counter Electrolyte Supplement. This medicine treats or prevents low potassium (hypokalemia).
Potassium Chloride Extended-Release Tablets help treat or prevent low potassium levels in your blood. It comes as a tablet that slowly releases potassium into your body.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
potassium chloride is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc..
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$0.17/unit
Generic Price
$0.45/unit
Generic Available
Yes (78 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats or prevents low potassium (hypokalemia).
Common side effects
Nausea, Vomiting, Gas
Key warnings
Taking potassium chloride tablets can sometimes irritate your stomach or intestines.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from potassium chloride's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. This medicine replaces potassium in your body. It helps keep your heart, muscles, and nerves working right.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 109,144 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for potassium chloride, by number of reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
7,867 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
7,759 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
7,565 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
7,534 reports
- Death
Death
5,492 reports
- Pneumonia
Pneumonia
5,286 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
4,911 reports
- Headache
Headache
4,723 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
4,703 reports
- Pain
Pain
4,688 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for potassium chloride each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where potassium chloride sits
potassium chloride has more FDA adverse-event reports than 86% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is potassium chloride; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 109,144 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1999–2025.
Total Reports
109,144
Reports Mentioning Death
15,552
14.2% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
48,372
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIARRHOEA | 7,867 |
| 2 | DYSPNOEA | 7,759 |
| 3 | NAUSEA | 7,565 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 7,534 |
| 5 | DEATH | 5,492 |
| 6 | PNEUMONIA | 5,286 |
| 7 | ASTHENIA | 4,911 |
| 8 | HEADACHE | 4,723 |
| 9 | DIZZINESS | 4,703 |
| 10 | PAIN | 4,688 |
| 11 | VOMITING | 4,664 |
| 12 | FALL | 4,433 |
| 15 | ANAEMIA | 3,596 |
| 16 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 3,507 |
| 17 | MALAISE | 3,470 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Taking potassium chloride tablets can sometimes irritate your stomach or intestines. If you have severe vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, or bleeding, stop taking this medicine and call your doctor right away.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Triamterene and amiloride: Concomitant use is contraindicated (7.1) Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibitors: Monitor for hyperkalemia (7.2) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Monitor for hyperkalemia (7.3) 7.1 Triamterene or amiloride Use with triamterene or amiloride can produce severe hyperkalemia.
Mechanism: Both of these medicines increase the amount of potassium in your blood, and taking them together can cause potassium levels to become dangerously high.
7.2 Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone Inhibitors Drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), spironolactone, eplerenone, or aliskiren produce potassium retention by inhibiting aldosterone production.
Mechanism: Spironolactone makes your body keep potassium, and taking it with a potassium supplement can cause the mineral to build up too much.
7.2 Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone Inhibitors Drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), spironolactone, eplerenone, or aliskiren produce potassium retention by inhibiting aldosterone production.
Mechanism: Both of these medications prevent your body from getting rid of potassium. Taking them together increases the risk of having too much potassium in your blood.
7.2 Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone Inhibitors Drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) including angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), spironolactone, eplerenone, or aliskiren produce potassium retention by inhibiting aldosterone production.
Mechanism: Aliskiren blocks a hormone that helps the body get rid of potassium, which can cause potassium levels to build up when taken with a supplement.
Concomitant administration of glycopyrrolate injection and potassium chloride in a wax matrix may increase the severity of potassium chloride-induced gastrointestinal lesions as a result of a slower gastrointestinal transit time.
Mechanism: Glycopyrrolate slows down your digestion, which can cause potassium tablets to sit in your stomach or intestines too long and cause sores.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I cut the tablet in half if it's too big to swallow?
What should I do if I feel sick to my stomach after taking this medicine?
Will this medicine interact with other medicines I am taking?
How often will I need blood tests?
Can I take this on an empty stomach?
What do I do if I accidentally take too much?
How long will I need to take this medicine?
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
What are the signs of high potassium?
Are there foods I should avoid while taking this medication?
What are the common side effects of potassium chloride?
Does potassium chloride interact with other medications?
What drug class is potassium chloride?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for potassium chloride?
Has potassium chloride been recalled?
Is potassium chloride currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Presence of Particulate Matter.
B BRAUN MEDICAL INC
Lack of Assurance of Sterility; potential for leakage from the diaphragm port once the foil is removed.
B BRAUN MEDICAL INC
Failed Dissolution Specifications.
The Harvard Drug Group LLC dba Major Pharmaceuticals and Rugby Laboratories
Failed Dissolution Specifications
Amerisource Health Services LLC
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for potassium chloride: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 109,144.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 14.25%.
- moxifloxacin Δ 0.03 pts · 13,400 reports · Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic 14.28%death share
- triazolam Δ 0.05 pts · 8,521 reports · Benzodiazepine (Hypnotic) 14.29%death share
- venlafaxine Δ 0.05 pts · 68,147 reports · Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) 14.30%death share
- zinc sulfate Δ 0.06 pts · 2,699 reports · Mineral Supplement 14.19%death share
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Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
What the FDA Data Shows for potassium chloride
The FDA label for potassium chloride (sold under brand names such as Klor-Con, K-Dur) classifies it as an over-the-counter product in the Electrolyte Supplement class. This medicine treats or prevents low potassium (hypokalemia). Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Vomiting, Gas.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 109,144 voluntary reports. The database also lists 6 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.45 versus $0.17 for the brand.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 5 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: September 23, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages