Potassium citrate 280mg capsules
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Potassium citrate (also known as tripotassium citrate) is a potassium salt of citric acid.
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Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Potassium citrate
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Potassium citrate
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1 branded products available
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
4 gram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(5)
Slow-release potassium bicarbonate–potassium citrate for treating distal renal tubular acidosis (terminated appraisal) (TA838)
Renal and ureteric stones: assessment and management (NG118)
Constipation in children and young people: diagnosis and management (CG99)
Preventing recurrent hypomagnesaemia: oral magnesium glycerophosphate (ESUOM4)
Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing (NG112)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 8 · Randomised trials: 11 · 1975–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
H. Macdonald, A. Black, L. Aucott, et al.
The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2008
Patil S, Falkowski A, Venkataiah VS, et al.
2026
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
- Muscle Cramp
- Electrolytes
BackgroundTemporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a major cause of chronic orofacial pain, with myalgia of the masticatory muscles being central to symptom burden. Electrolyte modulation, particularly magnesium, may influence neuromuscular excitability and nociceptor sensitization, but no systematic review has synthesized the evidence for muscle pain syndromes or its relevance to TMD.ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy of electrolyte supplementation (magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium) in reducing muscle cramps and myalgia, and to explore the biological plausibility and potential extrapolation to TMD-related myofascial pain.MethodsThis systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251120631). PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from January 1995 to August 2025. Randomized or quasi-randomized trials of electrolyte supplementation for cramps or myalgia were eligible. Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment (RoB 2 tool) were performed independently by 2 reviewers. Meta-analyses used random-effects models in R (v4.4.3) and Python (v3.11).ResultsThirteen trials were included. Magnesium was most frequently studied (10 RCTs). In pregnancy-associated cramps (4 trials, N≈364), magnesium significantly reduced cramp frequency compared with placebo (pooled RR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.05-1.74, P = .02). In nocturnal or persistent leg cramps in adults (4 trials, N≈396), no significant effect was found (MD -0.42 cramps/week, 95% CI: -1.15 to 0.31, P = .26). Intravenous magnesium showed no benefit in older adults, but a perioperative trial demonstrated reduced fasciculations and postoperative myalgia. Sodium-based solutions reduced cramp susceptibility in exercise and cirrhosis, while calcium and potassium lacked supportive evidence. Risk of bias was generally low to moderate.ConclusionMagnesium supplementation benefits pregnancy-related cramps but shows inconsistent effects in other populations. Sodium-based interventions are context-specific, and calcium and potassium remain unsupported. Magnesium is the most plausible candidate for translation to TMD myalgia, warranting targeted clinical trials.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND
S. Jehle, H. Hulter, R. Krapf
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2013
AlSejari N, Alkhulaifi NS, Alenezi RS, et al.
2026
- Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal
- Potassium Citrate
- Bone Remodeling
Wenqian Qi PhD, Jingyuan Liu PhD, Ang Li PhD
Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis, 2023
T. Soygür, A. Akbay, S. Küpeli
Journal of Endourology, 2002
Wouda RD, Gritter M, Karsten M, et al.
2023
- Potassium
- Potassium Citrate
- Chlorides
Uros Josic, Tatjana Maravic, Claudia Mazzitelli, et al.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2024
- Streptococcus mutans
- Durapatite
- Fluorides
Abstract Objectives To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of two fluoride-containing (1450 ppm F) toothpastes with or without zinc-citrate (ZCT), hydroxyapatite (HAP) and potassium-citrate (KCit); to assess and compare their clinical effects in terms of tooth sensitivity, plaque accumulation and gingivitis, as well as patients’ satisfaction. Materials and methods Healthy, adult patients were selected and randomly assigned to two groups (n = 50): Experimental: ZCT-, HAP-, KCit- and fluoride-containing toothpaste; Control: fluoride-containing toothpaste. Salivary counts of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), plaque and gingival index, as well as clinically diagnosed sensitivity were recorded at baseline, and after 4 weeks. A custom-made questionnaire was used to assess patients’ self-reported sensitivity (baseline and after 4 weeks) and overall satisfaction with the tested toothpastes. Data were statistically analyzed (α = 0.05). Results After 4 weeks, a statistically significant salivary reduction of S. mutans was observed in both groups (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the percentage of S. mutans decrease was significantly higher in Experimental group (p = 0.014). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of plaque and gingival index (p > 0.05). After 4 weeks, the self-reported tooth sensitivity was lower in Experimental group (p < 0.001). Conclusions Both toothpastes showed good antimicrobial effect after 4 weeks; however, the toothpaste containing ZCT, HAP, KCit and fluoride was found to be more effective in reducing the salivary counts of S. mutans than the product containing fluoride alone. Clinical relevance Toothpaste containing ZCT, HAP, KCit and fluoride can be recommended for patients at risk for developing caries and may also be beneficial for individuals experiencing dental sensitivity.
Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0
Wouda RD, Karsten M, Michels EHA, et al.
2026
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Natriuresis
P. Barceló, O. Wuhl, E. Servitge, et al.
The Journal of urology, 1993
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
Not available
Mechanism
After oral administration of potassium citrate, its metabolism yields alkaline load.
Food interactions
1 warning
Human targets
None mapped
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Metabolism
Elimination
5%
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Potassium citrate is used to treat a kidney stone condition called renal tubular acidosis. Potassium Citrate is indicated also for the management of Hypocitraturic calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis.
Known interactions with other medicines. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 908 interactions
Citrate also inhibits the spontaneous nucleation of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate.
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
ATC A12BA02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Potassium citrate
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72