Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which phosphate levels are too low. Phosphate is anelectrolyte, a type of mineral that is found in your blood, urine, tissues, and body fluids.
Electrolyteshelp balance the water and pH (a measure of acidity and alkalinity) in your body, move nutrients into your cells, and clear wastes out.They have a role in keeping your heart, brain, muscles, and nerves working well. You also need phosphate to keep bones and teeth strong.
When phosphate levels in the blood are less than 2.5 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), it can cause serious health problems for your lungs, heart, and muscles.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Hypophosphatemia Symptoms
Hypophosphatemia may not show any symptoms in the early stages.In severe cases, you may notice the following:
If not treated, severe hypophosphatemia can lead to coma or death.
Some genetic conditions can also cause low phosphorus levels:
If blood tests show that you have hypophosphatemia, you’ll be treated for the disorder causing it and given phosphate-replacement treatment.
Treating the Cause
Addressing the cause of hypophosphatemia may include takingvitamin D supplements, refeeding (in the case of starvation or malnourishment), or treatment of specific health conditions.
For instance, diabetic ketoacidosis happens when your body doesn’t have enough insulin to move sugar from your blood vessels into your cells for energy.Instead, your kidneys “spill” the sugar from your blood into your urine, dragging phosphate with it.
Acid levels in your blood are also increased with diabetic ketoacidosis, and this forces some of the phosphate from your blood vessels into the surrounding tissues, which lower blood phosphate levels. Finally, treatment with insulin can move phosphate from your blood vessels into the surrounding tissues, which further lowers blood phosphate levels.
Oral Phosphate
Oral treatment of hypophosphatemia involves taking sodium phosphate or potassium phosphate tablets.Your healthcare professional will decide how much to give you, but it could be as much as three doses per day to equal 1 gram of phosphate daily.
However, diarrhea is a common side effect of these medications.If that happens, you may be instructed to drink 1 liter of low-fat or skim milk a day, which also contain 1 gram of phosphate.
Intravenous Phosphate
Intravenous phosphate may be prescribed due to the following:
Treating Hypophosphatemia
Outcomes depend on what caused the hypophosphatemia.If the cause is chemotherapy drugs, keeping phosphate at or above normal levels will help. Treating the condition that caused hypophosphatemia, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, will also help get levels back to normal.
Summary
Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which phosphate levels decrease below 2.5 mg/dL. When phosphate levels get too low, your heart, lungs, and brain can be damaged. Medical conditions, medications, injury, and lifestyle can cause hypophosphatemia. These include severe burns, diabetic ketoacidosis, alcohol use disorder, and chemotherapy drugs.
Outcomes depend on what caused hypophosphatemia. But getting phosphate levels back to normal is the main goal. This includes oral treatment with tablets or intravenous treatment.
A Word From Verywell
Early stages of hypophosphatemia may not show any symptoms. You may find out you have it during routine blood work. Or perhaps you have diabetes and develop hypophosphatemia during treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis. In either case, phosphate-replacement treatment can return phosphate levels to normal.
Common causes of hypophosphatemia include alcohol use disorder, burns, malnutrition, and long-term diuretic use.
For most people, hypophosphatemia shows no symptoms. But as the condition gets worse, you may experience muscle weakness, seizures, rickets (softening of the bones), and breakdown of muscle tissue.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Castro D.Hypophosphatemia. StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Electrolytes.MedlinePlus.Hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control.Rhabdomyolysis.Merck Manual.Hypophosphatemia.Choi HS, Kwon A, Chae HW, Suh J, Kim DH, Kim H-S.Respiratory failure in a diabetic ketoacidosis patient with severe hypophosphatemia.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;23(2):103-106. doi: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.103National Organization for Rare Disorders.Familial hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Felsenfeld AJ, Levine BS.Approach to treatment of hypophosphatemia.Am J Kidney Dis. 2012 Oct;60(4):655-61. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.03.024
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Castro D.Hypophosphatemia. StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Electrolytes.MedlinePlus.Hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control.Rhabdomyolysis.Merck Manual.Hypophosphatemia.Choi HS, Kwon A, Chae HW, Suh J, Kim DH, Kim H-S.Respiratory failure in a diabetic ketoacidosis patient with severe hypophosphatemia.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;23(2):103-106. doi: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.103National Organization for Rare Disorders.Familial hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Felsenfeld AJ, Levine BS.Approach to treatment of hypophosphatemia.Am J Kidney Dis. 2012 Oct;60(4):655-61. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.03.024
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Castro D.Hypophosphatemia. StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Electrolytes.MedlinePlus.Hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control.Rhabdomyolysis.Merck Manual.Hypophosphatemia.Choi HS, Kwon A, Chae HW, Suh J, Kim DH, Kim H-S.Respiratory failure in a diabetic ketoacidosis patient with severe hypophosphatemia.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;23(2):103-106. doi: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.103National Organization for Rare Disorders.Familial hypophosphatemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Felsenfeld AJ, Levine BS.Approach to treatment of hypophosphatemia.Am J Kidney Dis. 2012 Oct;60(4):655-61. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.03.024
MedlinePlus.Fluid and electrolyte balance.
Sharma S, Hashmi MF, Castro D.Hypophosphatemia. StatPearls.
Cleveland Clinic.Electrolytes.
MedlinePlus.Hypophosphatemia.
Centers for Disease Control.Rhabdomyolysis.
Merck Manual.Hypophosphatemia.
Choi HS, Kwon A, Chae HW, Suh J, Kim DH, Kim H-S.Respiratory failure in a diabetic ketoacidosis patient with severe hypophosphatemia.Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;23(2):103-106. doi: 10.6065/apem.2018.23.2.103
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Familial hypophosphatemia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetic ketoacidosis.
Felsenfeld AJ, Levine BS.Approach to treatment of hypophosphatemia.Am J Kidney Dis. 2012 Oct;60(4):655-61. doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.03.024
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