Potassium and sodium citrate

Potassium and sodium citrate work by making the urine alkaline and have traditionally been used for cystitis. The acidic urine produced as a result of bacterial infection is thought to be responsible for dysuria; alkalinisation of the urine may help to relieve discomfort although there is no strong evidence of its benefit. In the absence of evidence of effectiveness, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) advises against recommending urine-alkalinising agents.

Patients may have used these preparations before and may wish to purchase them. Anyone taking potassium-sparing diuretics, aldosterone antagonists or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors should not use potassium citrate because it may cause hyperkalaemia. Sodium citrate should not be recommended for hypertensive patients, anyone with heart disease or pregnant women.