Potassium loss - disables muscular functions...help

[Pai-Tsung Huang]

Hi, this is my first post on this group so please excuse me if I have
chosen the inappropriate group.   I need some information about a rare
disease and whereabouts research is being done on it, etc.  The disease 
(I do not know the formal name) has at least these symptons:  potassium
is not absorbed by the body and simply passes through the digestive 
system, loss of muscle use is a result of the potassium loss.  This
disease has caused a heart failure once already to my friend and she is
in desperate need to find help.  

I would appreciate ANY leads to this problem for a life is in danger here.
Thank you all in advance.  Please email directly to phuang at mit.edu

-Paul