chronic kidney failure

[beatrice1]

Just a question....

If a person has kidney failure and is getting dialysis 3x week, Should they be drinking gatorade on the days that they do not have dialysis?

To replace the electrlytes taken out by dialysis?

Bea

[talaxandra]

Any person with renal failure who is concerned or unsure about their dietary recommendations, or any other aspect of their care, should speak with their health care providers, who will be able to explain their individual requirements.

Dialysis is not as effective as normal kidney function, which is why people with renal failure need to restrict their intakes of a number of things, including total fluid, phosphate, salt, and potassium, all of which are usually regulated by the kidneys. Gatorade is not only a fluid but is high in phosphate, salt and potassium, and drinking it would thereby undo some of the value of the dialysis.

High phosphate levels increase the rate of bone loss, causing a renal version of osteoporosis; high potassium increases the irritability of nerve conduction in muscles, making unusual heart rhythms and heart attack more likely; and extra fluid and salt increase strain on the body as a whole, particularly on the heart and lungs.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

Bea - - please get a dietician and the MD to go over what is important. We cannot give medical advice here on this board.

Dialysis treatments are an attempt to normalize the fluids as the kidneys would.

As Talaxandra stated, the pts are usually told to stay away from sodium and potassium, as well as other minerals and nutrients.

PLEASE PLEASE check with the facility that the pt uses.

[beatrice1]

I was not asking for advice for a patient. I am a first year student and overheard my family member talking about drinking gadorage. Knowing what I have learned about electrolytes and dialysis, I figured it wasn't a good idea, but I was curious if I was correct in my thinking, for my own curiousity. I did recommend they talk to the dietician at dialysis, cause they are clueless about the whole diaysis treatment.

Thanks

[jlcole45]

They should follow the diet ordered by their nephrologist. Which by the way usually restricts

Na, K, protein, etc... The problem in CRF is that they can't filter out these things and so they build up the metabolic waste in their system.