Realising links and asking for dietary advice

[Renshaw]

Reading some of the posts here relating to ckd, I was interested to discover that high bp, or in my case I assume atrial fibrillation and it’s associated bp and heart rate fluctuations, can cause a drop in gfr which can again make anaemia. For a year, until my cardioversion, I noticed a rapid drop in gfr. Even when I mentioned this to doctors and consultants, no one told me about the connection. Now I have anaemia. Again the connections have not been mentioned although they know that I like full detail and information. Thanks to you I now feel like I have a fuller understanding of my situation.

I also noticed some people have mentioned particular foods to avoid. Bananas and grapes being 2. Would that include dried fruit, eg sultanas? I would very much appreciate any other suggestions on this subject. I feel that the more in depth information I have, the more in control of my problems I have, therefore being able to help myself. Just read the advice next to this post! Sorry I’ve gone on a bit and not followed the instructions very well! Anyway you might have realised I am new here by now. Thank you for reading this. Will be glad of any information you can pass my way.

[Sammi_n_Munk]

Hi Renshaw! Welcome to the forum! I’ve attached a link for you to read over, if you’re interested, from DaVita.com, regarding some good kidney-friendly diet tips and ideas. They also have recipes and such to help you along. I’m really not sure about dried fruits. I know that I personally can’t consume them, but that’s more because of my chronic gout issues than CKD.

The only thing I can suggest is perhaps you can speak to your PCP about a referral to a renal dietician, or try typing your query into the Google search engine. It should provide you with a number of websites that may offer you some guidance on that.

And remember, there’s never any need to apologize. We are here to listen (or read, that is) and to offer you support and suggestions to the best of our ability. We can’t diagnose, but we can share our own experiences and wisdom with you. You’ll soon find, as most of us here have, that this is an awesome place to come to for strength, and knowledgeable advice. The members here are great people, and we share so much in common with one another.

And by the way, you’re absolutely right. The more information you have, the better degree of control you have over your situation. As they say, “Knowledge is your best friend.” To me, truer words have never been spoken.

Once again, welcome to the community! I look forward to reading more of your posts! All my best to you, dear, and God bless. 😊👍🙏✌️

davita.com/diet-nutrition

[Renshaw in reply to Sammi_n_Munk]

Thank you so much for your lovely letter of support. I very much appreciate it. Although I am primarily being treated for anaemia, the ckd concerns me much more but unless you are at a dangerous stage in the process, the medical profession tends to ignore it! I am of the opinion that the sooner an issue is treated the more easily it is cured or controlled. My gfr dropped from 60 to 38 in about 8months. It’s now, six months later, 40. However my haemoglobin concentration fell from a perfect 142 in January this year to 87 in May. Ok, edoxaban was probably a factor in that, but it hadn’t affected my iron in the previous year! Hmmm? So the link between ckd and anaemia seems a strong probability. So anything to help raise that gfr level is my priority, along with ensuring that the best diet for iron absorption doesn’t interfere with that! Phew! At least writing it down has clarified my thoughts. Thank you for the opportunity. I will now follow up your suggestions. Best regards

[Sammi_n_Munk in reply to Renshaw]

Hi again Renshaw! Not sure if your doctor has put you on oral iron supplements or not, but if she / he has done so, remember that it is better to take the iron tablets with some type of beverage that contains vitamin C, such as orange, cranberry or tomato juice. This will help your body absorb the iron more efficiently. When I was suffering with anemia, my iron tabs weren’t very helpful. I still felt the effects of low energy and such, until my doctor suggested the vitamin C. Then almost overnight, I began to feel much better and my hemoglobin began to go up.

With regard to your GFR, it’s always been advised that drinking plenty of water daily can quite possibly help with that. GFR usually does fluctuate, it’s true, but keeping yourself well hydrated is very important. If you’re not sure how much water daily is a safe amount for you to drink, ask your doctor, because this can be different for everyone.

Also, if you’ve been using any anti-inflammatories such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or even Aspirin, you’ll want to start avoiding them like they’re germs! Essentially, to those of us with CKD, they are very evil. If you need over-the-counter pain relief, try Tylenol instead, unless you have any liver issues or allergies to acetaminophen.

I hope these few tips will be helpful to you. Please do keep us posted! Take care and God bless. 😊👍🙏✌️

[Renshaw in reply to Sammi_n_Munk]

Thank you. I should have mentioned what I was doing and taking! I have a long history of anaemia especially in childhood, but not for many years until my atrial fibrillation began May’19. I seem to have been catapulted into my second childhood. 😮 . I did know about the vitamin c and to make sure I get enough I take a tab with my ferrous gluconate. Belt and braces! But what I didn’t know was that calcium prevents good iron absorption, and I’ve always been a big milk drinker! Bones are strong anyway! So that’s being reduced. I sleep badly when my restless legs are bad so I usually drink a pint of water every night and I’m always thirsty so I drink lots all day. Always have done. No logic within my knowledge about why the ckd plummeted initially at the start of the af, climbed to about 50 by January when my haemoglobin was an amazing 142, then plummeted again, along with the iron by May this year! Weird! And I don’t seem to be diabetic either. So my only recourse as far as I can tell is dietary assessment. Compare what I eat and drink regularly with the best ckd and the best iron diets and work out the best compromise! Ah well, it’s a useful project during lockdown! Take care and god bless

[HealthBuddyMelissa]

I eat grapes and bananas. I eat half a banana instead of a whole one, and stick to a serving size of grapes which is 1/2 cup to 1 cup. I do not like dried fruit, but it is high in phosphorus I believe. We are all different in what we can and can not eat. Go by your labs. If your potassium is high, eat lower amounts of potassium, but be aware your body needs potassium to function properly so don't omit it all together.

[Renshaw in reply to HealthBuddyMelissa]

According to all the test results sheets I have, my potassium and sodium levels have never once been a problem! So my usual diet must be spot on! Allegedly! I have no idea what to tackle now, except to see how my iron levels go and see if gfr etc rises with it. Can’t think of what else to do. Chill out and do some Qi gong perhaps. Xx

[HealthBuddyMelissa in reply to Renshaw]

Chilling out and doing Qi Gong can't hurt that is for sure. Best wishes.

[Renshaw in reply to HealthBuddyMelissa]

google.com/url?sa=t&source=...

Found this after I remembered I hadn’t done any Qi gong much since lockdown. Looks promising for anyone. Can’t hurt anyway. I’m pretty rubbish at technology so I hope it’s pasted ok. It’s about some research done on the effects of tai chi on ckd patients.

Xxx