Hi everyone I collapsed earlier due to weakness from a very strict vegan . My doctor (who I don't trust) said absolutely no protein no sodium . He diagnosed me w stage 5 ckd but my GFR is 35% which is stage 3 on numerous medical web sites. He has not given me any medication. My creatinine has gone down from 605 to 580 in less than a week. I'm wondering is there medication to lower creatinine? I live in Manila where I'm very unsure of medical practices here as doctors are known to milk the patients for money. I ate very little fish after I woke up and automatically felt normal. Also, my doctor has said no need to see a dietician. Any thoughts?
Thanks
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RaviC
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Your Dr is giving nutrition advice & says no need to see a nutritionist? If your nutritionist gave you medical advice & told you not to see a Dr, would you trust him? May be time to get another opinion from a nutritionist & be cautious about a Dr who discourages 2nd opinions & your right to get them.
Thank you. I really felt uncomfortable when he said no need to see a nutritionist. I am getting a 2nd opinion on Tuesday, i started eating fish but 3x a week only. I hope I find a good doctor.
Pre dialysis diets differ from those on dialysis. For example those with CKD 3 are recommended to limit protein levels as kidneys must work harder in processing them. Whereas the dialysis process itself removes protein from the system. Therefore dialysis persons need far more protein on a daily basis.
Yes a renal dietitian consult at this time is highly recommended.
Everyone needs protein. As others have said, low protein does not equal no protein. So your doctor wanted you to eliminate meat protein and added salt. I’m guessing he didn’t want you to eliminate protein altogether as most veggies, fruits and grains have protein. You also need some sodium to survive. Apparently the actual amount is pretty low about 186 mg some reports say and others less than 500. If you feel faint, you may need to up your natural sodium intake especially if your drinking lots of water or in a hot climate or working hard and sweating. Foods high in sodium are celery, beets and Swiss chard, but I’ve found I have to actually add small amounts of sea salt when I’m doing completely vegan as I wasn’t getting enough and feeling faint.
You can get complete proteins from many grains such as quinoa, millet and buckwheat along with spinach, soy, chia etc, and veggies and fruits have some as well, but need combinations to get adequate amounts. You either need to use an app such as chronometer and track everything you eat, or seek out a nutritionist who can assist you. You will find that your creatinine will come down much more quickly on a plant based vegan diet, but you have to balance the protein intake as well as potassium and phosphorus and essential minerals. Many high protein and high calorie plant based foods are very high in potassium though it is not as bioavailability so is not being absorbed 100% as meat would be. Even small amounts of chicken such as 2 oz and one egg can give complete amino acids needs. The challenge on a plant based diet is to get the amount of calories needed. I’ve lost 14 pounds in several months and have nothing else to lose. Then there’s also the problem of muscle wasting when not getting complete proteins. My guess is that you weren’t getting enough calories and possibly not enough sodium to maintain energy. You might have also become slightly anemic. Ask to have your B12 levels checked. If you want to go completely plant based and have no known food allergies or intolerances, then you might look into the Natural Kidney Journey which is a plant based group on Facebook and strict guidelines are given to what you can and should eat and they might be able to help you. In the meantime to get your strength up, it sounds wise to add a little animal protein, lots of fruits and veggies and eat a variety. There are nutritionists who work through Skype in the US that are happy to work with those anywhere.
I was recommended to see a renal dietitian. It took about 2 hours and I could call her back if I had questions. She also explained what I should expect should I need dialysis. My creatinine went to 5.6 and I after I followed the renal diet for 3 months my creatinine fell to 3.6 . I do not know of any "medication" for kidney disease except for a "RENAL DIET"! The closer you follow it the longer you will live without dialysis. Good luck!
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