VELTASSA The Only Option?

[RoyalNavy1]

My husband has 3rd Stage Kidney Disease. His nephrologist said there was a way to assure he'd never need dialysis. First he needed to drink a substance called Veltassa. He can't tolerate it. Are there options?

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That medication is used to remove excess potassium from the body. It may help with that, however, it is not a cure for CKD. There is no cure, all you can do is slow the progression and that may be what his doctor means.

[HealthBuddyMelissa]

I had never heard of this drug. It is a low sodium potassium reducer. I am not sure how his doctor could make such a claim as to he would never need dialysis. I am sure there are other drugs. I can not remember the name of the one we used to give in the hospital all the time. Let me see if I can find the name of it.

[HealthBuddyMelissa in reply to HealthBuddyMelissa]

Kayexalate was the drug name. See if your doctor would let your husband try that to see if it works.

[RoyalNavy1]

Thank you for your comments about Veltassa. I didn't explain the situation clearly. 1) The MD didn't say my husband would be cured. I think he meant that the current state of my husband's disease could be maintained.

2) Also, Veltassa is a drug my husband needed to take BEFORE he could the drug that the MD felt held such promise.

Thank you again. Your responses not only clarified a great deal for me... they also encouraged me to check into this site more often.

[BigBilly in reply to RoyalNavy1]

I qualified for free Valtessa for 6 months, but discontinued it after 4 months, as it seemed to cause constipation. I'm CKD4 (eGFR is 27-29}. Age 80.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

HI Royal,

I was on Valtessa for a while and found it awful too. I asked the nephrologist who said to use apple juice or cranberry juice to mix it with. But if your husband is diabetic, make sure you use low sugar or diet kind. I was not on it long enough to see how well it worked.

[RoyalNavy1]

Thank you. I will share that with Al, my husband. If only there were a kinder, gentler way to administer it, right? But I read that Valtessa is actually an improvement on something else that used to be the only option.