Hello - perhaps some of you will remember that I am suffering badly from constipation. I have tried all the usual remedies and nothing seems to work. What does work for me is 6 prunes and two teaspoons of flax seed on top. At the moment I am stage 4 and try to be careful about what I eat. I have consulted every google page going and they say don't eat prunes because of the potassium but it helps so much with painful constipation. I don't have anything else on the banned lists - no salt plenty of water.The prunes are the only naughty -do I suffer or take a chance - like I said it is the only item off the banned lists. I am dreadfully worried in case this approach is harming me. I have read about prunes you can buy with no sorbitol which sound a bit more healthy. I would appreciate hearing other people's opinions on this tricky issue as I want to do my best to keep as well as I can, thanks for reading.
Advice needed: Hello - perhaps some of you... - Kidney Disease
Advice needed
6 prunes are 420 mg of potassium. I am not sure how much potassium you are allotting for your daily intake. I limit to 2000. So for one meal, at 420, you have 1580 mg left to go. Just plan it out. Constipation is no joke and is a common side effect of CKD. Water intake helps, fiber helps, but sometimes nothing seems to work. I am trying something and I have to laugh: Its called "Poop like a Champion" They are a gummies that has fiber and inulin, which is a probiotic, that supposed to help move you more. I am not seeing a big result, but I just started on them. I also take two stool softeners a day at 250mg each. All of this was run by my nephrologist. She also wanted me to add more calcium to my diet, by taking Tums, which I don't, and with fortified almond milk...which I did. I add it to my oatmeal and flax seed breakfast. And guess what calcium does.... it binds you up more, because it binds with Phosphorous to remove it. Yippee....
Hello - thanks for your reply - it was driving me nuts. I thought what is 6 prunes a day compared to having the agony of constipation. I eat loads of fruit and drink water virtually every hour. I watch everything else I eat like a hawk and I don't think I get anywhere near the 2000 allowance. Your reply is much appreciated.
This is the answer. Just count your potassium and eat what you need to eat in order to stay regular. The YouTube channel "Dadvice" (a great kidney disease resource) advises something similar. Just keep track of everything. There doesn't have to be a "forbidden" food if you don't eat too much of it.
My doctor told me to take Senokot, stool softeners, eat lots of vegetables, high fiber foods , exercise daily and drink plenty of water. Everybody is different, but that works for me.
I’ve tried going on the exercise bike for casual exercise with no incline for about 30-45mins per day and that seems to work for me. I end up going to toilet within 1 hour after the exercise. But check with your nephrologist how much exercise you should do. I have stage 4 CKD.
I use an herbal tea, Traditional Medicine, Smooth Move. But like the prune thing too. I might get some. In MHO at my age if the prunes work I would eat them. Be careful of other high potassium foods though
How about trying Renadyl or another combo of beneficial bacteria? I know it doesn't appear much as an answer when you do internet searches, but it may be the answer for you. I have given this suggestion to another person who had a year's long battle with this issue and Voila!
My dad got fiber meds from his kidney doctor you should call yours.
As a general rule that much water daily is a no no for those in late stage CKD like stages 4-5. Please use all due diligence when taking advice. Blessings
Many in stage 5 CKD are limited to 32 Oz (or less) fluid daily. Drinking 4 liters daily could easily put stage 5 into fluid overload, congestive heart failure. You mention you don't have CKD but you're giving advice and encouraging others in possibly dangerous practices. I recommend all to clarify with their own nephrologist or PC doctor prior to following any advice. We cannot nor do not diagnose here. Blessings
Hello - yes I agree with the water intake - people must be very careful about the amount they drink. I usually limit mine to the equivalent of 8 normal glasses of water spread throughout the day. Too much water can overload the body and make you feel quite ill.
You know, my neph has never once recommended anything as far as water intake, either more or less. So you are saying that at stage 5, I do NOT need to be drinking lots of water. I don't remember anyone ever saying that on this forum that I have seen. You should make that as a topic title and put what information you have in that topic, along with any research links or medical links that talk about it so others might benefit from what you are saying. I've brought it up in a couple of conversations with folks that it seemed odd that they would be recommending that folks drink tons of water to help flush out the kidneys, then hear others tell about how restricted they are in how much they can drink once they are on dialysis. I made my own choice to cut back on drinking water once I hit stage 5 cause I didn't want to the shock and withdrawal once I hit dialysis, if what the dialysis folks were telling me was true. So thanks for helping clear this up for us stage 5 folks! Please put it as a major topic on this site.
RonZone the limiting of water at certain stages of CKD is not arbitrarily across the board as it can be based on many influencing factors like the cause of your disease or your particular lab results etc ect.
Good God! At that rate I'd have to drink 3.25 L of water a day. I struggle to get a litre and half of the horrible stuff down per diem
Try Psyllium Fiber. Just start by taking one capsule. Fiber should be taken about 30 minutes before you eat. I read that somewhere. Also when my mom had cancer she took Miralax. That was what was recommended by palliative care at Mayo Clinic in MN.
When i have constipation, I take a tsp of Flax seed oil in the morning. I also had that problem in the hospital. When they gave me a new pill to take every day, I asked what it was. They said a vitamin. I later found out after I came home and filled the prescription what it actually was - Iron. The iron built up in my system and caused severe constipation! My point is try to determine what is causing the problem. Research possible side effects of whatever medicine you are taking. Hope this helps!
There are NO banned lists. Everybody is different. That's what I hate about most internet CKD advice. What are YOUR labs? Do you have high potassium? It doesn't matter what the web says or that another person's Dr. told them to limit it to 2000 mg of potassium. What is YOUR eGFR? Dietary orders for ESRD folks are much more restrictive, but again - must be based on your labs. What is YOUR age? If I were 80 and had a eGFR of 60 I'd eat whatever I damn well pleased. If you followed my diet you'd be taking in extra potassium and salt. I have no colon and my CKD is caused by dehydration. My Dr. orders are the opposite of someone else's. I'm need to drink non-stop, even though I'm at stage 4. Even once I start dialysis I'll be ordered to drink nonstop since most of what I drink goes right into my ostomy bag and never makes it to my kidneys. Please ask your Dr. what is best for you.
Well said!
Thanks. I'd hate for someone to be harmed by well meaning advice that doesn't fit their own situation.
Try LAXIDO, a well known prescribable laxative. 2/3 sachets/day will certainly get gut clearance quickly!👏👆Prescribed or over the counter.
Works by osmosis.
Gastroenterology depts use for faecal clearance in colon, rectum etc. vis colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.
Did the job well for me. ✅👏
Had impacted colon badly.🥺😥
Don't be telling this to people who are stage 4 and 5, it's not good advice. And people on dialysis certainly don't need to be told this. You need to clarify who you are talking to with these statements.
I had constipation on PD too. I used fiber gummies and a stool softener. That worked fairly well but the real solution came from switching to a more plant based source of protein, My nephrologist and dieticians informed me of the latest science and encouraged me to include lots of grains and legumes. That has worked like a charm.
So do you not worry about getting to much potassium in those grains and beans?
Since I've been on peritoneal dialysis my potassium is normal without any binders. I do have gas but I understand that it lessens as one's body adjusts. Phosphorous is more of a risk but new science shows that we absorb less of it from plant sources than meat. I have struggled with phosphorous for years so I'm glad to try the plant based protein.
Why are you giving possibly dangerous advice to CKD sufferers when you dont actually have any experience of the condition. I am late stage 4 sliding rapidly into stage 5 and am now extremely water restricted as to much fluid in diseased kidneys can overwork them and cause full scale failure. Have you the slightest idea how dangerous your lack of knowledge could be. The people on here take their advice on the whole, from the vast shared experience of suffering from this disease and from professional nephrologists, of which you are neither. With the greatest respect and meaning no deliberate offence, please be so much more careful and reserved with you advice. Sorry if this comes across as rude or has to be blocked but it is such a serious subject, i just had to comment. All kind thoughts willow.
Did the participants have late stage kidney disease
Ayurvedic treatment is another false hope scam. There is no cure only control. Any nephrologist worth his salt will tell you that.
Could you please dend me the link so i can read this study that apparently flies in the face of accepted wisdom
Anecdotal claims are not long term scientific studies with provable statistics to back it up. If this was truly the cure all it claims the desperately strap cashed National Health Service would have jump on it by now. I feel it may be best, as we appear to have very different but strongly held belief systems, that we perhaps should just respect each other and agree to disagree and i apologies if i have offended you. Namaste Willow.
Thats very true in America but I'm in Scotland where we have a free National Health Service all services free at point of need there is no price to pay for medicines medical care even surgery so our health system depends on full government funding and they wish to pay the least amount for drugs and treatments so would absolutely jump on cheaper more effective solutions.
Medicine in the UK is non profit.
You would not have paid a dollar here and still get expert top notch treatment. No one should only get health care if they can pay for it. My uncle in seatle broke an ankle and lost his home due to medical bills we would never tolerate that here. The entire population pays a very small proportion of their earning into national security pot and our health care is for all. I can call a doctor to visit my home inthe morning and he is there by lunchtime and my prescription is also free. I take 14 different drug for multiple severe health conditions and would be dead before i was sixty in the USA
Private medical insurance is only for those that can afford it. Many minimum wage earners in the USA cant afford it. There is an epidemic of medical poverty in your counrty right now.
I know a family working 3 low paid jobs who still cant afford to pay for their little girls cancer treatment. That is a horror to a British person.
Im very weak and tired now and struggling to maintain the energy to continue this pointless discussion and its not what i came here for. I do not wish to get into a USA versus UK political argument. Be well.
And yet there are adults dying of terminal lung cancer and still SMOKING!
Im seriously ill with multiple condition. Im stage 4/5 CKD i diabetic, have chronic arthritis i my knees back neck and hands. I have 2 heart conditions, high blood pressure thyroxine for my thyroid a nd i have diverticulitis of my colon so mutiple drugs to control each condtion. So yes you could say something is wrong im on morphine patrches for the severe pain im in and have carer's come in every day to perform the most basic ot tasks. I could not afford any of this if i lived in your country.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK YOUR DR IF PERDIUM IS OK FOR YOU. IT SAVED ME YEARS AGO AND HAS BEEN THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR ME AND I USED TO HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH CONSTIPATION . BUT BE SURE TO ASK YOUR DR ABOUT IT.
Thanks for that tip - I will give it a try.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, reversed and treated by a strict calorie controlled diet. (Read Swedish research studies)
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and type 1 diabetics are totally insulin dependent. There is no cure.
Type 2 diabetics are mostly obese with huge amounts of paunch fat blocking the insulin they produce from entering their cells. Type2 diabetes is a lifestyle caused condition.
Never confuse type 2 with type 1 diabetes. They have totally different causations.
Not sure where you got the T2 definition but it is not true in most cases.
Reversing/remitting type 2 diabetes:
bmj.com/company/newsroom/lo...
diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-th...
diabetes.co.uk/reversing-di...
webmd.com/diabetes/can-you-...
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