Dialysis Diet?

ktstacy
ktstacy Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My grandmother just recently started dialysis. For her safety and my ease-of-mind, I'm moving her to live with my husband and me. I know dialysis patients need to follow a strict diet but I don't really understand all of it (even with all the handouts they gave me.) Is there anything I need to know and how will it affect my diet?

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    did you ask the dr?
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
    The dialysis diet is the worst diet ever!!!!!

    Extremely limited potassium, phosphorous, increased calcium but not by adding any of the prior two.

    List of do not eat which you or your grandmother should have gotten: bananas, orange juice, milk, ANYTHING with phosphorous in the ingredient list (if you do not already read lists you need to start now), tomatoes, yogurt, ice cream, most cereals, cheese, actually any diary product and almost anything with added sodium. The list is endless.

    I worked in dialysis for 15 years. If I can be of help or answer questions please PM me.

    Best of luck to her

    Oh, and to prevent dealing with infections your grandmother should get a permanent access (av fistula) its the best thing for her.
  • ktstacy
    ktstacy Posts: 14 Member
    The dr. gave me the handouts and didn't bother to explain it. They don't like to explain anything. I know no sodium. but that's it.
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
    Drs love to leave that stuff to the staff

    Make an appt with the clinics Dietitian. He/she can explain it all very well I am sure

    Oh and ask about home dialysis (peritoneal and home hemo). Your grandmother will need to be educated on it within 90 days. If there is any possibility of her doing one of these two programs the restrictions on what she can eat lessen a little.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Depending on where she goes there should be a dietitian at the facility. Just ask the nurses and they can point you to the RD. She has not begun dialysis correct? Getting ready to start? It may be such a thing if you are preparing food you will have to modify your Grandma's food so it matches what the family is eating but follows the strict guidelines.

    Just a starter avoid potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and once she goes onto dialysis you will want a high protein diet. I always like to think of a renal diet as the standard American diet minus the cheese. A slice of chicken breast (no salt) on white bread with an iceberg lettuce salad oil/vinegar dressing, and some applesauce.

    Here's another link with some better ideas...

    http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis.cfm
  • ktstacy
    ktstacy Posts: 14 Member
    auntiemsgr8: i sent you a PM


    And she started dialysis on 11/23 at a hospital. She went to her dialysis center the day before thanksgiving and this past Saturday so nobody but the nurses working the machine was there. She goes tomorrow so I'm hoping the dietician will be there. Thank y'all for the help. This is so confusing and the Drs. are no help.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    It is a pretty restrictive diet; many of the foods you think are healthy are now forbidden. Hopefully there is a dietitian working with her unit. The National Kidney Foundation also has some good resources and information about diet and other things.
    http://www.kidney.org/
  • ktstacy
    ktstacy Posts: 14 Member
    Would this diet be ok for somebody who is relatively healthy? I don't want my grandmother to feel like she's being punished for being sick by not being able to eat all the stuff she wants if my husband and I still eat it. Plus I don't want to put the temptation for her to eat the stuff by having it in the house, but I don't want my husband's and my health to suffer.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    You might find it a bit bland and repetitive but there is nothing unhealthy about the food itself. It's a chance to learn to cook with different herbs and spices instead of using salt. There is a list of lower potassium fruits and vegetables that would be ok for your grandmother so you could serve those along side of what you and your husband might want (i.e. have two or three veg on the table, one or two that gm can eat)

    Definitely ask the dietitian for tips. There are some units where patients share recipes. I know of one where they printed a recipe book and distributed to other units as well.

    Good luck. And kudos to you for taking your grandmother into your home:flowerforyou:
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis.cfm

    Got this link on the kidney.org website. Their explanation of the diet looked pretty simple and straight forward. Hope this helps.

    Good luck sweetheart.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Depending on where she goes there should be a dietitian at the facility. Just ask the nurses and they can point you to the RD. She has not begun dialysis correct? Getting ready to start? It may be such a thing if you are preparing food you will have to modify your Grandma's food so it matches what the family is eating but follows the strict guidelines.

    Just a starter avoid potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and once she goes onto dialysis you will want a high protein diet. I always like to think of a renal diet as the standard American diet minus the cheese. A slice of chicken breast (no salt) on white bread with an iceberg lettuce salad oil/vinegar dressing, and some applesauce.

    Here's another link with some better ideas...

    http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/dietary_hemodialysis.cfm

    The Standard American Diet (SAD) is the worst for a kidney patient, for anyone really..............

    Research high fat, moderate protein ways of eating for reversing kidney failure in kidney patients. The Dr's tried this with my mom and many of his other patients (he was successful with many patients).......the damage to my mom's kidneys was too far gone to help her out and she refused to eat the way he prescribed a lot of the time due to being fat phobic.

    From Mount Sinai Medical Center:
    http://www.newswise.com/articles/low-carbohydrate-diet-may-reverse-kidney-failure-in-people-with-diabetes

    From other news sources:

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hZscngiQ9EAfARNXlvrFAmo7vvkA?docId=CNG.8f3978944ced6ecb647abe0245a4b1df.4c1

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110420184429.htm

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