PD and diet

[Willis]

My neph is in favor of me going on CCPD. He says the only disadvantage for me is the possibility of weight gain. Since my BMI is borderline for transplant he says I will have to be especially vigilant. (I am prone to gain weight.)

Has anyone on PD had experience with weight gain issues? Right now I'm on a low-potassium diet. What kind of diet will I need for PD?


 

[paul.karen]

Everyone is different as far as diets go.
I do PD and i have lost 20/22 pounds.  Not sure if it is from the cycler or maybe some of my meds.  But my appetite isnt that big anymore.  Not that im complaining.
Once you start your nutritionist will (should) give you a monthly report on whats high or low and you can adjust eating habits from there.
My main problem for now is getting my Phosphors under control

[Willis]

Is phosphorus always a problem with PD? Or does that vary from person to person...I do love my cheese and dairy products. 
 

[paul.karen]

It varies.  Some people are told to eat more phosphorous foods.  Im not one of them.

I think it is a problem in dialysis patients whether PD or Hemo.

[Atooraya]

Hi Willis

I've been on dialysis for about 7 months and have now begun experiencing some weight gain - 10 Lbs in last two months.
Some of the weigh gain I attribute to PD. My body has been absorbing the fluid when it sits in my abdomen for longer than 6 hours. So I've developed some countermeasures by listening to PD patients on this site and talking to my neph.
They are, of course watching my diet, and using green solution for the last fill. It appears that my body does not absorb the green solution as quickly as it does the yellow. Also I try to do an exchange in mid-day.
I try to get out to the gym every morning for some cardio and increase by calorie burn.

Hope this helps,
Fred

[peleroja]

When I was on PD I did indeed gain 50 pounds.  Somewhere on here I have posted the amount of calories in each bag of dialysate.  As for the diet, I found it to be much more relaxed as you are dialyzing every night.  Whether on PD or hemo, I have always eaten what I wanted, just in moderation.

[HouseOfDialysis]

Concur. PD has allowed me to get back to eating "nornally, but for fear of phosphorous, I have cut out dairy/nuts entirely with the exception of when my labs come back low and they tell me to eat more of it. For instance, my last Phosphorous number was 2.6. MILKSHAKE TIME!

[cath-hater]

Any weight gain would most likely be because of the dialysate. It's made mostly of dextrose (sugar) and your body, unavoidably, absorbs it.  My neph tells me it's equivalent to eating 2 bowls of rice a day.  Phosphorous levels is a common concern for most PD patients, but is very manageable.  Just follow the low dairy, nut, etc.. diet and take your binders and you'll do fine.  I personally take Pholo.  I've taken Fosrenol and Renegel and never really did anything for me except make me constipated all the time.  My itching was soooooooo bad at one point because my phosphorous was at 12 (that's frickin high). Once I switched to Pholo, my phosphorous is under control and I'll admit, I eat cheese once and awhile and other dairy products.  And the Phoslo is a convenient chewable tablet kinda like Tums antacids.

[Jie]

Weight is the problems for most PDers. Regular exercises should take care of it. Phosphorous is also a very common problem for PD, because PD does not filter much phosphorus. The binder usually can control phosphorus. Potassium is not a problem for PD; PD filters potassium very well. In fact, one has to eat potassium-rich foods when on PD.

[WishIKnew]

My first three years on PD I lost 75 pounds (tough the first 35 or so was water weight and came of in the first month!).  In the last year
I have gained back about 30 pounds.  I a currently dangerously close to the BMI cut off for transplant...  So, I MUSt get moving!  I think the weight gain this year has WAY more to do with stress and depression than PD...  I need to exercise more and be positive and my weight will go down again.  I really don't eat much.....

As far a phospherous, I had no problems for the first three years, but lately it's been just a little high.  I do love my cheese, too.  And the occassional diet Coke!

[murf]

I gained weight when I first started but when I started on extraneal bag, my weight varied only if I over eat (just like any one else). You can have more potassium but less phosphorous than on hemo. Be VERY careful of your phosphate level. After 5 years of battling phosphate problems, my calcium has gradually increased calcium problems. I have had a carpel tunnel operation due to calcium, three blockages of my fistula and about to have a triple by pass due to the calcium narrowing the arteries.