Phoslo (calcium acetate) side effects?

[austinsoul2011]

Hi,

Is anyone having problems with their phosphate-control binder meds (Phoslo / calcium acetate)?  Ever since my dad's started this new medication, he's been feeling extra-depressed and lethargic.  No energy, no willpower, some nausea, and he's mostly just lying on the sofa, feeling sorry for himself.  I'd really appreciate any feedback or experiences anyone could share.  Breaks my heart to see my elderly (73 yrs) dad feeling so down all the time.

Much love,
Steve

[Joe]

I take calcium acetate daily and I haven't noticed those kinds of side effects. At least not yet. I feel that way when my hemoglobin counts get low.

[lmunchkin]

Austin, my J takes this med & renvella and has no problems as of yet. He has been taking these meds for years now.  I think, as my husband has had these symptoms also, is not necessarily due to meds but to CKD!  Most everyone on this board can attest to these symptoms due to their kidney disease. 

All of these symptoms you have described are within normal & understandable situations that people with this disease, have!  I don't think it is necessarily the PhosLo.  But then, Iam not a Doc, so ask to be sure!

Praying for your Dad & you!  It is so very hard to deal with, but at least he has you!

lmunchkin
 

[MooseMom]

I hesitate to recount my own experience with phos binders because everyone experiences this disease so differently.  Also, any medication affects different people in different ways.  Saying that, though, here's what I've observed...

I am not on dialysis yet, but it is close and has been for some years now.  I started taking renvela about 10 months ago.  I take a shedload of pills every day, so I am always on the lookout for adverse affects.  I've been lucky in that nothing I take has made me feel really gross.

I am supposed to take two tablets with either lunch or dinner.  I usually take them with dinner because since my husband is home for dinner, that meal tends to be less renally friendly and, so, a bit higher in phos.  There have been a few occasions, though, when I've taken them at lunch.

I started feeling a bit of nausea and just assumed that it was due to further decline in my renal function.  But my labs were mostly unchanged, so that's when it dawned on me that it could be the binders.  On the occasions when I've taken them at lunch, after about an hour or two, I started feeling a bit motion-sick, not to the point where I wanted to throw up but definitely to the point where I felt like doing nothing but occupying my chair.

When I take them in the evening, I don't feel the affects quite so much, probably because I go to bed soon after.  But last night I felt that same motion-sick feeling, and this morning I feel much better, so again, I think it is the binders.  I didn't have much to eat last night AND I had a small glass of wine, and that plus the binders is probably what made me feel bad.

If your dad is having to take binders with every meal and with everything he eats, I wouldn't be surprised if the binders might be partly to blame.  When you feel this nausea, you get depressed because it makes you feel like there is just no hope in the world.  Since I take mine only once a day, I have the opportunity to feel the difference between the time I take them and the time I don't.

I do not take the same binder as your dad, I will point out.

It is easy to blame everything on CKD, and god knows that CKD has multiple effects.  But at the same time, those of us with this disease take an inordinate amount of drugs, so it is very possible that a particular drug can make you feel like crap but you'd never think to question it because you just assume you're supposed to feel bad if you have CKD.

I know this has been wordy, and my apologies for that, but it might be worthwhile to really think about how your dad felt before versus after starting taking binders.  You seem to have made a gut connection, and I personally think that is worth exploring.

Good luck to your dad.

[MooseMom]

PS...since taking binders, I've had many bouts of epic squirties, but as time goes on, my bowels seem to have adjusted.  LOL!  My point is that binders can and do have an effect on the GI tract as that is what they are supposed to do in the first place.  I can't imagine taking binders and never having any side effect! 

[lmunchkin]

You could be right MM, but I know in J's case, he has this symptoms all the time.  Sometimes worse than others!  Even before he was prescribed binders, he had these symptoms.  I know that alot of you have this fear that every ache and pain is due to CKD, I totally get that.  But the fact of the matter is, alot of these occurences can be attributed to the kidney failure too.  So it is such a fine line for all of you.

I do not envy your positions and circumstances with this Crap!  It is awful!  I believe your neph should know or maybe can test you on another binder, to be sure.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

[MooseMom]

I agree, lmunchkin, that CKD is usually the culprit for all kinds of things.  But austinsoul seems to think that these particular symptoms started after his dad began taking the binders, so that coupled with my own experience makes me wonder if in this particular instance, it's the binder that's causing these particular symptoms.

I think this may be one of those cases where my neph won't have much to say.  I am not debilitated by this nausea, and I don't particularly want to change binders because the renvela doesn't have calcium, and my calcium had run just a tad bit high.  Another binder might give me a different set of side effects, and I really don't want to waste the time faffing about with it.

[lmunchkin]

Moosey, I got to ask this, so please explain what "faffing" means.  Lol.  Ive never seen that word before.  I figure its just another one of your sophisticated (?) words that you have stored away in your "treasure chest".   Or could you have missed spelled it as I so often do.  Lol

I do feel that Steve should have this checked out, especially if this is a symptom his father hadn't had before binders.

God Bless,
lmunchkin
 

[MooseMom]

Moosey, I got to ask this, so please explain what "faffing" means.  Lol.  Ive never seen that word before.  I figure its just another one of your sophisticated (?) words that you have stored away in your "treasure chest".   Or could you have missed spelled it as I so often do.  Lol

I do feel that Steve should have this checked out, especially if this is a symptom his father hadn't had before binders.

God Bless,
lmunchkin
 

In this context, "faffing about with..." means "messing around with...", so I'm trying to say that I don't want to mess around with new binders or new dosages because that might just make me feel worse.

Oh yeah, like I have such a sophisticated vocabulary!  LOL!

[lmunchkin]

    I thought you'd like that!!!!
lmunchkin