Sak Recall

[Zach]

We are now using a Britta filter for all drinking water. I hope it filters out aluminum as we cant seem to get an answer. It does filter out most metals. We just started this last month. Hopefully it should help.
If anyone knows more about the Britta system please let me know. It uses an activated carbon and ion exchange resin to filter water.  It does list copper, mercury and cadmium , chlorine and zinc  as being filtered. Since non renal patients aren't harmed by aluminum it wouldnt list it anyway.

Dear Dr. O,

I can't answer your aluminum question, but you should be aware of the issue with the BRITA filter adding potassium to the filtered water.

http://www.brita.net/ae/faqs_household.html?L=24

FAQs - frequently asked questions

I am on a potassium restricted diet, is filtered water still suitable for me?
BRITA cartridges contain potassium partly due to the production process and partly from naturally occurring potassium in the activated carbon.  This potassium is gradually released into the filtered water over several litres; the rate of release depends on the hardness of the water. The higher the hardness the faster the potassium is washed out.
 
Potassium is essential for many functions in the human body, especially for cell renewal.  As it is considered to be such a beneficial mineral, there is no maximum limit for potassium in the drinking water standards.  The amount of potassium in BRITA water is negligible and not relevant at all for people with normal health.
 
Individuals with kidney disease or those who have to monitor their potassium intake should be aware of the possible increase in potassium in the early litres of water filtered through each new BRITA cartridge and may wish to discuss this with their doctor. Contact BRITACare Customer Services for further information.

###

Please note:

I believe the above website & information is from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) BRITA website.

The American BRITA website FAQ is less forthcoming:
https://www.brita.com/using-your-brita/faqs/

 

[caregivertech1]

Interesting that Maggie and Jeff's Al was 5 micrograms/liter in both Saks and bags. On May 9th  (before we knew of the recall) I submitted a Sak AND a Pak sample to Spectra. We all know the Pak RO system is about the best there is. However both Sak and Pak had identical AL results of 8 micrograms/liter. How can that be? I really don't think Spectra has the sensitivity/accuracy to measure AL in water or Saks or bags.  We're testing blood serum AL every 2 weeks. Last result was 19, up from 12 2 weeks ago. Heard from a reliable source that all will be "resolved" by Oct. which to me means the current contaminated Sacs will all be exhausted from inventory. Now using 2 hanging bags to complete our 30L treatment. This is totally unbelievable.

[Hemodoc]

Interesting that Maggie and Jeff's Al was 5 micrograms/liter in both Saks and bags. On May 9th  (before we knew of the recall) I submitted a Sak AND a Pak sample to Spectra. We all know the Pak RO system is about the best there is. However both Sak and Pak had identical AL results of 8 micrograms/liter. How can that be? I really don't think Spectra has the sensitivity/accuracy to measure AL in water or Saks or bags.  We're testing blood serum AL every 2 weeks. Last result was 19, up from 12 2 weeks ago. Heard from a reliable source that all will be "resolved" by Oct. which to me means the current contaminated Sacs will all be exhausted from inventory. Now using 2 hanging bags to complete our 30L treatment. This is totally unbelievable.

I agree, that doesn't sound right since the Bags to the best of my knowledge are produced by PiSA which was not involved in the recall. No Bags were recalled. Everyone with high levels of aluminum that switched back to the bags has had both symptom improvement and lowered Aluminum levels.

For anyone with aluminum overload, the guidelines state to have "aluminum free" dialysate. If the current PureFlow is truly only 5 mcg/liter, then indeed, that is still too high a level and the K/DOQI guidelines are complete baloney. For me, I am sticking with the bags until  a new machine is available.

[Maggie and Jeff]

I posted 2 separate SAK lot # tests Both showed .005

I posted 1 Hanging bag test it showed Less Than (Or as I was corrected earlier)<.005

I figure less than <.005 is as low as the lab can test.  So the first reading on the lab instrument would be .005 maybe even if there was .003 it would still show .005.

I saw that the SAK's had elevated:
Aluminum @ .005 & .005
Chromium @ .006 & .007
Copper     @ .007
Zinc         @ .005
sulfate      @ 1.4   & 1.3

The hanging bags had this elevated:
Zinc .045

We have a AAMI out to the lab on our hanging bags so I'll have those results soon.

Maggie is feeling better and sharper mentally after a month of using bags.  Maggie's AL was 18 last month and that was up from the previous month.  The Doc. wanted to know "Where is the aluminum coming from?  Your dishes?"  We both said it's the dialsate but we could use the hanging bags and here are the results from the AAMI's of both.

So we are using the bags and now the AL is 13.

I'd switch to bags for a month and see if the AL comes down even faster.

[obsidianom]

We are now using a Britta filter for all drinking water. I hope it filters out aluminum as we cant seem to get an answer. It does filter out most metals. We just started this last month. Hopefully it should help.
If anyone knows more about the Britta system please let me know. It uses an activated carbon and ion exchange resin to filter water.  It does list copper, mercury and cadmium , chlorine and zinc  as being filtered. Since non renal patients aren't harmed by aluminum it wouldnt list it anyway.

Dear Dr. O,

I can't answer your aluminum question, but you should be aware of the issue with the BRITA filter adding potassium to the filtered water.

http://www.brita.net/ae/faqs_household.html?L=24

FAQs - frequently asked questions

I am on a potassium restricted diet, is filtered water still suitable for me?
BRITA cartridges contain potassium partly due to the production process and partly from naturally occurring potassium in the activated carbon.  This potassium is gradually released into the filtered water over several litres; the rate of release depends on the hardness of the water. The higher the hardness the faster the potassium is washed out.
 
Potassium is essential for many functions in the human body, especially for cell renewal.  As it is considered to be such a beneficial mineral, there is no maximum limit for potassium in the drinking water standards.  The amount of potassium in BRITA water is negligible and not relevant at all for people with normal health.
 
Individuals with kidney disease or those who have to monitor their potassium intake should be aware of the possible increase in potassium in the early litres of water filtered through each new BRITA cartridge and may wish to discuss this with their doctor. Contact BRITACare Customer Services for further information.

###

Please note:

I believe the above website & information is from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) BRITA website.

The American BRITA website FAQ is less forthcoming:
https://www.brita.com/using-your-brita/faqs/

 

Thanks for that Zach. You are right about the potassium . I noticed my wifes potassium go up from 4.9 to 5.1 since the start of the Britta. In her case its ok as she gets low after dialysis anyway (3.7) , so it actually may help. I wish I knew whether it takes out aluminum.

[Zach]

 I wish I knew whether it takes out aluminum.

Dear Dr. O,

Here are the results on several brands of countertop water filters.
I'm not sure how reliable the web site sponsor is, so take it as you will.

http://www.naturalnews.com/046536_water_filters_heavy_metals_lab_results.html

According to their labs, the BRITA filter adds aluminum.

Note:  One needs to provide an eMail address to read the results, so I added a screen shot below.
 

[obsidianom]

 I wish I knew whether it takes out aluminum.

Dear Dr. O,

Here are the results on several brands of countertop water filters.
I'm not sure how reliable the web site sponsor is, so take it as you will.

http://www.naturalnews.com/046536_water_filters_heavy_metals_lab_results.html

According to their labs, the BRITA filter adds aluminum.

Note:  One needs to provide an eMail address to read the results, so I added a screen shot below.
 

Zach, you are a SAVIOR. I cant thank you enough.
I am apalled at the poor performance on the Britta. My wife actually has been feeling poorly the past 3 weeks since we started using it so perhaps that is the cause as our water is already high in aluminum and Brtitta makes it worse.
I advise everyone here on dialysis to read the lab reports on these water systems.
I just dumped the Britta and ordered Zero Water system. That has 100 % aluminum reduction. It has an ion exchange system as its primary filter rather then charcoal like Britta. Charcoal does nothing for aluminum or other metals. 
This is why this is such a great site . We all pitch in to help each other. Thanks again Zach.

[Maggie and Jeff]

Our clinic nurse says 13 on Maggies AL is the lowest it has been since January 2014.

The labs where pulled 6 weeks after starting hanging bags only.

I'm hoping that she will be under 10 when we pull labs next time.

[Hemodoc]

Mine also dropped to 13 last month. Will see what the next one does. But clinically, I feel significantly improved. I am not going back to the PureFlow. It is time for NxStage to eliminate all aluminum from their products.

[caregivertech1]

Maybe my math is crazy but I just read the recall letter again and noticed the FULLY DILUTED affected Saks averaged 12.2 mg/L. They also say the product specification requires CONCENTRATE aluminum levels to be less than 10 mg/L. Are they referring to the FULLY DILUTED Saks or the CONCENTRATED BEFORE DILUTION Saks? If the latter that would put the AL concentrated Sak limit at 210 mg/L for Sak 302 which is diluted by 21. Surely they are talking in both cases about diluted Saks. Or are they?