Albumin Levels

[Zach]

My Albumin was as high as 4.2 for a while.  But now it tends to hover around 4.0

[angieskidney]

mine was 3.7 last month .. if I am reading it right

[kevno]

Could be over here in the UK the decimal point is not there So that makes mine, if so 40. Will not do the poll just in case I am wrong. But been told 40 is OK for a renal patient.

[BigSky]

4.2 here

[Ohio Buckeye]

A while back mine was a 3.2 but have been working on bringing it up
and it is now a 3.7.  Trying to get it to a 4.

[Zach]

4.2 here

How do you do it BigSky?  You stated before in another post that you consume about 120-130 grams of protein/day.

I know you use a protein powder.  How many meals do you have ... three regular of five small?

[angieskidney]

Could be over here in the UK the decimal point is not there So that makes mine, if so 40. Will not do the poll just in case I am wrong. But been told 40 is OK for a renal patient.

I think the UK measure the same as Canada and mine is 37 which I figure was 3.7 in US standards which would make yours 4.0 I think

I can't find out til 2 weeks

[BigSky]

4.2 here

How do you do it BigSky?  You stated before in another post that you consume about 120-130 grams of protein/day.

I know you use a protein powder.  How many meals do you have ... three regular of five small?

I do 5-6 small meals.  Makes it much easier to control my PO4 because the binders are divided over smaller amounts of PO4 and not dealing with huge amounts from only 3 meals.

[Zach]

Much appreciated!

[Zach]

The following site explains more about serum albumin levels in dialysis patients:

http://www.kidney.org/professionals/kdoqi/guidelines_updates/nut_a03.html

[Zach]

And remember, albumin is not raised by short term eating, as is phosphorus and potassium.  It takes weeks of eating enough protein to raise the albumin levels.  Those levels are also affected by inflammation, so they're not the best marker for nutritional status.

[AlasdairUK]

And remember, albumin is not raised by short term eating, as is phosphorus and potassium.  It takes weeks of eating enough protein to raise the albumin levels.  Those levels are also affected by inflammation, so they're not the best marker for nutritional status.

Also any infections and your liver produces different chemicals and your albumin levels will drop.

[jasperkat]

My husband has had a terrible time with protein.  When I finally got him home from the nursing home - the food was terrible - it was 2.5 and he had developed pressures sores.  The dietition wants him to have 80 grams of protein a day.  It was just too much to consume so I found Prostat.  It is a liquid supplement with nothing else in it.  You only use 3 oz. and he mixes it in his soft drink.  He says you can't tell it's even there.  Now he is up to 3.0 - we're making headway.  The thing is lots of people won't use the protein supplement because it is not covered by insurance.  I use my flex plan to cover it.  Pressure sores are gone and his last fistula surgery healed so fast it was unbelievable.

[Zach]

The dietition wants him to have 80 grams of protein a day.  It was just too much to consume so I found Prostat.  It is a liquid supplement with nothing else in it.  You only use 3 oz. and he mixes it in his soft drink.  He says you can't tell it's even there.  Now he is up to 3.0 - we're making headway.

That's great.  Do you have any info on Prostat you can share with us?

[jasperkat]

You can get Prostat from CWI Medical online.  You can get regular and sugar free and different flavors.   I notice they now have renal formula.  Depending upon what kind, it runs about $30.00 a bottle.  I usually buy a case as it is a little cheaper and I don't have to keep ordering.  If really has worked wonders and my husband says it you can't even taste it in softdrink.

[jbeany]

Mine is 3.5

I'll have to watch that now - it's already at the low end of normal, and I just got back a high phos level for the first time, so I have to start really watching all the "bad" protein that I love so much, and eat too much!  (No more cheese or peanut butter - waaaaahhhh!)

[AlasdairUK]

The dietition wants him to have 80 grams of protein a day.  It was just too much to consume so I found Prostat.  It is a liquid supplement with nothing else in it.  You only use 3 oz. and he mixes it in his soft drink.  He says you can't tell it's even there.  Now he is up to 3.0 - we're making headway.

That's great. Do you have any info on Prostat you can share with us?

http://www.cwimedical.com/prostat1.html

Pro Stat Renal care, here is the nutritional information. It is all on the web site.

http://www.cwimedical.com/prc.html

[Zach]

 Thanks AlasdairUK!

[Sluff]

Is a Albumin level of 3.8 pre dialysis ok?

[angieskidney]

Is a Albumin level of 3.8 pre dialysis ok?

yes according to what I looked up last year:

Albumin 3.8-5.5 gm/dl for dialysis patients.

and according to BigSky's post I use as reference: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1844.msg24861#msg24861


Mine is on the low side of the range as well this month.

[thegrammalady]

Mine is 4.2

I understand "normal" is anything 3.7 and above. I'm sure there is a high end, but never having been there.................

[angieskidney]

I had to use a converter and thought I would share it here so even Canadian's and people in the UK can share in this thread

http://www.vin.com/scripts/labquest/converthtml.pl

According to this mine is 3.3 g/dl which is low.

[bluedove57]

Mine ranges from 3.5 to 3.7  am always told this is very good. 

[joseph_towey]

As of my last monthly report my albumin level was 3.5, which I was told was very low! My dietician suggested that increasing this number would prevent me from being so suceptible to illnesses as I go through my chemo.
I'm eating a whole lotta egg whites (I throw out the yolk b/c my cholesterol is high); I've also started to supplement my protein intake with nepro nutritional shakes and balance protein bars. Hopefully this will do the trick. I guess well find out shortly as my chemo is scheduled for later this week.

[BigSky]

As of my last monthly report my albumin level was 3.5, which I was told was very low! My dietician suggested that increasing this number would prevent me from being so suceptible to illnesses as I go through my chemo.
I'm eating a whole lotta egg whites (I throw out the yolk b/c my cholesterol is high); I've also started to supplement my protein intake with nepro nutritional shakes and balance protein bars. Hopefully this will do the trick. I guess well find out shortly as my chemo is scheduled for later this week.

While nepro is good to a degree.

If that doesnt bring it up you might move to a protein powder.  Some of the best for protein to K and PO₄ content or Designer Whey, Optimum Nutrition gold whey and Cytosport.