Deodorants

[paddbear0000]

I remember someone asking about why deodorants say it's bad for people with kidney disease, but I have a slightly different question. Have any of you had a doctor suggest that you stop using it because of your kidneys? Has anyone actually stopped using it? Are there deodorants out there that are safe for kidney patients? Or is it not really that big of a problem?

[paris]

No doctor or nurse has ever said anything like this to me.   Is this similar to the thought that deodorants cause breast cancer?  I  would like to see proof.

[paddbear0000]

No doctor or nurse has ever said anything like this to me.   Is this similar to the thought that deodorants cause breast cancer?  I  would like to see proof.

I'm wondering because they all seem to say to not use them if you have kidney disease.

[goofynina]

Here is another thread where it discusses about deodorants as well... http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=567.msg4034#msg4034

[paddbear0000]

Ah Ha! I found this on WebMD, in answer to someone who asked if they should ask their nephro about using deodorant...

"You can ask the doc, but I think that he will laugh a little bit.

This thing has a long history: Years ago, it was found that dialysis patients were accumulating aluminum in the body tissues (nobody had really thought about the aluminum content of city water much before that.) Aluminum in the blood stream and in the body can displace calcium from bones, weakening the bone structure, it can also accumulate in brain tissue, in rare cases causing aluminum encephalopathy.

These days the reverse-osmosis filtered water used in dialysis machines is tested frequently for aluminum content, so it's not a big deal any more.

A slightly lower, but still significant risk comes from swallowing magnesium/aluminum antiacids, so those are usually off the list for dialysis patients.

Now, some genius at the FDA assumed that the warning on antiperspirants was a cool idea, even though it is very hard to absorb aluminum through the skin. (To me, it is sort of like expecting an aspirin to cure a headache by holding the tablet between your fingers: it's just silly to expect enough to get into the bloodstream via that route.)

Anyway, ask the neph to be safe and for peace of mind. But I don't think that there has ever been a single documented case of aluminum intoxication simply from application of aluminum-containing products to the skin."

[goofynina]

Good for you paddbear, i am sure that little bit of info will ease the minds of many (including mine)    Good find 

[paris]

Thanks for researching that for us!   One less thing to think about!

[stauffenberg]

Deodorants almost always contain a high aluminum content which can indeed be absorbed into the body through the armpits, since that area of the body has large pores and a heavy concentration of lymph glands to spread the alumninum throughout the patient.  Since dialysis patients all have poor clearance of toxins, especially of metals, any aluminum getting into the body can be serious.  One nephrologist I had urged all his patients at our center to stop using deodorants, pointing out that in his native India most people did not use them and it was no problem.  Given the cultural expectations in North America, however, his advice seemed difficult to follow.

[Romona]

I often wondered about about the warning on deodorant lables. Thanks for the info.
Has anyone ever tried the ones from health food stores? They are rather expensive. I was wondering if the were worth it.

[Black]

It's not just absorption through the skin it is inhaling the aerosols in the spray deodorant.  There are many deodorants on the market without aluminum.  Just read the ingredient list on the label.

[kitkatz]

I use Almay.  I stink, there, I admitted it. The toxins in my body have built up and I stink if I do not wear deoderant. Right guard sucks.  I smell like a guy all day long in right guard. Icky poo!  I found Almay gel deoderant works best for me and I do not itch under the arms after two or three days.

[Zach]

Deodorants almost always contain a high aluminum content ...

Actually, it's antiperspirants which contain aluminum, most deodorants do not.
The aluminum-based chemicals in antiperspirant prevent the sweat from reaching the exterior layer of skin.

[jollor]

They make antiperspirants without the aluminum. I bought some Adidas 24hr deo control. It advertises extra absorption too. I never realized the whole deodorant thing until I was reading the back of mine out of boredom and it had a warning for those with kidney disease so that's when I switched to my Adidas.

[paddbear0000]

I had read a bunch of deodorants at the store one time and never came across any that didn't have the warning. Thanks for the suggestions. In your opinion, do these non-aluminum ones work as well or last as long as aluminum ones?

[jollor]

Well that Adidas one I mentioned seems to be working pretty good. I'm smelling pretty good and I dont' have to worry about the nurse or tech getting a whiff of something when they go in to stick me.

[RichardMEL]

wow I never heard this before. nobody said anything to me.. no neph, no nurse, no nobody.. I must go check my deodorant!!!

I don't really want to walk around stinking, but I don't really want to add to my toxins stupidly

but then again they have me on al based phosphate binders.. hmmmm

[jollor]

I think you should talk to them about getting rid of those aluminum based phosphate binders. The dietician told me about they used to use them but they didn't anymore because the aluminum would bulid up in your body and cause problems.

[Zach]

I think you should talk to them about getting rid of those aluminum based phosphate binders. The dietician told me about they used to use them but they didn't anymore because the aluminum would bulid up in your body and cause problems.

They're only used in the most limited and short term way to reduce PO₄.

Unfortunately, your body absorbs some calcium when you use a calcium-based binder and you absorb some lanthanum with the newer lanthanum-based phosphate binders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanum

At least with calcium, it's supposed to be in the human body, while lanthanum is not.