I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: KICKSTART on April 24, 2009, 01:17:11 PM
-
Just wondered what you guys take for it ? We seem to be very limited over here to either calci chew or something similar. They all need chewing and all are very chalky ! Im having big trouble finding something i can take as the chalky stuff just makes me gag , then im usually sick ..which kinda defeats the object ! Why cant they make a medicine? The best option i was given was a soluble tablet but that takes up half my fluid allowance ..so no way !!
-
I'm on the chalky tablet, and I actually prefer it. I was on Phoslo, which is pills, and I hated "wasting" all the water it took to swallow them. The Fosrenol, which is the giant white chalk tablet is easier for me, plus I can bite it into smaller amounts to match the amount of phos in my meal. If you put candy in the bottle with the tablets, they take on the flavor of the candy. (Dried fruit works for this as well.) Have you tried that? Or break it into small pieces and alternate it with bites of your meal.
-
I just take Tums. I do not chew however, I just swallow it. It still digest in the stomach, you just need the calcium to bind to the phosphorus.
-
I just take Tums. I do not chew however, I just swallow it. It still digest in the stomach, you just need the calcium to bind to the phosphorus.
When you say 'tums' what do you mean ? im in the UK ! Do you mean 'Settlers Tums' which are sold over here for indigestion ?
-
Dan dose that work? I was told high phosphorus is why I itch. It just wasn't high enough to take anything for it. Thanks I am going to try that.
-
http://www.tums.com/
It's an antacid med sold over the counter. It's made of calcium carbonate, which settles the tummy and also binds phosphorus. Don't just start chewing them at random, though. Eating too many can raise your blood levels of calcium. If your level is already high, that's a bad thing. High calcium can cause seizures and stop your heart!
-
I have been taking Tums (when I am compliant) because the prescribed Phoslo is too expensive here.
-
Yup its the same tums we have over here! I wonder why no one has mentioned them ..not only are they small but they are fruity as well !!! Just out of interest how many do you take , because i dont expect the nursing staff over here will know ! Those are fine , i used to take those way back for indigestion!!
-
Yup its the same tums we have over here! I wonder why no one has mentioned them ..not only are they small but they are fruity as well !!!
Haha Fruity is always good! Tums were my best friend when I was pregnant.
-
I take one with each meal. This is all under my doc's orders. I have never taken any other binders and my levels are perfect. I have been doing this for a year now. Please check with your doc...
-
Thanks Dan .. im going to suggest it next visit .. just wondering why they dont mention them over here .. mind you half the stuff we know they havent a clue about ! :rofl;
-
Thanks Dan .. im going to suggest it next visit .. just wondering why they dont mention them over here .. mind you half the stuff we know they havent a clue about ! :rofl;
Here is a list of commonly prescribed drugs by the National Kidney Federation (UK):
http://www.kidney.org.uk/Medical-Info/drugs/index.html
Go down the list to phosphate binders.
... Alucaps
... Calcichew
... Phosex
... Renagel
... Titralac
And from the Renal Association (UK):
http://www.renal.org/pages/pages/guidelines/current/haemodialysis.php#Full_S6
Guideline 6.5- HD: Laboratory and clinical indices of dialysis adequacy other than dialysis dose
Pre-dialysis serum phosphate should be between 1.1 and 1.8mmol/l. (Good practice)
8)
-
I took Tums, as well. But after a while my Calcium got way too high and my doctor had me stop.
-
Well thanks guys I see my doc on the 5th and will make sure I ask him about it.
-
The Tums act as a "binder" and bind up the phosphorus and eliminate it through solid waste instead of through your kidneys/urine.
That might have been said by somone above, sorry if I'm repeating. :)
-
My teenage daughter must take 9 Ultra 1000 tums per day. She has to carry them wherever she goes and if she eats, she takes TUMS. Everyone in the Childrens Hospital dialysis center must take TUMS. All of the kids hate the dietician, because of the TUMS issue. I am just my daughter's caregiver, but I personally like the creme tums in the cocoa and creme flavored tums. :flower;
-
I take renagel and it's been great... phosphorus keeps steadily going down. At the last labs it was 3.5.
-
The tums are better than other meds. Phoslo gave me the runs.
-
Before Richie had his parathyroidectomy (Feb. 5 ,2009) Richie was taking renagel then it was switched to renvela, plus a few Tums. Since the parathyroidectomy he has been off the phos binders, because his calcium levels had dropped along with his phos, and pth (which was in the 3,000 range before) He's hoping that at our next appointment with the neph that she doesn't put him back on them. He thoroughly enjoyed the last month and a half because of the surgery he was actually able to drink milk; his calcium levels have stabilized so back on restrictions. the Tums do help, and are a bit easier than pills, if you can get past the chalky bit.
tiffany jean
-
Fosrenol 1000mg with each meal. Really is the best,for me anyway.
Have partD plan through Wellcare insurance. Makes me sick when I see they pay $479 and I pay $39 copay for 93 tablets. Gap is fast approaching and I can't afford $518 for this.
My calcium at last labs was 10.6. Hard to avoid calcium when it is added to almost everything.
-
I don't like Tums so I just get regular Calcium Carbonate vitamins that you swallow whole that you can get at any drug or vitamin store. I have to take a bunch of those for the Calcium and some with meals to bind Phosphorus.
I'm in the US though.
-
Cant take tums , because of the calcium. So im back to square one ! Most of the ones you just swallow upset my stomach and the others just make me :puke;
-
Otto is on phoslo and he still is running 5-7.2 I know it's high. I'm gonna ask about adding tums and see if that might help.
-
I used to take simple (and cheap) calcium carbonate tablets but then my calcium level got too high so I was switched to expensive (but effective) Renagel.
-
I am on a mix of Caltrate and Renagel.
I use to take only Caltrate but due to my rising calcium levels I have now been switched to Renagel as well.
-
When I was on PD I took Tums. After my transplant, they put on Renagel for only 2 weeks. Now I'm left with a huge bottle of Renagel that caused me $32 that I don't use. Not sure what to do with it. Be happy to give them away since I'm no longer taking them.
RG
-
Otto is on phoslo and he still is running 5-7.2 I know it's high. I'm gonna ask about adding tums and see if that might help.
Does he drink soda? My phosphorus is usually only that high if I've been drinking soda that has Phosphoric Acid (Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and a few more but pretty much any cola type drink) in it and forgot to take binders with it. Doctor told me Phosphoric Acid is absorbed into the body faster than Phosphorus in food!
Just something for everyone to think abt and remember.
-
Ok, so I think I started the Tums thing on this thread, but in my clinic visit today they told me to stop taking them. All my LABS are great so I asked why. My dialysis team said they were just at a dialysis conference in Texas and were lectured on the fact that long studies have shown that taking a daily source of calcium even if your calcium levels are not high, lead to a calcium build up in your blood vessels. We all know that’s not good.
Has anyone herd of this or read any articles?