Is chocolate allow for CKD patient that only has 6% function left???!!!

[tsengyu1943]

I found my mil snacking on chocolates while I specifically told her it's the food she need to avoid.  She's going in for catheter placement surgery soon, will her snacking affect her blood work? 

[Joe]

The chocolate will impact both her Phosphorous and Potassium. Once I started on dialysis, my team told me to avoid it as much as possible. Still snuck a taste in from time to time, but nothing major. Remember, all things in moderation 

[cattlekid]

I agree with Joe.  Speaking from experience as the patient, you are going to have a long fight with your MIL if you couch everything as "allowed" vs. "not allowed".  Other than starfruit (which all ESRD patients must avoid due to a particular toxin), everything else is a matter of bloodwork, what type of dialysis you are doing and how you tolerate foods/beverages as a patient. 

For example, I never had issues with potassium.  I ate potatoes and tomatoes as I wanted.  This gave my dietitian fits.  She thought that because she told me that I couldn't eat these foods, I wouldn't.  Well, not really.  Since I had residual kidney function left and was on daily home hemodialysis, I could be a little more liberal with my diet.  Would I ever tell anyone else on dialysis to eat potatoes and tomatoes?  Of course not!  What worked for me wouldn't have necessarily worked for someone else.   

[RichardMEL]

Agree. telling someone "never" and "don't" is like asking for someone to probably do it. "avoid" or "steer clear of" is better.

really though at a GFR of 6, the K won't be processed as well as a normal kidney, and as most know high K can lead to some very serious effects up to and including the heart stopping and so on, so it's a serious matter.

I've always said to be "smart" with one's diet. We all love a treat - be it cheese, choccy, a coke, whatever. The thing is to do it approprlately, and in the context of other foods. For example, if you want to have some chocolate, then the rest of the day's diet should be extra low-K to make up for it.

Once on D, if MIL really wants to enjoy a few blocks of chocolate, best to do it when getting on the machine; K is filtered out very quickly and well by the dialysis process, so once started on the machine is the best time to go nuts with chocolate mud cake.....

[tsengyu1943]

I agree with Joe.  Speaking from experience as the patient, you are going to have a long fight with your MIL if you couch everything as "allowed" vs. "not allowed".  Other than starfruit (which all ESRD patients must avoid due to a particular toxin), everything else is a matter of bloodwork, what type of dialysis you are doing and how you tolerate foods/beverages as a patient. 

For example, I never had issues with potassium.  I ate potatoes and tomatoes as I wanted.  This gave my dietitian fits.  She thought that because she told me that I couldn't eat these foods, I wouldn't.  Well, not really.  Since I had residual kidney function left and was on daily home hemodialysis, I could be a little more liberal with my diet.  Would I ever tell anyone else on dialysis to eat potatoes and tomatoes?  Of course not!  What worked for me wouldn't have necessarily worked for someone else.

cattlekid.  she's gonna be on CCPD, but I'm sure they will start her on the manual first before going to cycler.  So far we never had problem with her blood works, but I only gave her foods on the low and medium potassium column and avoid the high potassium at all cost.  She takes the binder here and there, at least once per day but she tend to forget to take her pill after the meal.  I never had meeting with dietitian in the past but I'm sure I'll learn more once I meet with the team once a month after my mil2b get's on her dialysis.

[tsengyu1943]

Agree. telling someone "never" and "don't" is like asking for someone to probably do it. "avoid" or "steer clear of" is better.

really though at a GFR of 6, the K won't be processed as well as a normal kidney, and as most know high K can lead to some very serious effects up to and including the heart stopping and so on, so it's a serious matter.

I've always said to be "smart" with one's diet. We all love a treat - be it cheese, choccy, a coke, whatever. The thing is to do it approprlately, and in the context of other foods. For example, if you want to have some chocolate, then the rest of the day's diet should be extra low-K to make up for it.

Once on D, if MIL really wants to enjoy a few blocks of chocolate, best to do it when getting on the machine; K is filtered out very quickly and well by the dialysis process, so once started on the machine is the best time to go nuts with chocolate mud cake.....

RichardMEL, I know it's not a good idea to tell her not to or don't eat chocolate at all, but I'm scared for her since her function is so low already.  She didn't want to do dialysis at all when she found out she has the CKD stage 5, took us a year to convince her to get on PD.  And during the past yr, she already went to ER twice........ it's hard to be a caretaker when the patient don't listen.  Sigh... we'll be starting the training on Monday and hopefully she can have more freedom snacking on the chocolates once she get on that cycler.  Thanx!

[amanda100wilson]

There is nothing that is not allowed.  Your MIL is is an adult, has hopefipully been given dietary advice and it is up to her whether she follows it.  However, not following her duet can lead to additional health problems.  Chocolate is high in phosphorous and potassium.  If she still,passes urine then the latter is less likely to be a problem with building up, but that being said if it does, it can affect muscle contraction including the muscles of the heart which can lgive rise to heart attack and stroke.  High ohosphorous lrvels leqch calcium from the bones, which can result in calcification in soft tissues, organs and blood vessels.  I know you are concerned, but please accept that you MIL should make her own decisions.  It is very hard when chronically ill to be told what should and shouldn't be done by another person, since she is probably alredy feeling pretty powerless  because of the CKD. 

[tsengyu1943]