What to avoid ???

[Smokey]

Is there a list anywhere of foods we should avoid completely?

[angieskidney]

Is there a list anywhere of foods we should avoid completely?

Starfruit! That is the only one I know of that you must avoid completely!

[thom]

handfulls of salt? more than a litre of water a day! shock horror!! sorry, down. 

[mallory]

Angie, That's interesting about the starfruit.  What's in it that's so bad?  I've got a lot of advice about things to avoid, but I'd never heard this about starfruit.  I think I've only tasted a starfruit once, but I'd better stay away from them from now on.

[goofynina]

Angie, That's interesting about the starfruit.  What's in it that's so bad?  I've got a lot of advice about things to avoid, but I'd never heard this about starfruit.  I think I've only tasted a starfruit once, but I'd better stay away from them from now on.

Mallory, can you please share with us some of the advice you got?   Thank you...

[mallory]

Sure.  I'm not on dialysis yet, and I still have around 10% of my kidney function.  My Nephrologist told me to limit protein because it's hard on my kidneys, and to limit salt because it raises my blood pressure (which is already high and I take a lot of med's for it).  He also told me to watch the high potassium foods because my potassium level was high, and I wasn't sure what those foods were.  A dietician at the hospital told me to stay away from bananas, potatoes and tomatoes, that those are all high in potassium.  Then another doctor told me that he thought the BP med's were raising my potassium, and limiting the potassium wasn't going to help.  He changed my BP medicine and my potassium level went back down to where it should be. 

My Nephrologist also told me to "limit my fluid intake", but he didn't really want to set an amount.  I take 60 mg. of Lasix a day, and he said just make sure I don't drink so much that I start retaining fluids.  I asked him if I could still drink Tab and diet Coke, which is practically all the fluid I drink (I know that's bad, but it's true) and he said it was okay for now, but that I probably will have to stop drinking it eventually.  He did have me start taking one Tums with every meal, I understand that's for the phosphate. 

None of this is probably new to those of you on dialysis, but it's what I've been told.  It does seem like there are a lot of things we should avoid, and not that many things that are good for us.  My sister is diabetic, and I was thinking, what if I was diabetic and had kidney problems?  How can you limit protein if you're diabetic?  What would you eat?

[goofynina]

Thank you,  alot of important info there, especially for those who are just now beginning their journey to Dialysisland,    I am sorry, i dont remember if you were told about PD or not, were you?  Or are you already set on Hemo??  Sorry this is off topic, to add to this question Mallory you can PM me, i am just curious.   Thanks again...

[angieskidney]

Starfruit:

My dietitian never explained why but I remember my ex-boyfriend Steve wanted me to try new things, Starfruit being one of them. I said no I better not without checking with my dietitian. He said, "Come on!! Not like it will kill you or anything!!!!"

I found out at my next clinic day (I was on PD at the time so I only went once a month for checkups) that if I had taken it it could have killed me!

There was a poster on the wall that said:

STAY AWAY FROM
STARFRUIT!

IT CAN KILL YOU
IF YOU ARE ON
DIALYSIS!

I didn't know more than that so I did a search:

• Why eating star fruit is prohibited for patients with chronic kidney disease
• Star fruit intoxication with acute kidney injury.
• Fatal outcome after ingestion of star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) in uremic patients
  
• Sweet poison: Star fruit neurotoxin identified.
• IHD.com Thread - Has anybody here (with renal failure) ingested STAR FRUIT?

Grapefruit:


ANOTHER one to worry about is this:

Grapefruit and Dialysis Patients  < This is a link.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows grapefruit juice interacts with many of the medications that dialysis patients are prescribed.

DO NOT drink grapefruit juice if you take any of these medications. If you aren't sure if you take any of these medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

• Blood pressure lowering agents (calcium channel blockers)
• Persenadine
• Sedatives (benzodiazepines)
• Estrogens
• Quinidine
• Saquinavir
• Cholesterol lowering agents (statins)
• Cyclosporin (immunosuppressants)

Phosphate: - use in moderation

• Soft drinks, soda drinks, especially cola or coke and fizzy lemonade
• Cordials/fruit syrup beverages
• Chocolate, lollies, sweets, candy, sugar
• Ice-cream
• Skim milk powder (often added to processed foods)
• Biscuits, cookies, cakes from the supermarket
• Tomato ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Fish fingers
• Processed cheese, especially soft cheese spread
• Frozen pizzas
• Hot dogs
• Processed meats
• Baking powder and self-raising flour often contains phosphate aerator
• Avoid all foods that list as an ingredient mineral salts, emulsifiers and lecithin.
• Egg yolks
• Milk
• Nuts
• Wheat germ
• Soybeans and their by-products
• Peas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Corn
• Mushrooms
• Oats
• Cocoa beans (chocolate)
• Sweet breads - liver, brains, kidneys

Potassium: - use in moderation

Foods High in Potassium

• Apricots
• Artichokes 
• Avocados 
• Bananas 
• Cantaloupe 
• Cod 
• Dates 
• Dry beans (i.e. kidney beans and navy beans)
• Figs 
• Flounder 
• Greens 
• Honeydew melons 
• Kiwi 
• Lentils 
• Nuts 
• Oranges 
• Peaches 
• Potatoes 
• Prunes 
• Pumpkins 
• Raisins 
• Salmon 
• Sardines 
• Potassium-based salt replacements 
• Tomatoes 
• Watermelons

Foods Moderate in Potassium

• Apples 
• Broccoli 
• Brussels sprouts 
• Beets 
• Carrots 
• Celery 
• Cherries 
• Eggplant 
• Mango 
• Mushrooms 
• Okra 
• Peaches 
• Pears 
• Peanut butter 
• Plums 
• Peppers 

Foods low in potassium

• Asparagus 
• Berries 
• Cabbage 
• Cauliflower
• Corn 
• Cucumber 
• Grapes 
• Grapefruit 
• Green beans 
• Onions 
• Peas 
• Pineapple 
• Radishes 
• Rhubarb 
• Tangerines 
• Turnips

EDITED - Replaced Broken Links - Charlie B53 - Moderator - 3/5/16

[Smokey]

Thanks for the list Angie, that is exactly what I have been looking for..
Also a huge thanks for the starfruit warning, I didn't know anything about that..

[angieskidney]

Thanks for the list Angie, that is exactly what I have been looking for..
Also a huge thanks for the starfruit warning, I didn't know anything about that..

Thanks It took awhile to build up that list but I thought .. might as well be thorough

[goofynina]

I still dont know what a starfruit is   

[Black]

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

[goofynina]

Thank you so much Lorelle,  whew, never seen one of those so i dont think i have ever eaten one,  thank you

[charee]

I still don't know what a starfruit is

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

Thanks Black , Never seen that fruit but good to know we should avoid it
Thanks  to Angie Great list

[Smokey]

I think we need to get that list and the starfruit warning stickied, very good information...
On a side note, I see those starfruits at the supermarket a-lot and have wondered what they taste like, glad I never tried one..

[sandman]

Thanks Angie.  I never even heard of starfruit until today and the first thing I hear about it is that it can be deadly to dialysis patients.  Way to stay heads up girl.

@ Black.  Thanks for the extra link.

[mallory]

Angie,  Thanks so much for that list, it must have taken you quite a while to put it together.  I think that's so interesting about the starfruit.  Who would have guessed?  Thanks for the info!

[angieskidney]

I think we need to get that list and the starfruit warning stickied, very good information...

Angie, Thanks so much for that list, it must have taken you quite a while to put it together. I think that's so interesting about the starfruit. Who would have guessed? Thanks for the info!

Thank you and I agree! Hey Epoman, can this be stickied?

[Sara]

I think we need to get that list and the starfruit warning stickied, very good information...
On a side note, I see those starfruits at the supermarket a-lot and have wondered what they taste like, glad I never tried one..

They're not that great.  You're not missing out on much.   
I'm glad I read this thread about the starfruit.  I'll have to tell Joe to never, ever eat a starfruit.  You'd think this would be something they would tell you straight away!

[thom]

jesus christ we should be getting paid to have kidney failure. it's such hard work. there better be a reward at the end of it.

[goofynina]

i'm with you Thom,,, 

THOM FOR PRESIDENT.... you've got my vote buddy

[Rerun]

Sticky-ed

[sandman]

Thanks rerun. 

[angieskidney]

Sticky-ed

Thanks Rerun   

[Epoman]

Sticky-ed

Thanks Rerun   

Thanks Rerun, sorry Angie I just saw this thread now and your request for a sticky. I would have stickied it I didn't see your request. Next time shoot me a PM and I'll be sure to receive it.