Something that has really been on my mind...any advice is appreciated.

[rsudock]

I know plenty of people at my unit who come in drunk all the time....some stoned!!!  I just chuckle when they are dancing around in the waiting room waiting for D.  not for me but carpe diem!

 

xo,
R

[Stoday]

Some would differ with you ...... according to this article, 5% is eliminated by the kidneys in your urine, 5% is exhaled, (which is why breathalysers are used) and the remainder is taken care of by the liver.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/alcohol4.htm

And an article on "Is it OK to drink alchohol if you have renal failure?"

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2019100/is_it_okay_to_drink_alcohol_if_you.html

Thanks for those links, Henry.

They reinforce my view that America has still not got over the failure of prohibition and still has the protestant hangover that alcohol is bad for you and any excuse to tell people to stop drinking is legitimate.

I'll analyse what's said in the second link.

According to an article titled, How Alcohol Works five percent of alcohol is eliminated by the kidneys

Yes, for normal people. But if your kidneys have failed, that 5% has to be eliminated by the liver. Or are you saying that it remains in the body? If so it would add to all the other 5%s and old Stoday would now be in permanent drunken oblivion. 

Although that may not seem like much, for a person that has renal failure, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can be dangerous.

Consuming an excess of anything can be dangerous. Water. Peanuts. Cookies Anything.

Also, since many people with renal failure do hemodialysis, which is usually only done three times a week, the toxins alcohol puts in the body remain there for longer periods of time which can increase the harmful effects of alcohol.

It'll take people with renal failure 5% longer to eliminate the alcohol from their system. Is that significant?

Some people with renal failure do ok drinking a glass of wine, a beer, or having a mixed drink that includes no more than a shot of liquor in it. Other people are able to consume slightly more, and some cannot handle any amount of alcohol.

And some (I'm one) can drink a bottle of wine at one dinner and have no worse effects that a normal person.

Some medications renal patients take are not ok to mix with alcohol. Your doctor will let you know if alcohol could cause complications with the medication you take

That's the only legitimate reason for limiting alcohol in the link.

.

[jbeany]

They reinforce my view that America has still not got over the failure of prohibition and still has the protestant hangover that alcohol is bad for you and any excuse to tell people to stop drinking is legitimate.

See, I thought it was more along the lines of the cookie cutter approach they use for all D patients.  SOME of us might have a problem, so they will just make it off limits to everyone.  It's same with the diet plan. "Nope, that's it, you can NEVER eat _____________" - well, pick a forbidden food and fill in the blank.  When the reality of course, is that everyone needs to adjust their diet according to their own labs, and can, in moderation and with consideration (and binders!), eat things like cheese and chocolate and tomatoes and potatoes. 

[Bruno]

Firstly, we all take meds that say 'may cause drowsiness and increase effects of alcohol' so you have to be careful if you are driving. Having said that I have to tell you that my doctor gave me a different answer to your nurse when I asked him the question..."What about alcohol ?"
He said 'go ahead, but watch your fluid intake' reason being too much might be a problem for your kidneys and because its your liver that deals with the alcohol.
I love my booze, but these days I take it easy.
A good idea if you want to keep up with the crowd is to stick with white wine and add a little soda (a spritzer).(champagnes ok)
Maybe your nurse is teetotal?

[kitkatz]

Last May I went bar hopping with my youngest daughter and her gaggle of friends in downtown milwaukee, WI.  I had a diet Coke and a glass of wine between the ten to twelve bars we visited.  You can still go out and have fun with your frieds, just watch your fluid intake.