PD: Weight gain?

[Dannyboy]

Is weight gain typical with PD?

---Dan

[del]

YES!!  You are getting a lot of calories from the PD solution.  Just watch that the weight gain is not from fluid overload.

[billybags]

I agree with Del. Have you been given a dry weight to keep too. It acts as a check for fluid over load. make sure you weigh your self ever day.

[Dannyboy]

I'm not doing D yet (soon)....trying to do finish my due diligence.    Question came up because a local clinic nurse I spoke with claims weight gain with PD is NOT universal, that it depends on the individual patient's physiology with their membrane... but it seems to me I've read on IHD of frequent weight gain hence the question.    And my focus is not on too little liquid pull-off, but on actual body weight increase attributable to the PD.    I am diabetic as well as CKD, so this interests me as well.

Was pretty much decided on Home Hemo with NxStage, but then some folks on the medical team are wanting me to be sure I've considered PD sufficiently.   They claim to be neutral as to modality (that is one or the other home-style), but I do get a feeling that they feel PD has more advantages for me than HHD.    I am height/weight ok, a bit on the 'heavy' side, and don't want to gain anymore, indeed, trying to lose weight.

---Dan

[kporter85db]

You will get around 300 - 600 calories a day with PD depending on the Dextros strength (1.5%, 2.5% or 4.25%) of the fluid you are using. If you adjust you caloric intake from foods you consume down by that amount, theoretically you should not gain weight. I don't have any real experience with this though as I have only just started PD a couple weeks ago.

One of the issues you will have as a diabetic is controlling your blood sugar. So far, my blood sugar has been about 75-100 points higher then pre-PD. My doc is adjusting my meds now to compensate for that.

I can see the possibility of me having to do HHD at some time in the future but for now, for me, I am extremely glad I choose the relative simplicity of PD to start off my Dialysis journey.

[kporter85db]

They will also start pushing you to eat lots of high quality (read: animal) protein to replace the protein lost from dialysis. So that will affect your diet also.

But I think they do this for Hemo patients also.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong about this.

[jbeany]

I was told that PD weight gain was much more of a risk for diabetic patients.  One of the diabetic women in my local clinic insisted on it and gained 50 pounds in a matter of months.  I needed to lose weight for a transplant, not gain, so I went on hemo.

And yes, kporter - they push lean protein at everyone!  Chicken and turkey and fish, oh my!

[Dannyboy]

OK, consensus is weight gain is likely on PD.  Got it.
Thanks,
---Dan