To eat or not to eat. It might be dependent on the person/clinic/country?

[cassandra]

https://ajkdblog.org/2017/03/14/nephmadness-2017-agarwal-lays-down-the-law-on-eating-during-dialysis/

[Charlie B53]

I can agree with the Dr to an extent. The digestability of the food can cause differences in blood flows within the body, eating much harder to digest foods can cause negative effects on Dialysis.

HOWEVER, smaller 'snacks' of more easily digested foods do not cause this effect near as much and still allow adequate Dialysis.

My clinic allows 'snacks' but I don't think they would like me to bring in a three piece Kentucky Fried Chicken Meal with 2 sides and a biscuit.

[iolaire]

So I feel like in the US they don't really like people eating on dialysis - unless your protein is low then they are happy giving you the dialysis friendly Ensure like drink which must be nasty because when the previous patients spill it it sticks to the chair/table like wax and doesn't come off easily...  So I think eating on dialysis really is just fine as long as it meets the center's goal...

[smartcookie]

I think it is different for each patient.  If you are a patient who experiences drops in blood pressure frequently when on dialysis, then eating a meal or even a snack is probably not the smartest.  Also, patients who choke easily should not eat on dialysis.  However, I have patients who need a snack due to diabetes.  That should be allowed.  If you can avoid eating, then you should. 

I have a patient who eats popcorn on the machine every treatment.  Like a pretty large bag.  She complains when staff asks her not to eat (we have a no eating policy that all patients sign when they are admitted) or if she has taken her binders with her snack (she has extremely high phosphorus).  She recently complained to me that staff do not bother other patients when they are eating, only her.  I know this isn't true, and other patients on her shift don't bring snacks very often at all.  She also throws up often after or during treatment due to her popcorn.  That type of patient should probably avoid food, too. 

[kristina]

I also think it is different for each patient. For example my own dialysis-treatments take place during the evenings and start when it is time for my evening-meal and I enjoy every time - after being connected -  a nice evening-meal-portion of my favourite potato-salad (cooked salad-potatoes mixed with cut gherkins and olives & mixed with vinegar and olive-oil), all prepared at home. It also has a welcome psychological effect, because these delicious potato-salads actually make me look forward to my dialysis-sessions and that helps a lot to make my dialysis-life a little easier. Mind you, I have no idea how things would turn out if my treatments would take place at a different time of day or night... Fortunately I have had no problems with my blood pressure (not yet anyway) and I also have been lucky so far that my dialysis-treatments don't make me nauseous either. I should add here that I "stick" consequently - every day - to my vegetarian kidney-friendly-diet and liquid-restrictions...
Best wishes from Kristina

[LorinnPKD]

Wow, I can't imagine not being able to eat while on session during the dinner hour.

Like kristina (hi kristina!), I look forward to enjoying a dinner meal during my session (usually a non-messy, non-stinky, picnic-like meal of a sandwich, chips or fruit, a grape soda, and some after-dinner candies).  It helps with the nausea I sometimes have and it also helps pass the time wonderfully -- it takes me a long time to eat and by the time I'm finished I only have two hours left!