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Confused About Diet for Stage 3 or 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Kidney & Bladder | Last Active: Jun 5, 2022 | Replies (156)Comment receiving replies
I was just diagnosed with CKD 3a three weeks ago. My PPC advised me last June that I was showing reduced kidney function but nothing else and didn't seem concerned. Had a follow-up lab in December and again mentioned it with no further instruction. So when I had my annual Medicare check up she then told me I have ckd stage 3 and I need to do at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly drink more water and made another lab for follow-up October 1st. So I immediately did slot of research and was terrified. My husband got a few renal cook books becoming an almost vegan overnight! Very difficult diet to comprehend. My only instruction for diet was plant based low protein. I will be requesting a renal dietician at my October appt. Still so until then I have cobbled together diet restrictions through research and numbers from my last lab. I have been very frustrated every day trying to put together daily meals (my husband too). So thank you all for my rant. But how do you determine your max daily protein potassium phosphorus calories and carbs??? Any info and encouragement will help. Thank you, Confused
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Hi, bugsowen, While I regret you have joined us because of your new stage 3a diagnosis, I and many others here can certainly understand your initial concern and dismay at the lack of instruction from your physician. At my 1st visit to nephrologist, she told me to stop NSAIDS, use Tylenol for otc pain as needed, reduce vitamin C from 1,000 to 500 and come back in 6 mos following a lab test.
I also went on internet searches for more information. In addition to Mayo's info. on kidney disease, I found very helpful information at kidneyschool.org. Davita.org has renal diet suggestions and our Connect member, kamama94 has also compiled and shared specific foods and their values as well as kidney friendly recipes.
Each person is different and depending on the various lab results, I determine what I need to limit or avoid based on the individual readings. Seeing a dietitian helped me greatly in providing a combined diabetes/kidney meal plan to follow. Before finally getting a referral to the dietitian, I had printed out scores lists of kidney friendy and to avoid foods and other lists for diabetes.
The dietitian helped simplify a plan and included sample breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks examples. Some members follow a few "go-to" menus each week that also simplifies the initial overwhelm of the diagnosis. What I will tell you is that the effort put into learning more about your condition and learning how to understand your lab reports will help calm the initial shock and bring confidence too.
Making changes to my diet has improved both my diabetes and kidney egfr values. My last two lab reports raised my initial stage 3 gfr report to stage 2. Dietary changes and charting the lab values get the credit for improvement. While my focus is primarily plant based now, I do eat some chicken, fish and seafood. Giving up red meat almost entirely was difficult at first but it was a good choice for me. There are some very long experienced and knowledgeable members in this forum who are wonderful about sharing and responding to us newer members. Welcome aboard.