Stage 3a kidney disease: looking for info

@collegeprof ~ As a stage 3a myself, I'm still unclear as to how many glasses of water each day is enough - without overtaxing my kidneys to where they may be further damaged. Have any of your medical team mentioned a satisfactory daily total? Thanks!

@collegeprof ~ As a stage 3a myself, I'm still unclear as to how many glasses of water each day is enough - without overtaxing my kidneys to where they may be further damaged. Have any of your medical team mentioned a satisfactory daily total? Thanks!

I fluctuate between 3A and 3B, and drink a total of 60-64 ounces of water daily. I add lemon to add taste. It does no good, however, to gulp down, say, 20 ounces in one hour to meet your goal. Just drink moderately throughout the day. Your nephrologist can also answer what is best for you.

So, drinking 2-3 liters of water daily with 3a is fine as the kidneys can process much more water than that. Overtaxing the kidneys can occur if we dink more than a liter in an hour or less so be aware and be safe. Johnmacc

Thank you! I haven't been able to see a nephrologist yet, so I've been working with my Primary and my Urology PA. My primary is saying to drink 64 oz/day, while my Urology PA is saying that since I'm so petite, it would be good for me to drink between 5-6 glasses/day. I have to admit that 8 glasses/day is hard for me, but I understand water is very important.

@johnmacc I am not sure if there is a "standard" for the amount of water to consume daily. We all differ in size, weight, gender, and ckd disease stage, but your nephrologist can give you a definitive answer. The Internet consistently says three liters daily, but that may be a problem for some.

You are so spot on when you say consuming too much water in a short period of time can cause taxing episodes to the kidneys. Some of us at times have a tendency to do that.

@collegeprof ~ Could you share what signs/symptoms might develop from over-drinking water? I doubt I've hit that plateau yet but would like to know what to watch for. Thanks!

@dks And remember, when the medical team talks about fluid intake during a day, they also are considering the vegetables and fruit, or soups and stews you might take in. It is not just actual water/milk/coffee/tea.

Like @collegeprof, I like to use crystallized lemon or orange in my water. Each morning I start the day with a full glass of crushed ice and water, using a straw to sip on it and break the hydration issue from overnight. Taking in small amounts of fluids during the day may help keep you from feeling overwhelming thirst. Start watching your phosphorous in what you choose [no dark colas!] Plain water is great, but face it, we all want some little flavor, right?!

Here is an informative article from the American Kidney Fund. While it speaks about fluid while on dialysis, if you scroll down, it goes into fluid suggestions in different stages. As you can see, it is important to be aware of your own situation, and getting guidance from your medical team is crucial. Being on peritoneal dialysis, I try to stay around 48 ounces a day.
https://kitchen.kidneyfund.org/fluids/#:~:text=When%20you%20have%20kidney%20disease,kidneys%20hydrated%20and%20working%20well.
Ginger

@dks Over the past few years, I have read several articles on consuming too much water over a short period of time, especially if you are a CKD patient. We need minerals in our bodies such as sodium, potassium, phosphorous, etc. to balance our nourishment requirements. If as a CKD patient, for example, we drink too much water in a short period of time, we may deplete some of these chemicals that our bodies need with unfavorable consequences. The article I have included in this post from the National Kidney Foundation points out that too much water can result in a condition called hyponatremia as it relates to lower sodium levels. Those consequences can include kidney or heart failure among others.

Within the past two years as I have mentioned many times before, my docs prescribed to me two different kinds of diuretics, one of which was Farxiga which is heavily advertised on TV a lot. Both caused my eGFR to go down rapidly and for the first time in my life I was seeing double and very dehydrated. This is why it is so important to follow your lab trends.

So here is a short article from National Kidney Foundation that I find to be reputable...https://www.kidney.org/content/6-tips-be-water-wise-healthy-kidneys

@gingerw ~ Thanks so much for linking the article! I'm trying hard to take it easy during the day and not gulp the water down - not because I'm thirsty (which I'm not) but so as not to engulf my kidneys too much into the evening, trying to play "catch up".