Intermittent Fasting with Chronic Kidney Disease

Posted by m1rmiller @m1rmiller, Dec 6, 2020

I'm new to this group. I am 74 years old and was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease 8 years ago. I have managed to avoid dialysis so far. My creatinine has fluctuated between 3.5 and 4.5 during the entire 8 years. I've been experimenting with intermittent fasting for the past few months. Does anyone have any experience with that combination and what sort of experience was it for you?

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@czsalt64

Diet and workouts are your best bet and should be used in conjunction with any pill. Food is the best medicine.

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That’s what I am counting on! I’m just not sure whether I can continue intermittent fasting with CKD. It appears it is potentially helpful. But don’t know if 2 day fasts are okay or just up to 16 hours? Very confusing.

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My issue with it is that increases acidity.

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@colleenyoung

Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @mknumbers. I look forward to learning more about you. Do you have chronic kidney disease?

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Ye s that is what my doctor says I hAve no idea of what it is and how it should be treated help!

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@czsalt64

Ask about SGLT 2 inhibitors

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Anyone know if SGLT 2 inhibitors are effective for CKD if its not related to diabetes (30ish otherwise a perfectly in shape, and healthy person, likely inherited)? Thanks.

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@discussion4truths

Anyone know if SGLT 2 inhibitors are effective for CKD if its not related to diabetes (30ish otherwise a perfectly in shape, and healthy person, likely inherited)? Thanks.

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Welcome @discussion4truths, According to the National Kidney Foundation, the SGLT 2 inhibitors help either way.

"SGLT2 inhibitors are effective at slowing the progression of kidney disease, reducing heart failure, and lowering the risk of kidney failure and death in people with kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. SGLT2 inhibitors also protect the kidneys of people with CKD who do not have diabetes."
-- SGLT2 Inhibitors - National Kidney Foundation: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/sglt2-inhibitors

Have you been diagnosed with CKD?

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@nla4625

@johnbishop. Thanks for posting this. The surgeon who is going to do my surgery in May said things would probably go more smoothly if I lost 40 pounds. I started a 16-8 intermediate fast eliminating sugar, processed carbohydrates, fried food, etc. in October and have lost 20 pounds. My weight loss has slowed dramatically, in spite of tracking calories and staying between 1000-1200 calories a day and tracking points through WW. I need to do something different and am am glad I came across your post. I downloaded/uploaded? Dr. Fung's book this morning and will check out the other sites you mentioned. I've also been reading about the 20-4 Warrior Diet on the internet to see their eating plan.... I haven't gotten that far in Dr. Fung's book. All of the totally contradictory advice about weight loss is baffling, so I hope this will work for me. You've inspired me -- thanks! Nancy

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I really like a book called Fast. Feast.Repeat by Gin Stephens. It carefully explains some strategies and pitfalls that has made my fasting approach more successful. This author is a Dr. Fung fan as well.

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@johnbishop

Welcome @discussion4truths, According to the National Kidney Foundation, the SGLT 2 inhibitors help either way.

"SGLT2 inhibitors are effective at slowing the progression of kidney disease, reducing heart failure, and lowering the risk of kidney failure and death in people with kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. SGLT2 inhibitors also protect the kidneys of people with CKD who do not have diabetes."
-- SGLT2 Inhibitors - National Kidney Foundation: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/sglt2-inhibitors

Have you been diagnosed with CKD?

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@johnbishop @ladyfern

Both my endocrinologist and nephrologist also agree with the NKF that the science is there, and SGLT2 inhibitors do help with the delay of severe CKD. But not all do agree this works for everyone. There are so many side effects of these drugs that the opposite can be true. I was put on the diabetic dose of 5MG of Farxiga two different times, and each time went to Stage 4 from 3A within a matter of a few months. Since I was a computer teacher, I created a spreadsheet showing my eGFR trend with and without Farxiga, and my Mayo nephrologist thanked me for providing this. Both times, I returned back to Stage 3A after stopping. So if you are following your physicians' instructions, be diligent and always watch your eGfR or Cystatin C trend. With drugs having multiple side effects, you must be your own advocate.

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Hello All,

I am a 34 year old male with ESRD. GFR of 5. My electrolytes are all normal. My BUN is 82 and Creatinine is 15.
I have sickle cell trait.
I have just started controlling my HBP.
My Nephro wants me to start dialysis but my electrolytes are perfect.
My only issue is the anemia I am suffering from.
I had a GFR of 34 last year Feb and then it dropped to 5 in November.
My Dr thinks it is due to me either not controlling my BP or the fact that I caught COVID around that time.
Last year I had a kidney biospy which showed that I had FSGS and Arteriosclerosis of the nephrons. This made me check my total cholesterol which was 227. So started working out, eating healthy and I dropped it to 159 in 2 months primarily with large doses of Metamucil Fiber supplements. Something statins cannot even boast to do.
I have dropped weight as well (5'11" - 230lbs - 207lbs) in order to give my kidneys a rest.
I have tried taking Serrapeptase which is a proteolytic enzyme to help reduce scar tissue.
Not sure if its helping.
My labs have stayed the same since last November.
I am going to see if I can be tested for the APOL1 gene which many African Americans may have.
I have fasted in the past and Its helped me loose weight but I am now thinking if the ketones that are released during water fasting could either help or hurt me. I want to induce Autophagy to see if my body can repair my kidneys but I am getting conflicting data. Does it work for someone with CKD/ERSD and practices a healthy diet?

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@gladiator14

Will do if I see any info on intermittent fasting. I signed up for the Journal of Renal Nutrition and I get notifications when studies are published. Most don't fit me but interesting none the less. I was Stage 3B and declining every month and was told I was on the fast track to dialysis. As soon as I found out I did my own research and figured out the right amount of protein and sodium for me. Potassium and phosphorus were not an issue for me. I lost about 50 lbs figuring the less blood to filter the better for my kidneys and my creatinine and eGFR stabilized. The difficult part is that reduced the amount of protein I could have further. I found an MD who is into Integrative and functional medicine and he put me on a few homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs. My blood work from 2 weeks ago showed improvement of over 10% in my creatinine and my eGFR has gone from 38 to 49 over a period of time. Stage 3A now. My Mayo nephrologist is thrilled with my improvement and so is my internist telling me to just keep doing what I'm doing. Wishing you success.

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Please tell me the homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs that you used to improve you kidneys. What stage are you currently and are you still using these remedies? Thank you for your reply.

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@lharr

Please tell me the homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs that you used to improve you kidneys. What stage are you currently and are you still using these remedies? Thank you for your reply.

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I am not still using the homeopathics or Herbs as longterm the gains were not maintained.

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