Confused About Diet for Stage 3 or 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

@wietop Good Morning and welcome to Mayo clinic Connect. I am a volunteer mentor here on Connect I want to share with you what Mayo Clinic has to say about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354521
I had acute kidney failure that was related to liver failure, and was immediately placed on dialysis and a restricted diet that was monitored by a nutritionist. So, I'm afraid that I don't have any experience about your particular dietary question.

While we wait for someone else to add their input, would you mind telling us a little more about yourself? Are you being monitored for your CKD? Have you been seen by a nephrologist? Have you asked to be referred to a nutritionist?

Rosemary

Just to add my voice, @wietop, I like what @rosemarya says here and the questions she raised. In addition, I have no reason to avoid bread that is made from whole grains, although I minimize my bread intake for reasons other than CKD. If bread is your choice, whole grain is the way to go (in order to avoid the glucose loads that come from processed white grain flour or the arsenic loads that may come from rice). Preference for a low-sodium bread is a good choice, whether that is in the brand name, the advertising slogans, or the ingredient list. My HMO offered nutrition counseling for free after my CKD diagnosis. I hope you'll have a similar service opportunity. Finally, set a goal of developing a trusting relationship with your medical team; that will involve face-to-face conversations, perhaps more often than is customary or even comfortable, but you'll like it! Martin

Thank you for your quick response. To give you more information, I'm 69 years old. As for medical conditions in addition to CKD, I have high blood pressure. It is completely under control with medication and diet (I keep my limit at 1500mg per day and usually reach around 1000mg). Through diet and exercise, I have lost 100 pounds, so I'm very familiar with foods and their positives and negatives. My original doctor, who retired in May, neglected to tell me I had CKD for 4 years. I only discovered it when my new doctor mentioned it in a review, as though I was aware. At that time, I asked her what I needed to change, if anything, and if my diet needed to be adjusted. She said nothing needed to be changed. She also said that because I've been stable for 4 years, she didn't think it necessary to send me to a nephrologist. My doctor even confided in me that she, herself, has Stage 2, so she's personally familiar with the disease. I am definitely working at trusting her, but I now I ask more questions than I did before. Diet is what I'm most confused about.

Thank you, Martin, for sharing with me. The reason bread is so important to me is because I have an egg-white sandwich everyday for lunch. Although the packaging says "Low-Sodium," the content is listed as 0mg. I have high blood pressure, so finding something for lunch has always been a problem. For the past year, I've been eating a sandwich and have really done well with it, so I hate to give it up. I have 2 pieces every day. The ingredients are listed as Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Spouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten. On my next doctor visit, I am going to discuss nutrition counseling. Thanks again for your input. It's been very valuable.

Thanks for the additional information, @wietop. In my case, too, CKD is a result of hypertension. My HMO has a basic policy of referring cases like yours and mine to a nephrologist, because kidneys are so deeply involved in hypertension. In addition, my primary care physician (PCP) is such a busy-body (and I love it, because she's not satisfied with patients being stable, even over many months). She's always trying to cure -- or mitigate the symptoms of -- a condition, and I've adopted that approach as well.

Since diet is your main quandary, perhaps you can ask your PCP for help in getting nutrition counseling, which Medicare usually will pay for. Martin

We're ships passing in the night, @wietop, so if my comments appear to be ignoring yours, it's a matter of timing. We're on the same wave-length here, though, and that's encouraging. Keep us posted on your evolving relationship with your PCP! Martin

Thanks again. I'm following your advice and asking my doctor for a referral to a dietician who specializes in CKD.

I was just diagnosed with stage 1 chronic Kidney disease. I need to change my diet and I don’t have a clue where to start. I have been reading online and I’m getting confused with different answers. Help!! Thank you!!!

I was just diagnosed with CKD. I need to change My diet and I dont know where to start.

Hi @spiritualgangster,

Living with CKD and making good nutrition choices must be challenging. You may notice that I moved your discussion and combined it with your message in this existing discussion as I thought it would be beneficial for you to reconnect with other members who are talking about CKD and diet.
If you click on VIEW & REPLY in your email notification, you will see the whole discussion and can join in, meet, and participate with other members talking about their or their loved ones' experiences. I'd also like to introduce you to Mentor @rosemarya, who is the recipient of simultaneous liver/kidney transplant, and to @trishanna @2011panc @weezielou @valb68

You might wish to go through some of these discussions about CKD taking place on Connect:
– https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ckd/
– https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diet-for-diabetes-and-stage-4-ckd-very-confusing
Here are some resources from Mayo Clinic that I would like to share with you:
– Low-phosphorus diet: Best for Kidney Disease? – https://www.mayoclinic.org/food-and-nutrition/expert-answers/faq-20058408
– Chronic Kidney Disease – https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-kidney-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354527

@spiritualgangster, as @cehunt57 mentioned, it would be good to seek the advice of a dietitian or nutritionist; have you consulted one?