PKD Failing Kidneys

Failing Kidneys

If one is having decreased kidney functioning and told dialysis is the next step, some have had some luck by following the suggestions of the late Dr. Mackenzie Walser from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center who wrote a book outlining his recommendations for declining kidney functioning called Coping with Kidney Disease Dr. Walser closely followed the previous work begun in 1913 on low protein diets. From Malaysia has come this interesting article called Saving Failing Kidneys.

In 1913, Dr. Henry Christian (first Chief of Medicine at Brigham Hospital in Boston) and his colleague Dr. James White prescribed low-protein diets for kidney patients. They saw that lowering dietary protein enabled those with kidney disease to live longer, but they didn't know then why this low protein diet worked. The low-protein concept isn't new. But, as one doctor pointed out, "Low protein diets are difficult to follow. It's hard enough trying to get people to give up cigarettes, let alone steak dinners."

By 1957 Dr. Walser took this further. He combined tight blood pressure control (ACE inhibitors), a very low protein diet (0.3 grams/kilogram of body weight), low phosphorus diet, low potassium diet, low sodium diet, with alkalinity, supplementing with essential amino acids with a specifically designed formula for kidney patients; he corrected any existing anemia, took individuals off kidney toxins when possible. Through this he has had some success in halting end stage renal disease.

Coping with Kidney Disease

A book written by Mackenzie Walser, MD called Coping with Kidney Disease has some very good suggestions when kidneys begin to fail. By following his suggestions with the help of their nephrologists, a few PKD'rs have had good results in delaying dialysis.

According to Dr. Walser when serum albumin drops low, this is an indication that more fatal complications can follow. A drop in low serum albumin is partly the reason for physicians wrongly prescribing an increase in proteins during dialysis. Through his practice, Dr. Walser found the opposite to be true. By decreasing protein intake to 0.3 grams/kilogram and supplementing with essential amino acids formulated especially for kidney patients, serum albumin increased, creating better health outcomes.

If individuals dropped only their protein intake and took the essential amino acids for kidney patients Calwood Nutramine T - Amino Bites: 30% of individuals were affected positively. If they took ACE inhibitors: 40% of individuals were affected positively. But by combining both treatments, this figure jumped to a 90% decrease in proteinuria. This halted the downward progression of kidney failure. It did not reverse it, it halted it long enough for some individuals to get a donor kidney or to delay dialysis, some for perhaps eight years.

A few with PKD while experiencing a drop in GFR, have tried Dr. Walser's recommendations:

lower protein intake to 0.3 grams /kilogram body weight

supplement with Calwood formulated essential amino acids

assure one remains alkaline

treat anemia if existent

avoid kidney toxins: starfruit, lithium, chaparral tea, etc.

avoid magnesium when appropriate

eat low protein, low potassium, low phosphorus foods

tight control over blood pressure
The result is some have staved off dialysis/transplant for eight years; another went straight to transplant bypassing dialysis; another gained many more years onto life and is going incredibly strong after receiving a transplant. Many of these fellow PKD'rs were told by their physicians to get their affairs in order; that the end was near. All are healthy, alive and living today! Dr. Walser's recommendations require effort to follow them but it seems to be worth the time.

Serum albumin drops very low during dialysis. This is cause for alarm for many physicians. Dr. Walser discovered a way to increase serum albumin. By eliminating dietary proteins and supplementing with kidney formula essential amino acids, serum albumin returned to normal levels. Itching was lessened by alkalinity. Leg cramps were corrected. Another study found it was the essential amino acid leucine that helped to raise serum albumin. Leucine is present in kidney patient essential amino acids. Leucine can be found in garbanzo beans or chick peas and chia seed. Leucine has also been found to increase muscle strength in middle aged men.

There is one small problem with Dr. Walser's recommendations especially for individuals with PKD. Dr. Walser was unaware that PKD'rs have a much higher incidence of kidney stones, calcium kidney stones, the most common type of kidney stone. This is exactly what happened to the early PKD models (1996) when given sodium bicarbonate. This also happens to be the alkalizer of choice recommended by Dr. Walser. If your doctor will allow, ask for sodium citrate or potassium citrate. With PKD, taking sodium bicarbonate will result in the possible development of kidney stones.

PKD'rs have higher levels of calcium in our urine and lower levels of citrate. When given sodium bicarbonate, the sodium ion comes flying off and our excess calcium unites with this bicarbonate ion creating calcium bicarbonate, a very common kidney stone formed by PKDrs. A trial is underway in China with a very low protein diet and chronic kidney disease.

Effect of Ultra Sport on Renal Functioning

These results suggest that reduced renal perfusion is the mechanism responsible for the slight impairment of renal function following exhaustive marathon cycling. This comes about even from well-hydrated athletes. Blood and urine specimens were taken the day before, immediately after and one day after competition. There was an 18% decline in creatinine clearance though these effects lasted only for 24 hours despite a stable fluid balance during the race and an expanding plasma volume (PV) in the recovery period.

Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

Stage	Description	GFR
Stage 1 CKD	Slight kidney damage	> 90
Stage 2 CKD	Mild ↓ kidney function	60-89
Stage 3 CKD	Moderate ↓ kidney function	30-59
Stage 4 CKD	Severe ↓ kidney function	15-29
Stage 5 CKD	Kidney failure	< 15 (or dialysis)