Discharge instructions for chronic kidney disease
Dr. Himadri Shankar, MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DNB Nephrology (Gold Medalist), Consultant Nephrologist and Renal Transplant Physician, Ex Registrar Max Hospital, New Delhi, Ex Associate Consultant

Chronic Kidney Disease can (CKD) happen because of many things. These include infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, circulation problems, and reactions to medicine. Having kidney disease means making many changes in your life. Learn as much as you can about it so that you can better adjust to these changes. It"s important to remember that the main goal of treatment is to stop CKD from progressing to complete kidney failure. Treatments may vary based on the progression of CKD.
Here are some instructions for you to follow as you recover.
Diet Changes
Always discuss your diet with your healthcare provider before making any changes.
Salt (sodium) in your diet
• Based on your condition, you may be told to eat 1,500 mg or less of sodium daily
• Limit processed foods such as:
– Frozen dinners and packaged meals
– Canned fish and meats
– Pickled foods
– Salted snacks
– Lunch meats
– Sauces
– Most cheeses
– Fast foods
• Don"t add salt to your food while cooking or before eating at the table.
• Eat unprocessed foods to lower sodium, such as:
– Fresh turkey and chicken
– Lean beef
– Unsalted tuna
– Fresh fish
– Fresh vegetables and fruits
• Season foods with fresh herbs, garlic, onions, citrus, flavored vinegar, and sodium-free spice blends instead of salt when cooking.
• Don"t use salt substitutes that are high in potassium
• Avoiding drinking softened water, because of the sodium content. Make sure to read the label on bottled water for sodium content.
• Avoid over-the-counter medicines that contain sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate. Read labels carefully.
Potassium in your diet
• Based on your condition, you may be told to eat less than 1,500 mg to 2,700 mg of potassium daily.
• Always drain canned foods such as vegetables, fruits, and meats before serving.
• Avoid whole-grain bread, wheat bran, and granola.
• Avoid milk, buttermilk, and yogurt.
• Avoid nuts, seeds, peanut butter, dried beans, and peas.
• Avoid fig cookies, chocolate, and molasses.
• Don"t use salt substitutes that are high in potassium. Ask your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian which salt substitutes to use.
Protein in your diet
• Cut back on protein. Eat less meat, milk products, yogurt, eggs, and cheese.
Phosphorus in your diet
• Avoid beer, cocoa, dark colas, ale, chocolate drinks, and canned ice teas.
• Avoid cheese, milk, ice cream, pudding, and yogurt.
• Avoid liver (beef, chicken), organ meats, oysters, crayfish, and sardines.
• Avoid beans (soy, kidney, black, garbanzo, and northern), peas (chick and split), bran cereals, nuts, and caramels.
Eat small meals often that are high in fiber and calories. You may be told to limit how much fluid you drink.
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First Published: Dec 05, 2022, 16:57
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