Provided by DaVita® Dietitians
Are you a dialysis patient who has been struggling with weight gains that are too high? If so, it’s time to investigate the cause.
For dialysis patients, there are two types of weight: dry weight and fluid weight. Dry weight refers to your weight when your blood pressure is controlled and there is no excess fluid in your body. Fluid weight is the weight you gain between dialysis treatments from the foods and fluids you take in.
Healthy kidneys remove excess fluid from the body when you eat or drink liquids. When kidneys do not work well, they do not make enough urine to remove the extra fluid from the body, causing fluid weight gain.
Between your dialysis treatments, gaining too much fluid can cause:
If you gain too much fluid between treatments, you may experience the following symptoms during dialysis:
Anything that is liquid at room temperature is considered to be fluid. This includes ice, gelatin, Popsicles® and soup. Be careful that you don’t consume foods high in sodium, or salt, because they will make you thirsty, and you are likely to then consume more fluids.
If you are gaining too much fluid weight, some detective work is needed to uncover the cause. The following clues will help you solve the case.
Are you using salt or eating salty foods? These are examples of salty foods you may be overindulging in:
There are other ways that you might be adding too much fluid to your body:
Solve the problem by limiting your fluid intake so that you do not gain excessive fluid weight between dialysis treatments. Your renal dietitian can help you determine the appropriate amount of fluid to take in. Remember that it is important to come to all scheduled dialysis treatments so that the fluid you have gained can be removed.
Excess fluid can be harmful to the body and difficult to get rid of when you have kidney disease and need dialysis. Now that the clues have been put together you can avoid excess fluid weight gain between dialysis treatments. By avoiding high-sodium food and sources of hidden fluids, you are less likely to gain too much fluid weight between dialysis treatments.
This site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a physician.
Please check with a physician if you need a diagnosis and/or for treatments as well as information regarding your specific condition. If you are experiencing urgent medical conditions, call 9-1-1