What is gabapentin? Type of drug: gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogue Use: itching in CKD; chronic pain; epilepsy Dose: in CKD, start low dose, e.g. 100mg alternate nights Side-effects: confusion, drowsiness Monitor: neuropsychological side-effects. Other resources CKD drug side-effects CKD patient information (CKD Explained’s 30+ core articles about CKD) Gabapentin (BNF) Review article: Yasaei, 2022 Medication […]
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What is hyponatraemia? Hyponatraemia means a low sodium level in the blood. Sodium levels are very closely linked to fluid levels, as sodium is the primary extracellular electrolyte – as opposed to potassium which is intracellular. Patients may be hypovolaemic (‘dry’), hypervolaemic (‘wet’) or euvolaemic (‘in the middle’). Hyponatraemia is commonly seen both in the
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What are CKD sick day rules? They are rules are designed to reduce the likelihood of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and kidney failure – largely in frail elderly people on multiple medications. So, if such patients become sick and dehydrated (usually secondary to an infection, e.g. urine, chest or gastrointestinal), they are advised to withhold
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Which is the single best treatment for CKD? Keep track of your kidney data with PKB Keep your blood pressure (BP) normal, or low (130/80 maximum). This is the single best treatment for you. Key points Normal/low blood pressure. That’s it. All the time. Other things you can do are: Lifestyle changes, and have ..
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Black people wait 10 months longer for kidney transplants in UK Black patients wait ten months longer on average for organ transplants than the general population, NHS data shows. The best match comes from someone of the same ethnicity – but only 2% of donors in 2021/22 were black, while black people are 4% of
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Why a suicidal person should go to A&E – and what happens If you have having serious suicidal thoughts, do not delay. Ring 999 or go to A&E now It may seem strange for a suicidal person go to A&E. You may think A. it’s not what they are for, as B. it’s not an accident or
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What happens when you are admitted to a psychiatry ward? If you or a loved one has a severe mental illness and the condition worsens, it may be that an admission to a mental health hospital would be beneficial. What to take with you If an admission is decided upon it is a good idea to ask what you need to
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Can changing my diet benefit my kidneys? Can I eat bananas? In this article we go through 12 of the best foods for CKD patients, including bananas! Eating and drinking and pleasure Eating and drinking are major pleasures in life. If you have CKD, you can still have those pleasures. But there are foods that
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What is furosemide? Type of drug: water tablet (loop diuretic) Use: fluid overload states (including CKD and nephrotic syndrome) Dose: 40 mg once a day to 120 mg twice a day, or 250 mg once a day (40 mg once a day is a typical dose) Side-effects: Dehydration – shown by dizziness and low blood pressure
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What is EPO (erythropoietin)? Type of drug: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA). Examples include: Darbepoetin alfa – an injection Roxadustat – a tablet. It is a hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) Use: anaemia secondary to CKD (and other blood diseases) Dose: Darbepoetin alfa – typical dose 30 mcg once a week Roxadustat – typical dose 100 mg
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