Kidney Disease Medicine

The Definitive Guide To Kidneys And Medicine For Kidney Patients

This glossary will tell you about some of the medicine for kidney patients. But always consult the doctor before taking any medicine.

Anti-Hypertensives:- 

These are blood pressure tablets. You might need them to lower blood pressure. Prolonged high blood pressure can damage blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. This means you need a transplant or dialysis sooner. Reducing blood pressure will not make you feel better in the short-term. But in the long-term, these tablets will help you to stay healthy.

Diuretics (Water Tablets) :-

Healthy kidneys are good at producing the right amount of urine. Damaged ones are not so good at producing urine. This might mean that fluid builds up in your body that causes swollen ankles, difficulty in breathing and high blood pressure. Diuretics are tablets which encourage kidneys to produce more urine.

Erythropoietin (EPO) :-

It is often known as EPO and is a hormone that is produced by healthy kidneys. EPO stimulates the bone marrow for making red blood cells. When kidneys are not working properly you do not make enough EPO and become anemic. In this situation, you would be prescribed EPO injections.

Hepatitis B Vaccination:-

Patient needing dialysis is at a slight risk of getting hepatitis B. This is a viral infection therefore; you may be advised to have a hepatitis B vaccination.

Iron Supplements :-

Iron is essential for producing red blood cells; so, you may require iron supplement tablets. People with CKD are unable to absorb iron from the stomach and sometimes they need iron injections.

Phosphate Binders :-

These help to control blood phosphate levels. The medicine for kidney patients needs to be taken up to 15 minutes before, or with, food. Reducing phosphate levels can help to prevent itchiness and bone weakness. It might also help in reducing your risk of heart problems.

Sodium Bicarbonate:-

This medicine for kidney patients is given to help prevent the buildup of acid in your body. If kidneys function decreases there is less acid in your urine. This causes bicarbonate levels to drop and a low bicarbonate level can be bad for heart and can hasten the deterioration of kidney function.

Statins (Cholesterol Tablets) :-

You might need statins for lowering blood cholesterol level as high cholesterol can lead to heart disease. A healthy diet and exercise can also, it helps to lower cholesterol.

Vitamin D:-

This helps control calcium in the body and protects bones.