Hi, I just got diagnosed with Minor Kidney Failure

I can only eat very limited amounts of protien and I have to keep a very low weight in order to avoid dialasis.

Does anybody know anything about transplants and their effectivity, aswell as the after affeft?
how long they last?
medications, how many? how often? how long after transplant do you need them?
do you ever fully recover?

Kidney transplants can take a long time to find a match.

If needed, you can be treated with dialysis (to filter the blood and remove fluid and waste products) until a suitable kidney donor can be found. The healthy kidney is obtained from a living donor (may be a blood relative or an unrelated donor, such as a spouse.... this option is not available in all countries) or from a donor that has recently died, but has not suffered kidney injury.

Also, if you have an underlying disease, like diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the new kidney can become damage over time, and these illnesses are looked at when determining you as a viable candidate for a transplant.

As for medications. If you do have a transplant, you will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of your life so that your body doesn't target and destroy the "foreign object"... the new kidney. These medications suppress your immune system, and make you high risk for infections.

Between 80% and 90% of transplanted kidneys are functioning two years after the operation. The main problem (as with other transplants) is graft rejection. The person is encouraged to resume normal activities as soon as possible after surgery.

The major obstacles for kidney transplants are the problem of finding a suitable donor, coping with potential rejection of the organ by the immune system, and cost.

The recovery period averages 1 month. The average hospital stay is 1 week. The sutures or clips are removed about one week after surgery.

You say you have been diagnosed with "minor kidney failure". I doubt you would even be given the option at this time for a kidney transplant.

Watch your protein intake. Try to watch your electrolyte balances too. Avoid high potassium (IE: Stewed prunes are good, but prune juice is a definite no-no) and magnesium foods. You can do an internet search for foods that fall into those catagories. I'm sure there are "renal diets" listed on the net if you search them out.

If you do require dialysis, more and more doctors are opting for Peritoneal Dialysis, where a special fluid is instilled into the abdominal cavity, through a surgically inserted catheter, where your organs sit, and your blood is cleansed that way through osmosis. After a period of X number of hours the fluid is drained out and new fluid put in. Some people require these "exchanges" every 4 to 6 hours, but it offers more freedom than hemodialysis that takes place 3 or 4 times per week for 4 to 6 hours each time. With peritoneal dialysis, the person does it themselves at home or wherever, which allows for much more freedom. There are also machines that do these exchanges all night long, and allow the person to only have to do one exchange in the day, but that is something that your doctor would decide to put you on if it were a viable option for you.

However, at this point, you are only showing signs of kidney failure, and you can manage it rather nicely by following a low protein, low potassium/magnesium diet. Keep in touch with your doctor so that he/she can monitor your creatine levels.

Hi, I just got diagnosed with Minor Kidney Failure

I can only eat very limited amounts of protien and I have to keep a very low weight in order to avoid dialasis.

Does anybody know anything about transplants and their effectivity, aswell as the after affeft?
how long they last?
medications, how many? how often? how long after transplant do you need them?
do you ever fully recover?

yeah--im a minor, so this is not very good news..i thought of the transplant, because i dont like the idea of future dialysis, looks like a horrible experiance and the thought of 4-6 times a week, (i visited a ward, so I saw it in progress.) Im having trouble coping with the even increased change in diet, My entire life i had megacystis megaureter, so i was limited to maybe 50-60 grams of protien/24 hour period, Now im looking at 30-40, and also have to maintain a very low weight...No Protien, No Carbs, im looking at vegetarianism, and..i love to eat meat, there's so many factors now and responsibilities that are all of a sudden life or death...I thought transplant would fix it, but aparently not. Thanks, for the update Katyana.

You can eat protein and you can have carbohydrates.. just in moderation. Go see a dietician and ask her/him to help you find a sensible eating plan.

You haven't been given a death sentence here. You were given a wake up call. And with a few adjustments, you will manage just fine.


yeah--im a minor, so this is not very good news..i thought of the transplant, because i dont like the idea of future dialysis, looks like a horrible experiance and the thought of 4-6 times a week, (i visited a ward, so I saw it in progress.) Im having trouble coping with the even increased change in diet, My entire life i had megacystis megaureter, so i was limited to maybe 50-60 grams of protien/24 hour period, Now im looking at 30-40, and also have to maintain a very low weight...No Protien, No Carbs, im looking at vegetarianism, and..i love to eat meat, there's so many factors now and responsibilities that are all of a sudden life or death...I thought transplant would fix it, but aparently not. Thanks, for the update Katyana.

Would you say sleeping, plays any role in this? because im just wondering if b eacuse of this all of a sudden I should try to sleep more, or continue staying up long hours....could it negativly effect my kidneys?

howbout smoking(cigarette's) ?

Would you say sleeping, plays any role in this? because im just wondering if b eacuse of this all of a sudden I should try to sleep more, or continue staying up long hours....could it negativly effect my kidneys?


Like all things in life, sleep is important and it's important to get adequate sleep, exercise and nutrition.

Sleeping more or less won't help your kidney problem. However, in progressive kidney disease, as the blood becomes more and more poluted and requiring artificial means to clean, a person will tend to be more sleepy and feel the need to sleep more.

I think your best option is to contact the kidney foundation in your area and ask them if you can see a dietician. I can sense that you are very frightened with your diagnosis, and rightfully so; no one wants to hear that they are sick or have sick organs. However, there is no way to reverse the damage to your kidneys. All you can do now is to try and prevent the disease and damage from progressing further. Some people live a lifetime with only minor kidney failure and do well with a controlled renal diet; while others progress to chronically severe and require dialysis or transplants if they are lucky to find a match.

Don't worry about the future. Worry about today and becoming educated on what you can do to help yourself and your kidneys stay as healthy as they can, for as long as they can.

Hey, how does alchohol effect it, Would I be able to drink reasonable amounts of alchohol?

While the liver is the organ that processes alcohol, it also has to travel through the kidneys.

Alcohol, one of the numerous factors that can compromise kidney function, can interfere with kidney function directly, through consumption, or indirectly as a consequence of liver disease.

The kidneys maintain the body's fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance. Excessive alcohol consumption can have negative effects on their ability to maintain these functions. Alcohol also destroys the liver, and can contribute to kidney disease.

While there hasn't been many studies about alcohol consumption and kidney disease, it's important to be aware that the body organs work in tandam with one another, and what affects one, can often affect the others. So my advice to you would be to abstain from alcohol. But that choice is ultimately yours to make.


Hey, how does alchohol effect it, Would I be able to drink reasonable amounts of alchohol?