Table of contents:
- Treatment and medication plans for chronic kidney failure
- Treatments to address the cause
- Treatment prevents complications
- Blood pressure control drugs
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs
- Medicines to treat anemia
- Medication to reduce swelling
- Medicines to strengthen bones
- Live a healthy life
- What about end-stage chronic kidney failure medications?
- Dialysis
- Kidney transplant
Chronic kidney failure means that kidney function has been damaged for a long time, but the body shows symptoms when the kidneys can no longer adapt to the damage. If not treated immediately, there is a risk of permanent kidney damage. So, what are the treatments and drugs for chronic kidney failure?
Treatment and medication plans for chronic kidney failure
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, there are several types of drugs and treatments carried out to cure chronic kidney failure patients. This type of treatment is based on the underlying cause, but most chronic kidney disease is incurable.
Treatment plans usually aim to relieve symptoms of chronic kidney failure, reduce the risk of complications, and slow the rate of damage.
Depending on the underlying cause, several types of kidney disease can be treated. However, often chronic kidney disease cannot be cured. If your kidneys are nearing permanent damage, you will need end-stage renal failure (ESRD) treatment.
Treatments to address the cause
One of the treatment plans and drug administration for chronic kidney failure patients is to try to solve the cause. The causes of chronic kidney failure are quite diverse. However, most patients experience this condition due to diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension).
For example, patients with kidney failure due to diabetes are usually advised to keep their blood sugar levels in check. The damage may not be completely treatable, but this method at least keeps the kidneys functioning without dialysis.
However, it is possible that the kidney condition will continue to worsen. This can occur even when the underlying cause of chronic kidney failure, such as high blood pressure, has been controlled.
Treatment prevents complications
In addition to controlling the cause, the choice of medication and treatment carried out by the team of doctors also tries to prevent complications due to chronic kidney failure. It also aims to delay the need for dialysis and kidney transplants for as long as possible.
Here are some types of treatment that are done to improve the quality of life for chronic kidney failure patients.
Blood pressure control drugs
High blood pressure is one of the main causes of chronic kidney failure. Therefore, people with chronic kidney disease will be recommended drugs to lower blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBS.
Both types of drugs can usually decrease kidney function and change electrolyte levels. This makes you need to regularly check your blood so that your condition can be monitored.
In addition to blood pressure control drugs for chronic kidney failure patients, patients are also asked to undergo a low salt diet and consume diuretics (drugs that reduce the buildup of body fluids through urine).
Cholesterol-lowering drugs
Did you know that chronic kidney failure patients have a high risk of developing heart disease? Generally, kidney failure patients with high cholesterol levels are advised to start statin therapy under the supervision of a doctor.
Statins are drugs that are said to be clinically effective at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney failure patients. Your doctor will usually recommend you atorvastatin 20 mg as a high-intensity statin.
Medicines to treat anemia
The most common complication in kidney failure patients is anemia. Therefore, drugs to relieve symptoms of anemia will be given to patients with chronic kidney failure, such as erythropoietin supplements.
Erythropoietin supplementation aims to maintain hemoglobin levels up to 10-12 g / dL. Before starting this treatment, the patient needs to check the iron level so that the saturation can be maintained at 30-50 percent.
Medication to reduce swelling
One of the most disturbing symptoms of chronic kidney disease is swelling of the arms and legs. The doctor will then recommend drugs to reduce swelling in chronic kidney failure, namely diuretics.
Diuretics are tablets that help the kidneys produce more urine. Taking this medicine may make you urinate more frequently. However, it is important to remember not to drink too much fluids because the medicine is ineffective and you will need to increase your dose.
Medicines to strengthen bones
Kidney failure patients who have entered a severe level of damage usually experience bone disease due to mineral and calcium balance disorders. This is what makes doctors prescribe drugs and supplements of calcium and vitamin D so that bones are not weakened in patients with chronic kidney failure.
In addition, you can also take drugs to bind phosphate so that the amount is not too much in the blood. This method also helps protect blood vessels from damage caused by calcium deficiency.
Live a healthy life
The health care providers you go to do not only prescribe medications and treatments to relieve symptoms of chronic kidney failure. They will also recommend a dietitian to help you get on a special kidney failure diet.
One of the special diets for kidney failure that is often done is a low protein diet. This diet plan aims to lighten the work of the kidneys as they filter protein from the blood. In addition, you are also asked to make changes to your lifestyle to be healthier, including:
- take medication as directed by a doctor to prevent other health problems,
- consumption of foods with balanced nutrition,
- exercise routine, and
- get enough rest.
What about end-stage chronic kidney failure medications?
If the damage to kidney function is permanent, it is unlikely that any medication will be able to treat your chronic kidney failure. Kidney malfunctioning can no longer remove waste and extra fluid from the body.
This condition ultimately makes kidney failure patients need dialysis (dialysis) or a kidney transplant to survive.
Dialysis
Dialysis is a dialysis process that is assisted by a device to remove waste and excess fluid when the kidneys are no longer functioning. This machine will filter waste and extra fluid from the blood.
There are two types of dialysis, namely peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis usually uses a catheter (small tube) that is inserted into the stomach and fills the abdominal cavity with a dialysis solution that absorbs waste and fluid.
Meanwhile, hemodialysis requires a large enough machine so that waste and fluids can be filtered from the blood. Therefore, hemodialysis is more commonly found in dialysis centers.
Kidney transplant
The procedure, which involves surgery to place a healthy kidney from a donor into the body, is not as easy as one might imagine. The reason is that kidney transplants have a waiting list according to the patient's needs and the level of kidney damage.
After surgery, a patient with chronic kidney failure still needs to take medication for the rest of his life so that the body does not reject the new organ. The good news is, a successful kidney transplant doesn't require you to go back on dialysis.
