Question 1

natural/herbal supplements that i can use to help with kidney function?

Accepted Answer

Check with md: One must be cautious about using natural medicine  for any disease. Some may cause liver and kidney disease if used long term. It is best to check with your doctor before using any natural medicine.

Question 2

i have one good kidney, will have other removed, does not function. would amino acids supplement be safe to take? i dont want to harm my good kidney.

Accepted Answer

Amino acid Supps: As a person's kidney function diminishes, the dietary restrictions needed to compensate are increased. One of the more difficult dietary changes to master is protein  requirements, so I would discuss with your kidney specialist before taking these supplements. Best wishes.

Question 3

if i have only one functioning kidney (was born like this), can i use silicon supplements like biosil (ch-osa)?  

is it safe for me?

Accepted Answer

Probably safe but...: I consider biosil to be a very safe & benign supplement but in researching this i found statements like: 
"long-term use or very high doses of horsetail (or silica) supplements have caused irreversible kidney damage, especially in people with existing kidney disease."- from http://www.Vitalhealthzone.Com/nutrition/minerals/silica.Html#9 but I have not found any references on this- see my comment:.

Question 4

magnesium blood level was 2.5. all other electrolytes normal & normal kidney functioning. not on any supplements/meds containing mag. is this bad?

Accepted Answer

Serum useless: A serum magnesium level is not very helpful. The body keeps serum magnesium under very tight control at the expense of tissue/bone levels. Check an rbc magnesium level instead to get a better picture of tissue levels. Ideal levels in the upper half of reference range. Most people are low.

Question 5

my kidney function was not so good 5 months ago, but still in normal range, now on ultrasound, one kidney is 100mm and other 90mm, is this normal?

Accepted Answer

Normal size: The renal length varies with height and weight and decreases slowly with age. Right kidney is usually slightly smaller than the Left. Normal size ranges from 9-12 cm (90-120 mm)  and the difference in size should not exceed 2 cm. **So the size of the kidneys is normal. Besides size the texture of the kidney(Its "Ecogenicity") is often increased in chronic renal disease.

Question 6

does a restricted ureter have an effect on long-term kidney function?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: It depends on the degree of restriction.It takes only 10% of one kidney to maintain adequate kidney function, but its never a good idea to lose a kidney if you dont have to.

Question 7

what effects does a restricted ureter have on long-term kidney function?

Accepted Answer

?Reduce function: Narrowing of the ureter can be congenital at either end, ureterovesical or ureteropelvic junction obstructions. Narrowing can occur after passage or removal of a kidney or ureteral stone. Ureter can be constricted by retroperitoneal fibrosis or inflammation. Diuretic nuclear scan can quantify both relative function and degree of obstruction if present. Significant obstruction can destroy function.

Question 8

can someone with less than 95% of kidney function survive on dialysis treatment?

Accepted Answer

Yes: That would be the reason to get on dialysis as the kidneys are not clearing out the toxins, so the dialysis machine does that. 2 types of dialysis-PD&amp;HD. Older people-above 70, tend get really wiped out after HD treatments which are 3 times a week. Survival time also depends on underlying other disease states and current functional status.

Question 9

what is the significance of cm differentiation on kidney ultrasounds? e.g. is it a marker or inflammation or kidney function? just trying to improve my understanding?

Accepted Answer

: CM diferentiation = CorticoMedullary differentiation. By renal US, the cortical and medullary sections (outer and inner) have different echogenic charaters and that difference is showed as corticomedullary differentiation. If the cortical section (renal parenchyma) is damaged and scarring (chronic) the echo character changes so there is no more echo differentiation between the two sections.

Question 10

why might my kidney function drop?

Accepted Answer

Many possible causes: There are many different reasons why one may have suboptimal kidney function.  In industrialized countries, many people suffer from diabetes and hypertension and they often cause or contribute to chronic kidney diseases.  Other causes include polycystic kidney disease, long-term use of nephrotoxic meds (NSAIDs, lithium, certain antibiotics), and autoimmune diseases (e.g. lupus),

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Doctor answers about:

Supplements for kidney function

A member asked:

Natural/herbal supplements that i can use to help with kidney function?

A member asked:

I have one good kidney, will have other removed, does not function. would amino acids supplement be safe to take? i dont want to harm my good kidney.

A member asked:

If i have only one functioning kidney (was born like this), can i use silicon supplements like biosil (ch-osa)? is it safe for me?

A member asked:

Magnesium blood level was 2.5. all other electrolytes normal & normal kidney functioning. not on any supplements/meds containing mag. is this bad?

A member asked:

My kidney function was not so good 5 months ago, but still in normal range, now on ultrasound, one kidney is 100mm and other 90mm, is this normal?

A member asked:

Does a restricted ureter have an effect on long-term kidney function?

A member asked:

What effects does a restricted ureter have on long-term kidney function?

A member asked:

Can someone with less than 95% of kidney function survive on dialysis treatment?

A member asked:

What is the significance of cm differentiation on kidney ultrasounds? e.g. is it a marker or inflammation or kidney function? just trying to improve my understanding?

A member asked:

Why might my kidney function drop?

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