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A 53-year-old male asked:

Does drinking a lot of water slow cyst development in polycystic kidney disease patients?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Jeremy Gitomer
31 years experience
No: Nothing has been proven to slow cyst development. There are drugs undergoing trials; octreotide, Everolimus and tolvaptan all working on different systems that are promising. Adpkd patients are told to drink fluids to decrease the risk of stone formation and utis, the kidneys are very large urine collects in larger areas with slower flow making these complications more likely.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Rex Mahnensmith
A Verified Doctoranswered
46 years experience
Pkd: YES. Vasopressin is a natural hormone that promotes cyst enlargement. High fluid intake daily suppresses vasopressin and reduces cyst enlargement. Aim for 4-6 liters per day. Avoid caffeine.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Jul 15, 2018

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