Best nutritional drink for renal diet???

09-27-2005, 05:12 PM

My husband is a hemodialysis patient temporarily and we were told he cannot drink boost

. Which nutritional drink is best for him? He is recovering from peritonitis and the surgery to remove his CAPD catheter. We want him to heal strong and be ready to have the catheter reinserted as soon as possible, however he does not have an appetite and is nauseated easily.

***Maria*** · 09-28-2005, 11:53 AM

We are unable to provide specific individual patient recommendations at our website.

But in general, we can offer information to help you further investigate the answer to your question.

There are many nutritional supplements available today, and there are even "renal specific" formulations.

The one best suited for a person is determined by evaluating their lab test results.

Some patients can use the standard product intended for the general population, and others need to use a renal-specific product. The renal-specific products are typically lower in potassium and phosphorus than the general formulations. The dietitian at the dialysis center can help determine which product is more appropriate for your husband based on an assessment of his lab results.

It's very important that your husband get an adequate amount of protein which is very important for 'wound healing, fighting infections, etc' and this can be done through the diet or with a protein supplement. Again, the dietitian at your husband's unit can assist with this.

As a dietitian, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that you want this information and that you're trying to do what's best for your husband. Good luck, and may he return to PD soon if that's his preference!

Gustine · 08-27-2007, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pennsylvania

My husband is a hemodialysis patient temporarily and we were told he cannot drink boost

. Which nutritional drink is best for him? He is recovering from peritonitis and the surgery to remove his CAPD catheter. We want him to heal strong and be ready to have the catheter reinserted as soon as possible, however he does not have an appetite and is nauseated easily.

Hi, there are a few popular brands available for dialysis patients BUT these are only available through prescription by your Doctor.... before attempting to buy consult with your dietician/nutritionist first.

- Nepro with Carb Steady (Currently I takes this brand)
- NovaSource Renal (Used in the past...very good too!)
- Pro-Stat (Currently take this, its very good)

- Suplena (Haven't tried, some people state its great)

mawf1977 · 08-28-2007, 12:17 PM

Suplena is very low in protein. I took that pre-dialysis when I had to limit my protein intake. Stick with Nepro. If he doesn't like the taste or if it makes him nauseated, try blending with fresh strawberries or blueberries to kick it up a notch.

StansWife · 08-28-2007, 12:23 PM

My husband really likes the Nepro. The nutritionist has him mix it with a scoop of whey protein powder because we have a lot of trouble keeping his protein up.

Gustine · 08-28-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mawf1977

Suplena is very low in protein. I took that pre-dialysis when I had to limit my protein intake. Stick with Nepro. If he doesn't like the taste or if it makes him nauseated, try blending with fresh strawberries or blueberries to kick it up a notch.

I'd also want to point out.. forgot to post it.....Nepro is a bit thick...corn syrup like...the taste overall is good but I think its too thick. What I do is mix it with some water and that really helped me drink it easier....keeping it chilled also improves the taste...

On the other hand NovaSource Renal is not as thick as Nepro....the carton style of NovaSource is easy to handle and open...

kidneybean · 03-31-2008, 12:13 PM

Try Nepro poured over canned fruit too!

Gustine · 03-31-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kidneybean

Try Nepro poured over canned fruit too!

EWwww...

As I speak now am using Boost protein drink, delicious too! Not as thick and oily as the others I mentioned.

TrikkeChickk · 04-01-2008, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gustine

EWwww...

As I speak now am using Boost protein drink, delicious too! Not as thick and oily as the others I mentioned.

Pre-finding out that I had kidney failure (pre-dialysis), I started each day w/a bottle of Ensure Vanilla drink. (That was before my banana smoothie). I also used Ensure after rigorous exercise as a recovery drink. Oops, not now! Actually, I got quite addicted to Ensure.

Looking at the Nephro drinks from Abbott, et. al., it looks to be quite an expensive habit to pick up.

StansWife · 04-01-2008, 07:44 AM

Nepro is especially formulated for dialysis patients and Medicare will pay for it with a prescription from your doctor. They ship it right to your house, a month at a time. Boost and Ensure do have phosphorous and other minerals that renal patients should not be having. I was mixing Ensure or Boost with Whey Protein for my husband but the dietician told me to stop and got him the Nepro instead.

missedtheboat · 04-01-2008, 07:45 AM

When my mother was on PD, she was really ill with other issues as well and had no appetite whatsoever, and was not taking in enough protein, so she was encouraged to drink Boost. She didn't particularly care for the taste, but she did find that she liked the Butter Pecan flavor, served as a hot drink. She was always cold, even in August, so this would warm her up before bedtime. The chocolate was also good warm, like cocoa.

09-27-2005, 05:12 PM	#1
pennsylvania Guest Posts: n/a	Best nutritional drink for renal diet??? My husband is a hemodialysis patient temporarily and we were told he cannot drink boost . Which nutritional drink is best for him? He is recovering from peritonitis and the surgery to remove his CAPD catheter. We want him to heal strong and be ready to have the catheter reinserted as soon as possible, however he does not have an appetite and is nauseated easily.

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09-28-2005, 11:53 AM	#2
*Maria* Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 151	We are unable to provide specific individual patient recommendations at our website. But in general, we can offer information to help you further investigate the answer to your question. There are many nutritional supplements available today, and there are even "renal specific" formulations. The one best suited for a person is determined by evaluating their lab test results. Some patients can use the standard product intended for the general population, and others need to use a renal-specific product. The renal-specific products are typically lower in potassium and phosphorus than the general formulations. The dietitian at the dialysis center can help determine which product is more appropriate for your husband based on an assessment of his lab results. It's very important that your husband get an adequate amount of protein which is very important for 'wound healing, fighting infections, etc' and this can be done through the diet or with a protein supplement. Again, the dietitian at your husband's unit can assist with this. As a dietitian, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that you want this information and that you're trying to do what's best for your husband. Good luck, and may he return to PD soon if that's his preference!

08-28-2007, 12:17 PM	#4
mawf1977 Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 54	Suplena is very low in protein. I took that pre-dialysis when I had to limit my protein intake. Stick with Nepro. If he doesn't like the taste or if it makes him nauseated, try blending with fresh strawberries or blueberries to kick it up a notch.

08-28-2007, 12:23 PM	#5
StansWife Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Yorktown, VA 23693 Posts: 229	My husband really likes the Nepro. The nutritionist has him mix it with a scoop of whey protein powder because we have a lot of trouble keeping his protein up.

03-31-2008, 12:13 PM	#7
kidneybean Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7	Try Nepro poured over canned fruit too!

04-01-2008, 07:44 AM	#10
StansWife Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Yorktown, VA 23693 Posts: 229	Nepro is especially formulated for dialysis patients and Medicare will pay for it with a prescription from your doctor. They ship it right to your house, a month at a time. Boost and Ensure do have phosphorous and other minerals that renal patients should not be having. I was mixing Ensure or Boost with Whey Protein for my husband but the dietician told me to stop and got him the Nepro instead.

04-01-2008, 07:45 AM	#11
missedtheboat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 247	When my mother was on PD, she was really ill with other issues as well and had no appetite whatsoever, and was not taking in enough protein, so she was encouraged to drink Boost. She didn't particularly care for the taste, but she did find that she liked the Butter Pecan flavor, served as a hot drink. She was always cold, even in August, so this would warm her up before bedtime. The chocolate was also good warm, like cocoa.