As a result of local and national measures to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus, some patients’ dialysis sessions may have been reduced in time or frequency.

Your dialysis sessions do an important job of filtering out waste, balancing chemicals and removing excess fluid. With less time on the dialysis machine it is even more important that you follow renal dietary advice – especially fluid and potassium restrictions to prevent excessive fluid build-up and higher-than-normal potassium levels. You should follow any advice that you have been given by your own dialysis unit or renal team and if in doubt about what you should be eating you should contact your renal dietitian.

Fluid

Fluid is removed during your dialysis session, however with less time on dialysis, more fluid than normal can build up in your body. This will put strain on your heart and make you feel more breathless than usual.

You may already follow a fluid restriction, but with less dialysis, you should be more careful. You should follow the information you have been given by your renal team.

You can find more information in our booklet on managing your fluid and salt levels

Salt

Salt and salty food can make you feel thirstier which will make restricting your fluid intake even harder. Reducing salt and salty food will help with this. You should follow the information you have been given by your renal team. If you have diabetes, try to control your blood glucose, because high blood sugars can make you thirsty.

You can find more information in our booklet on managing your fluid and salt levels

Potassium

Potassium is removed during dialysis and then builds up again between dialysis sessions. Having less dialysis will mean that potassium levels may be higher than normal. Having too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous and at very high levels can cause your heart to stop beating.

You should follow the information you have been given by your renal team.

We also have a booklet on lowering your potassium levels

Phosphate

With a reduction in dialysis time it is even more important that you take your phosphate binder tablets if you are prescribed them.

Changes to appetite or weight loss

Having less dialysis may reduce your appetite and this can be a major barrier to being able to eat as usual. If you find that you are losing interest in food, missing meals, and/or you are losing weight please inform your dialysis nurse or renal dietitians.

Further information

We realise that this is an anxious and challenging time for many patients and that you may find it difficult to buy suitable foods for the diet you have been advised to follow. If you have any concerns, we suggest that you contact your renal dietitian for further advice.

Coronavirus news and information

For the latest news and information regarding the coronavirus for kidney patients please check our Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for patients with kidney disease page