People on Dialysis have different vitamin and diet needs than the general population. The largest Dialysis Organization in the United States, Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. stated, "Dialysis washes out some vitamins. Other vitamins may build up in your body to unsafe levels." While some Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients take large doses of Vitamin C (Megadoses) to bolster their immune system during Flu Season, it is not healthy or effective to do so.
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Drink mixes such as Emergen-C and Airborne as well as Vitamin C tablets are advertised to fight colds and strengthen the immune system. However, in excess these often unregulated powders and pills may have negative effects on a patient's health; causing diarrhea, nausea and anemia.
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For Dialysis patients specifically, Megadoses of Vitamin C causes their bodies to form crystal deposits called oxalates which can build up and create severe bone and joint pain because the lack of kidney function prevents Vitamin C from being effectively eliminated from their systems. Hence, while patients may be trying to improve their health outcomes, if not done correctly, Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients' actions can have the opposite effect.
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Some Vitamin C capsules are as much as 500 mg/day. Although Vitamin C can be helpful, most Dialysis patients should limit their intake to 60 mg/day, which is generally the amount in multivitamins for Chronic Kidney Disease patients who are conducting Dialysis, suggested Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. The large Dialysis Provider continued, "If you do daily Home or Nocturnal Hemodialysis (HD), you may be able to have more Vitamin C because these treatments remove twice as much or more oxalate as Peritoneal Dialysis or In-center Hemodialysis.
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What's more, there are certainly other effective ways to avoid illness during the Flu Season which include: Washing your hands frequently, staying away from sick people (even loved ones) and keeping surfaces in your home sanitized. How do you avoid the Flu and Common Cold? Click here to share your answer with the over 28,200 Friends at KidneyBuzz.com.
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