My friend was just diagnosed with stage 4 chronic kidney disease, what can we expect, what are the options for her?

Hello Ma'am,Stage 4 kidney failure represents a marked decrease in kidney function. Since the kidneys have many different functions, all of these will be affected. First, since the kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood to remove waste products, waste products may accumulate in its blood. This is the case with patients who are taking chemo. These people have more difficulty eliminating the chemotherapy, which sometimes requires us to use a smaller dose. Of course, not all chemotherapy is eliminated through the kidneys, so maybe this won't happen to your friend. The kidneys also produce some important compounds for the body. This is the case for the active version of vitamin D. This requires supplements in the form of medication.

As far as options go, they are very limited. The kidneys sometimes tend to heal themselves (although kidney failure is called chronic). But more often than not, the kidneys continue to lose function as we age. This is especially true if there is a causal link between the loss of kidney function and the chemo and the chemo is continued. In these cases, the kidneys may lose enough function to require dialysis.

Finally, you should know that many patients live with such severe kidney failure. Your friend should concentrate on her chemotherapy, which you say is working very well!

I understand. I hope you do too.Good week,Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist