PKD Life - Spring 2022 - 17

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D
wight Odland, 57, gets some
" extra help " for his health
in the form of vitamins and
supplements. He takes omega3s
for heart health, turmeric to deal with
arthritis pain (and the pain he sometimes
feels from his enlarged kidneys),
vitamin B12 to help with his energy, and
vitamins K and D3 for his bone health,
which is already threatened by osteopenia,
a softening of the bones.
Odland says his regimen of vitamins
and other supplements " feels safe, " and
everything he takes has been sanctioned
by his doctors. " It's taken a couple of
years for my doctors and me to get to
the right supplements plan for me, " says
Odland, of Simi Valley, California, who
was diagnosed with ADPKD in 1984.
" And my body seems to respond to it. " In
fact, he says his nephrologist says that
taking B12 may be the reason his red
blood cell count is up and he is feeling
more energetic.
As a longtime volunteer in the PKD
community, Odland often hears of people
trying diff erent supplements, hoping
to fi nd a silver-bullet cure. But he knows
there is no cure. More importantly, he
knows that taking dietary supplements
safely requires continuous communication
between patient and doctor.
" When I started taking supplements,
there was a lot of back-and-forth and
looking at the bloodwork and how I was
feeling, and then making adjustments, "
he says. " I went on some things and off
of others, but for the last few years it's
been stable, and we're all happy with the
way things are right now. "
DON'T GO IT ALONE
Vitamins and supplements are not regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration,
which makes them the Wild West
of the healthcare industry, says Donna
Gjesvold, R.D.N., L.D., C.C.T.D., a registered
dietitian at Hennepin Healthcare's
Kidney Center in Minneapolis.
Walk through the pharmacy or even
your supermarket, and jars of products
promising all manner of health benefi ts
beckon from the shelves. Add to that the
internet's information free-for-all, and
you might be tempted to try them yourself.
After all, you don't need a prescription
to buy them. And that's where the
problem lies.
" There's a feeling among many people
that since these products are sold over
the counter, they are safe and benefi cial
for everyone, " Gjesvold says. But these
substances " can be completely ineff ective
and even harmful, especially if you
have PKD. "
Vitamins and supplements can interfere
with the absorption of essential
prescription medications, thin your
blood, change your blood pressure and
blood sugar, and cause kidney damage,
Gjesvold says.
You need close monitoring if you're
going to try any of these substances,
which are expensive and may not deliver
what you expect. That is why it's essential
that anything you're taking be reviewed
by your doctor, Gjesvold says.
PKDCURE.ORG
17
Taking dietary
supp le ments
safe ly requires
continuou s
comm unication
be twee n patient
and docto r.
http://www.PKDCURE.ORG
PKD Life - Spring 2022

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