“My brothers GFR is 29, should I put him on a limit for liquid?” Drinking water isn't a problem, but it's a big problem for people with kidney disease. That is why many kidney patients ask such a question. In this article, let’s have a discussion.

Why is drinking water a problem for kidney patients?

The reason why kidney patients need to limit water intake based on the following theory:

One of the main functions of the kidney is to drain water. If there is something wrong with the kidney, drinking more water will increase the burden on the kidney.

But not all renal patients need water restriction.

Whether you need to limit water intake or not depends on the following three conditions.

1 Whether there is edema or not

-If you have massive proteinuria and present as Nephrotic Syndrome, it is necessary to limit water, otherwise it will worsen swelling.

-If you only have a small amount of protein in urine and no swelling, it is unnecessary.

2 Whether urine volume reduces or not

For healthy people, urine volume is about 1000-2000 ml per day. If your urine volume is less than that level, you should drink less water. If yours is normal, it is unnecessary.

3 Whether kidneys shrink or not

Ultrasound test can help you see the size of kidneys. If they get shrunk, you should restrict water intake. If your kidney size is normal, it is unnecessary.

Principles of drinking water for CKD patients

If your kidney drainage function is normal, drinking water does not put extra stress on kidneys. Because kidneys filter 2000 L blood every day and produce 180 L primary urine. The water you drink is only a small piece of cake for kidney.

Then how much water you can drink? You should observe your 24-h urine volume, and water intake should be less than daily urine output. Meanwhile, you should limit fruits and vegetables high in water.

Whether you should limit liquid with GFR or not depends on your medical condition. Now you can send a copy of your lab report to renal-disease@hotmail.com. Our renal experts can help you analyze it and then give you an exact answer, and meanwhile help you promote renal function. Only when your kidney function gets improved can you drink water normally without any worry.