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Dialysis Aide

The World’s Most Complete Dialysis Vitamin

All of the same ingredients in standard Renal Vitamins PLUS:

Zinc-Oxide for Immune support 

L-Carnitine for Muscles, Energy and Anemia support

Anti-Oxidant Vitamins E and C 

Nephrologist Invented, Supported by Science, Guideline Based 

DialysisAideStandard Dialysis Vitamin
Vitamin B1Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3Vitamine B3
Vitamin B4Vitamin B4
Vitamin B5Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12Vitamin B12
Vitamin CVitamin C
Zinc-Oxide N/A 
Vitamin EN/A
L-CarnitineN/A 

From Dr. Barry:

For years I’ve been researching ways to improve my patients symptoms on dialysis. If you look carefully at the research, guidelines and expert opinions below you can see common themes. The water soluble vitamins are washed out, L-Carnitine is lost, zinc intake in dialysis patients is low, and antioxidants vitamin C and E are essential. 

In the past we would piece meal these recommendations, take a renal vitamin, take Vitamin E, also take a C supplement, find L-Carnitine and take that and add zinc to your regimen. 

It’s way to complicated, expensive, confusing and our patients swallow enough pills as it is. 

DialysisAide was born. All the water soluble vitamins in a standard renal vitamin plus the key Vitamins E, C, Zinc, and muscle centric Amino Acid L-Carnitine together in 1 bottle. Just 2 easy swallow capsules a day. Read more below. 

Many patients on Dialysis:

  • Get cramps
  • Feel drained especially after the session
  • Have diminished immune systems.

In fact Dialysis washes out many vital nutrients including all of the water soluble vitamins like Vitamin C, Niacin, Thiamine, Riboflavin, B6 and B12. 

Dialysis also drains the body of the water soluble muscle centric essential amino acid L-Carnitine.

L-Carnitine is a small water soluble amino acid that has an essential role in fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Carnitine can be measured in the blood with a simple laboratory test. 

Carnitie is mostly derived from dietary meat consumption with a small percent biosynthesized in the kidney and liver.

In the healthy general population Carnitine deficiency is quite rare.

In the dialysis population, Carnitine deficiency is exceedingly common, we just don’t often test for it (at least not in the United States).

It has been shown that up to 70% of free Carnitine is dialyzed off in a single dialysis session.

Dialysis patients are often on dietary restrictions and of course the kidneys are unable to biosynthesize Carnitine any longer.1,3

Carnitine Deficiency Symptoms Include

  • Anemia that is resistant to our standard EPO treatments
  • Muscular weakness 
  • Cardiac dysfunction 
  • Low exercise capacity 
  • Low Blood pressure on dialysis1,3 

*DialysisAide contains 500 mg of L-Carnitine per serving.

Get out of the Dialysis fog and get back to feeling good again.  

I was getting leg cramps towards the end of most of the dialysis sessions. The doctors just kept telling me to drink less fluid. I was sticking to the restriction but still getting cramps, so I tried DialysisAide. Wow what a difference! Thank you for this product.
JR
I noticed when I started dialysis my taste buds changed. I mentioned that to the doctors and nurses. They said it was probably due to medications. I read a lot about this and stumbled across your Dialysis vitamin. I’m on it for 3 weeks so far and my taste buds are coming back.
DD
Just wanted to say thank you. This has helped my cramps and my numbers seem to be doing better too, I also have more energy. I told my doctors that every dialysis patient should try this.
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National Kidney Foundation KDOQI Guidelines state

CKD: Micronutrient Supplementation, Dialysis

In adults with CKD 5D who exhibit inadequate dietary intake for sustained periods of time, it is reasonable to consider supplementation with multivitamins, including all the water-soluble vitamins, and essential trace elements to prevent or treat micronutrient deficiencies (OPINION).

L-Carnitine 

Most Studies of subjective symptoms [muscle weakness, low energy, cramping] with L-Carnitine supplementation show a beneficial effect.  They go on to state “Several members of the work group , felt that a short term trial of L-Carnitine was reasonable in selected patients with these symptoms who are unresponsive to other therapies.”2

Also stated “members of the work group believe a trial of L-carnitine is reasonable in selected patients with anemia and/or large erythropoietin requirements”.2

American Association of Kidney Patients 

Panel recommended Carnitine treatment for certain conditions in dialysis patients who do not adequately respond to standard therapy: 

  1. muscle cramps and hypotension 
  2. lack of energy 
  3. skeletal muscle weakness and/or myopathy 
  4. cardiomyopathy
  5. anemia or uremia unresponsive to or requiring large doses of erythropoietin.3

CMS states for L-Carnitine supplementation approval:  

Patients must have Carnitine deficiency on blood work <40 micromol/L + signs and symptoms of L-Carnitine Deficiency which include:  

  • Treatment Resistant Anemia 
  • Low Blood pressure on Dialysis  

In fact it was on December 15th, 1999 the IV form was approved for these conditions 

Vitamin E 

European Best Practice Guidelines state 

A daily supplement of 400-800 IU is recommended in secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and for preventing recurrent muscle cramps for dialysis patients.  

In a head to head trial Dialysis patients taking Vitamin E 400 IU at bedtime showed a ~70% reduction in leg cramps.  The authors conclude that Vitamin E is recommended for patients  on dialysis with leg cramps.7

Zinc 

Severe zinc deficiency depresses immune function, and even mild to moderate degrees of zinc deficiency can impair macrophage and neutrophil functions, natural killer cell activity, and complement activity. The body requires zinc to develop and activate T-lymphocytes. Individuals with low zinc levels have shown adverse alterations in immunity that can be corrected by zinc supplementation.  These alterations in immune function might explain why low zinc status has been associated with increased susceptibility to pneumonia and other infections.8

European Best Practice Guidelines state 

A zinc supplement of 50 mg per day for 3-6 months should be considered in hemodialysis patients.4

Symptoms linked to zinc deficiency include:  

  • impaired taste or smell
  • skin fragility
  • impotence 
  • peripheral neuropathy

Also noted in a recent randomized control trial of Hemodialysis patients who were zinc deficient, supplementing Zinc improved Erythropoietin responsiveness. The authors concluded “zinc supplementation may be a useful therapeutic strategy for renal anemia treatment in patients undergoing Hemodialysis and with low serum zinc levels.”

Vitamin C 

KDOQI Guideline 2020 

CKD: Vitamin C Supplementation

In adults with CKD 1-5D or post transplantation who are at risk of Vitamin C deficiency it is reasonable to consider supplementation to meet the recommended intake of at least 90 mg/d for men and 75 mg/d for women (OPINION).

A randomized double blinded placebo controlled trial in 40 dialysis patients over 8 weeks comparing Vitamin E, Vitamin C, the combination of the 2 vs placebo took place. In this study cramping frequency decreased by 97% in the combination C and E group vs only 7% in the placebo group.10

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a nutrient your body needs to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones. Vitamin C is also vital to your body’s healing process.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation from the sun, X-rays or other sources. Free radicals might play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb and store iron.6

Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables. Often times unfortunately these foods may be restricted due to concerns over potassium content. It has been shown that 30-40% of Vitamin C is removed by dialysis in a single session. 

References:

  1. Front. Med., 05 November 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.767945
  2. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nutrition in Chronic Renal Failure Appendix X 
  3. CMS.Gov Levocarnitine for End Stage Renal Disease 
  4. European Best Practice Guidelines on Nutrition in Dialysis. Nephrol Dial Transplant (2007) 22 [Suppl 2]: ii45–ii87 doi:10.1093/ndt/gfm020
  5. Mayo Clinic Vitamin C online accessed February 2022 
  6. NIH Dietary Supplement Vitamin C online accessed February 2022 
  7. Roca AO, Jarjoura D, Blend D, Cugino A, Rutecki GW, Nuchikat PS, Whittier FC. Dialysis leg cramps. Efficacy of quinine versus vitamin E. ASAIO J. 1992 Jul-Sep;38(3):M481-5. PMID: 1457907.
  8. NIH dietary Supplement Zinc online accessed March 2022
  9. Oral Zinc Supplementation Reduces the Erythropoietin Responsiveness Index in Patients on Hemodialysis. Nutrients. 2015 May; 7(5): 3783–3795.
  10. Khajehdehi P, Mojerlou M, Behzadi S, Rais-Jalali GA. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of supplementary vitamins E, C and their combination for treatment of haemodialysis cramps. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2001 Jul;16(7):1448-51. doi: 10.1093/ndt/16.7.1448. PMID: 11427639.

Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.