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Binders - Dialysis Tips

May 14

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In 5 months, my phosphate dropped from an 11 to a 4.5.  It wasn’t just eating plant-based cheese or eliminating high phosphate foods from my diet.  We do go out to eat occasionally and you can’t control what’s in the meals, to a certain extent.  That’s where the “binders” come in.


Binders, or Calcium Acetate, is a medication that is given to help pull phosphate out of the food that you eat.


Based on your phosphate test results, the doctor can prescribe a certain number of pills to be taken with each meal. 


I am currently taking 4 pills with each meal.  It’s hard to remember to take them but I’ve now put pills in separate bottles, and I have them where I eat my breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I also put some in my purse and try to remember to take them when I eat out (that one is not as easy). 


Taking the binders has helped drop my test results.  Phosphate is in almost everything we eat.  I just wish I had known about phosphate much sooner and had asked to have been tested before dialysis.


One last note, I started with Calcium Acetate tablets.  They were big and hard to swallow.  The pill version is much easier to swallow and not as daunting when you must take 4. 


Calcium Acetate Capsules
Calcium Acetate Capsules

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