Medication

As my kidney condition has moved towards its ultimate destination (End Stage Kidney Disease -ESKD) the range of medications needed to replace kidney function has both changed and grown.

My morning pot of meds has now become quite a mouthful. In addition there are meds to take with each meal and meds to take at night.

Currently I take the following each morning with Breakfast.

• Amlodipine (10mg) for blood pressure
• Doxazosin (3x 10mg) for blood presssure
• Furesomide (6x 40mg) for Water Retention- to reduce ankle swelling
• Alfacalcidol (0.25µg) for Calcium absorption
• Metolazone (5mg) for Water Retention – to reduce ankle swelling
• Sevelamer (3x 800mg) for Phosphate control – to reduce itching

Additionally I will take Sevelamir (3x800mg) with lunch and (4x800mg) with my main meal.

Each night I have been prescribed 20mg Amitriptyline- this is up from 5mg which was seen as useless by my Renal Consultant- to help me to sleep / relieve insomnia

I also have injections of Epoetin zeta twice a week (10,000) – to promote the production of red blood cells.

Quite a concoction I am sure you’d agree. The Sevelamir is particularly unpalatable as the tablets are enormous.

All of this to replace the functioning of one small organ in my body and to get me through this last month before dialysis can begin. Then hopefully I can consign many of these drugs to history.