How Can Kidney Patients Stop Vomiting

Why do kidney patients vomit 

The kidneys are an important organ in our body. Everyone has two kidneys, located in the middle of the back. The structure of the kidney is composed of tiny structures called nephrons, which are responsible for the filtration of the blood. The functions of the kidney include:¹

• Balancing important salt and minerals in the blood

• Remove toxins, wastes, and extra water from the body in the form of urine

• Release hormones to help manage anaemia, control blood pressure, and help maintain strong bones

Vomiting is a common symptom in kidney patients. The causes of vomiting differ according to the kidney disease that you have. Vomiting can be an upsetting symptom of chronic kidney disease. There are many reason for vomiting such as medicine, being constipated, and toxins accumulating in your body because of your failing kidney.²

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a term used for several conditions that affect the kidney, usually progressive damage to the kidneys. The causes of kidney failure is diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Vomiting in chronic kidney disease due to inability of the kidney to remove waste products results in the presence of urea (waste product) in the blood, and this is called uraemia.¹

A Kidney stone is a hard object made from the chemicals from urine. When there is too much waste and too little liquid, crystals begin to form and cause renal stones. There are four types of kidney stones: uric acid, struvite, calcium oxalate, and cystine. Vomiting is one of the symptoms of kidney stones due to the inability of the kidney to clear waste because the stones interrupt proper urination causing the waste to accumulate in the blood. Kidney stones increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease.³ 

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) causes cysts to grow in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid, and too many cysts can cause damage to the kidney. PKD cysts can replace much of the kidney, reducing kidney function leading to kidney failure. PKD increases the size of the abdomen and chances of  recurrent urinary tract infections that cause vomiting. The main cause of PKD is genetic. The main sign of the PKD is high blood pressure.⁴

Kidney failure means 85-90% of kidney function is gone. Kidney failure is caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases. In kidney failure, wastes and excess fluid build up in the blood.⁵

Acute kidney injury (AKI): kidneys suddenly stop working properly. The main causes of AKI is reduced blood flow to the kidney or by inflammation of the kidney itself that reduce the ability of the kidney to filter the blood, leading to accumulation of waste product in the blood that causes vomiting.⁶

Haemodialysis: there is a high incidence of vomiting in patients undergoing haemodialysis.⁷

Ways for kidney patients to stop vomiting 

You can stop vomiting by treating the cause of vomiting: 

1. If the cause is constipation: increase the amount of fibre in your diet; eat regular meals and  drink adequate fluids; be active as possible; drink fluids 30 to 60 minutes before or after meals; stay away from smoking and alcohol; and avoid foods that are greasy, spicy or very sweet² 
2. If the cause of vomiting is uraemia : vitamin D can help because it can restore cell viability and transepithelial barrier function in the kidney⁸

If the cause is chronic kidney disease, treatment includes medicine to lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and control blood glucose. Chronic kidney disease may lead to kidney failure. Dialysis and kidney transplantation is the only treatment for kidney failure.¹ 

If the cause is kidney stone, treatment is by medication or surgery. Prevention is by drinking enough fluids to help keep your urine less concentrated with waste products, eating more fruits and vegetables to make your urine less acidic, and reducing excessive salt in your diet.³

Treatment of polycystic kidney disease is by drinking plain water throughout the day and avoiding caffeine, careful control of blood pressure, treatment with antibiotics for reducing infection, and medication.⁴ 

Treatment of kidney failure is by dialysis or kidney transplantation.⁵ 

People who are at risk of AKI should be monitored with regular blood tests or start new medication⁶

When should I seek a doctor for vomiting 

You must see your doctor if the vomiting doesn't stop and it is hard to manage and lasts for a long time because this can lead to dehydration. There's medicine you can take by pill or injection.²

Summary 

The kidneys are an important organ in our body. The functions of the kidney include: balancing important salt and minerals in the blood, removing toxins, wastes, and extra water from the body in the form of urine, releasing hormones to help manage anaemia, control blood pressure, and helping maintain strong bones. Vomiting is a common symptom in kidney patients. The causes of vomiting differ according to the kidney disease that you have. Vomiting can be upsetting symptoms of chronic kidney disease. There are many reasons for vomiting such as medicine, being constipated, and toxins accumulating in your body because of your failing kidney. You can stop vomiting by treating the causes of vomiting.