Recently, I made a post about being careful of supplements. Most of us with a chronic disease will often feel desperate enough to try every new treatment or supplement we hear about. Ironically, before and after I was writing that post, I heard of a new one.
Chitosan is:
"a natural polycationic linear polysaccharide derived from chitin" (source)
Chitin is (according to the same source):
"Chitin is the structural element in the exoskeleton of insects, crustaceans (mainly shrimps and crabs)..."
What got me interested in chitosan was hearing from someone that it's supposed to be good for kidney health. Of course, I then did a search and read that it might have a "beneficial effect on renal function". According to a clinical trial,
"Significant reductions in urea and creatinine levels in serum were observed after 4 weeks of chitosan ingestion. The feeling of physical strength, the appetite and the sleep of patients in the treatment group had improved significantly after 12 weeks of ingestion, compared with those of patients in the control group. During the treatment period, no clinically problematic symptoms were observed. These data suggest that chitosan might be effective treatment for renal failure patients, although the mechanism of the effect should be investigated further." (source) [my emphasis]
NOTE: Keep in mind that I have no medical training. Do not rely on my laymen's research. Only get medical advice from professionals. That said, I myself am a sarcoidosis and CKD patient. It took me several days to find and even attempt to understand what I was reading during this info search. It's a shame that I (as a patient) have to even do this kind of research but my mantra is to be my own advocate. That's a real problem sometimes due to my cognitive issues but such is the current health care system.
 |
| (Source) The 3 I love |
When I looked for a chitosan supplement, I noticed that most of them include as much as 500mg of chromium, 200mg of calcium, and 150-200mg of phosphorous. I know that I'm not to take any additional calcium and phosphorous (I keep a list of things my doctor has warned me about) so I found a brand that didn't include those two things. That was tricky but I found one that was fairly affordable to boot.
Reading reviews from several sources, I got the impression that the brand I was going to try either did nothing for the user or - and this is horrifying - caused bloating and constipation. Apparently, it only took most users a couple of days to experience the bloating and constipation. Users who had little or no results based on labs realized the lack of effect within 1 to 2 months of use.
Okay then.
I decided that I would try the supplement for at least 2 weeks. I would be having infusion labs done within a week and a half of starting. Of course, I'd stop if I had any of the more uncomfortable side effects.
 |
| (source) |
The capsules are the standard size for filled gelatin caps. There is a very slight fishy taste to the capsules if let them melt the least little bit on my tongue. The odor didn't last and I had no aftertaste (or smell) from them.
The suggested use of the brand I have is to "take 3 capsules immediately before the two main meals of the day", not to exceed 6 capsules per day. The capsules are to be taken at least 4 hours before or after taking any fat-soluble vitamins (which are vitamins A, D, E, and K). I learned that there is a reason for that and it leads to why most non-CKD people take the supplement.
Chitosan blocks dietary fat absorbtion.
Ahh...
The thing is, while I am hoping that the chitosan will help with my CKD, I wouldn't count on it for weight loss. According to this:
"Analyses involving all trials indicated that chitosan preparations result in a small but statistically significant greater reduction in body weight..." (my emphasis)
(source)
So, yeah. I don't remember from reading all those reviews that I waded through whether or not people had weight loss success with the supplement.
The good news for me is that, after 3 days of taking these capsules, I have not had any problems with bloating or constipation. I suffer from chronic constipation and I got some relief from it. Go figure.
When I have my labs done and meet with the nephrologist, I will be able to do an update on how this is all going. It might be that the doctor has me stop taking the supplement. Maybe there won't be any "Significant reductions in urea and creatinine levels" but I can hope, can't I?
Peace
--Free
