I Scheduled my colonoscopy a month previous and it was the day before the hated test. I got the large, gallon-sized container out of the bathroom and read the label for the first time.
TRILYTE
- Generic Name: peg-3350, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride
- Brand Name: TriLyte
Potassium Chloride! I have hyperkalemia and made sure to tell the physician’s assistant at the gastroenterology department at the large teaching hospital about my stage 4 kidney disease and high potassium. I carefully read the entire booklet that came with the product and decided to go on to Google Scholar and look up references. Why would I put more potassium in my body when my already overloaded kidneys couldn’t take it all out?
Renal Risks of Sodium Phosphate…
Renal failure following … oral sodium biphosphate bowel cleansing
Not only did I find these few of many references the literature also stated not to be given to people with a propensity to hyperkalemia. I promptly called the gastroenterologist’s office and explained my predicament to the receptionist and asked that something else to be prescribed other than this preparation. She promptly called me back and told me not to worry, the preparation goes through the blood stream and not through the kidneys. In shock, I hung up and later called back and canceled my colonoscopy. Doesn’t everyone know that the kidneys filter and clean the blood? I told my nephrologist later about the event and she said: “Thank goodness, my patients educate themselves on their disease.”
Kidney Disease and Me 