Chronic Renal Failure - Specialized Ayurvedic Treatment

Chronic kidney disease is defined as kidney damage or decreased kidney glomerular filtration rate of less than 60, for 3 months or more, regardless of the cause. This causes progressive deterioration in kidney function, resulting in the accumulation of toxic waste products, excess water and salt, increased blood pressure, anemia and many other complex symptoms. Chronic kidney failure is divided into Stages I - V, where the first three stages are asymptomatic, and are usually encountered accidentally, during routine blood tests.

The management of chronic kidney failure includes treatment of possible causes, high blood pressure and other symptoms, fluid and dietary control, smoking cessation, and finally, end-stage illness, dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Chronic kidney disease treatment is based on three principles: (i) treating damaged kidneys (ii) treating the tissues (dhatus) that form the kidneys and (iii) treating known causes.

Kidney damage can be treated using medications like Punarnavadi Guggulu, Gokshuradi Guggulu, Gomutra Haritaki, Chandraprabha Vati and Punarnavadi Qadha (boil). Herbal medicines that are useful in this situation are: Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata) and Patol (Tricosanthe dioica).

According to Ayurveda, the kidneys consist of "Rakta" and "Meda" dhatus. Treating the two doses is also an effective way of treating the kidneys. The drugs used are: Patol, Saariva, Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Chirayta (Swertia chirata), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Chandan (Santalum album) and Shunthi (Zinziber officis) .

Finally, the causes of renal failure are known to be treated with drugs that also act on the kidneys. Vascular diseases (related to veins) such as renal artery stenosis and arterial wall inflammation (vasculitis) can be treated using drugs such as Arogya Vardhini, Tapyadi Loha, Mahamanjishthadi Qadha, Kamdudha Vati, Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Bhrungraj (Eclipta al), Saariva Kutki and Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina). Major glomerular diseases such as membrane nephropathy and glomerlonephritis can be treated using Punarnava, Gokshur, Saariva and Manjishtha. Secondary glomerular diseases due to diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and others can be treated appropriately, using appropriate medications for the disease. Similarly, appropriate Ayurvedic medicine may be given for other reasons such as polycystic kidney, prostate enlargement and neurogenic bladder.

The advantage of using Ayurvedic medicine in chronic kidney failure is that in most patients, renal damage can be partially or completely reversed, the frequency of dialysis can be reduced, and the increased risk of cardiovascular disease can be significantly reduced. Therefore, Ayurvedic medicines have the potential to make important therapeutic contributions at all levels.

For patients with chronic kidney failure who are capable of Ayurvedic treatment (or for that matter, any alternative treatment), the following should be noted: (i) all patients should be under the supervision and care of a qualified and experienced Urologist ( ii) Ayurvedic medicines should be taken in the form of additional treatments, and cannot replace other therapeutic or dialysis treatments, and (iii) Urologists should be informed of the decision to begin Ayurvedic treatment.

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