What You Can Do

Maintaining the right levels of phosphorus and calcium is an important way to reduce the risk of serious health consequences. That’s why it is important to:

Complete each dialysis treatment as prescribed. Dialysis treatments help remove the excess phosphorus.
Follow a low phosphorus diet - Dietitians can prescribe a diet low in phosphorus. It is important to follow this diet to limit the amount of phosphorus entering the body.
Take Renvela as directed with meals and snacks. Renvela is effective at removing phosphorus from the foods you eat so the phosphorus does not get absorbed into the body.
Know your goal! - The National Kidney Foundation’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Bone Metabolism and Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) recommend that patients with CKD on dialysis maintain phosphorus levels in the range of 3.5 – 5.5 mg/dL and that calcium levels be maintained in the range of 8.4 – 9.5 mg/dL. You should work with your healthcare team to keep your phosphorus and calcium levels within the target ranges.

Renvela^® (sevelamer carbonate) and Renagel^® (sevelamer hydrochloride) are used to control phosphorus levels in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease on dialysis. Do not use sevelamer if you have very low phosphorus levels or a history of bowel obstruction. Talk to your doctor if you have had digestive tract surgery, or other digestive disorders including severe constipation. The most common side effects with sevelamer include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, abdominal pain, constipation, and rash. In uncommon instances, patients have experienced bowel obstruction. Take sevelamer with meals and adhere to your prescribed diet. Speak to your doctor when taking sevelamer with other medications. Promptly contact your doctor if you experience severe abdominal pain, new or worsening constipation, or other severe intestinal symptoms while on sevelamer. For more information, please see Full Prescribing Information for Renvela, Full Prescribing Information for Renagel or call Genzyme Medical Information at 1-800-847-0069.