We will help you learn about alternative treatments in this module. But as someone with kidney diesease, some alternative treatments are not safe for you. Healthy kidneys remove toxins from your body. When your kidneys don't work well, they can't get rid of these toxins—so toxic substances can build up in your body and poison you.

In general, treatments that may NOT BE SAFE for you are ones you eat or drink, like:

• Some regular herbs (can cause bleeding or react with other drugs)
• Chinese herbs (may not be what they are supposed to be)
• Noni juice (very high in potassium)
• Pickle juice (very high in sodium)
• Folk remedies (ask your doctor before taking)

Treatments that should be okay for you affect only the outside of your body, like:

• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Meditation
• Craniosacral treatments
• Aromatherapy
• Yoga

Always check with your doctor before trying any new treatment. He or she knows your health status and can tell you if something might harm you.