Q: I am 28 years old and underwent a kidney transplant a month back. The scar has almost healed. Can I ride a car, if no, when I can start? My daily urine output is almost 7 litres. To compensate I am drinking 6 litres of water daily. Is it going to be like this life long? If yes, what is remedy? If I reduce the intake to 4 litres, is it going to affect my new kidney?

A:Successful kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure. We usually recommend a transplant recipient to start his/her routine activities of life in 2-3 months depending on the gain in strength and decrease in the immunosuppressive drugs to maintenance levels in 3 months. You should be able to do your routine day-to-day chores like driving, joining office and working in 2-3 months. Fluid intake should be 3-4 litres once kidney function is better. There is no need to drink 6 litres of fluid. There is no advantage of drinking very large amounts of fluids. However, you must implement changes in consultation with your nephrologist.