Please help

[FauSid]

Hi , I am a 49 years old woman and I am suffering from CKD stage 3 b with GFR 44 and cretanine level 1.3 I don't have high BP or diabetes and even I am following a salt restricted diet can anyone tell me what should I do , Should I worry and will my GFR will still decrease , and 2/3 of my right kidney is infected and the left kidney is slightly smaller what should I do , can I recover

[orangecity41]

Just sharing my CKD story. There can be different reasons for CKD and in some can involve more things. I am 76 and was diagnosed 2 years ago at 3b GFR and Doctor put me on a pre-dialysis diet and exercise routine. Doctor advised me recently that CKD has slowed down and should be able to avoid dialysis for the long term. Your Doctor should advise you of appropriate treatment plan if needed.

[Sally10255]

Hi, I would suggest looking at the renal diet and see what foods might work better for you. I am at about the same place as you, low carb, definitely watch salt, exercise a great deal every day. So for me, the numbers sure didn’t make sense. After some testing and a kidney stone my kidney doctor (urologist) feels on me the kidney stone was there for awhile and causing damage. Just wondering how do you know about your kidneys? I would suggest a good urologist, renal dietician. So many things can cause numbers like you have and same for me. Fortunately I have a kidney working at 100%, and when the doctor did same day surgery going after stone...that I had already passed, he put a stint in the damaged kidney to increase flow. We are hoping that will help on the damaged kidney. I drink no less than 100 ounces of water a day, no pop, no high in sugar drinks, only occasionally tea and if so not black tea. Great luck

[saifomar]

Even if you do not have BP problems "stress" is still your number one health & well-being enemy. So you need to find inner peace and calm down. Train your body to relax and not panic. Also stay away from high sodium intake (reduce amount drastically). Switch to real food - stop intake of processed or packaged food completely. Get rid of red meat (pork, beef, lamb) from your diet. Have white meat (chicken, turkey) only and fish (fresh water). Stop eating all kinds of dairy (cheese, milk, cream) products. Stay away from all kinds or "dark" sauces. Forget sugar, switch to real honey. Have a glass of smoothie on a daily basis - consisting of only blue-berries & strawberries (50/50).

[Zazzel]

Hi FauSid,

Welcome. It was scary for all of us when we found out we have CKD so know you are not alone. It's great you found this site and are searching for answers.

You asked if you can recover. Of course we are all different, but from what doctors have told me and the reasearch I have done, the answer would be no. However, and this is a big however, you can drastically slow down progression by following lifestyle, diet and exercise changes. It is even possible to go into remission depending on the type of disease and action plan. There have been some good suggestions already from fellow members. You might also check out Davita.com.

Although you don't currently have high blood pressure, CKD can also cause high bp as it did in me, so it would be advisable to buy a home monitor and keep track once a week or so to see if you blood pressure is stable.

Also, if you can meet with a nephrologist to determine the cause/type, it will be beneficial for a plan of action. The main two causes are diabetes and high blood pressure which you said you didn't have. I have a slightly rarer form called IGA Nephropathy. My type leaks protein and blood into the urine. I have many food intolerances which they feel are linked to this type and which cause damage when I'm exposed to too much of the foods I'm intolerant to. Although other people with CKD need to watch their potassium, phosphorus and protein intake, I have to be more concerned with not eating gluten and other foods my body is sensitive to. So, you can see how getting an accurate diagnosis can change the approach. Since I am more aware now of those issues my GFR has risen.

Another example is my cousin who had a type of nephrotic kidney disease. She took steroids for six months many years ago and has been in remission since. She still has the disease, but it has not progressed or caused her further issues.

The main way to find out the cause is through a biopsy. You would need to discuss this with a neurologist to see if they recommend one.

You still have a lot of function left, so now is the time to take action ( which is exactly what you are doing by being here) and start making diet and lifestyle changes.

Take care.