Hildegirl

[Hildegirl]

I have stage 3b kidney failure, I am 70 years old. In 5 yrs. ago my gfr was 55, has decreased to 44 now. My kidney failure is the result of uncontrollable blood pressure over 30 yrs. Is this decline in gfr normal? The decline is the result of a bp crisis in February ended up in hospital. I have nephrologist who says kidney failure is stable. I am concerned that the decline is happening so fast. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Hidden]

Hi, I've had two significant drops in my GFR and the number dropped down to 32. By staying with a kidney-friendly diet, exercise and checking my medications and the dosage and going back to my Care Team I was able to change meds and dosages and my last GFR was at 51. One of the med changes was for my BP. I had been on Lisinopril but within two weeks I had a serious issue and wound up in the ER. Potassium was very high. They got it down quickly and in a couple of hours let me leave but had me stop the Lisinopril. I went to see a Dr. in the area and over the next few weeks, he started me on Amlodipine, then along with that Atenolol and Hydrochlorothiazide. I'm now stable with a regular blood pressure and only taking the Amlodipine. I'm also a Type 2 Diabetic who has had the last few A1c's of 5.3. Since June I have been on no medications for Diabetes, controlling it by diet and exercise.

So yes it is possible to drop that quickly and then stabilize at a different number. You have to be proactive. Constantly check your medications and the dosage for each and question the doctors on your Care Team to make sure that you are taking the correct med at the right dosage. For a good place to check I use drugs.com

I assume with BP issues for that long a time you are on a salt-free diet. Keep that up and watch your numbers on your Lipid Panels and be careful of your diet. Come back often to share your story and you'll find lots of great support from everyone here.

[Hildegirl in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for sharing, I was put on amplodine, it caused severe swelling of legs and feet, so I was put on losartan 50mg, did not work, increased it to 100 mg. a few weeks ago, so far bp is in 140's/80's. so bp has improved, I have since learned I have hyperparathyroidism.Don't know if that is connected with ckd,I have to talk to my gp about it next month.

[Hidden in reply to Hildegirl]

Hi,

I copied a segment of an article from the National Library of Medicine from the National Institute of Health on Hyperparathyroidism with CKD. This will give you some idea but when you meet your physician s/he will be able to explain it to your satisfaction.

Renal hyperparathyroidism (rHPT) is a common complication of chronic kidney disease characterized by elevated parathyroid hormone levels secondary to derangements in the homeostasis of calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D. Patients with rHPT experience increased rates of cardiovascular problems and bone disease. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines recommend that screening and management of rHPT be initiated for all patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3 (estimated glomerular filtration rate, < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Since the 1990s, improving medical management with vitamin D analogs, phosphate binders, and calcimimetic drugs has expanded the treatment options for patients with rHPT, but some patients still require a parathyroidectomy to mitigate the sequelae of this challenging disease.

If you have a copy of your last lab values and look at the section with the Lipid Panel results you'll find your numbers for phosphates, calcium and there is a separate test for Vitamin D. Hope this helps. Good luck with your next appointment.

[Hildegirl in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou again for your reply. I take vitamin D supplement because I have a deficiency, it better but still low. The hyperparathyroidism confuses me, so I will look into the info you supplied. Thanks so much, I will continue to use this website for future info.

[Hidden in reply to Hildegirl]

Just enter Hyperthyroidism and CKD in a search engine and you should come up with a lot of relevant information. Good Luck

[Tackle in reply to Hidden]

Mr Kidney, you are the greatest!!! Thank you for the additional info on Hyperthyroidism!!!

[lovinglife62 in reply to Hidden]

My husband was diagnosed with stage 3 ckd a month ago. I said that maybe he has a thyroid problem too because of his onset of cold hands and feet and now gets cold easily. I have a thyroid issue, which made my hands and feet always being cold, but its under control now with the use of Nature Thyroid. Now reading your comments I think he should get his thyroid checked. Right now our challenge has been getting his blood pressure under control. A little over a month ago his blood pressure stayed around 117/80 now he's leaking protein in his urine and BP is running between normal to 154/100. The Doctor took him off of Lisinopril & has him on that Losartan??? not working! I that the purpose of the Lisinopril was to protect the kidneys? He is 58 and a type 2 diabetic. His diabetes has been out of control for years. Finally, this has caused him to check his numbers twice a day and check his blood pressure daily. We really need a reliable BP machine or I'm just not feeling the results from this new machine.

Thanks for listening. I'm his wife and I'm trying to help out the best I know.

[Hidden in reply to Hildegirl]

There is a combination medication of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide that has shown to work with people who have swelling of the legs and ankles. The losartan could possibly be at a smaller dosage and with the hydrochlorothiazide be effective. Has your physician discussed that with you? If yes, what was the reason he gave for not using that and instead of jumping up to 100mg? Just curious.

[Hildegirl in reply to Hidden]

Hello, my dr. has never mentioned the combo drug. I am interested in this option, I will be discussing this her. Thankyou

[Mysticlad in reply to Hidden]

It's called Hyzaar.....100mg Losartan and 25mg Hydrochlorothiazide...it helped me a lot.

[Hildegirl in reply to Mysticlad]

I was taking lasix, but dr. told me not to take it daily, only when I felt like I needed it. I will ask her about the med you are taking.

[Tackle]

Hi, Hildegirl! I am so sorry to hear about your blood pressure and resulting CKD! Has the doctor suggested an MRI and or CT to see if a clogged renal artery or adrenal gland tumor could be causing the high blood pressure? I have a similar story and am having both of those tests in early December... I am hoping against hope that they will find one of those two issues that could then be easily fixed with surgery and would then correct not only the resistant high blood pressure but also stop the kidney damage. May I ask you please what blood pressure medications are you taking? So scary with a hypertensive crisis!!! Please let me know how you are doing!

[Hildegirl in reply to Tackle]

I am currently taking losartan 100 mg. and metropolis 50mg. I have had a ultra sound on kidneys, nothing wrong there.

[Tackle]

Hmmm... I wonder why your blood pressure is hard to control? Hope you are okay!

[Hildegirl in reply to Tackle]

Tackle, I wish I knew why my bp is so difficult. It has been 5his way since I was in my 30's, I am 70 now.

[Tackle]

You would think they would have an answer by now!!! They did the scan of your adrenal gland?

[Hildegirl in reply to Tackle]

I believe so.

[toeragthecat21]

hi..im chris and was exactely in your position for 52 years with bad doctor not bothered with any results or readings.i can recomend going on a vegitarian style diet cutting ou red meat and heavy fat..avoid ibruprofen it damages kidneys..ask to see a specialist who can recomend tablets to lower blopd presure...kidney function does go down but not that much.avoid salt added to meals most food doesnt need it ..salt raises blood presur.e...take care of your 44 percent it will last years...regards chris..and happy xmas

[Hildegirl in reply to toeragthecat21]

Thanks Chris, happy xmas to you too.

[Sunsetter]

Hi Hildegirl - sorry to hear that. I am a similar age - 67- and I have a gfr of around 45, this is due to damage caused by some medication I've taken (so the neph says). I was told age 60 when I had a gfr of 60, that was perfectly normal as your kidney's decline over the years anyway, but then mine dropped down to 28 over a period of a few weeks. I gave up all medication and it's recovered but will never regain back to 60 as it was. The Neph says it will decline anyway as I get older. I haven't got high bp but I do know that a gfr of 44 is manageable, and you can live a reasonably full life. He told me to come back when it's dropped below 30. I hope your kidney function has stabilized and that you can enjoy a good old age - as I intend to!

[Hildegirl in reply to Sunsetter]

That is my intention as well, thanks!