Initial stages of CKD

[bavantjr255]

I'm 59. 2 years ago I was in great health. Great blood work numbers except for slightly high untreated BP. Fast forward two years. My gfr is 33 down from a healthy 94. Creatinine at 2.7 from 1.1. I'm stunned. Still in the initial stages of seeing a Nephrologist and completing an ultrasound. During the past 2 years untreated high BP and a lengthy heavy round of inflammatory meds may have damaged my kidneys. I'm still in shock.

[MAS_Nurse]

Hi bavantjr225 and welcome to this caring community. I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing.

Good control of blood pressure is vital to protect the kidneys. People with kidney disease should usually aim to get their blood pressure down to below 140/90 mmHg. There are many types of blood pressure medication and your doctor will be able to advise you if medication is necessary.

Simple lifestyle changes can often help reduce high blood pressure, although some people may need to take medication as well. You should start to feel better when your blood pressure reduces.

Your Nephrologist will discuss medication with you when your ultrasound and perhaps other investigations have been completed. You may also find that speaking to a renal dietition for advice and support may be helpful. They can be seen in clinic.

The following website maybe helpful to you--

Chronic Kidney disease-Treatment-NHS

nhs.ukHealthA-Zchronickidne...

Are any other forum members able to help bavantjr225, please?

Thank you and best wishes.

[lowraind in reply to MAS_Nurse]

Not sure if the guidelines have changed for you, but in the U.S., they have.

Updated recommendations lower the blood pressure threshold for a hypertension diagnosis from 140/90 to 130/80 mm Hg. ... Patients with stage 1 hypertension, however, who are at higher risk for a cardiovascular event, such as individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or diabetes, should be treated with medication.Nov 15, 2017

New Guidelines Redefine Hypertension - Renal and Urology News

renalandurologynews.com/hyp......

[RickHow in reply to lowraind]

My doctors (oncologist, primary care, urologist, kidney, cardiologist) all say NOT to fall into the trap that there is some magical blood pressure number that must be adheared to by all. Blood pressure guidelines are good. But there really are different guidelines for each age group. All my doctors advise me to keep my pressure (with their guidance) below 140/90. To them an ideal range for a person almost 70 should be in the lower 130's/80. Yes if I can achieve lower, then all the better. And I do, with the help of small dose of lisinopril and amlodipine keep it under 125/70.

[Monte1770]

My God, I hope you recover and this all improves. God bless you and I’m hoping this passes to the positive for you rapidly. There could be a dozen different reasons for this and a recovery to follow soon. Keep us posted and stay positive

[bavantjr255 in reply to Monte1770]

Thank you . I appreciate your thoughts.

[Momofson]

Have you been checked for proteinuria? Also have your thyroid checked, including the antibodies against your thyroid. A thyroid that is not working or has antibodies against it, can cause your kidneys to lose protein in your urine and that can do major damage to your kidneys. Many doctors don’t know about the thyroid/hormone connection so make sure you look up a good study,print it and take it into the doctor. Also don’t drink alcohol or caffeine!

[Lucetta]

Hello there. I am 55, and your story sounds similar to mine. I know I overused NSAIDs. When you first get the news you have CKD, it is hard to swallow. After the initial shock and some grieving, what I did was to adopt a kidney friendly diet. I am also working at losing a little weight to get my borderline (not diagnosed) HBP down. No diabetes. My eGFR at its worse was 44. I have been holding steady at about 61 until my last blood test, when my eGFR jumped to 74. Think in terms of what you can do, and that is more than you think. Best wishes to you!

[Monte1770 in reply to Lucetta]

Congrats on the jump! Great job, your story sounds similar to mine. I used a bunch of different NSAIDs plus was supplementing with creatine working out. Mine dropped to 41. Then two weeks later recovered to 66. Still not at my normal 74. Waiting to test again soon, I stopped all supplements. I lost 37 pounds and went to strict semi/vegan diet. Best of luck and God bless

[RickHow]

Certainly each of us went through what you are currently experiencing. The shock. The fear of the unknown. wondering how bad is it. thinking of all the bad things that may be before you. Natural reaction. And all of us here could tell you different experiences. Some that are positive. Some not so great. At this point (just starting with a kidney doctor) you are not actually sure yet what caused this current state of affairs. It seems from your post you have not even had an ultrasound. Perhaps it will reveal a particular reason which could be corrected (a growth on kidney, or stones, or blockage, or, or, or). Certainly many medications can cause poor kidney performance. Maybe there is kidney damage, maybe minor, maybe none. All you know so far is the dramatic drop. Lets hope there is a correctable reason. You mention you had untreated high blood pressure but not how high. High blood pressure is certainly the worst upon the kidney. But it seems it would have to be quite high to cause such dramatic change in just a year or two. However we are all different. It could be the bp in conjunction with the meds has caused damage. Right now all you can do is have the ultrasound. And I would imagine urine testing??? And this should enlighten you more on the proper plan forward. Keep us informed. And know this site and the people on it are always here if you have questions or need to vent. Keep us informed.