Gfr 50 to 39 in 8 months

[Juju2020]

My fathers gfr was at 50 in December last blood test his gfr was only at 39 is this something to be worried about? Were worried sick.

[userotc]

Personally I think too soon to worry after a @~20% drop but worth monitoring alongside diet, wellbeing improvements.

We are not getting too excited (yet) after my mum's increase a few months ago from ~40 to 61 so retesting soon and trying to keep her focused on a healthy protocol.

[orangecity41 in reply to userotc]

I agree that it is something to be monitored. There are several factors that could contribute to decrease in eGFR , from what one eats and or hydration at time test done. . Also if different lab did the blood work , could be different results. Many of us keep an average of our eGFR results.

[RickHow]

Personally I don't think an 11 point drop is something to be ignored. At the same time one does not need to panic. 11 points is significant enough to investigate. He went from stage 3a to 3b. There are many reasons such a drop could happen. Of course one of them is a decline in the kidney function. But there are other reasons. Perhaps (slim chance, but perhaps) the 39 is a lab error. This can be checked by simply having another test. In that time period since last check in December, perhaps some of his medications changed? Your hydration level can have a small impact on egfr, but usually not much. Contrary to belief drinking large amounts of water does NOT make the kidney's flush out more bad toxins (Creatinine) from your body. The kidney is not like a colander and the more liquid you push through it the more it filters. It can change your level maybe a tenth or two on a test. It has a more dramatic effect on your BUN level than it does your Creatinine level. The kidney per day (assuming your father has 2 kidneys) can filter about 150 to 200 quarts per day. It produces a max of about 2 quarts in urine. The more you drink it only changes the concentration of your blood and urine. That is why if you drink a lot your urine is clearer in color. The kidney is getting rid of more water. But it can only get rid so so much. So the excess water it can not get rid of, remains in your blood stream and "thins" the blood. In your fathers case it could be a combination of things all striking at once. The egfr formula factors in your age. Is he a year older? Was he dehydrated for a few days before the test, including the night before. Was this a fasting blood test? Is he on different medications than he was in December. Did his urine test show any significant changes such as protein in the urine? The day before the test, or the day of, did he have any meals that were high in protein? If, if, if. For peace of mind, go for another test. See if this was a "one off". If not, it sure seems worth some further testing (kidney scan, urinary tract) to see if there is something unusual going on (even something as simple as a kidney stone).

[Juju2020]

Thank you all for your replies. Dad has had another test done and kidney/bladder scan the scan came back normal but we are still awaiting the blood test result. Dads really worried which in itself is worrying me. It wasnt a fasting test and dad said he drank about the same he normally would but did have more bacon/meat that week than he probably should of. He has not been told to go on a kidney diet yet tho but we are starting to consider this.

[Juju2020]

Dads egfr has gone up to 44 so hopefully it's on the up.

[RickHow in reply to Juju2020]

GREAT NEWS. Keep us informed

[silverfox81]

I personally think an 11 point drop in 8 months is concerning. I had a 15 point drop from an 85 to a 70 in a year and I started experiencing some symptoms. I would highly recommend looking into a supplemented very low protein diet. There are tons of studies out there that back up the effectiveness in this diet. I have personally seen my GFR go back up on the very low protein diet.