hi all
I had some blood tests for something unrelated which showed high creatinine and a low egfr. Then I had a urine test which showed high albumin levels. Last week I had an ultrasound which showed normal size kidneys but inflammation. Does all this mean I have kidney disease?
My appt to see a nephrologist has been in but not for a few months yet.
Inflamed kidney could be kidney disease, or could be something else, such an infection. The main issue is that your bloods and ultrasound show that your kidney is inflamed and not working normally.
There's many people who have less than ideal creatinine and egfr results, who may panic unnecessarily as these results deteriorate with age, hydration levels, etc. BUT in conjunction with the ultrasound result, it makes me concerned and no matter if it's kidney disease (possibly auto-immune condition such as vasculitis), or infection, it needs dealing with promptly, not in a few months.
Years ago, you could have just waited, knowing that a Dr/specialist would bring the appointment forward with these results. But at the moment, I think the system is so overloaded that these results might not be seen by a relevant Dr (nephrologist) until things have got much worse.
I'd urge you to try and find out the Dr who you are due to see and make contact with them (their secretary) asap. This is easier said than done. :/
Thanks so much for replying.
I am inclined to think it is a kidney disease since I have no other symptoms that I would expect I would have if it was an infection. I also thought an infection would be clear on a bloodtest because certain markers would show? Not sure if I am right about this, but I would have thought if there was any chance it was an infection my gp would have tried to resolve this?
I have read on other groups that a few months wait is normal because it’s not seen as urgent unless your function is below 25%. My thoughts and concerns are exactly the same as what you said, I’m very worried that this is just getting worse and worse. I know kidney diseases aren’t curable but live in hope even something small may be done to help slow it down. Another 4 months wait could be really damaging ☹️
Youre right that medics generally do nothing if its kidney disease at an earlyish stage (typically 3, maybe later) - which is negligent imo. That's largely because there's little/no confidence they can do anything at that stage - but YOU can (hence negligence).
Many/most agree that healthy nutrition & lifestyle is best early on rather than restrictive, renal dietician support. That's what we have done for my mum who has adopted a Nutritional Therapy protocol and has been ckd 3 for ~14y. We hope to maintain that 🤞🤞
Thanks for your reply!
Glad you have stabilised your mums condition for many years. It’s great to hear positive stories so thank you for sharing.
Does your mum have a specific disease?
I’m new to all of this and find it confusing that some people just say they have ckd whereas others mention their specific disease. I guess I’m not clear if some people just have a generic ckd and others have auto immune diseases that aren’t kidney disease but cause kidney problems and can eventually cause kidney disease?
Its understandable that its confusing!
Mum has ckd and no other disease which could have caused it (such as IgA neuropathy/Berger's) as far as we're aware. In her case, we cant be sure what caused the ckd as no such diagnosis has been given. In fact, it was my dad who discovered she had ckd stage 3 on her online Patient Access account a couple of years after it was shown on there though she was not told - a quite common error, as discussed!.
The 2 main causes of ckd are high BP and diabetes. Mum did have high BP before CKD so that's a possibility but her Nutritional Therapy protocol allowed her to wean off a BP drug years ago and she is generally normotensive at <130/80. She's not diabetic although hba1c's hovered between 38-41 so got quite close to pre-diabetes.
Personally I believe long-term use of HRT caused her ckd and Ive got scientific evidence to support that theory. And Ive also got scientific evidence indicating the ckd could've been responsible for subsequent kidney cancer leading to a nephrectomy 8y ago. So Im glad she's now drug-free! 🤞
What is Nutritional Therapy?
There's 2 related links below with a definition of NT from very respected organisations and you can find others by googling. Via the links below, you can also find a qualified practitioner that suits you eg in terms of specialism. Should be bant-registered.
Kidneys generally don't fail on their own - there's something that initiates it. The most common reasons for their decline are diabetes and high blood pressure. But it can also be infections, autoimmune disorders, polycystic kidney disease and more. A very broad based label for all of these these things is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) . It's similar to saying one simply saying they have heart disease or cancer or flu. Yes, that's nice to know - but it's best to know the specific type or kind so proper treatment can be started.
You mentioned yours might be related to inflammation. As Gilders indicated in the thread above, an autoimmune condition could be doing that to you. I agree. Your situation should not be ignored, particularly since your labs also indicate high albumin, high creatinine, and so on. Some conditions that fall into autoimmune disease category and can attack the kidneys are IgA nephropathy, lupus, and many others. I would definitely look into getting answers sooner than later - to stop whatever it is that is making your kidneys unhappy. On the other hand, it could also be an infection doing that as well and more. Yes, diet can help...but, with autoimmune and other disorders, there are also wonderful meds that can stop or cut back those nasty assaults. It's great you're asking questions and being proactive. The more you know, the quicker you can react, and the happier you and your body will be! Let us know what you discover. We're here for you.
I would go private for appointment about £200 but at least you have it quick and time given to you
Oh interesting - I will look into this today! I thought it would cost a lot lot more!
that helps thanks!
I have read a lot about blood pressure and diabetes, I have neither of those so inclined to think (along with inflammation) it’s related to another disease/condition.
Sounds like you’ve worked really hard to get your mum to where she is now, I hope this all continues for her.
eGFR 39/40 but GP doesn't seem concerned.
CKD or not?
Lab results
Unsure of results and for kidney nuclear scan
