Formally known as poodle girl on here havnt posted in about 8 years !!
Anyway my lupus has been stable I’ve had other health issues though
My wbc still nearly always low but after 11 years I’m use to it !!
However my gfr is now in the 70s 76 last week and I’m getting a little worried about this - even when I had nephritis stage 4 my gfr was over 90
Anyone shed any light on this ? I know it’s to do with creatine levels and my age - 41 now but I am a worrier and this is playing on my mind - do it mean disease activity or just my kidneys are scarred and as I age my kidneys struggle even more it’s been in 80s and 70s for around 2 years now - dr always says satisfactory
Many thanks I hope this finds you all well
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Littlemiss_v
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A GFR of 60 or higher is in the normal range. A GFR below 60 may mean kidney disease. A GFR of 15 or lower may mean kidney failure.I have class v LN and my renal function comes back as above 60 .I last spoke to my kidney specialist in april and he was happy my kidney function is stable x
U need to look at all your kidney function test results. Not just one, ok?
41 years old? U r NOT OLD.
Please do not believe this.
Note that it is the eGFR which is the estimated glomerular filtration rate not the actual. Different labs have different ways of calculating this value. Yes it should be >90ml/min/1.73 metres squared but your lab’s norm may be calculated differently. A lower figure does not necessarily mean poor kidney function. Ask to have it done again.
Also serum sodium level? Serum potassium level? Serum creatinine level? Different labs have different normal ranges. Check out these normal ranges!
Ask the doc what his/her lab uses as a normal range?!🤔
It’s like a home measured BP. One needs to take several at different times. Also different norms for different age groups.
A few things ingrid Yes I’m petrified my kidneys are not functioning at a normal rate
Yes I check every single blood test I have and write down the results in a book
41 is far from old and I even still get asked for id in the pub but 41 is 10 years older than I was when I first was dx
The gfr is calculated by age aswell as other things that is what I meant
The best and most sensible thing I am going to do is ring my actual renal dr and discuss these recent results with her
I have my bloods taken at my gp every 6 weeks however I have little faith in gps as they do not understand a thing re lupus or the meds used to treat it
Most of the comments you have had so far are sensible, especially share your concerns with your GP or/and specialist. The most important point made is that kidney tests, like many other tests , need to be considered as a series and if they are stable or improving there is no need for concern unless there is also a problem showing on urine tests. Stability is best shown best when the results are recorded as a graphic (plot) and this will show trends more clearly if the plot is made using "reciprocal" or "semi-log" (you may need a math student or scientist but some specialist and GPs and laboratories provide these from their computers). Urine tests should be the test for increased Protein or Albumin and also examination for increased cells (red cells or white cells) in a mid-stream (clean-catch) urine (MS) and once a year is probably enough if starting without any abnormality.
I've had lupus nephritis class 3 and 5 since about age 13 - now a crotchety age of 53.
When Doctors talk to me about age - it's usually in context of renal age - ie: how much of a battering they've already taken and how fragile they might be at any given point. My dinosaur age and it's relationship to my kidneys has never been mentioned.
My eGFR is pretty good at the moment - not so long ago it was 90. Gone down a bit recently - between 70 and 80 something - but I'm on high immunosupression for a flare in another bit of me - so whatever the kideneys are doing it should be covered.
But in the past my eGFR has been well under 50. I've had two potential renal ending flares that I was lucky enough to get through and a few other smaller ones.
Short term fluctuations can be caused by anything from patches of high BP ( hope you're on those ACE inhibiters and wot nots that are just plain good for the kidneys - I take Candersartan) to dehydration on the day of testing -
BUT - generally speaking with me - if the eGFR takes a long term consistant dip - that doesn't bounce up again then it's time for a thorough renal check.
Confusingly - after a lifetime of thinking there was nothing sero - negative about me - my current flare has shown - despite past strong pathology- that sero negativity can happen - or can at least be part of the picture.
So if you're bloods / urine are fine but you're eGFR continues to slide - then demand a biopsy. Those delightful lupus T cells just love to abandon the blood steam where they belong and head for our innards.
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