New here and need a little advice!!

[luthien]

Hey, so I've finally plucked up the courage to post.

I've recently had blood tests for kidney issues along with my full blood tests which I have yearly. Not sure what exactly they're called but my notes for the repeats in a few weeks say UEG, Electrolytes Creatinine and eGFR. Basically the doc has said that my kidneys are working a little hard, potentially due to the ibuprofen I've been taking.

You'll need a bit of history: I've been diagnosed with endometriosis which mine has cyclical symptoms so around my period (tmi for some of you) I get a lot of symptoms which usually I can manage by being at home off sick using heat patches, comfortable position, etc. However work has recently called me up on my levels of sick despite the existing condition therefore I need to manage my symptoms better, to be in work, have less sick days. This means I need to take ibuprofen pre loading the few days before and during my period. It's the only "light painkiller" over the counter that hits the pain that I'm okay-ish with taking.

What I'm wondering is my repeat bloods for this will be during the week of my period and I will have been taking ibuprofen during that time so I'm guessing the kidney results will still show the same thing? Can this "working harder" be reversed? And should I talk to work about my blood results? Or would talking to my doctors about my work issue and requiring to be in that means I need to take ibuprofen to see if they can put anything in writing?

Ideally I'd like to manage my endometriosis pain without ibuprofen but if I need to be in work that's not going to happen. Annoyingly it's preloading and taking it for a total of 6 days a month so I can be in for the one day I'm in pain.

Any advice or direction to go in would be good xx

[Hidden]

The Ibuprofen is not kidney-friendly. How much damage it is doing and whether or not it can be "reversed" depends on the damage done. Obviously, I can't speak to the reasons you are taking it but I would do everything I could to find something else to eliminate the need for taking it. There are many choices you'll have to make to keep working so I'm not able to advise you on what choices you should make. Is it possible for you to work from home during your six days so that you don't have to take the NSAID? Just a thought.

[luthien in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your thoughts, much appreciated

I have suggested work from home however my workplaces formal reply was working from home considering my circumstances is not something they can agree to, however informal flexible working is offered.

I am looking into alternative pain relief, but that will of course take some time to find what works with the pain not being present every day. Considering the illness I am glad that I at least can manage with normal levels of over the counter pain relief.

It would be nice if work was more considerate, but to them if I can take painkillers and be in then that's fine; I am concerned about how painkillers affect us, I would rather not take them, sadly most workplaces aren't concerned about that until it becomes a medical issue. I guess it's an idea to talk to my GP about the results and if they don't think continuing taking ibuprofen is a good idea get them to write a letter to work saying it is having a potentially long term effect on my kidneys....

[lowraind in reply to luthien]

I would much agree that you should get a letter from your doctor saying that it has become a medical issue, and that your kidney is being impacted. Another thought is, would you be able to add extra time to your schedule on other days to compensate for the time you need to be off. I know many employers allow 9 hour workdays so that you can have one 5 day week and one 4 day week, and some allow 10 hour, 4 day workweeks. Will they allow you to massage your schedule to fit your medical needs?

[luthien in reply to lowraind]

thanks I shall talk to my gp after my next blood results (2 weeks ish) and see if I can get a letter.

I can ask, I do informally have flexible working

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to lowraind]

I agree. Great suggestions about adjusted working hours. It is also amazing what the power of a doctor's letter can do.

Unfortunately in our society today, many employers think that they are

" the rulers of the land" and prefer to not work with a quality employee rather than value loyalty and proficient work.

Weigh out the long term effect of taking pain killers to work as opposed to working at home and getting healthy with your GP. Let he/she help you.

Remember that you are in charge of your own health first and foremost and have to take care of you.

Please let me know how you are managing with this.

You are cared about!

Bet Xx

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador in reply to luthien]

If your conditioning is impacting your work, please look into filing a FMLA ( Federal Medical Leave ACT) dol.gov/whd/forms/WH-380-E.pdf document with work. Your doctor fills it out and it is good to have to protect you from being fired for illness. There are stipulations so please check the link.

I would also suggest you to find some other form of relief as the Ibuprofen could damage your kidneys and that is not something once damage you can reverse (in most cases) Maybe try taking less and only on the days you really are in great pain. Look into meditation or mindfulness.

Also, is there something your OBGYN can do to lessen the pain such as surgery? I would have a conversation with them because they have some newer non-evasive techniques that could help. You really should not have to suffer but you need to advocate for yourself.

[luthien in reply to Bassetmommer]

hi, thanks for your reply, ibuprofen works better with preloading, it isn't effective once pain has started, from reading up how that range of drugs work.

I am going to look into alternative pain relief methods.

I have already had surgery, that's the best way to reduce symptoms. So the remaining pain is just due to the actual condition which cannot be all removed or cured, it can also grow back so at the moment management is the only option until further surgery is required - hormonal management can be used but again it impacts the body so I don't want to take more tablets.

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Bassetmommer]

I was going to suggest a FMLA as I had one when my mom was ill.

If farahziya is not in the US that maybbe problematic as it is a US Federal Act.

Either way, perhaps her doctor can assist her. The kidneys and preserving function outweighs the use of NAISD drugs. It's just a shame that it has to come down to this.

Thanks for posting the data on the FMLA as it is invaluable and many people have no idea of it's existence!

B..👍

[luthien in reply to Bet117]

I am not in the US; I am looking into if there's similar in the uk

[Zazzel]

I'm sorry you are in so much pain. It can be very frustrating. All of our bodies are different and handle pain differently, but consider trying alternative mindfullness methods as Bassetmommer suggested. I do Yoga almost daily and it really helps. Here is a link to free classes on YouTube which address your issues. youtube.com/user/yogawithad...

I also might suggest sleep hypnosis. It has done wonders for my anxiety level. It can also help reduction in pain. It works by sending sound waves and repeated messages to your brain while sleeping. It actually alters your brain. My favorite is Thomas Hall. He has quite a few for pain relief. Some are to listen to while sleeping and others while awake. Here is a link for the ones related to pain. youtube.com/user/sable4e/se... There are other people on YouTube who address meditation specifically for endrometreosis.

Other things to try are massage and or acupuncture. Many of the gyms these days have relatively low monthly fees if you are in the states. Some of them have hydromassage machines included in the package. I pay $20 a month and do a hydromassage every time which is free as part of the package. It is a 10 minute massage bed. It has also helped a lot.

Plus, you probably need to determine exactly how much function you have lost. Make sure to look at your labs and look at Davita.com or one of the other kidney sites to see what stage you are in. Many of us on here were not warned early on about our condition from our regular GP. You can do a lot of things in regards to eating, exercise etc to keep your kidneys from deteriorating further. Now is the time to act rather than later.

Sending good thoughts to help you find answers.

[luthien in reply to Zazzel]

Thanks for your reply.

I have started yoga!! I am looking into alternative pain relief so your suggestions I will definitely look into. I definitely like the idea of massage / physio as that can help with my condition too.

I wasn't told the extent of my kidney damage just that "your kidneys are working a bit harder so we'll repeat the blood test in two weeks" that was the conversation, I shall ask for more information after the next blood tests. If they are still showing what my gp suggested would it be an idea to have a referral to a specialist for more detailed tests?

With regards to diet and exercise; I have sensitivities so its easier diet wise to eat healthy! Exercise I do krav maga, kickboxing, HIIT and polefitness, about an hour for each at classes each week. I ache inbetween so I don't want to up that just yet!

[Zazzel in reply to luthien]

Sounds like you excercise quite a bit! You will probably really like yoga then.

Regarding your question, makes sure they give you actual numbers for your test results and don't just tell you that they are normal or a " little high." GFR for instance, is often just listed as above 60 or below 60 on some lab results. They consider 60 normal as so many things affect the GFR. However, Anything between 60-90 is considered stage 2 and mild. If this is your stage, a nephrologist won't do much for you unless you have additional symptoms such as hematuria (bleeding - it could be microscopic that you don't see) or proteinuria (spilling protein). But, you can makes changes such as lowering salt intake, reducing red meat consumption etc. unfortunately, "eating healthy" doesn't necessarily help kidney disease IF you have certain issues such as high potassium and phosphates as many fruits and veggies are high in them. Many people don't have to watch that, but I'd have them check those as well as doing a urine test checking for blood and protein.

If you have food intolerances, it could contribute to your kidney condition. I have something called IGA Nephropathy and many food and chemical intolerances. They cause inflamtion in my body aggravating the IGA N and reducing kidney function, therefore I have to be extra careful to avoid them.

So, the key is finding out exactly what your numbers are so you can research them and decide what to do next. Don't let your doctor brush you off saying it is a little high. Just a note that not drinking enough water prior to taking the test and/ or eating a lot of protein prior to the test can affect the results. Make sure you are well hydrated.

Keep us posted.

[luthien in reply to Zazzel]

thanks for your advice, it definitely helps coming from those with a real link to all this

I shall push for numbers and let you know what they say.

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Zazzel]

Fantastic and such a heartfelt response.

You are exactly right!

Xx

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Zazzel]

Well said!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

Just adding to what everyone else has said, EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) is a great way for some to control their pain. Just like other alternatives like acupuncture, acupressure, EFT has its controversial believers. But it has been known to help some cope with pain issues. Hope this can help you. Blessings youtube.com/watch?v=IWu3rSE...(Not working as expected?)