Dialysis...Will I live very long w/out dialysis?

[royalchief1]

At 18 on gfr. Will dialysis come quickly?

[Hidden]

Depending on your form of CKD and the cause you may be able to hold off dialysis for some time. I have diabetes and high blood pressure, the two leading causes of CKD. I have both of them under control. There is no timetable for CKD that brings on the need for dialysis. You have to do all the things necessary to slow the progression of CKD. Are you?

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Royalchief,

No one can answer that question because there are so many factors to consider. We would be just as likely to predict you getting hit by a bus as to answer that question. There are many of us who have a similar GFR and have been living full lives with it for years.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

I am also a Peer Mentor with NKF. I talk weekly with an individual who has changed his diet, drinks plenty of water daily and walks 2 x a day. He has managed to stabilize his CKD. His GFR hovers around 8-11. He has no symptoms and plans to put off dialysis as long as possible.

It all takes some work, but he is committed.

Have you seen a renal dietician? I know most on this site have also been able to stabilize their CKD by following a plant based diet and limiting animal protein.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to WYOAnne]

Thanks WYOAnne for the encouragement. I am on a CKD diet and do exercise (mainly walking). I am 78 years old and eGFR 3b. The progression toward dialysis has slowed down.

[Valerietemps in reply to WYOAnne]

Hi, I am curious about the plant based diet. Does that mean vegetarian? Are the people on that tracking their sodium, potassium, phosphorus and calories?

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador in reply to Valerietemps]

Yes, to all of that.

Look on the R side of this page and you can click on DIET & NUTRITION under TOPICS. You can follow the posts of others. Mr_Kidney and Bassetmommer have been following a kidney friendly diet and have stabilized their CKD.

I have had a transplant in 1999. Wish I would have known about this diet back then.

You can also google Davita.com

[Valerietemps in reply to WYOAnne]

Thank you, my eGFR had gone done in a year from 30s to 19. I was turned down for transplant, I’m 71. I’ve been trying to learn the renal diet. I’ve got GFR up to 27 and lost 19 lbs. I will look into plant based.

[AndrewT]

Dear royalchief1,

My answer probably Won't 'Help' you, very much, unfortunately but....There Is a, shall I say, a good Probability of you Starting Dialysis soon. However, when your figures are this low, then 'other factors' come into play- such as How you are, in yourself.

I remained, fairly 'Stable', until my GFR was about ten and my Creatinine about 400. So, if you are like me, you could be a year away. Don't be too surprised if it's, more like six weeks, though.

Sorry that I can't be more help royalchief1. I was on Hemo- Dialysis for, almost exactly, four years before I had a Transplant- back in July 2013. So if you have any questions, regarding Dialysis or Transplant, then please DO ask.

AndrewT