Help my mum only got told last yr ckd stage 3

[bunker1]

Hope you can help my had really high bp which got worse after losing my dad 4 yrs ago it was over 200 then last year she was struggling breathe and i had get her ambulance an she was diagnosed with af but when they went to give her meds for af they said her kidney gfr was only 15 tk which worried us as mum lost her brother and sister on dialysis we had tl keep going every day and they gave her a saline drip then 2 weeks later she got sepsis and sge retained nearly 2st in fluid so this affected her heart and kidneys they gave fusemide drips and when she was discharged was told to weigh herself every day and to limit her water to around 2 mugs a day and to stay on 2 fusemide every day. We went to gp and had reg bloods and mums gfr went back to 49 and remained that until jan this year when we went with chest infection gp said she was on high fusomide and to reduce to 1 a day an 2 increase omeprazole to 2 a day she didnt do any bloods an i didnt think anything of it but since my mum started swelling up she out around 7lb on over night her legs not swollen but her stomache an she been so tired an felt short of breath an not well took her back gp an said her gfr had dropped to 33 and she was worried going into heart failure since i have to keep taking her back bloods still only 34 but the gp who altered her meds didnt agree with the other doctor that she needs 2 fusemide an said go to 1 took her back for bloods and no different the gp then said no fusemide and sent her for an urgent echo i know its awful at the moment with the virus an thsts priority but my mums gp just left message said if she gets out of breath ring 111 but her breathing not to bad but i said whos monitoring her kidneys and i know the gp busy at moment but does anyone know if her gfr was 49 for a on 2 fusemide then gp alters to 1 and doubles omeprazole to 2 and the other gp thinks this as now made mum retain fluid an affected kidney and heart if her gfr doesnt go back up to baserate 49 shoukd i ask for tel appointment with gp shes on 1 fusemide at mo an 1 omeprazole can anyone help please im going try take mum for bloods today

Thanks hope you all stay safe at this time

[Sammi_n_Munk]

Hello bunker1. It sounds like you’re suffering from a lot of stress at this time, which is completely understandable. Not sure if your mother’s medical team has made any suggestions with regard to her current diet or not, but if they haven’t, you should ask her PCP to refer her to a renal dietician.

I also take furosemide because I have no other choice at this time, but I do know that they can possibly cause some further damage to the kidneys (diuretics can do that). However, you can go online to a website called DaVita.com. On this site, they will give you food lists that are a safer choice for people in all stages of CKD, or kidneyschool.org, to learn more about CKD. But in the meantime, these are a few pointers to put in place for the time being:

1. If your mother is taking any anti-inflammatory medications for pain such as prescription, or over-the-counter meds like Advil, Motrin or Aleve, then she needs to stop. Anti-inflammatory drugs are destructive to the kidneys. Even antibiotics and steroid types of meds can harm the kidneys. You should speak to her doctor about switching her to more kidney-friendly medication if she is taking anything, even for blood pressure issues, that may be harming her. Ask them to conduct a medication review to check that her meds are the best choices for her kidney function.

2. With regard to her diet, if she’s consuming anything like potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, dairy, nuts or seeds, or anything made with these items, then she needs to lean back on those. All of these are high in potassium. If her kidneys are not functioning properly, they may not be filtering the potassium out of her system good enough. And this can be bad, as high potassium levels can stiffen and slow down muscle function, and could slow down her heart function. Also, foods high in phosphorus and sodium are not encouraged for people in any stage of CKD. Remember, the goal in kidney disease is to slow down the progression of it. And we do this by keeping a close eye on our diets. A small amount of lean proteins like chicken, salmon, and eggs are good. We always need a little protein, but you’ll have to start reading the nutritional information of the foods you buy to watch out for the sodium, potassium and phosphorus content. These should be on the lower end of the scale. And no smoking or consuming alcohol.

3. Daily exercise (walking about 30 minutes once or twice a day) especially outdoors if she can manage it, would be good. Exercise is encouraged for those of us with CKD as it increases oxygen levels in the blood, providing us with energy and helps keep the heart pumping well. But be sure that she doesn’t do much weight-lifting exercising, if any at all, as lifting weights can raise blood creatinine levels by releasing proteins from the muscles into her bloodstream. Just a little cardio everyday would be good for her. It may even help her to release a little more fluid and help with her fluid retention issues. Also, I know that drinking water can be a good thing to flush the kidneys, and her system. You need to ask her doctor how much water she can drink in a day. Drinking water can help with the GFR levels.

I hope you will find this helpful. Remember, we can’t diagnose on this forum, we can only suggest using our own experiences with this disease. But you are always welcome here to ask for advice or even just to vent your frustrations. We know it can get crazy sometimes! Lol! Remember too to ask her medical team, ie her nephrologist, her Primary Care Practitioner, cardiologist and renal dietician for help when you need it. They’re there to help you. It’s their job.

I wish you all the best. Please do keep us posted on her progress. God bless. 😊👍

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

I can't answer any of your specific medical questions or diagnose regarding medications, labs etc. kidneyschool.org may provide you with general information about chronic kidney disease and limited or failing kidney function. Knowledge can go a long way in relieving fear and anxiety. It is stressful especially now but bless your heart for taking care of her. Put a call in to her GP with a list of specific questions and make sure you understand fully his answers. Blessings