childhood neph & hypertrophy. GFR down from 97 to 68 in 2 yrs. 38 yrs old. Not considered CKD but have adema & cramps. should i be worried?

[Smm5674]

Childhood nephrectomy and compensatory hypertrophy with rapidly declining GFR. Not CKD (yet)?

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You shouldn't worry unless you put a lot of faith into what you are told by the person who said you don't have CKD. With a GFR of 68, that puts you at Stage 2.

If you haven't been seen by a nephrologist you should make an appointment to meet with one. Once that happens ask for a referral to meet with a Renal Dietitian to develop a kidney-friendly meal plan that will work for you at this stage. There is no cure for CKD but with a good nephrologist and Renal Dietitian, you can slow the progression of CKD.

The other things you can do is to stay well hydrated with water, no alcohol, and no smoking. Get an exercise regimen that has been approved by your Care Team, avoid taking any NSAIDs, avoid fast foods, cured meats, red meat, processed food. Your meal plan can be vegan, vegetarian, or include some additional protein from poultry and seafood.

If you take medication for any other health issue be sure to inform your nephrologist of what you are taking and at what dosage and know that some medications can be counter-productive to struggling kidneys.

Take Care.

[Sammi_n_Munk]

Hello Smm5674. Welcome! I agree 100% with Mr. Kidney. I realize that your doctor doesn’t seem worried about this, but quite honestly, if your GFR is dropping, it’s never too soon to begin a kidney-friendly diet plan and exercise regimen in order to go easier on your kidneys and to slow the progression of CKD. Remember too, that your GFR does fluctuate, but as he said, remaining properly hydrated is very important, and may even help with your GFR.

Also as Mr. Kidney suggested, request a referral to a Renal Dietician as they can use your most recent blood results to draw up a diet plan best suited for your current needs, and try to work some plain walking into your schedule (about 30 - 40 minutes, once or twice a day). This helps to keep your heart rate up and your body energized. But don’t do much of, or any, heavy weight-lifting, as this tends to raise creatinine levels.

You can also go online to search some websites that can provide you with kidney-kind fruits and vegetables (kidneyschool.org and DaVita.com are sites you will hear a lot about in this forum). Try to steer away from foods that are high in sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

And as Mr. Kidney advised, avoid any type of NSAIDs, even over-the-counter brands such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Aspirin. For pain relief of headaches and such, it would be more beneficial for you to use something like Tylenol instead, as long as you have no liver issues or allergies to acetaminophen.

Best of luck to you! Please keep us posted on how you come along. And once again, welcome to our community! Take good care of yourself! Bye for now! 😊👍🙏✌️