Symptoms of Kidney Disease

[KGsrKGsr]

Can anyone with kidney disease tell the symptoms you have had and at what stage?

[Ilmoran]

Hi one problem you might have is high blood pressure, which coold give you bad headache's.

I have had CKD 40 + years and blood pressure has been my only symptom, when you have blood tests that's when you find out how bad things are, as many people will tell you watch your diet and keep hydrated.

[tonyng42 in reply to Ilmoran]

40 years? I’m interested in understanding more of your progression thru the various CKD stages and how you have managed your lifestyle thru out the years.

I’m currently at stage 3a (diagnosed about 3 years ago in my early 40s) and recently picked up Lee Hull’s Stopping Kidney Disease book. I had already cut out a lot of salt/sodium from my diet since my diagnosis, but starting on a path towards becoming a vegetarian to better manage my condition. So very curious at how others manage CKD.

Thanks in advance!!

[RoxanneKidney]

I noticed that my diostolic BP started to go up. And I have never had high bp. Then I noticed that my fingers would swell with salty foods, and then it got to be my eye lids. This is Stage 3 with proteinuria.

[Skeptix]

Diagnosed CKD 3a about 7 years ago now scraping the bottom of the barrel of 3b. Can't say I've any symptoms. I get aches and pains and stuff but sure, don't we all.

Have a bit of BP which appears to be well in control due to ACE. Dunno if that is kidney related or not though. Urea was out of spec (13.5 where the range limit is 7.8) up to the start of a very low protein plant diet recently. That's now in spec. Cholesterol was similarily out (6.6.) but is now 5.4 after 3 months on diet.

Creatinine is 200 (range limit 103 iirc) but I would expect this to drop next bloods now that I've started drinking water (I hate the stuff)

Proteinuria too

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

One of the big issue with CKD is there often isn't any symptoms. In my situation, I never had CKD symptoms, and still do not. However, I has kidney stones that were caused by high uric acid that was from having Psoriatic Arthritis. I also needed to pee ALL THE TIME. And that has since been much better since I got my A1c down and my sugar in control. I do not have edema or swelling from retention. I have achesd and pains but from the Arthritis. I had BP issues long before the CKD. In my case, the CK was brought on by an adverse event of prescribed medicine.

[PecanSandie]

I am in stage 3B. My symptoms are hard-to-control high blood pressure (for about 15 years); slight anemia which makes me feel cold; slower urination; sometimes foamy pee I had a pain in my lower back on the right side for awhile but that disappeared about 6 months ago. My Dexa scans over the past 6 years have been getting worse and with the most recent one it was noted I have osteoporosis. My symptoms got worse over the past two to three years - I attribute it to the disruptions in our lives due to COVID. Less exercise, no yoga. The other problem (and this is maybe US related) is having to go to three different doctrs and then coordinating the information between them - my GP for the blood pressure; nephrologist for kidney stuff; endocrinologist for osteoporosis.

[drmind]

I waffle between GFR 3 and 4 with creatinine around 1.50 but all my other numbers are in normal range. No symptoms. My nephrologist got my BP consistently in 120/70 range where before it had been much higher. I drink around 64 oz of water a day, eat very little meat, try to consume much less ess than 2000 mg of sodium daily, and am trying to eat lots of fruit and veggies. I'm in my 80's, feel sometimes as if I'm in my 60's and that scares me a little.

Like so many others in this forum, I didnt find out I had CKD until I was at GFR 3a three years ago. I obviously had it for a few years prior.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted.

[Skeptix in reply to drmind]

What's scary about feeling 20 years younger than you are!??

[Skeptix in reply to drmind]

No proteinuria even? Just creatinine out of range?

[drmind in reply to Skeptix]

No proteninurua ever. Urine normal on all levels.

What's scary about feeling 20 years younger is that I behave as if I'm still 20 years younger: driving all over, running a household, socializing, etc. I just stopped working 3 years ago. I have to stop every so often and ask myself if I should be doing this at my age. It's weird sometimes. But, whatever...i.hope it continues.

Best to you.

[Skeptix in reply to drmind]

You've a good battery as have I. 57 but skateboarding and climbing trees with my young fella. If you use it you don't lose it is my mantra. More power to you. I read recently the comment from a palliative care nurse. Biggest regret folk had at end of life was not living every day to its fullest. Now I wouldn't go beating myself up or making that a religion but certainly, keep going whilst you can keep going

[drmind in reply to Skeptix]

👍

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

The BIG problem with CKD, is there usually are no symptoms that your kidneys are failing. Most of us were not diagnosed till we were in Stage 3, because of that. My first symptom was high blood pressure. I was in seeing a doctor for an unrelated issue and found that I had high BP. It prompted my doctor to do some testing right away. It led to testing at a University Hospital with a renal arteriogram and a kidney biopsy. I was diagnosed with FSGS. 8 years later I was put on the UNOS transplant list. 14 months later I received my life-saving kidney transplant. That was in 1999.You will find that there are many people on this site that through diet, staying hydrated, exercise, controlling their BP & their blood sugars if diabetic have been able to stabilize their CKD. I am not aware that back in the '90's doctors knew about a kidney friendly diet and the difference it could make. Most now a days, after receiving a diagnosis of CKD, make an appt. to see their nephrologist and a renal dietician.

If I were you, see your primary care doctor and find out if you really do have a kidney issue or not. If you have symptoms, you could have some unrelated issue that needs attention. Don't self diagnose. Best of luck.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

I was diagnosed at CKD 3b. My symptoms were tiredness, and some edema. My blood sugar was also high. I am on a CKD diet and restricted on sodium, potassium, phosphorus, based on bloodwork.

[Helloyall]

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