New here

Hi, new here. I’m female, 63, recently diagnosed with CKD stage 3a?. GFR49. I’ve been watching this number decrease in the last several year. I don’t know why. I don’t have any other medical issues that usually contribute to kidney disease.

So I’m in the learning phase, seeking information about how to prevent this from getting worse. I’m also interested in what part medications might play in contributing to kidney disease. I’ve taken Mira Lax for years and just read that you should not take it if you have kidney disease. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[Skeptix]

Hi there and welcome aboard HMS Kidney Disease Kindred Spirit.

We're all in the game of stalling (or halting) CKD here and there's lots to learn in that regard. I'm only a few months in the saddle of managing things and if you want you can learn quick.

There's been recent paradigm shifting in the CKD world. So recent in fact that it very likely won't have trickled down to your clinicians practice and won't for some years yet.

The change is that dietary management of CKD at early stage (where you're at) can significantly slow (some say halt) disease progression. Obviously the aim is to slow things so that you die of something else not kidney related :).

Plant based and low or very low protein intake is the guts of it. But read around and start getting the hang of it yourself - there's plenty being written on it.

If you like a read and can somewhat digest scientific paper abstracts and summaries, then Lee Hull has written an information packed book for you. Stopping Kidney Disease, although flawed and overly long is a great 'one stop shop' introduction to the battle that you can opt to commence engaging with: the battle against this disease. You can same it on the Look Inside feature on Amazon.com.

It ain't all downside. You can act and its an interesting subject: extending your healthy life!

Here's a link to a recent post from member booking great results after 3 months on a new diet - it takes about that long to start seeing an effect. Something to note is his/her command of the topic - no expert but becoming aware of the issues amd asking questions so as to increase expertise. That happened in a few short months and it underlines something many, many have found: you need to be your own advocate. Folk have been let down and led astray by medics. They are not told about their disease. They are told to wait and see (and no action is taken). They are not told of the latest approaches. Its not that the docs are bad. But they are not as abreast as they could be. And we suffer.

You'd be best served by grabbing this bull by the goolies and squeezing hard!

healthunlocked.com/nkf-ckd/...

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

Welcome to the forum where we share information and give support. Davita offers a kidney 101 class. It helped me understand the disease. Ask your Doctor about an appropriate Chronic Kidney Disease diet for you. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Sophiebun11]

Hi 2021- kidneyconcern,

Welcome, I'm new here myself and have found this forum very helpful and it's members very supportive.

eGFR naturally decreases a tad bit as people age but when it starts making rapids drops you need to do something to get a handle on it.

I just dropped into Stage 4 myself. My eGFR declined from 58 down to 29 since 2018 so in just 3 years.

I have pre-existing autoimmune disease destroying my kidney so I know what is happening in my case.

I would suggesting seeing if your primary care Dr. would refer you to a Nephrologist and also to a Renal Dietician. You can get additional testing like an ultrasound to see what else may be going on. The Nephrologist may order a biopsy to check the cells since blood work and scans don't always show what's going on inside.

There is a lot to learn and new info to absorb. I applaud you for taking early steps to get a handle on your kidney's health.

You mentioned the one medication you are taking. Many over-the-counter OTC medications are toxic to the kidney. If you regularly use Tylenol or NSAIDS they can harm the kidneys as well as many other seemingly benign things.

If you are on prescriptions for anything else have your pharmacist review them to see if they are renal toxic meds and then discuss alternate meds with your physician. If you see a Nephrologist they will probably do that. Mine switched some of my meds and added meds I wasn't on to help my kidneys.

Learning all you can is the best thing to do right now. There are changes we can each make at any stage of CKD whether it's switching to a vegetarian diet, cutting back on sodium, adding exercise, or other things specific to your health.

Find a good medical team that you trust. That makes a big difference. I recently "fired" my Dr. and got a new Dr. who immediately sent me to a Nephrologist which is what should have happened several years ago. I think you are on the right track trying to take steps now at Stage 3a.

I worked for years as a Paramedic on an ambulance. Then after a job injury I worked as a Cardiology Tech at a hospital. I also taught Anatomy & Physiology at a Jr. College. I am still trying to learn all I can about my kidneys. I can imagine how overwhelming it is to someone who isn't educated medically and having to rely on their Drs. Learning as much as you can from all the various websites will make you feel like you have control over your health, which you do!

We all have days where we feel sorry for ourselves, are scared about the future, or just need to vent. Please come here any time.

Welcome to the forum and best wishes.

🐇