Hi all,
I'm a 30 yo female. My blood test results in February of 2021 showed GFR of 74 and creatinine of 1.03. Blood test in July showed a decrease of GFR to 69 and creatinine of 1.08.
This time I made sure I was completely hydrated and my new results show a creatinine of .99 and GFR of 76. Should I technically push for a referral since this is low for my age? I'm breastfeeding and have Hashimotos.
What referral were you in need of?
maybe a nephrologist being that my egfr isn't where it should be for someone my age.
Honey those are great numbers! I’ve seen your post and I think you have bad health anxiety. I hope you’re doing better with all the symptoms you were concerned about
Hi!If you can get a referral I would definitely push for it. It would not hurt to go see a nephrologist to see what they think. Good luck
I would want to know if something was going on too. But don't be surprised if they tell you your fine and you don't need one, because doctors don't seem to be concerned until the eGFR drops below 60. Do you have any common risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, family history of CKD?
I don't know if Hashimotos is a risk factor for CKD or not, but since you have an autoimmune disease you could express that you want to make sure nothing autoimmune is going on with your kidneys. Better safe than sorry, I say. Good luck with everything!
I would also seriously look at diet factors.
Yes! You should have an advocate that will be willing to do everything andGive you all the info you need to protect your kidney health.
I had a doctor at 30, that did Not do that for me. He did not take it seriously.
At my senior age, l have a good doctor.
I would email your PCP and see what he/she thinks. I don't know of anyone with that GFR who got a referral, but only your doctor can make that call. I would also track the trajectory of your GFR. If it is dropping quickly, that would be good information for your health care providers.
Your creatinine is breathtakingly awesome. Take a look at your BUN and see how that is too. Nephrologists favor looking at the individual lab items and making conclusions from them. My hubby experienced kidney failure, dialysis, and a transplant so we've had a good bit of experience. He's back in the hospital today and it's again the creatinine levels that gets the attention. Your eGFR is an estimated number based on a blood test and incudes other factors such as your age, sex, and race, sometimes weight, etc. I wonder if your pregnancy and delivery threw it off a bit. But, yes, it's always good to get answers to questions. Peace of mind is always good!
Yes, but there is no drama. They will look at the causes for your current egfr state. It may have nothing to do with the kidneys which is very likely because you are young
do you know any other causes for low egfr
Lots for instance any of immune related diseases, heart problems etc.. there are hundreds
Hashimoto's isn't going to be a problem its easily treated and kidney function goes up and down naturally. I think if your in the UK your GP will no doubt be sympathetic but it would be miraculous if you saw a Nephrologist with function that good. If I were you I'd forget it , and as the NHS does routinely check your thyroid function when your on Thyroxine perhaps ask in six months if the GFR test can be rechecked.
For info, creatinine and eGFR are directly linked. If creatinine goes up, eGFR goes down in proportion.
At that eGFR at that age I'd certainly go looking for an explanation. And I wouldn't take "there's nothing to worry about" as an explanation. Fluctation up and down is normal between bloods but as you say, you're low for your age. "So why is that, doc?"
Hello Mommy! I am almost 29 years old and I had my first baby in September. My cheerfuller has been fluctuating between 75 and 90 in the last three years And I just had my first nephrology appointment a month ago. In my case it’s considered to be CKD stage 2 only because my right kidney is smaller than the other. If you dont have any other signs of disease a gfr of 70 could theoretically be normal for you. Most importantly you should check your urine for protein and make an kidney ultrasound. Keep a trajectory of your gfr over time, thats basically all what matters. In the first months after pregnancy I had lower gfr than before. 5month post partum its back to my initial numbers.
I would like to help if I can 
Take care!
Hi, Mommy_of_2,
Sarah_402 below absolutely nailed it: "But don't be surprised if they tell you your fine and you don't need one, because doctors don't seem to be concerned until the eGFR drops below 60."
By the time your eGFR is below 60, a lot of irreversible kidney damage has been done.
I see this issue so often on HealthUnlocked that I saved my response in a file so I can copy and paste it. Your PCP should refer you to a phrenologist, but won't until your eGFR is below 60 (yes, it also happened to me). He will know very little about nutrition, so you should ask him to refer you to a registered renal dietician (good luck finding one in your area).
I was in your situation -- the phrenologist I went to told me nothing about nutrition; I did not know about registered renal dieticians at the time. I bought "Stopping Kidney Disease" from Amazon for $19.99. It came out in 2019 and is a tome on CKD -- it will tell you everything about CKD including a plant based diet plan to improve your eGFR. I went from 42 to 62, my wife went from 67 to 91... yes, 91 -- we did this within several months. You can skim or skip the included scientific studies.
Other peeps have bought, read and tried "Stopping Kidney Disease" on this forum and have also had great results. Check out the Amazon customer reviews as well.
The best thing you can do is educate yourself and take care of yourself. Good luck.
Hi Beckett24, I've been meaning to buy this book as others have recommended it as well. I was just wondering if you know if the book is mainly for patients with high blood pressure or diabetes, or can it help other causes of CKD?
Hi, Sarah_402, It's been over a year since I read it. I don't know. But the bottom line is that no matter what caused your CKD, you can always manage it instead of depending on a doctor you only see a few times per year. I would look at the Amazon customer reviews (I did before buying it).
Worst case scenario, you will be an expert on CKD and how to best manage it by the time you finish the book and your eGFR will improve to some degree by even partially following the recommended plant based diet. It's certainly worth $19.99.
The lab my husband went to doesnt specify eGFR numbers that are over 60. Just says over 60 ≈ "in range".
Is this the food guide by Lee Hull or the other book entitled Stopping Kidney Disease also written by Lee Hull? I noticed this response was written 2 years ago. Is your eGRF still high? I plan on getting this book (s) Thank you
Hi, Merny. I bought both books by Lee Hull for reference. Actually, three. There is now a condensed version of Stopping Kidney Disease without all the case studies. Plant based eating is the way to go. My eGFR is still about 58 which isn't bad. My wife's last eGFR was 93, yes, 93. Educate yourself. Good luck.
Thank you for the information! Your results are astonishing! How wonderful for you and your wife. I was a vegetarian for most of my life. I started eating fish and chicken about 18 years ago soot looks like I might go back. Thank you so much!
You're welcome. For our "meat" we eat Beyond and Impossible Burgers, available at Costco. They are plant based. We also drink the Ogain plant based protein powder in fruit smoothies, also available at Costco and in the coupon book currently. And drink plenty of water. But get those books from Amazon. Most doctors have no clue, and renal dieticians are very rare. Good luck.
Mr. Hull is smiling all the way to the bank…his “Special” diet is available on several sites mostly free…I despise people profiting from this there suffering…trust me he isn’t interested in you getting better he is interested in his bottom line…there are several great sites that have BETTER nutrition information and they are free but it’s too late for that…at least if you are buying his probiotic stop…much cheaper options available though the name isn’t the but the ingredients are…
What should I do?
First post, should I be worried?
Should I go to a nephrologist?
Should I stop this medication ! 
Am I borderline stage 3a? 
