My husband has IGA Nephropathy eGFR 58. He’s experiencing frequent sickness and migraines but also has severe leg pain. Has anyone with CKD experienced leg pain as it doesn’t seem to be a common side effect and it’s really getting him down and we’re not sure what to do to help. He is getting a second opinion from a consultant as his current consultant has said none of his symptoms should be caused by his kidneys but it seems the sickness and migraines are commonly reported as issues with CKD. He’s had loads of tests and scans and they are showing now issues so we are convinced this must be caused by his kidneys.
Thanks so much for reading this and any comments, advice, sharing of similar stories would me greatly appreciated.
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JLM1
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Thank you for your reply. Sorry to hear you suffer with cramps and spasms. They’ve checked all his heart and everything is fine. I’m not sure about circulation but I’ll definitely get him to get that looked into if they haven’t. Thanks
How challenging a time you and your husband must be experiencing. My thoughts are with you.
Although I am not an IGAN patient, I have several friends in the community who are. I do have Membraneous Nephropathy which is also an autoimmune kidney disorder. So we share ideas.
Keep in mind that every patient is different and will have some similar and some different symptoms.
None of have had migraines, sickness or leg cramps from the IGAN, per say. There could be many reasons for this.
I don't know what medications your husband has been prescribed; just a thought; one of them or the combination may be causing some of the symptoms that he is experiencing.
If you want to look them up; Drugs.com will tell you possible side effects as well as moderate or severe interactions. If you use the APP, it has a place where you can type in the drugs that you take and it will tell you if there are any possible interactions.
Keep him drinking plenty of water, eating a kidney friendly diet and avoid foods which cause inflammation such as sugar, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries, sugary cereals, white rice, fried foods red meat, processed meat as hot dogs, sausage, margarines, and trans fats as they will contribute to feeling unwell.
It will be interesting to see
what the scans reveal.
Hopefully your consultant will get to the bottom of this as no one should have to feel unwell.
Please reach back to us and let us know what the scans show and the medical action plan that the consultant sets forth.
I hope they’ve run a d dimer blood test. I worry about the possibility of a blood clot in the leg. Good to have it checked as it’s just a quick blood test. I had a lung clot not caught for 4 days (thought it was bronchitis) out of the blue! No known reason. It started in my leg and I had headache. Probably not your husband’s issue, but I feel compelled to mention it. So sorry they haven’t found a cause for these symptoms yet.
Yes I would recommend it. Especially if the person is older, sedentary, has a history of heart disease or hypertension, and experiences progressive leg pain on walking. I have had the test - takes 30 minutes by sonogram, and you get the report immediately and it rules out lower limb circulation issues and thrombosis. I also agree with jodaer but do not stop a statin cold turkey without talking to your pcp and cardiologist. I also agree with sophie bun as the gfr of 58 is nearly in normal range of 60+. CKd is not the issue for this pain. Keep investigating- don’t ignore it - find the cause. Blessings- PJ
Hi JLM1, I have read a number of times that long-term use of a statin can cause leg pain. Your husband would do well to investigate all the meds he is taking.
This is a good point. I knew a guy who had horrific leg pain, he was in a wheel chair.. once he stopped the statin, within days, pain gone and he was able to walk again.
I doubt it's related to CKD especially with an eGFR as good as 58.
I've had migraines my entire life since I was 11 y/o. Not CKD related.
I had leg pain with Stage 4 CKD eGFR 28 but not related to CKD. My PcP did an arterial scan of the legs and I have arteriosclerosis. I also have a lot of cramping in legs and everywhere which was discovered to be from seriously low Potassium level.
IT's a good idea not to assume everything is related to CKD. Headaches are common in Stage 5 but your husband is only stage 3a which is still mild to moderate and shouldn't have any or mild symptoms.
What kind of leg pain? Can you be more specific. Many are saying leg cramps but you did not say leg cramps you said leg pain. Where on the leg? What KIND of pain? When?
No it’s definitely not cramps, he describes it as a burning all the way down the back of his leg, a clamping feeling particularly around his knee area and just like the whole thing is dead. It’s pretty much all the time but gets a lots worse when he walks
okay, then that is not the kind of leg pain I have had, so I cannot comment. But if you are looking for help, I would suggest being extremely specific with your Dr. and if she/he is clueless, ask for a referral to a specialist. Just "leg pain" on the internet isn't likely to get you any insights unless you are very specific. Maybe someone here will have a clue now that you described it better.
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