Again I was one of the ones running around with ckd nor knowing about it. Yesterday I was handed test results from 3 years ago and my gfr was 37. No one mentioned anything about ckd, only dehydration possible. I was there for highblood and was given 25 MG of ARB, bur stopped taking it because I was coughing and felt shifty. Anyway I'm at the same clinic yesterday because my neph wanted me to have a local provider. I tell rhe doc about the protein issue and he tells me that if I am losing protein I should be eating g it to replace it. And rhat it was ik to eat animal protein. Well on my vegan diet my gfr is 53 and I take 2.5 MG of Lisinopril so needless to say He can take his advice and shove it in his pie hole. But he did give me Farxiga.. just not sure if I will take it yet. Waiting for my Mayo appointment in June to get a second opinion. Any thoughts on that? My BP is higher than when I first started the ACE so ...
Should I take another pill? : Again I was one... - Kidney Disease
Should I take another pill?
HI Roxanne, Just some thoughts. The Farxiga is actually very helpful and beneficial for CKD. My husband is on it since September with no side effects. It has raised his GFR and really helped to lower his A1c. not sure why you are waiting to start it. And tell the doctor to change the ARB to something else. There are a lot of different choices for ARB and ACE that have less side effects and are beneficial for CKD and lowering your BP. I also agree with you to stick to the vegan diet.
I took one this morning. 5 mg. See what happens today. He was just concerned about weight loss because I cannot lose more weight. I'm at a healthy low weight right now. My sugar is at the high end of normal---probably because most of my calories comes from carbs. I could do better on the water intake. Glad your husband is finding it helpful. I'll see if my insurance pays for it. Apparently the pharmacy needed their approval. ???? assholes. I am on the high end plan too.
Why did your doctor put you on Farxiga with only a slightly elevated sugar? My husband's sugar numbers were not good when he went on so that's why they put him on it. I would definitely discuss your medications with the Mayo clinic. It's so hard to eat for CKD and diabetes. When you eat something with carbs, eat also fiber. It helps with the glycemic load. For example, I add flax seed to when I eat pasta with my veggies. I eat bread with seeds or fiber in it as much as possible. I do not like whole wheat pasta, but if you do, that's a better choice. Fruit is a good choice for snacks, even with the sugar in fruit because of the fiber. If you are worried about weight loss, add more fat to your diet. Olive oils and other flavored oils are fun to experiment with. Adding humus and other vegan spreads are also helpful to hold the weight.
There is a patient assistance plan with Farxiga. It is so expensive otherwise. It's not hard to qualify for it either. See what the insurance says. I know it was going to cost us over $400 a month, which is ridiculous.
But wait until you talk with Mayo.
I believe in the fiber too. Generally, I eat well. The drug has been approved for CKD and is being touted as the second coming. So we shall see.
Isn't Farxiga the pill that helps CKD even if you don't have T2D?
That may be the reason for it.
yes, it was only recently approved
I think its smart to wait for the Mayo consult since you don't want to lose weight and your doctor doesn't understand the benefits of a plant-based diet. Unless you're GFR is slipping down, then eat some high calorie nuts along with the Farxiga. Just my 2 cents, I know very little.
We all know very little, lol. I am a nut eater but have slowed down on those. More beans now.
Just my 2 cents. I've only been on it for about a month; I'm not diabetic, on it for leaking protein. Haven't lost any weight (I also cannot afford to lose any at all!!) Last labs only trace protein! YAY! No side effects to speak of either. So far so good.
Thanks. Exactly my issue
Yep, that was my biggest concern as well. I am at my all-time lowest weight ever, and although I'm in really good shape I can't afford to lose anymore as a side effect of a drug. Otherwise, none of those long lists of scary side effects have raised their ugly heads, not leaking nearly as much protein, and my insurance is covering it even though I am not diabetic, (my neph said perhaps that may be a concern) so so far all boxes are checked. 
Hi Sandracee, Just wondering what effect on your eGFR levels, does it just stay the same? My doctor mentioned maybe putting me on it.
Initially it is supposed to decrease then after 3 to 6 months come up.
Thanks Roxanne, hope it works for you!!
Day three, good so far, lol. The doctor gave me a two week's supply -of--samples. You would think that if they afford to give them away, the price would be cheaper. Anyway, only 5 mg, but will have blood tests etc. done mid June.
Good luck!
Strange but the ARB made me cough not those ACe
Roxanne, my doc has started me on Farxiga a couple of weeks ago. She was worried about me having low sugar numbers but instead my numbers have been higher since I started taking it. (Before Farxiga my numbers were between 90 and 110; now they are in the low 130's) I won't know if it is helping until she does blood work again in early July.
Holy COw!! I know, right. It is all a crap shoot. What dose are you on? I asked for the lowest possible.
Roxanne, I'm on 5mg of Farxiga. I think that's the lowest dose. Other than the odd stuff with my blood sugars, I haven't noticed any side effects.
I'm on Farxgia....no weight loss. No side effects.
I'm going to go for it. Anyone else on Atena?
I was on Lisinopril too, but I had some HBP too often, so my Neph put me on Amlodipine (after trying a couple of other ACE inhibitors). I don't know that much abt Farxiga. I was already on dialysis when it came out.
I too didn't know I was in CKD (prolly 3 or 4). I had lost 60 lbs in less than a year. Ppl I worked with were applauding me for the weight loss.
I finally had a blood test at a local County- subsidized health facility. The nurses said my BP was getting elevated from previous visits.
When the results came back, I went to see an internist who was educated at Emory University and she did not even NOTICE that my GFR was 25! She put me on blood pressure medicine and told me to come back in 4 months. When she tested my blood again in 4 months, she said "your potassium is too high." She said "I want to see you again if you don't die of a heart attack before a month." I have never seen that woman again. I think she was a racist. She always treated me very badly (I am white). Her demeanor was that of a person who hated everyone. She lost her own practice (prolly from Malpractice) and was degraded to working for a clinic subsidized by the County I live in.
That is a horrible story. Long gone are the days when we view doctors as experts in our health care. We have to be our own advocates. That is why it is important to know how to read at grade level.
I knew most of what the lab report results meant, but had never heard of nor knew anything about eGFR. My first Neph after that incident with the EMORY trained Internist said that Med Schools do not concentrate or teach much about kidneys and all they do for our well being. Ridiculous!
I know, right. I trusted that when I was told I was good to go, that really meant nothing was wrong with me. I just saw a GFR of 37 on a lab from 2019 from the local clinic. Um, no one said shit to me there. 37 !!!!!
I just want to add that this has zero to do with racism. This is the whitest state in the USA, and this has everything to do with ignorance.
In the future we will probably have to be doing our own brain surgeries too LOL
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