Hello Everyone,
I'm new here. A few weeks ago, I was doing pretty well. I had a GFR of about 55, and when I was super careful, even more so than usual about food, I could get my GFR up to 62. Anyway, I was pretty happy and living mostly normally. I could jog two or three kilometers two or three times a week, and I wanted to start swimming. I could handle house projects, I could teach. I played with the cat. I didn't drink coka cola, coffee, alcohol, or eat french fries cooked in oil, and I soaked potato slices for a few hours before boiling them. I drank a lot of water, 2.5 liters or more each day. All in all, I could eat most things but in moderation, even an occasional fast food hamburger or some chocolate on a holiday.
All that ended a few weeks ago. I had an infection on a finger (or something, it looked exactly like what happens when a person washes dishes too much or their hands too much.) that raised an actual bump on the finger tip. The doctor said since the finger was red, this meant there was blood there. He prescribed antibiotics. He was in a rush and wanted to get home, so he and his nurse were literally going fast. It was not late in the evening, and I was the fourth patient there that afternoon, but after spending almost an hour or more with a previous patient, for some reason he seemed to have ordered his nurse and himself to go fast. It was really bad. I reminded him in his rush that I have a serious kidney problem. I made the mistake of saying 60 GFR which he immediately took and said that means your kidneys can handle anitbiotics. Everything above 60 is fine. Shocking. So he prescribed some medicine. I asked can't you give me a cream somthing topical (that would be less dangerous than something ingested). And he offered a cream, too, but sadly it was not good either.
So I went home and researched these medicines. At least two of the three had fine print warnings about kidneys (in a foreign language because I am in Eastern Europe). I put a little of the cream on the finger (because I was worried I would lose the finger or get a blood infection), but decided to go to the doctor on Monday morning when he would be more refreshed and not in this terrible rush.
When I went back he had more energy, and perhaps was a little embarrassed by the ridiculous behaviour I experienced on the previous Friday.
He heard my concerns. I told him my GFR is not 60, but originally was 38, and often 55 and other numbers. I even said it in German (the numbers) because he speaks English, but I wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding. Because even a child can see and realise that technically 60 may mean healthy, but it is right on the border. For whatever reason he didn't change the prescription. Maybe he really wanted to help me and there weren't good alternatives or maybe it was his ego that wouldn't countenance a change. Or maybe he didn't want to spend the few minutes to research it himself on his computer. I don't know.
At this point, I should have made an appointment at a private clinic in the neighborning town. But, I thought it might be a few days and I was increasingly worried about the conditon of my finger with the bump/swelling and the two fingers next to it that were developing similar symptoms. I thought I might lose the finger or worse. I was literally looking to see if a red streak would develop from the finger to the hand and arm.
I had read that some doctors, when confronted with a kidney patient, have to reduce dosages, so that it doesn't harm the patient, but not so reduced that it doesn't handle the problem. Since my doctor seemed to be failing me, and I was worried, and also tired from teaching and home projects and it was the end of the year with Christmas coming up, in my fear, tiredness from dealing with the doctor, and hearing or reading about no alternatives, I reduced the dose by half. I had the right idea to question my doctor, to resist and to research, but it was a mistake to try and doctor myself. I discussed this idea with my wife and she seemed supportive of it. Of course, she should have stopped me and calmly gone to the other clinic with me. I think I would have listened to her especially if she had put our coats on and insisted.
After a week of taking the medicine at half dose, my fingers did slowly get better. I didn't wash dishes and tried to keep water away from them and I put bandaids on them over the cream. I suffered too from light and other feelings in my stomach.
So, after that, I tried to return to my diet. But I noticed that now my right side was sensitive. Not painful, but tender. And for the last three weeks it stays that way. Always sensitive. Some days I would feel almost normal. I didn't like the sensitive feeling. Other days I noticed that my back kidney area almost felt congested, literally as if it could not handle the previous volume. I noticed a constant feeling of nausea, a terrible feeling, although, as stated, sometimes for hours after a meal I would feel good and normal. I tried ginger, because it is supposed to be good against nausea and for a few days it worked. I would take a small amount (I am aware one has to be careful with it) and I would pretty much feel normal. I did have the thought that what if it is just masking the real causes. After a few days of this, my stomach was getting really irritated.
Two nights ago it was so bad the nausea and headache that I was almost in tears and couldn't sleep during the night. I began to think that I am not sure that I am going to make it. I decided to do a big change in diet because it is clear there is a problem.
I didn't eat the boiled corn pasta. I stopped the ginger and reduced the bread. Instead I ate more of the cereal, apples,a reduced amount of rice bread with chicken and egg white. I tried to spread the meals out farther apart because I noticed in the past that after the food had gone through my system that by morning time when I woke up, I felt mostly normal and I ate smaller meals too trying to allow time for the food to go through my system. I finished dinner early in the evening so that digestion could take place by the time I went bed. I did have less pain, but there did seem to be alot of acid in my stomach and I had some acid reflux.
So I can report some good news. Last night I had normal sleep. I was even able to sleep on my left side. Only around 4 or 5 am this morning did I wake up. But I felt mostly good, and suffered, if anything, an empty stomach at that point. I was able to get up, make the bed and even play with the cat. I was hungry and boiled potato slices. I had a few of those with some corn pasta and some tuna. At first after eating, came some of the stomach irritation, but after a few minutes I felt pretty good and have been able to write this post here. My goal is to make sure to eat about 2000-2500 calories today. I am 56.
My current feelings: some stomach irritation but not the continual nausea thatI felt previously for days. I can feel my stomach is too acidy. My left side of the lower abodomen has some tenderness. There is less of that on the right side, almost none of that there. I have been burping too much, so perhaps I have gastritis. I often drink water but it doesn't go down as easily as it would before (the gastritis or CKD?). I have some headache. Is that an after effect of the antibiotics, or from CKD? I am not sure because I have a chronic neck cartilage problem, which if I sleep wrong on my neck or watch a movie from bed in the wrong position, I can suffer for days from that and it can make my head feel pretty strange. Also I have a chronic nasal infection and it can cause, sometimes, a headache in the front of my head. Further, my hair was brushed pretty strong the other day, The reasons for my current headache are hard to determine.
I do think that the medicine this doctor gave me hurt me. I don't know if there is or was an alternative. Of course I feel very bad about it. Thanks for hearing me.
I do think some damage has occurred. I hope none or little but only the test I will take on Monday can tell me. Please wish me luck and that the test will show no damage or minimal damage to my kidneys, and that my other organs do not have a serious problem. One thing I really feel too much of now is an acidy feeling in my throat (too much burping, too). Not nausea as before, but I think there is too much acid.
Please pray for me. If you know of any answer to reduce the tenderness on my left side, let me know. Also, are there some ways, some foods, that are kidney friendly to reduce this stomach acid? Again, thanks for hearing me.
Best Regards,
Joe
Ckd 2 at 27, GFR 74-79 and Farxiga question 
Honest feedback required
APPROVED FOR KIDNEY TRANSPLANT BUT NEED A DONOR...HOW DO I GET MY STORY OUT? So scared about dialysis before getting a kidney. 
SGLT2 inhibitors like Farxiga and Jardiance to slow down CKD
