Fluctuating egfr - help

[AimeeA7X]

Hi I first came here in late 2021 when I was told my kidney function was too low (it was 59, 31 year old female) I then had 3 months of test, gfr 55, 54 consecutively. Diagnosed stage 3 CKD.Had an ultrasound and referred to a nephrologist.

Ultrasound was fine. 1 kidney slightly smaller but nothing unusual.

Had blood tests just before neph 6 months later and efgr wa 78. Therefore neph said no concern and discharged me.

Nothing came of it again.

I have been battling my health ever since, recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, told today I am severely vit d deficient. And my most recent blood test has shown that my efgr is back down to 64 with serum creatinine at 89.

I really don't know what on earth is going on and whether I should be asking for more from my gps about my kidney health.

Do I have CKD?

Can anyone advise as aside from the confusion I also need to apply for life insurance for my mortgage and I have no idea what I'm supposed to put!!! Don't get me wrong I know it's not bad, but I'm 32 years old, feel like I'm falling apart and I just feel like I'm getting fobbed off all of the time.

Thanks if you got this far!!

[Tolmezzo]

Exactly because you are young you need to go in deep. Fluctuation in serum creatinine can depend from many factors however you need to understand if there's underlying cause. Maybe not and your are in good health. But if somenthing has to be treated: the sooner the better. Kidney function need to be assessed globally. Not only Egfr. Being you I would ask full BD panel with all kideny values. Even more important 24h urine test (be carefull expecially about proteinuria). Check your blood pressure for a week 2 times in the morning 2 times in evening. Register all data on spreadsheet. rgs

[Tempest1]

Hi,

In the UK a EGFR over 60 is classed as normal . It's the standard number GP's look at here. . When you have a kidney function test they also look at urea levels, potassium , sodium and creatinine. It's known a a U And E's blood test. Your GP I would have thought would have requested that. If everything in that was in normal range you won't be classed with CKD. A dip stick water sample test may have been asked for to look for protein in the urine. I had all this earlier last year as my egfr was up and down. I started to drink more water , which I did not used to do and egfr came with in a normal range for my age. All other bloods normal. Ultra sound normal also. Discuss this with your GP to look at what your ranges were for other things. Good luck, anne.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

It is good you are aware because many do not get diagnosed until stage 4. The up and down numbers are totally normal. The hypothyroidism and vit d are factors that are causing the fluctuations and the thyroid can cause issues with the kidneys. See if getting your thyroid stable and get your ViT d normal and see what the kidney numbers reflect. They probably will be much better.

Your levels for the kidneys are actually not all the bad. Try drinking more water because being dehydrated really factors in. Watch the salt and do not take ibuprofen. If you are on other medications, have the doctor review and make sure they are all safe for the kidneys.

As far as the insurance company, don't lie. But actually, with some of your numbers, the doctor is correct. You don't have critical CKD. At best, you are stage 2 when the numbers are over 60.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

Here is link to National Kidney Foundation about eGFR and age relation. This might help you understand Chronic Kidney Disease. kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr

[Blackknight1989]

My thoughts are yes you should be asking your GO for more as the earlier you address the issue the more kidney function you will save. In my opinion that’s what it’s all about because stats aren’t on our side currently with transplant.

kidneycareuk.org/media/imag...

This image sums it up fairly well in my opinion. This may help also:

How is CKD diagnosed?

Most people are diagnosed by a blood and urine test. You may have these tests as part of a routine check-up or because you are at risk of developing CKD.Once you are diagnosed, your doctor will work out what stage of CKD you have. This is done by measuring the amount of creatinine, a waste product which builds up in kidney disease. Your doctors can use this to estimate how well your kidneys are working. You may hear this referred to as your estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR). It is based on how quickly your kidneys are cleaning your blood and is measured in millilitres per minuteMost people with CKD stages one to three can manage the condition themselves with their GP and do not need any specialist input from kidney doctors.CKD can slowly get worse over time, although for the majority of people it remains stable and only a very small number of people will need renal replacement therapy such as dialysis. It is unusual for kidney function to improve dramatically once your kidneys have been damaged but it does depend on the cause of the problem.

Link: kidneycareuk.org/about-kidn...