Hi! So my eGFR has always been in the 90’s but I got tested back in November and it had dropped to 89 so I ordered some of the urine dipstick and there was no protein in my urine and everything else on the strip was normal I also paid for an ultrasound and that was normal too… however I have just had my kidneys tested again and my eGFR has dropped to 85! So again I did a dipstick which was normal!…i’m confused, does this mean I have chronic kidney disease? When I looked online it said I’m at stage 2
Will my eGFR just keep dropping now or could it still remain stable? And what are the chances of me developing kidney failure?
Thank you! Any help appreciated
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Amyflood246
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The characterisation of ckd can be confusing. In addition to eGFR, most organisations include "mild damage to your kidneys" without clear categorisation of "mild" other than usual reference to urinary protein eg kidneyfund.org/all-about-ki....
What's unclear to me for yourself is whether or not you have such damage and it would be wrong for me to try to diagnose anyhow. My mum is CKD 3 but generally has negative urinary protein via a home dipstick but some is measured at the doctors including a 24h test (albeit seemingly below levels of nephrologist concern) which I believe is more accurate.
Either way, it's very common for a doctor not to diagnose ckd until stage 3 although you could pursue with him/her. Alternatively you could seek to improve your overall health naturally since that is the best (often only) way to manage any kidney disease. A qualified Nutritional Therapist should be able to help and may also help improve other medical conditions that you have.
No need to worry yet. My mum's urologist told her everyone has some protein leakage and her nephrologist does not seem concerned at her protein level.
Unsure how long it took to progress as doctors didnt tell her even at stage 3 (my dad found out by checking her Patient Access!). But she's been able to almost double her eGFR in ~5y by following a Nutritional Therapy protocol as well as remove her high BP etc. Hence why I suggested seeing a qualified Nutritional Therapist.
No. Her eGFR was just below 60 last test ~10m ago compared with 36 after a nephrectomy ~6y ago. So technically she's stage 3a. Her eGFR did reach 76 once before dropping back so maybe she could e been stage 2 briefly but the definitions of mild v moderate damage seem imprecise.
But we aren't concerned about ckd stages, only that she at least maintains progress x.
Eating red meat or a lot of cooked meat shortly before the blood draw or being very physically active within 24 hours, or doing muscle workouts can all increase creatine levels and impact eGFR. "E" is for estimated.
FWIW, my mother abused opioids and NSAIDs which caused blockage in one of the arteries, and basically has had only one working kidney for over 20 years. Her EGFR is still in the 60/70s and her doctor has never considered her for CKD interventions. My doctor is not worried as long as my EGFR stays above 60. Mine has been bouncing between 80 to 100 for the last two years.
The only real interventions are diabetes control, hypertension management, and a kidney healthy diet anyway. All you can do is focus on those and move forward.
was it the NSAIDS that caused it? Because I know they can damage your kidneys can’t they? How does a blockage in an artery make you loose function of a kidney? X
Yes, likely the NSAIDs caused the blockage. When blood cannot get to your kidney it slowly dies. However the other kidney tends to grow in response to make up for the malfunctioning kidney.
For what it is worth, anything over 60 is considered normal. Lots of things affect the creatinine, and therefore eGFR, but the levels you are talking about don't seem to be worrisome. My Dr's are excited I'm up to the 50s after transplant.
Dehydration is a big one, but every blood test can vary even in the same day. That is why they have a range for normal. I've had my creatinine tested twice in the same day and got different results. The big question is whether your Dr thinks a swing like that at your function level is significant or not. The creatinine to eGFR formulas tend to have an inverse exponential curve. So, very small changes in creatinine make small changes in eGFR over 60%. But, at eGFRs near 20 or lower, it takes a large numeric increase in creatinine to move the eGFR number.
First of all "eGFR" is but an estimate of your kidney function. If you have CKD it takes many months of looking at your creatinine, BUN, etc and urine tests to see a trend. A single blood test does not prove YES or NO that you have CKD. If you are concerned you need to have a talk with your primary care physician. He would need to order renal labs every 3-6 months and see if CKD is present. Not everyone has protein in their urine, although that can be a sign. I had an abnormal value of red blood cells in mine, which made my doctor do more testing.
Your eGFR can vary on it's own due to exercise, eating a protein rich meal, being dehydrated, etc the day before your test.
thank you, dehydration could be a possibility as I don’t drink water, only coke which I know is bad! Do the red blood cells show up on a normal dipstick? X
Relax! You would have more symptoms in your labs...high magnesium, high potassium, high sodium, creatinine above 1.3, high BUN, etc. My nephrologist says that kidneys are very complex. No two people have the same lab values & symptoms. That is just my opinion, I cannot diagnose. You need to go see your primary doctor and have lab work done that is done at a lab...blood and urine. Docs usually will do a 24 hour urine test and it gives them a lot of information. Protein in your urine can be but not always a sign od CKD
My CKD started when I was 9 and had strep throat. About 2=3 months later I was diagnosed with nephritis- an inflammation of my kidneys. My parents were told that it could reoccur later in life. Some 30 years later I was diagnosed with CKD. My kidneys were all scarred up inside and shrinking. I had a miracle transplant in 1999. I am living well 23+ years later. But today if a doctor does a ultra-sound of my native kidneys, they can't find them.
My kidney donor was a 16 year old who died in a tragic auto accident. I am forever grateful to my Hero and his fantastic family!
Just an FYI, some Dr's dont even worry about your eGFR labs until you are below 60. I noticed the CDC website says something like that. the medical group I go to, doesnt even report the eGFR if its over 60. but another local major lab will report no matter the #. my dr's werent even concerned when I was in the 70s
Also, AKI while not always potentially fatal certainly not something you’d have to ask someone if it happened to you because you’d know and would most likely be in the hospital. I been afflicted with AKI twice and it caused 1.5 minutes of flatline EKG tracing once while nearly killing me again the second time. I don’t understand the desire to “borrow trouble”. With the numbers you put in your post you realize you are talking about a -/+ variance of 5 points at an average level of 90. Don’t borrow trouble and certainly don’t look at lab values so close at your levels to worry about a drop of 5 points. Additionally, it isn’t a one time lab that need concern you, to diagnose CKD or any kidney issue that is a series of blood tests over a period of time not an individual blood test. I will admit the “angst” that comes through in your initial post is somewhat hard for me to understand. You see I have an eGFR of between 16-22 so a 5 point drop for me might mean dialysis. I understand the concern but if you are going to worry enough to worse a post on this site expressing said worries please at least understand the disease. I know the concern would be a “new” diagnosis and as you mention being in stage 2 (which you are not you are completely free of any kidney related issues at least by the limited information you shared) but even if that were to happen the journey from stage 2 to needing a transplant is extremely long compared to the speed at which some other diseases move. So if you’ll allow me and know that I am not trying to be a jerk, I’d say that there is no need to worry about the health issues you have posted about in this thread. I don’t know about you but I worry about too many other things to worry about something that is currently non-existent and most likely will never be an issue for you to deal with. Think about that logically, you are worrying about something you do not currently have wrong with you and most likely (though I can’t predict that with reasonable accuracy but can make a logical assumption) will never be an issue for you in your lifetime. I’ve got real issue to worry about as I am sure you do, why borrow trouble?
I think it's a little early to begin worrying about kidney failure with your eGFR numbers, but good to be aware they are changing. Talk to your doc and ask if you should start making dietary changes, or if any of your meds may be contributing. Relax and don't stress out with those high numbers! But it's good to be aware and monitor your kidney health over time.
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