gfr is 15

[Praveen9]

my gfr is 15.3 and creatinine is 3.6 and all other parameters in blood tests shows normal. Should I go for dialysis?

[Hidden]

You will undoubtedly receive a lot of different answers to this question but here's my take on it. Your muscles shed old tissue daily into your blood stream and your blood picks up other foreign bodies as it travels through your bloodstream. Your kidney's job is to filter these so called toxins from your blood. Not filtering it will make you feel lethargic and your quality of life will go down. You will have people tell you that they feel great with a GFR of 15 and can function normally. My GFR is 30 and I know for a fact that I could feel much better if I had normal kidney function. Having a low GFR does have an affect on other parts of your body.

[Praveen9 in reply to Hidden]

thank you for the info

[RhenDutchess123]

Its just one of those things you have to decide by how you feel and what your labs tell you...I started at 11GFR...I still felt okay but I got worried if I dropped too fast I might have to have Emergency Dialysis..I still had good Urine output and after 3 years of Dislysis I still do...I feel by starting Dialysis "earlier" it helped preserve some of my Kidney Function, which will keep you feeling better longer...Best Wishes for you

[Jamok]

Hi,

Are you on the transplant list? My nephrologist suggested I wait to start dialysis since all my other labs were in line especially phosphorus and potassium and I was not experiencing symptoms like nausea etc. My gfr was 7 when I got my transplant.

[Tolmezzo]

My opinion my experience if you feel ok you can definitely wait. Most of the people looks at egfr not giving right importance to "e" which stands for "estimated". I would pay much more attention to 24h urine clearance and proteinuria. Listen to your doctor off course. RGS

[Ziggydoodah]

I'm on haemodialysis. My gfr went down to 9....I still felt OK and was determined not to go on dialysis. My consultant said it was time but because I felt OK I said no. He did say this could lead to an emergency admission, which is always in the back of your head at this stage. However a week later, I woke up and just felt like death warmed up. I knew it was time. Unfortunately dialysis is inevitable, the sooner you get your head around it, the better. Its a journey full of challenges but you will get over them. Most of the time it's the fear of the unknown. The biggest challenge for me, was the mental aspect. Someone on here, said you will grieve for your old life and believe me, you will. Its not easy but I do feel so much better. Its also a stepping stone to getting a kidney and a better quality of life. I won't lie, it won't be easy but you have came this far. On my second proper session, I felt amazing, almost like I was on a high. I was told it was because all the toxins were being removed. Unfortunately it never happened again 🤣🤣🤣..Keep strong and keep us updated.

[Beachgirl32]

It your choice sometimes we get use to the new norm we don’t reslize That our body feel bad . I started dialysis at 8 I was still feeling good but my doctor wanted me to go into training with a clear heard before any toxins built up . And sometimes your numbers can drop fast and I was one of those who didn’t want to have to go to er for emergency . Please get on transplant list if you are able . Prayers and good luck sent for you.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

This is a difficult question. How do you feel is the biggest? I was fine, felt great, no edema but sometimes tired. I think I started to early, but I am doing home hemo and there is a lot to learn. I wanted a clear head and not to be uremic, which is quite common with late stage. It muddles your brain. Now I have dialysis fog.

Things to consider: Potassium out of balance is very dangerous, especially if it is too high. Phosphorous imbalance is hurting your bones by removing calcium to stay in balance, which is not happening. Urea or BUN or UN levels indicate the kidney is not doing its job and is literally poison you. Anemia cause by low hemocrit and hemoglobin from the kidneys not working. The lower those numbers go, the more tired you will be and it will make you feel awful, cold, fatigued and just weary. Water or edema is not good and is especially hard on the heart as it tries to pump with fluid around it. It will also make you short of breath. Not good.

I had an awful time accepting dialysis. but as time goes on I am getting ....well sort of OK. I do have more energy. Talk to other patients. It helps.

[JEanes55]

Yes, because the toxins will buildup in your body.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

First, how do you feel? When I was on dialysis pre-transplant I was nauseated and even vomited, had headaches, I was anemic, I was spilling a lot of protein in my urine, and had high Potassium and my BUN was very high (near 100, when up to 20 is normal). You will have to decide how you feel and what your labs are telling you. Your eGFR may have to be under 10 before your body is ready for dialysis.

Best of luck to you! I am 24+ years post transplant.

[Darlenia]

Usually, eGFR (it's an estimate as others have stated) becomes less important as time goes on and hard data such as creatinine and BUN become the center of attention. In our experience, creatinine around 4 increases concern and dialysis generally starts around 6. His BUN levels sparked concern too. So keep an eye on your hard data figures. This said, now would be a great time to investigate getting on the transplant list. I'm not sure about India, but in the US one can get listed when one's eGFR is 20 or below. A fair number of people manage to receive a "preemptive transplant" this way and skip dialysis entirely. This is the best possible outcome. However, this is also a good time to pick the right type of dialysis for yourself - hemodialysis cleans the toxins, either at a medical facility or in your home, by accessing the blood vessels generally via needles whereas peritoneal dialysis generally clears toxins at your home or workplace using a solution placed in your peritoneum via a catheter. Both types have plusses and minuses. Here's a link to a nice questionnaire to help you pinpoint your preferred method of dialysis. lifeoptions.org/living-with... It's great that you're asking questions. You have the time now to study matters and to make the your decisions calmly and rationally. That is a wonderful thing. I watched my hubby go through an emergency hospitalization, then go on hemodialysis, then switch to his preferred choice of peritoneal dialysis, then scramble to get on the transplant list, etc. It was hard on both of us. Many surgical procedures and steps could have been avoided or eliminated. (Later, he did received a transplant.) When it's done right, everything can be done very smoothly on a routine outpatient basis. Wishing you the best for great decision-making and great outcomes.

[chicablue]

not yet!

[geewhiz]

My history of being diagnosed with Kidney disease goes back over 20 years. My last GFR was 30. It has fluctuated from lower or greater and and have switched to a total plantbased diet and it has improved my GFR to within a range of 60 to the present 30.. It has decreased due to my stupid relaxing of not followiing strict plant based diet. I am now eating nothing but pllant based food within the diet requirements to save me from having to replace my kidneys or do dialysis Its not hard. JUST REMOVE THE LOAD ON YOUR KIDNEYS by resorting to strict control of your diet. Lee Hull has books for sale at AMAZON to guide your saviour from Kidey disease. I do not know Lee presonally, but have bought every book thatr he has written. Also DADVICE ON FACEBOOK IS ANOTHER SOURCE for guidance in your vegetarian diet to save your kidneys plus Jen Hernandaze also on facebook is another ssource for planbased diet. It helped me. Please consider switching to a kidney saving diet. ITWORKS>

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador in reply to geewhiz]

I would say " it can and does work for most, and could for you as well. Like all diets, meds etc there is no guarantee."

That's just me. Blessings

[TableTennisMama]

Adding to what geewhiz has said, you might check out Mr. crafty man on you tube. His plant-based diet program is specific for diabetics where is Lee Hull’s is not. Just depends on what you need. Praying for you as you go through this process, Praveen9.

[Darlenia in reply to TableTennisMama]

Thank you so much for bringing up Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). If anyone is losing kidney function due to diabetes, the Renal Diet can conflict with the Diabetic Diet. Diabetics should always focus on reigning in their sugars/carbs. The Renal Diet actually encourages eating bread, rice, noodles, etc. which is damaging to diabetics. So, bottom line, let your diagnosis and your labs determine what you should do regarding your diet. Going on a Renal Diet, if it's not necessary, can lead to significant health complications since it also manipulates very important electrolytes needed for proper cardiac function, brain function, etc. Thanks again for bringing this up, TableTennisMama.

[hope1419]

Praveen9, Everyone here has given you great advise and tips. I am not sure how things are handled in India, but as someone said, in the US you can join the transplant list when you get below 20 in your GFR. I was advised to start the process when I was at 18. Ar around 13 to 15 I was sent to dyalisis classes, which scared me to no end. You can only be on dyalisis for a determined number of years. As I read and got informed, I decided to try to avoid dyalisis. I enterd the UNOS list at the beginning of 2019. The same year I began a campaign to find a donor. I kept talking to my nephrologist and reading to determine what was the longest I could wait without dyalisis or transplant. My take on his responses was around these terms: It is a combination of your BUM, (keep it less than 100) creatinine (try to keep it less than 5) and your GFR ( avoid single digits). And it also depends on how you feel. With diet and medicine, I kept my GFR around 11-13 until last year when drs and my symptoms convinced me I needed to get the transplant. By then, I had accumukated time in the list, and most importantly, I found a living donor. I had my transplant in March 2023. I am 10-months post transplant and doing well. I went back to work 4 months after transplant. My strategy worked. With God's blessing, I got the best of the situations. My last lab placed my Bum, creatinine and Kidney function within normal range. I have other side effects now, but I will manage them because God has been good to me and gave me a second chace in life.

Bottom line for you. Do not rush dyalisis, but learn about your alternatives. Look beyond GFR for other tests to consider, Talk to your doctors about transplant options, and if it is a possibility, look for a living donor. Good luck in your journey!