kidney functioning @33 percent

[Butchga]

I just got back from my doctor. My kidney function has been teetering from 33-36 every three months.

my potassium has been low several times. My blood pressure 134/82. But I feel terrible!

I may be depressed or scared I am going to die. I take trimeterine which has a diuretic but I talk half of 37.5 mlg. He said I will be fine but after seeing my 69 year old husband have a 90 gfr mine looks scary. What am I doing wrong. I recently started intermittent fasting. Teri f to cut down on sweets and breads. I am sorry if I sound like a baby but I am honestly thinking of changing docs. Thoughts?

[Genlady06]

Hey. You’ll be fine but you have to step up. When I was diagnosed I followed the diets recommended by different kidney experts, specifically davita and the national kidney association. In December My glucose was 132 which is diabetes. I was depressed and felt awful. My primary gave me three months to get my act together I see her in a few weeks and she’s kinda scary which I need. My daughter in law is a natural doctor. She never spoke up but at Christmas my son did. He said mom, you and I are like peas and carrots, but you are fat and very unhealthy. Because I love you, I’m asking you to try a whole plant diet. I showed my labs to my daughter in law. She said if it comes out of the ground, enjoy. If it comes in a box don’t eat it. At that time I was gobbling cheese, meat pasta etc. ok not much meat but some. Anyway I ordered books that she recommended , I listened to the two of them and I’m inventing my own diet. Because you will need to eat to your labs.

The first thing I did was clear out my pantry. I stocked it with no sodium vegetables broth vs chicken. I purchased different flours although my son said they have crap in them and it’s so easy to make your own almond or oat flour. I use maple syrup when I make my muffins. Increased my selection of spices. But first you need to do your homework! If you want some of my resources message me and I’ll send you photos of my books. I got mine off amazon.

I’ve been through two nephrologists so you may have to shop a bit. I landed with one of the best ones in my state. Took me eight months to get in. Lovely man and we are so on the same page. The third time is the charm. He ran tests 2 weeks ago and my glucose is now 91. I didn’t take any medicine but just listened to my daughter and son. I’m still learning but I’ve also lost 14 pounds since 1/1/24. Probably you have at least 70% control of helping your kidneys by analyzing your food. And control is a powerful thing So. No processed food and very little animal protein. I do eat some eggs but not much as they are high in phosphorus. One evening I even ate a 4 ounce steak it didn’t taste all that great cuz I knew it wasn’t helping my body. That steak did not come out of the ground

My advice. Educate yourself, stop eating processed foods, find a good kidney specialist, make sure your primary doctor has your back. And read, always read, your labs. Don't google too much as doctors don’t get their degree off google. My daughter in law went to natural medicine university , after college, for 4 years. My nephrologist probably 12 years. And the most important thing is 👍🏻all us on this website have been you at one time. We are all here to help and support.

[Darlenia]

Hi Butchga. Do you know the underlying reason for your kidney issue? Kidneys rarely lose function randomly, something drives them to do that. The two largest reasons for struggling kidneys are diabetes and high blood pressure. Then there are also autoimmune conditions, genetic conditions, infections, injuries (some are medication induced), etc. (Looking back at some your earlier post, it appears yours might be weight related pre-diabetes?) I would set up an appointment with a doctor for a renal panel and see what it reveals. That could also be a good time to ask for a referral to a nephrologist. Yes, some can reduce the "load" on their kidney with diet. But don't go into a diet without keeping an eye on your labs and under the supervision of a professional who knows your history and labs. For example, you have low potassium. That's an electrolyte important for proper functioning of your heart and more. You may need to eat more foods in that category. If you're a diabetic, then one has to keep a very tight grip on sugar and carbs since glucose coats and closes down the blood vessels throughout the body including the filtration vessels in kidneys. That often means "white" foods - flour, rice, potatoes, etc., are off the table. Many health conditions involving restrictive diets like the "renal" diet or "diabetes" diet require periodic blood draws to monitor your data to adjust meds, etc. They can lead to considerable weight loss. So keep the doctors in the loop. In general, a western diet is often fried, refined, and processed. The human body wasn't designed for that. So, I agree with Genlady with that if " it comes out of the ground. Enjoy. But if it come out of a box, don't eat it". In my view, some animal products are also okay to prevent osteoporosis, low iron, etc. - often "fins and feathers" are preferred over red meats. These are also okay in moderation for diabetics - no sugar or carbs. In any event, I can understand your concern. Simply hop over to your doctor, lay out your concern, and see what unfolds. Once you truly know what's going on, you and your doctor can plan the path forward to turn matters around. And that makes a world of difference to your mental health. Let us know how it goes!

[Butchga]

Hi All. Thank you! For responding. I have just requested another referral to a nephrologist whom has been recommended. The only thing I can think of what may be triggering the low function could be the triameterene for blood pressure. Someone on this post way back said they read where it could give false readings. I take a very low dose of this and my blood pressure seems to be ok. I have been weaning off bread and sweets gradually so we will see. I’m going on a cruise next week and dreading all the food. But will try to make good choices. Thanks for all the feedback. ❤️

[barbara55109 in reply to Butchga]

So were you given Triameterene because you had high blood pressure? High blood pressure is a leading cause of CKD. Also, you don't list your age. Most people lose kidney function as they age. These are things to discuss with your medical team. Getting the cause of CKD under control is most important. My CKD is from chronic dehydration because I lost my colon 31 years ago. Our colon's job is to absorb water. I was down to an eGFR of 7. I'm at 30 now after 4 years of hard work. I take a max dose of 2 anti diarrheals, avoid caffeine, drink non stop. Because of my ileostomy I can't go plant based, but I rarely have red meat. I'm also going to the YMCA 5 nights a week. While I'm T2D, that isn't the cause of my CKD. I started Mounjaro 8 months ago and was finally able to get off insulin and lose weight. All these things together helped me get my eGFR up to 30 and avoid dialysis. I'm on the kidney transplant wait list and hopefully I'll be able to skip dialysis all together. I just went inactive on the list, I still get the wait time accumulation, but at 30 I don't need a kidney to stay alive. If my eGFR drops again I can reactive. You have to be below 20 to get on the list. You will get lots of different advice, always filter it for your situation. Read, learn, ask your Dr's, and you will reduce your anxiety and do what you need to do to slow the progression of CKD.

[Butchga in reply to barbara55109]

hi Barbara. I am 67. I am trimeterene yes for high blood pressure but have been told it can mess with the gfr or give a false number which I have no idea. I tried monjaro as well but it only made my number decrease and they were afraid for me to do it. In dec of this year my gfr was 46. In three months it went to 33. It goes up and down. So yes I have just switched docs in hopes that he will get to the bottom of it. I am currently intermittent fasting it is a slow go but going slow cutting out bread and sugar. I am having another ultrasound this week. Thanks for responding. I’m just confused with all of this.

[barbara55109 in reply to Butchga]

Were you on monjaro for diabetes? How was your A1c?

[Butchga in reply to barbara55109]

My glucose was 86. I was listed as pre diabetic. So Ibhave no idea what truly is going on with me.