Hi all, I was chatting on here a few days ago worried about blood results and my GP saying I had CKD and had had this for quite a while. I had no idea. Now, this is what I don’t get, two weeks ago I had my kidney bloods done and the results were worrying apparently? The blood test was repeated yesterday and I have the results. Can someone tell me how things can change in a two week period when I haven’t changed anything at all? These are the results:
Sodium was 142 Sodium now 142
Potassium was 4.2 Potassium now 5.0
Creatinine was 102 Creatinine now 87
eGFR was 4.9 eGFR now 60
Urea now 5.1
The comment on the results was ‘Test results normal.’ So do I have CKD and if I haven’t done anything different how have I now got normal results? Any advice please 🙏 Thanks
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Calm2
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you only get diagnosed with CKD when you have three blood tests within three months putting you in CKD3 which it looks like you don’t have. Your creatinine changes all through the day. Every day. Many things can make it elevated. Mainly exercise but dehydration can play a part too. The eGFR is an estimation worked out from your creatinine level. As you are in CKD2 at the moment there isn’t anything you need to do that the general population isn’t also advised to do. Drink two litres of fluid a day. Mainly water. Don’t eat much salty food or red meat. Monitor your blood pressure. Watch your sugar intake. Exercise for half an hour most days of the week. Limit alcohol. Eat your veggies every day. Etc etc etc. you know the drill. Really nothing to worry about here. ALL your results are normal!!!
I just re-read your post which said the doctor thinks you've had CKD for quite a while. I’m assuming your doctor is talking about CKD2 for quite a while not CKD3. There’s a big difference. You need to get this clarified by your doctor
Thank you for responding. Should I be concerned about the potassium level going up only someone told me I’m in the danger zone for it affecting my heart? Drs comment was ‘normal’?
Your potassium would need to be higher than that to cause a problem with your heart. If your doctor says it’s normal then that’s who you need to listen to. Good idea to have it checked again in the next three months or whenever your doctor thinks you should. In the meantime maybe don’t go overboard with food high in potassium although moderate amounts would be fine This is just my opinion Better to listen to your doctor
Foods high in potassium-
apricots and dried fruit
tree fruits — such as avocados, apples, oranges and bananas
leafy greens — such as spinach, kale and silverbeet
vine fruits — such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and pumpkin
root vegetables — such as carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes
legumes — such as beans and peas
milk, yoghurt, meat and chicken, as well as fish — such as halibut, tuna, cod, snapper
Thank you so much for that what you have said makes sense. I’m a worrier (as u can probably tell.) someone made a comment about my potassium being dangerously high and so I wanted to get others views. My dr hasn’t requested anything further.
Hi, in the UK a EGFR of 60 and above is normal range for kidney function. Your GP will look at sodium levels, urea, creatinine levels and also urine sample. Results can vary if you are hydrated well. Dehydration can make results look like CKD . I think three 3 consecutive blood readings are checked to see if you have CKD. Have a look at previous results to see what they were. You don't have any other symptoms? Swollen ankles, feet? This can be a symptom if your kidneys not working well.
I noticed you are 66 years old. If you have a gfr of 60, you have very mild kidney damage. A gfr of 60 means you have about 60 percent kidney function which is good for a person your age. It is not uncommon for numbers to fluctuate within a short period of time. The blood gfr test is just a snapshot of what is going on at the time blood is drawn. You have to stay hydrated at the time the blood is drawn and limit caffeine which is a diuretic. Try not to worry. Stress will kill you faster than anything else. Trust your doctor and have faith in the good Lord.
An eGFR above 60 is considered normal. Since most people end up with age related kidney decline 60 is normal for someone your age, even if it is labeled stage 2 CKD. It is very confusing to say normal with 60% function, but it is. The US and UK use different labe formulas. Look up the normal ranges. Luckily my chart show the normal ranges for all my tests. High potassium is bad, but like others have said, book tests are one point in time. What you eat and drink, how tired or dehydrated you are impacts our blood tests. Because of this you need 3 tests in a row, over a certain period of time to diagnose CKD. I once had a super high glucose that had my clinic panic, until I told them I'd just eaten a bunch of orange creme licorice (probably not licorice at all) that is my favorite candy and only is released once a year. A few hours later and my glucose was normal.
To formally diagnose CKD it’s 3 blood tests over a 6 month period below normal range…I’d say your doc jumped the gun significantly which is contrary to typical behavior as most of us have to badger him or the lab tech to get the important results…the “official language” contained in the diagnosis manual is three consecutive blood test over that 6 month period below normal, we all can be suffering from several minor illness that may cause our lab work to jump around and I’ve found with my CKD I might very 40/50% test results o test…that just “normal bodily function” IMHO.
I’ve also now had results of ultrasound and all normal with the exception of a small cyst on kidney which is just age related so I am still as confused as ever. ?
Don’t be confused be grateful (again not really telling you how to be…lol!) all that means is get your levels checked at least once a year because you are in a normal range with full kidney function…baring something truly unfortunate health wise it would seem that you may have health concerns in other areas but no worries with kidney function…my best!
Regardless of whether you do or don’t receive a formal diagnosis of CKD, if it’s prevalent in your family or if you have any of the the underlying causes of kidney failure (diabetes, HBP etc) I’d eat “smart”. Certainly not a strict diet but avoid too much red meat, try to get your protein from plant based sources…I tried the plant based and I like steak too much to be a gosh darn vegan wannabe so I still have a small piece of chicken, mostly but pork and yes…GASP on occasion pork… you can adopt all the good advice Badger gave you but why…if you have normal readings at age 66 why would you choose that based on diet alone…lol…my best to you and I’d say you have no cause for concern at this stage
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