Heart failure. Kidney bloods

[HeartyJames]

Ok I have had heart failure, cardiomyopthy, low blood pressure and low blood sugars for three years now after a heart attack... I am aged 60

I have regular 3 monthly blood tests due to heart meds. Each time my kidney function reduces - yet GP has not sent me for a scan or called it Kidney disease. My eGFR was 67, three months later 55 and now below 50, so they are just doing another blood test in two weeks. If it's still low I think I should ask for a ultrasound. I understand it can be effected by muscle mass or protein, but that's not in my case.

Any others had a similar issue as I know heart and kidneys are closely linked and curious what happened to you? Is the number reversable, . I do get a lot of night time itching on face and randomly popping up elsewhere, fatiqued and wee is very dark despite drinking plenty but far worse if I miss a glass of water. No pain.

I have lost a stone in past 4 weeks. I eat healthily, always have and I never smoked and do not drink alchohol. Used to be very fit cyclist/walker before attack but clearly not internally. Seems a bit unfair after such careful life long lifestyle choices but that's the way it is..

I know a lot of the heart drugs can damage kidneys, like epleronome that I take.

[Darlenia]

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. Heart and kidneys are indeed intertwined. It's sometimes hard to figure out which one is driving the outcomes in the other or if there are two separate conditions going on. I'm aware that when the heart can't pump efficiently, blood can pool in the kidneys, and cause damage. But is something like that actually happening - none of us knows. So, I agree with you that it's a good idea to have a conversation with your doctor and ask him to investigate the situation based on your eGFR trendline. You have a complicated situation; the more that is known, the quicker the situation can be addressed. Wishing you the best! Let us know what happens.

[HeartyJames in reply to Darlenia]

Thanks Darlenia.. Best wishes to you too..

[WildIris]

Not all doctors are careful enough about kidney decline, as long as your eGFR is above 40 or 50, since they are not well trained in non-drug approaches such as diet, which is the best way to slow decline. (That and stopping harmful medications). Decline is not reversible, though the "e" stands for "estimated" glomerular filtration rate, which can be affected by various things, such as high protein intake and hydration at the time of the test. Below 60 is considered mild kidney failure. I don't know about the drugs you have to take for your heart, whether or not there is a more kidney-sparing alternative, but you definitely need to be assertive about slowing or stopping the decline. You certainly don't want to add kidney failure to your list of problems. Good for you for posting here, and best of luck with your difficult health issues.

[HeartyJames in reply to WildIris]

Thanks so much

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

Hang in there until they do more tests and see what they come up with. Sounds like you are doing what you can. Have the doc review your meds to see if they are causing the issues. Let us know how it goes.

[Merny5]

This is so frustrating and I’m sure you just feel deflated. You worked so hard to do the right thing and this happens! I’m so sorry. Unfortunately, genetics play a strong role in so many health issues. Does kidney disease run in your family?

[HeartyJames in reply to Merny5]

Thanks. No family history .

[Jk2023]

Hello hope you are well I would push the Dr for further testing we didn't have a clue my mam had it even though 3 years ago it was on her medical records that she had kidney disease yet we were not told that she had kidney disease just that she had a kidney infection!! then we found out 3 years later and 2 months later when we found out she was on dialysis with 6% kidney function all that time she could of been on something to slow it down i dont have a lot of faith in some drs. Its crazy how much its written off by medical professionals yet if it was their relatives or friends it would be a different story!

[Marvin8]

Suggestion: If you ask for a kidney ultrasound (an MRI is much better, btw), do not, and I repeat DO NOT let your referring physician write "kidney disease" on the test referral. Ask your doctor to put ANYthing related to the kidneys BUT "kidney disease". That way, the technician will not be biased in either direction. Ask your doctor to put down "kidney stones" instead and see what they come back with. When I had my first ultrasound about 8 years ago, my primary wrote "kidney disease" on the referral. The technician came back with; "mild echogenicity consistent with mild kidney disease. Otherwise, normal." Second time I had an ultrasound (about 3 years ago), I told my primary not to write kidney disease on the referral. This time, no echogenicity was noted was noted on the results. My kidneys are a wee bit small (in the 9.3cm length), but my nephrologists says there's probably a little bit of scarring. If your doctor REALLY wants to look at your kidneys, they'll order an MRI. If your insurance sucks, pay for one out of pocket at an independent MRI center. It's usually around $300 or so...ie...a fraction of what a hospital charges.

[HeartyJames]

Blood Results two weeks later. Went from eGFR 53 to 56 - Gp says no further action needed