I am recent transplant recipient from living dononr.
Creatinine dropped slowly from 7 to 2 over 7 days, and my discharge creatinine is 1.8 mg/dL at 1 week and stable through the 2nd week.
They told me they expected better number.
I am slightly depressed, from ur experience, is there a chance for improvement in creatinine level.
and what is my chance to live good life with these numbers?
Hi ezzat - Your question peaked my curiosity, so i looked my numbers up. I was discharged with a creatinine of 5.41 and then had labs every 2-3 days… note the following trend…5.4…3.8…2.2…1.5…1.4…1.08….0.93…0.98…O.85…0.87…0.82. Eight years later, it will still fluctuate a bit….depending on how hydrated I am. Remember to drink plenty of water. It went above 1 only when I had a kidney stone (from my donor)….which is another story.
Of course, this is my experience and everyone is different, but if you are just two weeks out it seems probable for a continue decrease in creatinine. I don’t know for sure as I’m a geologist…,not a doctor :-).
I wish you the very best. Congrats on your transplant.
I am curious to hear your other story about the kidney stone. My donor kidney has a stone that they told me "would not be going anywhere." What happened in your case?
Oh, I want to hear more about the kidney stone!
A 6 mm stone came with my kidney. They didn’t expect the stone to be a problem and the kidney was/is still very very good. After year 4, one day I noticed a tinge of blood in my urine. I reported it, and the doctor that handles day to day calls/issues thought it was a UTI. Testing showed no UTI. It was really sort of dismissed…so I kept calling and requested to come in. I happened to run into my doctor who is more senior. It took him 2 minutes to figure it out. Total time was 2 weeks with the other doctor.
Another symptom was fullness in the area of the transplanted kidney, but it was so gradual it was hard to notice at first.
The stone was stuck in my ureter, the tube between my kidney and bladder, and I was not going to pass it. I had to wear a bag to drain urine from kidney until surgery was scheduled…a little over a week. The stone was surgically removed…and so was the bag…and no issues since. That was 2018.
Wow! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Denise-80. Because our transplanted kidneys and ureters are denervated, I've wondered how I would know if my stone did move. Did you have any pain?
Zero pain from the stone. Just fullness…or pressure and the tinge of blood. The blood was not just once….it was frequent but just a little bit at a time with urine. My understanding is that it is very rare for a stone move, so I hope you will not worry…but just be aware. Creatinine did go up…a little above 1.0, so that might be an indicator also. I think you will know if the stone becomes an issue.
You have no reason to be depressed, truly. Your numbers are fabulous and it will continue to improve or stabilize. You can have a very good quality of life with a creatinine higher than 5. So not to worry but take the best care of yourself you can. Congratulations!
I have PKD and had creatine levels of 2 or so for 10 to 15 years. No real problems. It wasn't until my level got above 4 that I had issues that lead to my transplant. My nephrologist said you have to look past the numbers to how the person is doing. You still have a lot of recovery from the surgery ahead. See how you feel 6 months out. Congratulations on your new kidney and good luck.
That is unfortunate that your transplant team said that to you. I find that some doctors do not have a good bedside manner and say out loud things that should be private. 1.8 is a good creatinine level considering.
Living donor kidneys and deceased donor kidneys do tend to behave differently, and maybe there are factors related to your donor that are affecting your creatinine levels, but please do not spend this time worrying about that.
Perhaps the doctor is concerned that there’s a medication that is keeping it higher. Meds like Prograf will elevate your creatinine level, so maybe the doctor is thinking of a way to adjust your meds so you’rcreatinine comes down.
Keep following your team’s advice and you should see improvement. Definitely make sure you are staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet for your needs and continuing to exercise if they recommended that.
Yes. Sometimes Docs need to just shut it unless they can convey positive information about something like that. You will be fine. Don't let yourself think about that one conservation. Labs change daily.
Hi! Agree with Sugabear. It's very likely the high levels of your medications, including Prograf, as well as hydration that are reflected in your creatinine numbers. (Transplant teams generally ramp up the meds and dosages right after a transplant to lower chances of rejection/problems.) As the weeks goes on, your kidney team will likely slowly lower/eliminate certain medications, including Prograf, and this often reflects in lower creatinine levels. As for hydration, the more you drink, the happier your new kidney will be. That, too, is generally reflected in lower creatinine numbers. As for the latter, my hubby had a difficult time drinking lots of liquids because he was on a tight water restriction when he was on dialysis. Also, the new kidney also made him pee a lot which also made him think his liquid intake was good. It took about two or three months for medications to be adjusted or eliminated and new habits to be formed. My husband's creatinine was very similar to yours early on, but it's now around 1.3 or 1.4 after a year. In my opinion, your team's comment simply meant that they, not you, still have things to do with your regimen. So stay the course! Good things are likely right around the corner.
Post-transplant, my creatinine dropped to as low as 1.4. Since I expected it would drop into the normal range, I was very concerned about whether this would decrease the life of my new kidney (from a live donor). After much hand wringing on my part, getting my meds stabilized, and discussions with the doctors, they told me the following:1) the most important issue is stability in the creatine level - Mine has continued to hover around 1.7 eleven months post-transplant.
2) They often have people do quite well even if the Creatinine level is 2.2-2.3.
3) The elevated creatine level might have been attributable to the fact that my solitary kidney (I was born with one) was continuing to produce urine, so I might be getting an averaging effect from the new kidney and my old kidney.
They also looked at the creatinine level of the donor, which they considered to be excellent, and that bodes well that the kidney will last a long time.
Once I let get of needing to see a "normal" creatinine level, I began to relax, and things have been stable.
I hope that helps.
Magdi
I'm 4 weeks out. My admission number was 5.2. It went up to 6.2 after the surgery. My discharge number at 6 days was 1.41, and then it decreased. It does fluctuate up and down, depending on dehydration. A month later I was at 0.75. I also had eGFR of 10 prior to my surgery, so that may have helped, I am not sure.
Be patient. Your body just went through major surgery! The new kidney also went through major surgery and may need a little time to "wake up".
Remember to eat enough protein, walk, and drink enough fluid so your tissues can heal properly.
creatinine levels 
GFR & Creatinine 
Creatinine is 0.86 but protein in Urine found
