Husband with eGFR of 57. : When my husband... - Early CKD Support

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Husband with eGFR of 57.

p_daggar profile image
20 Replies

When my husband told me 3 days ago that his egfr was 57 ... it was a shock. No other results were abnormal, he doesnt have any underlying conditions that could have caused this and he is only in the late 30s.

I have started gathering recipes with low phosphorus, low protein..

Is there anything else I can do?

Are we panicking too early about the results without the ultrasound or 2nd results... has anyone ever experienced a false positives?

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p_daggar profile image
p_daggar
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20 Replies

Hi,

Two things to help you along. Both answers can be found on the same website. davita.com Go there to find a lot of recipes that are kidney-friendly. Also on the website, you can register for a free Kidney education class in your area. It will answer a lot of the questions you have and let you know the kind of questions you should ask your physician. This is a strong resource and since you've already found it, best of luck with the rest of your search.

p_daggar profile image
p_daggar in reply to

Thank you very much. I will look into it

Mgt8 profile image
Mgt8

Morning

Following a healthy kidney diet is good advice...exercise also helps.....

Don't forget though that egfr 57 is only stage 3a, described by davina website as 'moderate ckd'......

It is quite possible he could stay at that level for many years without further reduction in kidney function...

His doctor should keep a regular check on this and refer you to a nephrologist for further advice....

Best wishes

Margaret

p_daggar profile image
p_daggar in reply to Mgt8

Thank you.. I hope it doesnt go any lower.

Mgt8 profile image
Mgt8

egfr fluctuates slightly and it's been described to me as a snapshot of what your kidneys are doing at that particular time..... so it can go up or down a couple of points without any particular change in function...

All the best

Margaret

orangecity41 profile image
orangecity41 in reply to Mgt8

Mgf8 thanks for sharing the info. I found this to be true also. Mine varies also, and believe is a difference in tests of eGFR and GFR. I just keep a chart of the average.

Kamel profile image
Kamel

Is your husband using any pain killers such as ibrufen or other non steroids? If so he should stop immediately and ask your doctor to replace it with other pain killers such as paracetamol.

p_daggar profile image
p_daggar

No, he doesn't use anything!

Mysticlad profile image
Mysticlad

Start avoiding salt and sugar as much as possible. There must have been a few other abnormal results to reflect that EGFR. Most likely BUN and creatinine. Did your husband fast before the tests? If he had large meat consumption in the days leading up to the test that would give a poorer result. Was he dehydrated? That always lowers the EGFR a bit.

Naynie profile image
Naynie in reply to Mysticlad

Mine was 56 and I have no diabetes, pre diabetes nor high BP. No other abnormal results.

ScoobyDoo910 profile image
ScoobyDoo910

I will say this again blood tests are not 100 percent and one thing I try not to do is panic over a blood test. Monitor and see. Do a 24 hr creatine urine test and a ultrasound. Plus is he hydrating well lots of liquids. I do blood tests on my son once monthly no I don't have to do that but it shows a pattern and it helps. Not saying that's what you should do but just don't panic until you have to. If he wants to go on a renal diet great but talk with him because it's hard to make some body do something they don't want to do then they start hiding stuff because they don't want to disappoint anyone. It's hard but working together is best. Take care you both.

Mgmit profile image
Mgmit

My experience with this is, the egfr is just a rough estimate, and a lot can affect that number. What was his creatinine? Does he eat a lot of meat? Was he well hydrated? Was he recently sick? Did he workout that day? Does he have a lot of muscle? As you can see, a lot can affect it which is why it’s an “estimate.” A more accurate test would be a 24hr urine test. At this point it’s too early to worry. My doctor told me it can easily fluctuate. Best thing you can do is do another blood test and a urine test for protein in a month.

Mgmit profile image
Mgmit in reply to Mgmit

Also, I was told not to fixate on the egfr. If the next blood test still shows a higher than normal creatinine, and/or there is protein in the urine, next step would be a sonogram of his kidneys.

orangecity41 profile image
orangecity41 in reply to Mgmit

Thanks for sharing good information. I keep a chart and calculate my average GFR.

p_daggar profile image
p_daggar

Thank you so much for this... however he is now fixated on his urine being too dark despite drinking 2+ litres of water.

Mgmit profile image
Mgmit in reply to p_daggar

Tell him not to worry about that. If he has protein in his urine he would not be able to see it with the naked eye. They literally have to look for it under a microscope. Mine was yellow but I had no protein in urine. First pee in the morning will also be darker too.

Naynie profile image
Naynie in reply to Mgmit

Dark urine is of concern. That should be reported to the doctor. Don’t panic but be diligent.

3caramel7 profile image
3caramel7

Your body goes up and down all the time and because you don't have a blood test everyday, you don't know about it.How many results have you had with this kind of level? Your Doctor will hopefully run the test again in a couple of weeks.

You generally need a history before they will start diagnosing any form of kidney problems. Until this time don't change anything, don't worry and stop all forms of panicking.

Your kidneys can be affected by hundreds of things, hydration, diet, drugs, stress,chemicals, exercise and so it goes on. Its just one count. Come back with your second blood test results and final diagnosis and then we can give you proper earache about CKD.

netie54 profile image
netie54

It could be a number of things. Maybe small stones in a kidney.

sam221 profile image
sam221

Generally speaking you should be moving towards a plant based protein diet. The kidneys process protein so limiting your intake of protein is the most important thing. Meanwhile, the absorbtion rate of potassium is only about 30% from what I hear on plants vs 80% for other types of food. 4 servings of veg and fruit (1) will get you on the right track. Extra virgin olive oil and a glass of wine have been shown to increase biomarkers in a dramatic sense (Mediterranean diets) Finally you must get down to normal weight if you are fat. Fasting and / or eating after 5PM can help this as well. But if you do eat, eat vegetables only

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