kidneys .. getting concerned

[rock n roll kid]

you people with kidney problems can probably relate .
yesterdays blood work ... my glomerular filtration rate dropped from previous 31 to 25 .
my info tells me this is bad & real bad if it goes to 15 or below . 12-18 months ago i was having no's in & around 31-36 . worried some .
my sugar was high also , 169 . but this is about the same . the only other concern is my creatinine was 2.5
i am taking a new med that my doc thought would help protect my kidneys ,it is called atorvastatin 10mg, generic for lipitor. possibly a result of new meds?
i feel fine , continue exercise & my diet is good most of the time . weight is under 150 at 5' 8" . at 70 years old , my chances of a transplant would be limited . kidney machine ? dread the thought .
of course i asked my md if this was reversible .... youi already know the answer !
trying to maintain and not loose on the numbers stuff . can't think of anything else but prayer , maybe the best bet .

 

[Realrez]

I have heard that the herbal remedies work. Might be worth looking into

 

[NYlakesider]

I understand, as a person that lost one kidney to cancer and the remaining one sluggish as I also have diabetes and now controlled HBP.


My Nephrologist also has me on a drug called Quinapril. He has told me its very important and under no circumstances let a Doc take me off of it. It helps control HBP and VERY beneficial to Kidneys!

Run it by your DOC and good luck!

 

[GaryS]

Have you discussed this with your doctor? That would be the first step I'd take. The next to last would be to ask people on the Internet.

 

[MG34/bar]

Certainly hope that your numbers don't drop any further. Mine are around 58-59 and I'm about to turn 75, but I'm also 6'2" and 280 with high blood pressure. As to the Lipitor, I've been on it for years and it has not negatively affected my CKD, so that might not be the precipitative factor in your new numbers. With modern medicine I believe that you can still forestall needing the machine for several more years. Don't lose hope.

 

[Rpg]

you people with kidney problems can probably relate .
yesterdays blood work ... my glomerular filtration rate dropped from previous 31 to 25 .
my info tells me this is bad & real bad if it goes to 15 or below . 12-18 months ago i was having no's in & around 31-36 . worried some .
my sugar was high also , 169 . but this is about the same . the only other concern is my creatinine was 2.5
i am taking a new med that my doc thought would help protect my kidneys ,it is called atorvastatin 10mg, generic for lipitor. possibly a result of new meds?
i feel fine , continue exercise & my diet is good most of the time . weight is under 150 at 5' 8" . at 70 years old , my chances of a transplant would be limited . kidney machine ? dread the thought .
of course i asked my md if this was reversible .... youi already know the answer !
trying to maintain and not loose on the numbers stuff . can't think of anything else but prayer , maybe the best bet .

Do what your MD docs say.

Fiddling with herbs, naturopathic stuff or stuff you find at vitamin cottage isn't a productive approach.

My Dad was on dialysis for 5 years before he got a transplant at age 75: you're never too old.

 

[D Brown]

To the O.P. I'm sure your nephrologist has already told you this, but just in case, avoid ALL Tylenol, Aleve, (basically any pain meds) like the plague!

I hope you can get things stabilized.

 

[ameridaddy]

I have health issues literally from head to foot, so I'm on lots of meds and get more tests than I would like. I learned some things along the way that might help you.

Be sure all your docs know all your meds, what other docs are trying to do and why. Lots of meds that are optimum treatment for other conditions are not good for kidneys and liver; been there and seen that. Dosages and schedules for some of these are critical and require careful and delicate balancing. I carry a list of all my meds with dosage and schedule with me all the time, and I be sure all my doctors gets a copy of any test ordered by any one of them, esp blood work. I also keep an excel spreadsheet showing all blood work values that are out of recommended limits with dates. That way, I and all the docs can see trends.

With docs now buried in paperwork, and office visit time hurried and precious, it's tough for them to see and absorb everything that might be significant, so I think I have to be my own advocate and checker. I look over my records and print a copy to take with me every time I go to see a doc, just to be sure he's up to date on everything that might be relevant, and also write down any questions I can think of before the hurried visit.

Your pharmacist can be a big help too. Make it a point to talk to him/her and become acquainted. They like to actually use their training and knowledge.
Stay on top of your guys, and I wish you the best possible outcome.

 

[bigride]

Find the very best nephrologist you can...one willing to track all avenues of your care to ensure the very best outcome. I am sure that my wife's nephrologist has preserved her life on at least 2 occasions when other specialists were tunnel-visioned. We are blessed to have her watching out for my wife's overall care in whole rather than in part.

 

[woodsltc]

r n r kid, I'm hoping all will straighten out ....... prayers have been sent your way.

God Bless.

Don

 

[Tom S.]

Find the very best nephrologist you can...one willing to track all avenues of your care to ensure the very best outcome. I am sure that my wife's nephrologist has preserved her life on at least 2 occasions when other specialists were tunnel-visioned. We are blessed to have her watching out for my wife's overall care in whole rather than in part.

THIS!!

My daughter lost her first kidney as a teen. It was defective and actually impairing the other kidney's function. Now at 45, her kidney function is non existent and she does dialysis 4x a week. Unfortunately, her other medical problems make her unqualified for a transplant. Take care of you kidneys the best you can, and that means finding the best doctor you can and following their advice.

 

[pharman]

I agree!

I have health issues


Your pharmacist can be a big help too. Make it a point to talk to him/her and become acquainted


I agree...ask them about the Lipitor!

 

[Bayou52]

The numbers are worrisome, as you say.

Will keep you and others similarly situated in thought and prayer...

 

[URIT]

CKD may not be reversible but you can slow the disease's progression.

Doctors don't like to get into dietary issues for a number of reasons so it becomes the patient's responsibility to seek out the best dietary strategy for themselves.

Robb Wolf wrote an educational article, "Clearing Up Kidney Confusion: Part Deux", that may be of interest to some of us. It touches on some dietary changes but our quest for knowledge should not stop here.

I hope you get your health markers changed to more positive factors soon!

 

[GaryS]

Doctors may not like to get into dietary issues, but they frequently either have someone on staff (if the practice is big or affiliated with a hospital) or can do a referal to a dietician or Diabetic Nurse Educator. Either of those can help you figure out some strategies for eating the right foods.

CKD may not be reversible but you can slow the disease's progression.

Doctors don't like to get into dietary issues for a number of reasons so it becomes the patient's responsibility to seek out the best dietary strategy for themselves.

Robb Wolf wrote an educational article, "Clearing Up Kidney Confusion: Part Deux", that may be of interest to some of us. It touches on some dietary changes but our quest for knowledge should not stop here.

I hope you get your health markers changed to more positive factors soon!

 

[Ghost Magnum]

you people with kidney problems can probably relate .
yesterdays blood work ... my glomerular filtration rate dropped from previous 31 to 25 .
my info tells me this is bad & real bad if it goes to 15 or below . 12-18 months ago i was having no's in & around 31-36 . worried some .
my sugar was high also , 169 . but this is about the same . the only other concern is my creatinine was 2.5
i am taking a new med that my doc thought would help protect my kidneys ,it is called atorvastatin 10mg, generic for lipitor. possibly a result of new meds?
i feel fine , continue exercise & my diet is good most of the time . weight is under 150 at 5' 8" . at 70 years old , my chances of a transplant would be limited . kidney machine ? dread the thought .
of course i asked my md if this was reversible .... youi already know the answer !
trying to maintain and not loose on the numbers stuff . can't think of anything else but prayer , maybe the best bet .

Hope you do better soon.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

My Gfr was at 37 in august, took myself off of a BP med I had taken for a month and BP stayed the same. One of the side effects of this med was to raise blood sugar, makes sense, the less water in your blood the more sugar per ml, the dilution factor. Bottom line is watch what meds you are taking. Good luck.

 

[rock n roll kid]

thanks for the good info & concern

YES i do see a kidney specialist on a regular basis . will see her in 2 weeks .

she , of course , knows all my meds that i take . she has mentioned before that the blood pressure medicene i take has a history of raising the creatinine level so i may have to begin a new med. for my blood pressure. she has left me on it, for the time being , because it has done such a good thing for my blood pressure but she has continued to monitor my no's.
and the creatinine going up , would be directly related to my filtration rate . it goes up as the creatinine level goes up .
rolling with the punch at present . will keep the faith & hope she can help me improve.
she seems to be very competent and never rushes my appt. time . her scheduling/office personal were going to schedule me with her assistant for my next appt. & i vetoed that ! kept working with them to get to see her and got a date compatible to both her & i . had her since day one and for now have no reason to switch !

 

[ancient-one]

The thing I was told was to lower my sodium intake. I never salted anything but most every thing that is good has quite a lot of sodium. A arthritis medicine that I took for ten years is what wrecked my kidneys. If things get bad enough I will have to make the decision, but at my age I am not sure that I want to spend time hooked up to a machine three or four days a week.
Watch what you eat and the medicines that you take. Wishing you the best.

 

[richardw]

The thing I was told was to lower my sodium intake. I never salted anything but most every thing that is good has quite a lot of sodium. A arthritis medicine that I took for ten years is what wrecked my kidneys. If things get bad enough I will have to make the decision, but at my age I am not sure that I want to spend time hooked up to a machine three or four days a week.
Watch what you eat and the medicines that you take. Wishing you the best.

You and I are reading out of the same prayer book. I have given up processed foods because of the sodium and chemical compounds in them. It is amazing how cooking with a few good spices makes salt an enemy of good flavor.

As for the OP, I hope it works out. I have a mild case of high blood pressure at 75, and my doc watches my kidney function like a neurotic scientist.

Finally, I say that you should look into the treatments advised carefully. Her is an example. With hypertension my Doc prescribed a diuretic to keep fluid accumulation down. It is a chemical called hydroclororathiazide. It can have mild side effects. I did some research and found that three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar a day produce the same benefit as the drug. So now I slurp down 3 tsps of apple cider vinegar every day and happily pee My you brains out.