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GFR dropped 5 more points and I don't know why.
Kidney & Bladder | Last Active: Mar 11 5:21am | Replies (130)Comment receiving replies
@macbar0503 I had a dip from GFR (creatinine based) of 55 to 36 in a short period of time. It is back to 51. We are still in a relatively okay state with kidneys in stage 3A (and stage 2 is normal for those of us of a certain age).
Have you had a Cystatin C GFR done? For me that was much better which led my doc to think of other causes of the bouncing GFR based on creatinine. (And bouncing around is normal, especially with differences in hydration).
My blood pressure is low and nephrologist had me do an echocardiogram to make sure my heart is working well. Both these factors can cause a lower eGFR.
I am hydrating more and stopped all NSAIDS, only tylenol. I halved my B vitamins and potassium intake. I increased salt and protein. Salt raises blood pressure and protein addresses muscle mass loss, which can lower the creatinine based GFR.
You are wise to avoid IV contrast though ingested contrast might be okay if really needed. Good luck!
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Thanks for your reply. I’m glad your doctors are doing the tests needed to help you. I don’t know if I’ve had a Cystatin C GFR test. Test results come in a portal that’s hard to navigate, but I’ll look again. I’ve wondered if low blood pressure could be the cause. My BP is all over the place. The bottom number is often too low, but the top one is always okay or too high, and I have no symptoms like dizziness. I can’t imagine how low it goes when I’m sleeping. I don’t think there’s a way to raise it is there? I do moderate cardio at least 40 minutes most days. Neither my primary doctor or the kidney doctor seem interested in finding out what’s wrong. I wasn’t concerned when the GFR was over 60, but except for one over 60 reading, it’s gone down consistently for years, and within the last few years it’s dropping fast. Maybe there’s just nothing they can do. I’m 78 and shrinking. I read shrinking kidneys can cause this too. It just doesn’t seem like we should have to guess or figure out what’s wrong on our own.