Stage 3a kidney disease: looking for info

Posted by Ryman @ryman, Jul 2, 2022

I just learned today I have stage3a kidney disease. All my doctor told me was that my kidneys showed dehydration. I am clueless and I remembered I used to come here often. So right now I am just looking for basic info. Thank you. I recall this being a very helpful forum.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.

@collegeprof

@shani Great story! Keep up the diet and perhaps add a little exercise. Your eGFR may change over time, but it is important to remember the trend of your eGFR. Stability is the most important factor with this disease. Also, try to improve on any cardiac, diabetes, and cholesterol lab scores if needed.

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Thank you. Important to keep trends in mind. I walk at least a mile a day, sometimes 2-3.

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@maylbee

I was not told that I could improve the rate of deterioration of my remaining kidney by monitoring my diet and activities. I can’t understand why a patient is not advised to eliminate food that is harder for the kidneys to process in order to prolong the functioning of the kidney.

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I was not told that I had kidney disease, even though one of my doctors wrote the diagnosis on some blood work that I had a few years back. Because nothing was said I assumed it was not serious or even something I should be concerned about. Or that the blood test was not to be trusted. Like you, I do not understand why doctors don't discuss "early stage" kidney disease with their patients. Do they think we don't have the strength of will to keep to diets? Do they believe that diets are useless? I notice that Farxiga seems to be making money with their purported medicine. There are so many questions.

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@hump068

I was not told that I had kidney disease, even though one of my doctors wrote the diagnosis on some blood work that I had a few years back. Because nothing was said I assumed it was not serious or even something I should be concerned about. Or that the blood test was not to be trusted. Like you, I do not understand why doctors don't discuss "early stage" kidney disease with their patients. Do they think we don't have the strength of will to keep to diets? Do they believe that diets are useless? I notice that Farxiga seems to be making money with their purported medicine. There are so many questions.

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@hump068 When you say
"doctors", are you categorizing them into one? Many PCPs, PAs, and Nurse Practioners may not know the full extent of any kidney disease, and if anyone suspects something abnormal, he/she should give you a referral to see a nephrologist before it gets too late. There are other lab tests that dig deeper that most general doctors do not know about. But, on the other hand, there are docs out there that do recognize the severity of this disease and will make sure you get all the care you need.

In my opinion, you are correct about Farxiga. It is prescribed mainly for diabetics and CKD, and for me, there were serious side effects. Many studies, however, show that Farxiga does work for some or many.

Lastly, my team for CKD consists of my PCP, nephrologisr, cardiologist, and dietitian. I can assure you that any one doctor will not give you the care that a good team can provide for this disease.

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I was stable with an eGFR in the 50's for decades. I saw a nephrologist when it suddenly dipped into the mid-30's. I have an autoimmune disorder and some heart issues. I made the appointment, not my PCP. The nephrologist did Cystatin C (which is a more stable GFR and was around 50), echocardiogram to see how my heart was functioning, and advised more salt to raise blood pressure, more protein for muscles. The creatinine based eGFR is still bouncing around but the Cystatin C doesn't. Nephrologist says the truth is in the middle. I also see a rheumatologist.

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@gingerw

@jjb1225 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!

It seems many of us do not find out about our Chronic Kidney disease [CKD] except in passing from our doctors. Contributing factors of CKD are uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, genetic factors, lifestyle, medication side effects. Have you and your doctor determined the cause of your case?

As you read the different discussions here in the kidney and bladder group, you'll see there are a lot of different experiences from a lot of different people. Slowing down progression of the disease includes getting moderate exercise, controlling your stress, getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and most importantly, watching your diet. @kamama94 has been gracious enough to provide us files she created with recipes [see a few posts above]. We need to watch our sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and protein intakes, and it boils down to a giant balancing act!

While you should check with your doctor before starting any diet plan, they may say you don't need to be so careful at this point. I respectfully disagree with that philosophy. Being proactive will go a long ways in slowing down progression, and advocating for your own health can't be overrated!

Feel free to ask any questions you have and I will try my best to answer them.
Ginger

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I have a question. Last year my get was 62 and creatine .09 and this year it was 2.31. That is major. Anyone have any idea how that happens. I am in good health. Except for that now

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Just to clarify “last year my get was 62 and creatinine .09 …..” When you wrote “get” do you mean GFR? If so, what is it now? Your creatine increased .09 to 2.31. That does seem major. If you don’t mind answering, why are these being tested and monitored from year to year? Do you have any diagnoses such as chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

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I suggest referring to websites sponsored by reputable clinics such as Mayo, Cleveland, etc.

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