Stage 3 Kidney Disease and Diet: What can I eat?

So many different situations and paths to take! In March I went to a nephrologist because, out of the blue, my diabetic checkup showed 3B kidney disease because of the eGFR of 34 (diabetic readings were actually fine). It was a shock and I was frankly scared.

I was put on a primarily plant based diet--almost all of my protein would now come from plants--and one of my blood pressure meds (for mild blood pressure problems) was given at a lower dose. I was told I could eat foods with sodium but in moderation and look carefully at all labels to keep track of numbers on sodium and protein which I shared with my nutritionist. There were no other restrictions.

I did this for three months. Just recently got the testing back. My eGFR rose by 21 points. This is solid 3A range. Creatinine dropped into a normal range. All other readings on the CMP were normal. Interestingly my A1C also improved from 6.5 to 6.2. And, from my viewpoint, my chronic IBS which I've had all my life and tends towards constipation responded better with all those beans! My doctor will not prescribe any kidney meds for now but keep those in a back pocket should anything not work out in the future.

I will keep eating like this and hope things will remain stable or even improve a bit. It was not easy to break life-long habits eating meat but this is worth it. The doctor told me if I could get the eGFR up another 5 points I would no longer be able to get a referral to a nephrologist (which to me is crazy!) since at age 76 an eGFR of 60 is considered borderline "normal". Will keep eating like this and see him again in 6 months.

So many different situations and paths to take! In March I went to a nephrologist because, out of the blue, my diabetic checkup showed 3B kidney disease because of the eGFR of 34 (diabetic readings were actually fine). It was a shock and I was frankly scared.

I was put on a primarily plant based diet--almost all of my protein would now come from plants--and one of my blood pressure meds (for mild blood pressure problems) was given at a lower dose. I was told I could eat foods with sodium but in moderation and look carefully at all labels to keep track of numbers on sodium and protein which I shared with my nutritionist. There were no other restrictions.

I did this for three months. Just recently got the testing back. My eGFR rose by 21 points. This is solid 3A range. Creatinine dropped into a normal range. All other readings on the CMP were normal. Interestingly my A1C also improved from 6.5 to 6.2. And, from my viewpoint, my chronic IBS which I've had all my life and tends towards constipation responded better with all those beans! My doctor will not prescribe any kidney meds for now but keep those in a back pocket should anything not work out in the future.

I will keep eating like this and hope things will remain stable or even improve a bit. It was not easy to break life-long habits eating meat but this is worth it. The doctor told me if I could get the eGFR up another 5 points I would no longer be able to get a referral to a nephrologist (which to me is crazy!) since at age 76 an eGFR of 60 is considered borderline "normal". Will keep eating like this and see him again in 6 months.

I’m seeking info on stage 3 and the options for 87 year old with CHF. It’s my dad. We have a follow up appointment in a couple of months.

@celia16 You will find lots of good information here on this thread of discussion. We have found, as kidney disease patients, that diet plays a critical role in daily maintenance of our situation.

One of the first things is to understand what the cause of your dad's kidney disease may be. Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes can be the two main causes. Other causes can be long term medication side effects, lifestyle, or hereditary issues. It's important the root cause also be addressed.

The basic renal diet focuses on limited or no over-processed foods, monitoring sodium/phosphorous/potassium/calcium contents in food. Good hydration, moderate exercise, and stress reduction are also good goals!
Ginger

I appreciate that. Thank you for the info.

My dad’s is likely due to long standing heart disease and all the meds he has taken for almost 25 years. We try to watch his diet, but at 87, he likes certain treats. Overall, diet not bad. BP is very low. But, doctor says stay on small med. Trying to reduce some of the meds though. Palliative care is what we are choosing at this point. We’ll discuss it further at next appointment. I’m just trying to learn all I can.

@celia16 You will find lots of good information here on this thread of discussion. We have found, as kidney disease patients, that diet plays a critical role in daily maintenance of our situation.

One of the first things is to understand what the cause of your dad's kidney disease may be. Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes can be the two main causes. Other causes can be long term medication side effects, lifestyle, or hereditary issues. It's important the root cause also be addressed.

The basic renal diet focuses on limited or no over-processed foods, monitoring sodium/phosphorous/potassium/calcium contents in food. Good hydration, moderate exercise, and stress reduction are also good goals!
Ginger

Thanks for this...it is encouraging as I find it confusing being pre-predibetic and CKDstage 3b....at the same time and very low BP. Wish there were a clear combined diet I could follow without having to think too much bout it...and just eliminate the bad food. My doc suggested Metformin at that time but I decided against it because it is contraindicated for Kidney Disease... The Nephrologist I spoke to in 2020 said a diet really wouldn't help...that my kidneys would naturally decline over time because of my age(81 at that time)!! I am determined to prove him wrong..my GP at my last appt said I didn't need to see a new Nephrologist...so am feeling a bit at a loss and angry that maybe following my strict diet has been waste of time and enjoyment. I know we all must die but at least I want to keep on painting until I do and I don't want to end up on dialysis. Sorry if am out 'grabing' too much.