Is this age-related decline in GFR or kidney disease?

Posted by mimi1234 @mimi1234, Dec 28, 2024

My gp says I do not have ckd. I am 73, no diabetes, no blood pressure issues. My gfr is 52 and my creatinine is 1.1. I am not overweight. He says it is due to age and we will retest in 3 monlths. I am really scared witless. His physicians assistant told me i have ckd.

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

@cehunt57

@mimi1234 that eGFR of 62 is great!
BUT what did you say your creatinine is 9.6 ? That seems “waaaay” high! Is the decimal in the wrong place, is there a typo or did I misread it?

Jump to this post

Normal creatinine levels are in the 1.1 to 1.4. I was at 1.1 with gfr of 52. Now gfr is 62 and creatinine is .96. Ooops. Also, just fyi, my cholesterol went down from 185 to 175. Just by drinking lots of water and doing the simple things my doctor told me. Thanks for catching this!!!

REPLY
@kayabbott

So far I am asymptomatic, other than loss of endurance and touch of fatigue due to covid. I can still do long fast walks and bike rides, just not as long as before and I make sure my hydration/electrolytes are good. Early stage 3a CKD isn't supposed to have many symptoms. Nephrologist says at this stage mostly drink 8 glasses of water or more a day. A lot of CKD is the fear of what is going to rise up and bite us next, doing everything right and still this happens. If CKD stays at this level, we are good, with 3b the restrictions with meat proteins, phosphorus, potassium, and other salts begins. I've already made changes to my diet; because I have celiac I'm already used to not eating stuff. Thankfully dark chocolate is good.

Jump to this post

We all have our journeys and living with kidney problems is certainly a crazy journey. My mother was told she had kidney disease and had a gfr of 40 and lived to 95. I had a kidney removed in January of 2024 and have a gfr that fluctuates between 33 - 40 over that period of time. I try to eat as healthfully as possible, exercise and pray. Blessings to all who are on this journey.

REPLY

Get to a urologist. Those # are not good. 73 is not old
If you are active.

REPLY
@jalo

Get to a urologist. Those # are not good. 73 is not old
If you are active.

Jump to this post

@jalo who are you responding to when you say “those # are not good” and “73 is not old if you are active”?
(The specialist for “not good” kidney #’s is a nephrologist. A urologist specializes in bladder issues.)

REPLY

I had declining gfr over several years. I was told to hydrate before testing, but it kept going down. I went to see a nephrologist who tested me again, advising I over hydrate. My gfr came up from 42 to 60. I have read that you can test as many as 3 different times in a day and get different results each time. All I can say is drink more clear liquids. Keep a sipping class near you at all times. My creatine was on high end, but I take creatine regularly to keep sarcopenia at bay. We're all different. Best of luck on your quest.

REPLY
@kayabbott

Consider not exercising for at least 2 days before a creatinine blood test because the proteins will be affected by muscle metabolism. Stay hydrated but not too much salt(s) as well. I'm 71 and used to avg 160 mi/week on my bikes, but diagnosed with stage 3a CKD last summer so ramping down (no known risks other than having covid)

Jump to this post

Sounds like a reasonable plan. Thanks. I'll try it.

REPLY
@eileen206

I had declining gfr over several years. I was told to hydrate before testing, but it kept going down. I went to see a nephrologist who tested me again, advising I over hydrate. My gfr came up from 42 to 60. I have read that you can test as many as 3 different times in a day and get different results each time. All I can say is drink more clear liquids. Keep a sipping class near you at all times. My creatine was on high end, but I take creatine regularly to keep sarcopenia at bay. We're all different. Best of luck on your quest.

Jump to this post

@eileen206 are you talking about creatinine or creatine? Unfortunately they sound and are spelled similar but they are two different things.

REPLY
@cehunt57

@eileen206 are you talking about creatinine or creatine? Unfortunately they sound and are spelled similar but they are two different things.

Jump to this post

Guess I did spell them the same...
Should have read "My creatinine was on high end, but I take creatine regularly to keep sarcopenia at bay. "
Does one not affect the other?

REPLY

Not to worry. I am ckd3b and have been for about 2 years. Now 82, doc says I can remain at this level if I'm careful.

REPLY
@eileen206

Guess I did spell them the same...
Should have read "My creatinine was on high end, but I take creatine regularly to keep sarcopenia at bay. "
Does one not affect the other?

Jump to this post

@eileen206 I don’t know much about creatine other than it is a substance having to do with muscle mass in invertebrates (think spine).
Creatinine is a substance having to do with kidney function and the amount is part of the equation used to calculate your eGFR (your kidney function).
I suppose one might affect the other. Since everything in the body ends up being filtered by the kidneys to clean the blood and achieve the proper balance of all substances throughout the body.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.