Dizziness with ckd

Posted by sheeb @sheeb, Nov 17, 2017

I was diagnosed with stage 3B kidney disease a few months back. I am now suffering from dizziness. It’s slmost everyday. My doctor told me to drink a lot of water and stay away from salt. I’m wondering if here is more I can do.

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@sammyloue

My doctor would not agree with taking BP 3 times close together.

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I'm sorry to hear that. Have you asked before? When I am in the pharmacy, we take it anywhere between 5 to 8 minutes apart. The problem with blood pressure readings, is that when it is one reading it is an "isolated" reading out of continuous fluctuation. Doctors are already writing that Rx for hypertension based on one isolated reading. This is another reason why I am getting the 24 hour BP monitor belt to wear at night to get a reasonable baseline before going ahead with prescriptions. Much of this I have read, including the Mayo site, among others.
In my opinion, based on close friends and relatives, one thing leads to another and they are in "polypharmacy," in which they suffer from so many side effects treated by other drugs that a physician doesn't have a clue about what's wrong. The symptoms are buffered by side effects. It is my personal goal to be on as few meds as possible.
I hope there will be a clear answer to the dizziness. I hope you can get a baseline. I validate your doubts.

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@sammyloue

My doctor would not agree with taking BP 3 times close together.

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I think that is because the doctor knows that he would get three slightly different but similar readings. So what would the benefit be?

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@IWantToBelieve

I had dizziness at stage 3 when I started to exercise. My bp was quite low (hovered around 102/65) so my nephrologist at Mayo took me off the 5mg of lisinopril I was on and that helped tremendously. My bp is now 120 or 125/70 and I'm able to exercise and not be dizzy. I'm now stage 4.

Lynn

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In hospital I went to stage 4; attendting doctor told me to push water, did, and overnight I went back to 3. Are you drinking 64 ounces of water daily? 3 years later still in 3a.

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@sammyloue

In hospital I went to stage 4; attendting doctor told me to push water, did, and overnight I went back to 3. Are you drinking 64 ounces of water daily? 3 years later still in 3a.

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😍
________________________________

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@sammyloue

I am in stage 3a, get a little dizzy when standing up when getting out of bed. Not very often. Hard to keep my BP in check. My home monitor is not like the doctors. Have never had a monitor (have had 3) that is equal to the Landmark person who comes to the house every 3 months. Hers is always better than mine which registers high. I think age may be part of my trouble, I will be 95 in October. I would like to know the age of these other people. What kind of monitors do you people use? Mine is just arm, doctors use a pump up kind. Just took BP: 172/76. That is way too high, but I don't know if it is real.

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Hi Sammyloue,
I have high blood pressure also and have for many years. (I am currently 76.) However, my doctor put me on a medication called Amlodipine 5 mg. which has really helped my high blood pressure. Now it is almost always 120/74 and I feel great! You might talk to your doctor about it. Of course, it depends on your other medications and your current health condition. We are all different. My husband and I use an arm cuff blood pressure machine. We took it to the doctor’s to compare it with their blood pressure machine. Our machine read the same as the doctor’s.

The following things have helped lower my blood pressure also:
• Gatorade – It balances your electrolytes which are minerals that are very important for your body.
• Drinking lots of water. (6 large glasses a day.) It really does make a difference.
• Read the labels on your foods. Avoid any foods with a lot of preservatives, sodium nitrate or soy in them such as TV dinners or bacon. For instance, Lays Classic Potato Chips only have potatoes from Texas, oil and salt in them. Eat more natural items such as an apple, a banana, raw carrots and celery. Eat good quality meat. Your body needs extra protein when it's dealing with an illness.
• Reduce the stress in your life. Dairy products help reduce stress, if you can eat them. I prefer plain yogurt.

You mentioned that you get dizzy. I do too. However, it goes away quickly. I’ve been told that it comes with age. It helps if you slow down and don’t get up fast or turn quickly. You might want to look up the side effects of all of your medications on the Mayo Clinic website to see if any of the side effects cause dizziness. If any of them do cause dizziness, tell your doctor.

Also, keep in mind that you can change doctors anytime if you want. (You are paying the bill or at least your insurance which you pay for, is.) You don’t even have to agree to have that “Landmark Lady” come to your house. It’s your body and your money!

I hope these suggestions have been helpful and that things go well for you!
PML

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@pml

Hi Sammyloue,
I have high blood pressure also and have for many years. (I am currently 76.) However, my doctor put me on a medication called Amlodipine 5 mg. which has really helped my high blood pressure. Now it is almost always 120/74 and I feel great! You might talk to your doctor about it. Of course, it depends on your other medications and your current health condition. We are all different. My husband and I use an arm cuff blood pressure machine. We took it to the doctor’s to compare it with their blood pressure machine. Our machine read the same as the doctor’s.

The following things have helped lower my blood pressure also:
• Gatorade – It balances your electrolytes which are minerals that are very important for your body.
• Drinking lots of water. (6 large glasses a day.) It really does make a difference.
• Read the labels on your foods. Avoid any foods with a lot of preservatives, sodium nitrate or soy in them such as TV dinners or bacon. For instance, Lays Classic Potato Chips only have potatoes from Texas, oil and salt in them. Eat more natural items such as an apple, a banana, raw carrots and celery. Eat good quality meat. Your body needs extra protein when it's dealing with an illness.
• Reduce the stress in your life. Dairy products help reduce stress, if you can eat them. I prefer plain yogurt.

You mentioned that you get dizzy. I do too. However, it goes away quickly. I’ve been told that it comes with age. It helps if you slow down and don’t get up fast or turn quickly. You might want to look up the side effects of all of your medications on the Mayo Clinic website to see if any of the side effects cause dizziness. If any of them do cause dizziness, tell your doctor.

Also, keep in mind that you can change doctors anytime if you want. (You are paying the bill or at least your insurance which you pay for, is.) You don’t even have to agree to have that “Landmark Lady” come to your house. It’s your body and your money!

I hope these suggestions have been helpful and that things go well for you!
PML

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Hi pml

I am 94 will be 95 in October. It probably does not matter what I eat. Never thought I would live this long with the clogged arteries. That makes me 18 years older than you.

I do take amlodipine 5 m g 1 & 1/2 in AM. Also Losartan 50 mg in AM and evening 25 mg. And my BP is not in control. I also use an arm cuff, but am not sure it is correct. I stopped drinking 1 cup coffee this week & BP is some better. I think the reason BP is a trouble is that I have Atherslerosis. (sp). (clogged arteries) I have a new doctor whom I like very much and he is not concerned about anything except I have too many red blood cells.

Next time I go to Dr. I will take BP cuff. It is an expensive one, but that does not mean it is accurate. I just took it and it is 141/68, HR 69. That is better than usual. When I worked my BP was always 120/72.

I use low salt potato chips. Seems like about 4 hours after dinner, I watch TV and get that ache to snack. (which I always did.) but t used to be cookies or Pizza. I spent a lot of time today making vegetable soup. It has beef in it, and I should not be eating red meat but I always have and at my age why bother?

For 18,years I had CKD and 3 doctors did not tell me and I ate whatever I wanted; ate home cooked meals except for the Pizza. I drink only water, 64 ounces per day, that is 8 glasses.

I cannot reduce the stress now since I am living with my son and daughter in law and he loves to yell at me if I say something he does not like. When I was living in my own home I didn't have any stress. It is a huge house so I live 99% of the time alone. Sometimes I get a good morning and that is it.

Now that I live with my son, I eat whatever they buy. If I say something is not good for me he raises Cain and tells me to stay off the computer.

My dizzy is very low, and not often. When I was much younger it was bad because I was hit on the chin and the dizzy and deafness started the next day.

Thank you for your informative letter.
simmyloue

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@sammyloue

Hi pml

I am 94 will be 95 in October. It probably does not matter what I eat. Never thought I would live this long with the clogged arteries. That makes me 18 years older than you.

I do take amlodipine 5 m g 1 & 1/2 in AM. Also Losartan 50 mg in AM and evening 25 mg. And my BP is not in control. I also use an arm cuff, but am not sure it is correct. I stopped drinking 1 cup coffee this week & BP is some better. I think the reason BP is a trouble is that I have Atherslerosis. (sp). (clogged arteries) I have a new doctor whom I like very much and he is not concerned about anything except I have too many red blood cells.

Next time I go to Dr. I will take BP cuff. It is an expensive one, but that does not mean it is accurate. I just took it and it is 141/68, HR 69. That is better than usual. When I worked my BP was always 120/72.

I use low salt potato chips. Seems like about 4 hours after dinner, I watch TV and get that ache to snack. (which I always did.) but t used to be cookies or Pizza. I spent a lot of time today making vegetable soup. It has beef in it, and I should not be eating red meat but I always have and at my age why bother?

For 18,years I had CKD and 3 doctors did not tell me and I ate whatever I wanted; ate home cooked meals except for the Pizza. I drink only water, 64 ounces per day, that is 8 glasses.

I cannot reduce the stress now since I am living with my son and daughter in law and he loves to yell at me if I say something he does not like. When I was living in my own home I didn't have any stress. It is a huge house so I live 99% of the time alone. Sometimes I get a good morning and that is it.

Now that I live with my son, I eat whatever they buy. If I say something is not good for me he raises Cain and tells me to stay off the computer.

My dizzy is very low, and not often. When I was much younger it was bad because I was hit on the chin and the dizzy and deafness started the next day.

Thank you for your informative letter.
simmyloue

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Hi Sammyloue!
It was nice to hear from you! It sounds like you are doing everything right for your conditions; taking Amlodipine, drinking lots of water, eating low salt potato chips etc. Plus it's nice you have a new doctor that you like. That is so important.

Your homemade vegetable soup with beef sounds wonderful! My husband, Ed and I make beef stew which is basically the same thing. We add onion soup mix in place of onion for flavor plus garlic salt. I don't know what they have done to onions in Washington State which is where we live, but when they are cooked there is no onion flavor at all! The soup mix gives the stew the onion flavor that real onions used to give to the stew. I know it's the "in" thing to avoid beef these days, but like you, my husband and I have eaten beef all our lives and just love it! Ed has lung cancer and his last 7 CT scans have all been good. We think that the beef has a lot to do with it.
Ed's coffee started bothering his blood pressure too. I did a lot of research only to find out that they are no longer making Folgers coffee like they used to! However, I did find a very mild brand called New England coffee, Donut Shop Blend. He makes that with half of the amount of grounds as they suggest and it hasn't affected his blood pressure negatively at all! If you just do a search for the name, it's easy to find. It's reasonably priced also.

So sorry to hear about the stress you are having with your family. However, you are not alone. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm in much of today's world. This is the second marriage for both Ed and I. We haven't heard or seen from any of the children on either side in years! (Once we quit spending money on them in dinners, trips etc.) It's been rather nice in a way and much quieter on holidays.

Say a prayer for your kids and let God straighten them out! You just enjoy your quiet time!

Have a good week!
PML

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@pml

Hi Sammyloue!
It was nice to hear from you! It sounds like you are doing everything right for your conditions; taking Amlodipine, drinking lots of water, eating low salt potato chips etc. Plus it's nice you have a new doctor that you like. That is so important.

Your homemade vegetable soup with beef sounds wonderful! My husband, Ed and I make beef stew which is basically the same thing. We add onion soup mix in place of onion for flavor plus garlic salt. I don't know what they have done to onions in Washington State which is where we live, but when they are cooked there is no onion flavor at all! The soup mix gives the stew the onion flavor that real onions used to give to the stew. I know it's the "in" thing to avoid beef these days, but like you, my husband and I have eaten beef all our lives and just love it! Ed has lung cancer and his last 7 CT scans have all been good. We think that the beef has a lot to do with it.
Ed's coffee started bothering his blood pressure too. I did a lot of research only to find out that they are no longer making Folgers coffee like they used to! However, I did find a very mild brand called New England coffee, Donut Shop Blend. He makes that with half of the amount of grounds as they suggest and it hasn't affected his blood pressure negatively at all! If you just do a search for the name, it's easy to find. It's reasonably priced also.

So sorry to hear about the stress you are having with your family. However, you are not alone. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm in much of today's world. This is the second marriage for both Ed and I. We haven't heard or seen from any of the children on either side in years! (Once we quit spending money on them in dinners, trips etc.) It's been rather nice in a way and much quieter on holidays.

Say a prayer for your kids and let God straighten them out! You just enjoy your quiet time!

Have a good week!
PML

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Hi PML,
I agree with you about the onions. Nina does the shopping and the only cooking onions are really big and not much flavor-no eye stinging when slicing. I saw on line a while ago a large bag of regular sized ones but I did not order.

For lunch I have a deli chicken sandwich and coleslaw. I do get tired of the same things all the time. My taste has changed, I suppose it is age related.

I do pray for my son and his wife every night but he still says nasty stuff. I certainly did not raise him that way. Then he will stick his head into my room and make a big smile.
The dog likes me!

Did you know cabbage and cauliflower is good for you?
@sammyloue

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@sammyloue

Hi PML,
I agree with you about the onions. Nina does the shopping and the only cooking onions are really big and not much flavor-no eye stinging when slicing. I saw on line a while ago a large bag of regular sized ones but I did not order.

For lunch I have a deli chicken sandwich and coleslaw. I do get tired of the same things all the time. My taste has changed, I suppose it is age related.

I do pray for my son and his wife every night but he still says nasty stuff. I certainly did not raise him that way. Then he will stick his head into my room and make a big smile.
The dog likes me!

Did you know cabbage and cauliflower is good for you?
@sammyloue

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Hi Sammyloue!
Yes, cabbage and cauliflower are both good for you! My husband and I especially like to prepare fried cabbage with sausage. It’s been an old family recipe since the 1900’s. Ed’s mom also made sauerkraut from scratch with the cabbage from her Minnesota garden.

I’m glad you pray every night for your son and daughter in-law. Keep it up. It’ll eventually work. Next time your son says something nasty to you, tell him that you love him. Maybe it will shock him into behaving.

It’s good that the dog likes you. Animals are often more aware of nice people. They seem to sense when someone is a good person. After all, God made the animals first. (Genesis 1:20-25).

Wishing you the best,
PML

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@cehunt57

I have CKD. At stage 4 I also had some dizziness. Mine turned out to be associated with the CKD, anemia and orthostatic BP. My doctor has been monitoring labs and adjusting meds. I also keep salt down and stay well hydrated. I've not needed dialysis yet (came close) and currently don't need a transplant. My kidney function improved to a GFR of 35 so I guess I'm back to stage 3!

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Hi there. You are in stage 3 b. If you could get up to 45+ you'd be in 3a, much better. Do you eat red meat often? Is your sodium under 2000 mg daily? Protein under 75 grams daily? John

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