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GFR dropp 19 points 63 to 44 in less than a year
I was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma last year and had radiation treatment in December and it went well. My cancer is stage 1 and treatable. In my labs in May 2022, I had a GFR of 63. I had labs Jan 3 this year and GFR are at 44! A 19 point drop in one year! I have a referral starting yesterday to see a Nephrologist. No appt yet. What in the world could cause such a huge drop? Anybody? I'm freaking out.
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@keffh ~ I sure hope you can get into a specialist very soon. Good luck!
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1 Reaction@collegeprof ~ I'm new to watching my eGFR and kidney labs. I haven't heard of a Cystatin C lab test. Could you please tell me more about that? I will have my next lab tests done Feb. 1st.
When I said, NP, I meant nephrologist. That's who my PCP made a referral to after seeing my eGFR. But he didn't mark it urgent and I've never seen a nephrologist before. I'm waiting for the approval from my insurance. Thank you for the kind words and that info you shared. Having a close to 20 point drop in 3 months seems extreme. I did radiation Nov/Dec. on a lymphoma tumor near my eye. Maybe my body was/is still in shock. I'm trying to put this aside in my mind to help fight off anxiety. I've done what I can do at this point. But having support here helps!
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2 ReactionsI haven't heard of that either and don't see that on my labs.
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1 ReactionHi Ginger.
Thanks for the input. I do have high BP which I take meds for. Looking back at my labs several years there were cases my eGFR was 5.8 and 5.9 once but usually just above 6. And the next to last lab in Oct said 7.1(or2). So from that to 44.? Odd. 1.6 creatinine which is elevated but not THAT much. In Oct it was 1.12. Maybe the radiation messing with my system. Don't know. Just waiting to get into the speicalist. WOuld think that when they see my reports and labs, they'll want to see me asap. Hopefully.
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2 ReactionsThank you!
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1 ReactionThank you.
Weekend? Trying to not think about this too much more. Trying to keep busy and active. I'm hoping that a 20 point swing in eGFR in 3 months might be something good like a mistake. If it is true, then I want the nephrologist to guide me through it.
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2 Reactions@jeffh High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the leading causes for kidney disease. Controlling those two conditions can have a big say in how the resulting kidney problems can help to be resolved. You didn't mention what type of lymphoma you have, but there is some indication it can affect kidney function.
You may need to push for the appointment with a nephrologist. Be your own advocate!
Ginger
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3 ReactionsThe idea behind this forum is to learn and share from our experiences. The one that continues to help all of us constantly is @gingerw, our mentor. She has experienced so much, and has offered so much sound advice. When she says to follow the trend of lab results, she means it. I went from an eGFR of 45(stage 3A) to 18(stage 4) in less than 3 months, because I was dehydrated. My Mayo NP nephrologist prescribed a diuretic "Torsemide" for me. My endocrinologist later prescribed a diabetic and diuretic dose of "Farxiga", and my eGFR started to fall again so I stopped that as well. When you get dehydrated, your eGFR goes down quickly. There is a possibility that happened to you, but I am far from being your doctor or trying to diagnose you. What Ginger says about the trend of your labs is so important, and that you must make decisions and consult that information with your doctor. In my case as a college computer science teacher, I gave my docs spreadsheets showing the downward trend of the 2 medications based on eGFR, and they were both convinced that I was right. Lastly, nephrology people are so busy helping those in Stage 4 thru dialysis, it sometimes is difficult seeing them on a regular basis, and those at stage 3 to stage 1 can be vulnerable to 6 months or longer wait times. Thus, perhaps the non urgency with you. There truly is an epidemic of kidney disease, and having a team of docs including a dietitian, an acupuncturist, an endocrinologist, a nephrologist, a PCP , a great Mayo mentor, and many others here give you the best shot.
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7 ReactionsMost docs like a PCP, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, and various others use the common method of eGFR to measure creatinine serum in your blood. That creatine level is calculated to show your eGFR in numerical terms, and further into stages of kidney disease. Many researchers say that this is accurate, perhaps 77% - 85% of the time. It is a measurement of kidney function.
Another kidney diagnostic method that is accurate 90% of the time is called Cystatin C. It is more common to see this used with diabetics with kidney disease. However, if there is a question regarding your eGFR, this test will confirm or validate your eGFR result.
Lastly, another sign and test of kidney disease is protein in the urine. Someone could have a eGFR of 60. for example, but have no protein in the urine which may/may not indicate kidney damage.
So being tested often, six to twelve weeks, establishes a relevant trend for those who wish to keep track of these values. For me, my labs are done within and outside of Mayo, so I keep track of the labs by date of service. You may wish to keep track of creatinine, eGFR and Cystatin C to establish your personal trend of values for each. It is that trend that guides us for the long term.
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