Is kidney disease becoming an epidemic

Posted by codered032 @codered032, Jan 24, 2023

It appears that lately I have met quite a few people recently diagnosed with kidney disease. Many at stage 3a and above when diagnosed. Many people like myself are surprised by the diagnosis. Is CKD becoming an epidemic?

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@sharonfranks1119

Thank you for your kind message. I have, at last check, calcium oxolate stones. I see a nephrologist on Tuesday, my urologist thinks it may be GI related as opposed to diet. I had gastric bypass surgery in 2000 and it caused malabsorption syndrome. I just had bloodwork and a urine test this morning, so by the time I see the nephrologist my labs will be back. I don’t have high blood pressure or diabetes, so that has ruled out the obvious trouble makers. I do advocate for myself, also have a caseworker who helps me manage my many health issues. I have no problem changing a doctor who ghosts my questions. I’m hoping I finally have the right team of doctors. Reading the posts here made me realize there is more to kidney stones and CKD than I thought. I appreciate your input and the advice I read from others.

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@sharonfranks1119 I will be interested to hear what your nephrologist has to say when the test results are in!

Here is a link from the National Kidney Foundation about calcium oxalate atones. Quite a bit of interesting information here, and I hope you can find some things to help you. Perhaps you can educate yourself and be prepared to ask specific questions when you see your doctor in a few weeks?
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/calcium-oxalate-stone
Ginger

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Yes, I think it is. People do not drink as much water as beer or other alcohol.

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3a here. Or, I could be 3b. It all depends.
Considering the crap they fob off as nutrition in the fast food industry, I wouldn't be surprised. When I ask myself your same question- I have every time I want to order a pizza, but I talk myself out of it, I think about the changes in my diet that is the opposite of what other people eat. Do I attribute CKD with diet? You bet I do.
Right down to the chromium 6 xx-ppm in the water supply to the current "forced march" into the epidemic and the chemicals induced into this "global cohort."

Chicken wings, ultra-fatty foods, fast food cheese-pushers, alcohol, antidepressants, statins, antihypertensives, antibiotics, processed refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, ad infinitum. I'm lucky I found a bakery that makes salt-free, sugar-free bread! Seeing some of the ads at well-lit bus stop signs for what they serve at Burger King, I would be surprised if they didn't incorporate marijuana into their grotesque recipes because somebody would have to either be pregnant, or high as a kite to eat it- marijuana has been shown to mimic pregnancy in THC receptors, like estrogen, megace, or other progestin precursor appetite stimulants. I would say it starts early, with child obesity and works it's way up from type 2 diabetes to prostate and other cancers. It is definitely a cultural economic choice-guided trend. Our food, produce, livestock industries have changed drastically since the Vietnam war. Yes, it is an epidemic, sorely overlooked and makes me angry. At this point I could stamp a controlling pharmaceutical company name on every organ in the body.

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@poon

Thank you very much for taking your time to let me know of your experience with kidney biopsy, glad you were in good health at the time but still experienced some discomfort. I am not as fortunate with declining health after my husband passed away, with being very fatigue, dizzy and lack of sleep. And a lot of house maintenance and working with so many legal matters. So I am hesitant to get the kidney biopsy. Also learning a lot on this website. I do agree with you that you have to do your own research because my nephrologist did not offer much information.

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Despite my lack of knowledge about the procedure, I am happy that I had it done. Every test that was done all came back normal. The renal biopsy confirmed my diagnosis. Knowing what my diagnosis is prepared me for my journey, to become as healthy as possible. Good luck.

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@gingerw

@sharonfranks1119 I will be interested to hear what your nephrologist has to say when the test results are in!

Here is a link from the National Kidney Foundation about calcium oxalate atones. Quite a bit of interesting information here, and I hope you can find some things to help you. Perhaps you can educate yourself and be prepared to ask specific questions when you see your doctor in a few weeks?
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/calcium-oxalate-stone
Ginger

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Ginger, I'm so glad to see you posting about oxalates. I've remarked several times on the site about this issue with no responses. My nurse daughter has been mostly vegetarian since her college days, so 38 years of "healthy" eating along with regular gym visits. For the past 5 years she has been going downhill with unfunctioning bladder issues along with increasing muscle agonies; she feels like she's going to die. Her husband recently happened onto a blog about the Carnivore Diet, and much of it consisted of the poisoning so many people are getting from so many veggies, nuts and seeds. I wish everyone with difficult to diagnose health issues would check out Sally Norton and Oxalate toxicity.

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I am 54. I was diagnosed after seeing a doctor for continuing back pain. He decided to do a full work up and the results concerned him so he sent me to a nephrologist. They determined I was stage 3a. I took the free class offer by the KF and immediately changed my diet and lifestyle. My kidney doc was not satisfied with my protein leakage and started me on BP meds. Also had a kidney biopsy and determined that I have Alport Syndrome and damage/hardening to my filters. Makes sense as I have kidney issues, moderate to severe hearing loss and eyesight issues. My appointments are every 6 months right now. This was almost 3 years ago and he is still concerned about protein leaking. The BP meds did help some. The back pain is from DDD, lumber and upper back.

About a year ago I had a midnight vasovagal syncope, quite severe with extremely low BP even hours after. They decided it was because my BP med was doubled to try and get control of protein leaks. So, we cut the BP back to the original script. A month ago I had yet another vasovagal syncope. Happened around midnight again, I crashed into furniture and whacked my head pretty bad. My wife tried to keep me on the floor but I apparently was fighting her (cannot remember this) three time and crashed each time hurting another part of my head. I also lost control of my bladder. Was admitted to the hospital. My kidney doctor was convinced this was due to other medications I was taking for back pain and depression. My new primary took me off two meds and cut my back pain med in half. But, the cardiologist is not convinced that meds have anything to do with this issue. I go to the cardio doc this week for tests. Then to a neurologist next month. My primary doc thinks this is all interrelated to Alport somehow. IDK, maybe... He says I may have a disorder of the vagus nerve that has been brewing for some time now and that it is likely I will have more syncope. Also I have IBS but this is largely under control with diet.

Any suggestions are very welcome, including diet, exercise, or even what to communicate with my doctor. Thank you!

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