My GFR Dropped from 54 to 44

Sometimes if you are taking a Hydrochlorothiazide diuretic it has been shown to cause a drop like this in your Gfr. It happened to me.

Thank you. Actually I was on Hydro. and my Nephrologist took me off of it and my blood pressure soared so he put me on another pill and it works great for my potassium too. I am cutting down on my coffee intake to one cup a day. Thanks again for your concern.

@nscappa Here is a link to an article from Fresenius Kidney Care, about coffee, potassium and our enjoyment of it. I personally do not do black coffee, but do use a non-dairy creamer and artificial sweetner. Hey, it's one cup a day, so I am going to enjoy it, dang it!

As for why your eGFR level dropped, it could be any number of reason. You were not feeling well, perhaps you were on antibiotics? We need to look at trends, not always a one-time thing. And frankly, as our kidney disease progresses, we have to accept that the numbers indicating a lower eGFR may be here to stay. It sounds like you are watching your diet closely, and reading food labels have to be part of that. Meals don't have to be boring, spicing them up with spices can be a great thing and fun to try!

I will be interested to hear what your nephrologist has to say when you have that appointment.
https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/thrive-central/can-you-drink-coffee-kidney-disease
Ginger

Hi Again Ginger,
So nice that you keep in touch with me. Funny, lately I'm not enjoying my coffee as much as usual. Just doesn't taste the same. I was on antibiotics and today (not to be too gross) I had a lovely time trying to move my bowels. Anything else?? I do watch my salt and do what I think I should be doing. My cousin has CKD3 also and she isn't as diligent as I am and her GFR was 54. I just have to wait to see my doctor and I will let you know how I make out. I love the "dang", you are too sweet. : )

@nscappa Our tastes change sometimes. It's a fact of life. Or, the foods we once liked aren't "made the same" anymore, and we find something about them unpalatable. We recall fondly how things were, but over time our memories can twist it around. Remember when we were kids and the loafs of white bread? I thought they were great! Slap a bit of butter on a slice. Now, white bread is just so... yesterday, if you'll excuse the pun. Recipes and formulas have changed, our tastebuds, also.

Diet and being careful what we consume is a big part of kidney disease. I daresay it is the biggest part we have a sayso in! Just yesterday I was speaking to my nephrologist and the PD dialysis team, We were talking about how kidney patients have to be on the forefront of our own health and well-being, we are all part of the same side in this game.
Ginger

I have found that when my GFR drops, my creatinine will go up a bit.

You are right. My creatinine did go up a bit. I can't wait to see my doctor to talk to him about this. I did have pneumonia when I had my blood drawn. Thank you for this info, I appreciate it. : )

@anniegk
@nscappa

One of the most common lab tests is an eGFR test based on your creatinine results. There is another test based on eGFR called Cystatin C which has to do with your cardiovascular system and other health measures that relate to kidney function. Both are eGFR tests that show one point in time the state of your kidney disease. There are some insurance companies that do not pay for Cystatin C which is why most docs and nephrologists order the eGFR based on creatinine that shows muscle mass. The Cystatin C test is the more accurate of the two. Similar to blood pressure, each test is one point in time and can vary for many reasons. You will find the best indicator for kidney disease function is followed by looking at the history of your values over time. It is this trend that matters most.

I am not a doctor of any kind but would suspect the rapid decrease in creatinine eGFR may be the result of hydration at the time of your test, but also could be the result of other factors as well. Check your trend and try to use Cystatin C if your insurance covers it as well.

Thank you so much for your comments. You are very informed and I did not know about the different kinds of kidney tests so now I will know what to check for. I had pneumonia when I had my blood work done and possibly a bit dehydrated. I will check my results again. Thanks again for your information and for taking the time for your response. : )

I was recently diagnosed with Stage 3a CKD. My eGFR went from 45 to 53 to 46 from March to May. My nephrologist told me not to focus on a test result at a point in time. It is the average of the eGFR values over time that is important. She said that the individual values are due to normal biological variation - based on what you ate the day before the test, amount of fluid you consumed, etc.

I'm on a strict kidney (Mediterranean) diet. Hopefully that will help my results in the future.