Chronic Kidney Disease and high blood pressure: Any thoughts?

@marlinhampton Good morning to you! We often get used to seeing our blood pressure within a range, and it can really make us wonder why the numbers change. As you can see in the attached article from Mayo Clinic, there can be several underlying causes.

Have you recently changed medications, or other factors in your lifestyle? Less exercise? Changes in diet/go-to foods? If the rise in blood pressure has been consistent, have you checked with your doctor? Also, if you are using a home monitor, have you checked the batteries on it? I found that mine needed to have new batteries, and my readings resumed to what had been normal for me. Who would have thought of that!?

I will be interested to hear what you think?
Ginger

We both thought our b/p readings were off so, after making sure it wasn’t the batteries, took our b/p machine with us to our next doctor’s visit so we could compare readings. It wasn’t that old but it was significantly off - don’t remember the brand. After making inquiries about getting it recalibrated, we decided just to ditch it and buy a new one.

sammylou
My bp home machines have never been like the doctor's; so I quit taking my bp at home. Doctor told me home machines are rarely good. However, my CKD went from stage 3a tp 2 in last blood work. I had quit taking Furosemide, a water pill, and am now wondering if perhaps it was the water pill was causing the stage 3a. Any answers?

@sammyloue Depending on what dose of furosemide you were taking, it can cause a side effect of stripping your system of potassium. I was on a fairly low dose of it for years, then it was increased dramatically. I was given torsemide, which caused bad side effects for me, and it was stopped. So, back to furosemide but at a much higher daily dose. I am now on 80mg twice a day, plus a potassium supplement. Any medication can had different side effects for people, and often we need to find the right balance. Congratulations to you for going back to a Stage 2. Here's to continued success for you!
Ginger

Thanks; I am wondering if these water pills (Furosemide is 20 mg) are bad for the kidneys.. I expect Medicines are probably keeping me alive at 95, but I am afraid of the CKD. Perhaps the reason I went back to stage 2 is because I have been making vegetable soup with only 1/2 pound of beef in a large pot for months now. Plenty of cabbage and onions and other vegetables. the other meat I use is Deli sliced chicken for a lunch sandwich. My new doctor is more concerned with my high red blood cells than CKD. Having trouble keeping my BP where it should be - it is high. I took one Furosemide 20 mg yesterday because my ankles were swelling.

@gingerw, @sammyloue, after being on a fairly low dose of furosemide shortly after CKD diagnosis, after my eGFR dropped and I underwent a few months of dialysis then didn't need it any more, my Neph put me on 80 mg furosemide. Because I couldn't tolerate the powdered potassium supplement and my gastroparesis made my stomach upset with orange juice, etc., and the standard supplemental dose was too high for me, for awhile I used potassium chloride - sparingly in the form of Nu Salt (salt substitute.) My low potassium levels improved slightly. I slowly began substituting very small servings of higher potassium foods usually avoided with CKD like bananas, low sodium V8 juice, etc. with very good results. As Ginger knows, I calculate every calorie, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, protein, carb, fiber, and fat of every food I eat and so far about 1700-1800 mg potassium daily seems to be right for me at Stage 4 CKD. I am not advising anyone else to do this, just sharing my personal experience with furosemide and potassium supplementation.

Peace and blessings!

Calculating all that stuff would drive me nuts, well; don't really know how to do it. Too old to learn. But good luck to you. I do not drink any juices, except water, 64 ounces a day. 1 cup coffee and I know I am pushing it with coffee, but I need to stay awake!! I do not have a nephrologist and my doctors are no help; just use the list of good and bad things I found on the Inet. This morning my ankles are not swollen.

@kamama94 I know that keeping track of things is quite time-consuming for anyone. The first thing each morning I do my vitals [time-of-day, weight, BP, pulse, temp] Later in the day I log those same values into my dialysis log by hand, and include how long my fluids are dwelled, plus any additions in the notes [added heparin, fibrin present, etc.] Except for dwell time, those things are logged in to the iPad issued by my dialysis clinic as they keep track of me each day. While calculations regarding liquids, sodium, potassium, etc. are not written down, I do watch them everyday.

I have two sets of bloodwork down each month, one from my oncology center, and another from the PD clinic. Different focuses, different labs. Always interesting to watch the differences! And you've reminded me that my potassium chloride prescription needs renewal this week.
Ginger

@gingerw, keeping track is a full-time job in and of itself! Neph asked me the other day if I still tracked B/P, P, O2 at home and I confessed I feel so lousy so much of the time and am so tired I stopped checking those things. Food intake calculations, blood sugars, insulin, other meds take up most of my day. Fortunately, Neph says kidney stable for now and only need to come in every 4 months unless I decide otherwise and PCP is every 3 plus our phone and patient portal "visits" for anything that comes up in between. I no longer feel like totally giving up and staying in bed but each day is a huge challenge and I know you face equal challenges. Let's both keep "hangin' in there!" Peace and blessings!