EGFR went from 55 to 41 in a month. How?

Posted by shotta609 @shotta609, Aug 14 1:12am

In march of this year my body blew up with 40lbs of water out of nowhere, I went to the hospital and was in there for a week before discharge, found out my immune system was attacking my kidneys and I got stage 3b kidney disease. I’ve lost all the water weight in may, my protein levels in my urine were 4555, in August now they dropped to 2500, at the time my egfr was 37, two months later it went to 43.5, then in July went to 55, a month later now in Aug it dropped to 41. Also I should mention when my egfr was 55 I didn’t fast, at 41 I did fast and didn’t drink much at all. I don’t want dialysis I will not do it, my question is could fasting drop my egfr to 41? Is there a medication I could take to this kidney disease stops advancing?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Support Group.

lovely83 | @lovely83 | Aug 18 8:42am

In reply to @rene123 "Hi, I’m reading all of these posts and I’m felling very sad. I was recently diagnosed..." + (show)

I’m only 42 and was recently diagnosed with stage 3 CKD suddenly. I was devastated to hear this news and have a six year old child, and other children. I’m trying to cope but I am afraid of not knowing the unknown…I pray for us all to find the right answers we are so desperately seeking for.

discoveryoga | @discoveryoga | Aug 18 2:52pm

In reply to @rene123 "Hi, I’m reading all of these posts and I’m felling very sad. I was recently diagnosed..." + (show)

Hello,
Thank you for sharing, I'm 65 and I'm at stage 3 CKD, the day I found out about what my lab results meant I just stopped eating meat, dairy, bread, processed foods, cut out sugar, increased my water intake, I basically became a vegan over night. When I did that it was with an urgency I've never felt before. In my mind it was a life or death decision. The strange thing was that I didn't crave any of my favorite foods, I didn't overeat as I was before, I did my homework and just started eating healthier. As a result I lost 8 pounds and have maintained it. I didn't tell my husband as I haven't seen my doctor about the results yet and want to see what she says before I talk to my husband. My husband is noticing I'm eating very differently, but I tell him I'm make a lifestyle change. I still cook for him but make my own meals. This is serious stuff, you are the only person that can take control of your life. In my mind I decided to take control and not feel sorry for myself, I have brought this disease onto myself, and I have the power to correct it. Good luck to you and don't worry about your husband, just worry about yourself. You have so much to live for and be an example for your daughter so she doesn't fall into the same fate. You can get better and you will.

Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Aug 19 1:20pm

In reply to @rene123 "Hi, I’m reading all of these posts and I’m felling very sad. I was recently diagnosed..." + (show)

@rene123 @lovely83 As you read through the conversations here in the kidney and bladder support group, you might notice a fairly common theme. Simply, that many medical professionals who are not nephrologists, fail to recognize the importance of our kidney function, and what a decline [sudden or over time] can mean!

That's where being our own advocates is so important. Researching the best plan of action for us, meeting with a renal dietician to craft a food plan that works for us, getting educated will all help us live with and become healthier in the face of CKD. Our diet plays such an important role, and often we need to eat differently from other family members. It's okay! It's our health we're dealing with here! Is it easy? Nope. Does it have benefits? Absolutely!

Uncovering the reason for a decline in eGFR is crucial. Is it a one-time thing? Think then if you were dehydrated, or recently recovering from illness or infection. Is it a trend? Uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes are the 2 leading causes for CKD. Or a medication side effect, or life style.

Monitoring your intake of red meat, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sugar, salt, protein can help. Stop using NSAIDs like naproxen or ibuprofen, switching to Tylenol only. Come back here to ask more questions! Look through our conversations and se if you don't discover others going through the same thing.
Ginger

jenlove1973 | @jenlove1973 | Aug 19 2:38pm

In reply to @rene123 "Hi, I’m reading all of these posts and I’m felling very sad. I was recently diagnosed..." + (show)

I'm sorry. You need to advocate for yourself. I live in NY and Im making an appointment for a kidney dr in the city out of Columbia pres.

Cheryl, Volunteer Mentor | @cehunt57 | Aug 19 3:58pm

@shotta609 welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Greetings to all you other members posting here and @gingerw (volunteer mentor). I want to take a turn at chiming in here too.
1) eGFR - one lab test is not that informative. The overall trend is more useful. The eGFR is affected by lots of things (hydration, diet, medications, other conditions & comorbidities…..) and can vary a lot.
2) Stages of CKD - there are 5. Many people don’t even know there is a potential problem until stage 3 or 4. General practitioner doctors often don’t get concerned about CKD for their patients until stage 3. A nephrologist specializes in kidneys and should be more attentive to CKD at earlier stages.
3) Kidney function labs - there are lots of labs pertaining to kidney function that relate to calculating the eGFR (creatinine, BUN, calcium, oxalates, phosphorus, potassium, proteins…..). Your provider can monitor these and make recommendations for treatment changes based on your individual situation.
4) Hydration & Nutrition - your provider can refer you to a renal dietician who can help you customize an eating plan to meet your individual needs (kidney function labs), likes and dislikes. There are some generalities but everybody’s different. There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” eating plan or treatment plan.
5) My story - I am diabetic & had somewhat of a history of hypertension. Diagnosed with “mild - moderate kidney disease” in 2005. Found a nephrologist in 2008. In 2016 discovered I had an eGFR bouncing between
14 - 42 and was told that I have CKD Stage 4. I am like many of you that decided no way to dialysis. I started learning about kidneys, the role of diabetes & hypertension in CKD plus treating these things, renal nutrition, dialysis and transplantation. I put all this knowledge into practice. I currently have CKD Stage 3 with an eGFR in the low 30’s. God willing I will stay stable at this point for a long time. But if things worsen I will look for a living kidney donor for a kidney transplant. I have already gone through pre- transplant evaluation and been accepted & approved for transplant. I also sort of made peace with the idea of dialysis when I learned to view dialysis as a necessary bridge between being sick with CKD and getting a kidney transplant. That’s my story.