CKD - Chronic Kidney Disease

[twolfy]

Something new to deal with. This has obviously been going on for a long time but never had it brought to my attention before. eGFR shows I'm in stage II CKD. Old scale used to show only if you were <90 on your filtration rate so was difficult to see how exactly kidneys were doing and if there were any problems. Now they score showing ranges for the five stages of CKD. It looks like I have plateaued for the last 3-4 blood tests so that is good. Low but at least stable for now. Much skin contact over 10 yrs to Hydrocarbon solvent might be the blame for the damage to my kidneys. Need to stave off diabetes which unfortunately is genetically high in my family, and keep BP down. Diet, exercise and medicine helping here. I know these are estimated filtration rates but still have me concerned.
Any one else dealing with this issue or have had a family member or friend dealing with this. My doc not overly concerned cause looks stable right now, just emphasized keep diabetes at bay and keep BP down.
Any other experiences?

 

[Bamaman]

We have a strong diabetes trend in our family. Grandmother, father, uncle and one first cousin. My father and uncle ended up on hemodialysis, and lasted 4 years which is about average. My father threw a clot to a lung. My uncle kept having gangrene in his legs, and said God was taking him toe by toe. Of course he was a professional comedian and radio personality. My cousin never went to the doctor until it was too late. She's also on dialysis @ 60 years old and looks like she's 85 years old.
I'm Type II diabetic on a insulin pump by choice. My condition is very steady--no big highs or lows. And I've seen what it's like to really be in serious renal failure. Unfortunately, open heart surgery is going to be required on something like 2/3 of diabetics. I long ago quit drinking alcohol, and am trying to lead a quiet, normal life in early retirement.
When they tell you to start a renal diet, do as they say. It's healthy but just not that appetizing.

 

[twolfy]

Thanks Bamaman. Hopefully everything stays off for a long time. Good choice on the pump. It can really help you manage the disease.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Its just one data point I know, but I do have one friend who will be 80 this month and she is in stage 3. Like Bamaman said, do follow what your doctor says, and hopefully you can do as well as she is. She still drives, has a great sense of humor, memory loss is a bit of a problem (short term only), and type II diabetes also runs in her family and she has it, since her late fifties. The CKD has been going on since about age 60, she has been in stage 3 since about age 70, and also COPD since then too. She is a wonder, really, has also survived both breast and lung cancer during the last 20 yrs as well (smoked in her younger days but stopped abruptly when her husband got cancer 25 yrs ago). Best wishes and prayers to you.

 

[twolfy]

Thanks mama.

 

[Boho]

If you have to be careful to keep your potassium down, there are home potassium tests that work with saliva. My father had kidney disease and the ability to check his potassium more frequently than his doctor did would have made it easier to choose the right foods. Strictly sticking to low potassium foods, like it seemed like he was supposed to do by the list he was given, would have been very difficult and not necessary.

 

[twolfy]

I'll have to read up on that. Everything I've been reading lately, not kidneyrelated, says most of us don't get enough potassium in our diets so I have been trying to increase mine through higher potAssium foods. I will read up on potassium and kidney disease

 

[Boho]

BTW, IIRC, the American Kidney Foundation doesn't include meat in their potassium list. A really old list, probably from the 1960s, that my father's cardiologist gave him lists all kinds of meat as high in potassium. I was thinking of asking the AKF why they don't mention meat.

 

[eytonxav]

Drink more water, it might help your eGFR.

 

[twolfy]

Drink more water, it might help your eGFR.

That's what I thought too but get conflicting answers to that question. I drink between 1/2 to 1 gal/day. Always have been good about that. Been told now that is maybe too much. Eggs are bad you , no now eggs are good for you, no the white is good but the yolk is bad but now the yolk is ok so eat a few eggs everyday. [emoji36]arrrgh!

 

[harley]

Unfortunately, open heart surgery is going to be required on something like 2/3 of diabetics.

Got any reference for that? I've never heard anything like that before. I couldn't find anything to match it with a quick google search either.

 

[Boho]

Closest I found so far is "In fact, about 2/3 of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke." https://intermountainhealthcare.org/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=51061674

 

[mamadogmamacat]

My expectation is this is, if it is even true, perhaps an estimate based on the number of people who either already have diabetes due at least in part to the increase in obesity or who are obese and therefore expected to get diabetes. if we cant find any more definitive statements than what Boho found, i think it is conjecture based on the obesity increase. So it may or may not prove true, in terms of a connection.. No one I know who has diabetes, and is not also quite obese, has heart problems, other than type I diabetics, and not that many of them either. SO, my two cents is lets not give the OP anything more to worry about right now.

 

[eytonxav]

Got any reference for that? I've never heard anything like that before. I couldn't find anything to match it with a quick google search either.

Closest I found so far is "In fact, about 2/3 of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke." https://intermountainhealthcare.org/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=51061674

While diabetics may be more susceptible to heart, stroke and kidney problems, I have never heard anything about 2/3 of diabetics needing heart surgery and I would guess a fairly large number of the general non-diabetic population also die from heart and stroke causes.

 

[eytonxav]

That's what I thought too but get conflicting answers to that question. I drink between 1/2 to 1 gal/day. Always have been good about that. Been told now that is maybe too much. Eggs are bad you , no now eggs are good for you, no the white is good but the yolk is bad but now the yolk is ok so eat a few eggs everyday. [emoji36]arrrgh!

I was able to move my result about 5 points by consuming ~ 64oz/day. This was recommended by my PCP. My last eGFR was in the mid 70s. I had an otherwise healthy and much younger friend who was in the 50s and he also turned his numbers around by hydrating himself properly.

edit - also must be careful to keep blood pressure and blood sugar down, and exercise.

 

[twolfy]

Thanks for the replies and the discussion. I remember someone talking about CKD and calcium intake. I think it was to keep calcium intake low if kidneys are compromised because it can't excrete it out so it builds up in the arteries causing vascular issues. Something to that effect.

 

[Ally]

I've had chronic kidney disease for many years and see a kidney dr several times a yr. I'm in stage 4 with them functioning at 27%. I'm 65. The kidney dr says if I continue to keep my weight good, exercise regularly and not take Advil, Aleve, etc, it may not get worse for many years. He told me taking antibiotics can make it worse, too. He seems less concerned than I am, but then he has many people in his practice with multiple major diseases in addition to CKD, not to mention those in dialysis.

At least CKD isn't painful and doesn't steal your mind like Alzheimer's. I just try to appreciate every day, my family and every trip I take while feeling good. But I can't say that it's not on my mind daily.

I think if you are in Stage 2, you have a great opportunity to take precautions. There are lots of great websites with info.

My dr says that CKD patients usually die from heart disease, because it's hard on your heart, so all you can do to stay heart healthy is great!

 

[twolfy]

Thanks Ally. I've been able to get off all the pain relievers I was on so that is helpful. Do you know what contributed to your kidney disease?

 

[Ally]

No, but the theory is that I had untreated strep throats which showed up as some kidney damage in college. It went away for a few years, during which I took Aleve and Advil. In my 40's, they told me I was in stage 3, which was a shock. They ran tests to find the cause, but there was no specific cause they could point to other than just having kidneys very susceptible to NSAIDs. What about yours?

Oh, I see about your skin contact with that substance. I don't know what that is.

 

[twolfy]

Ally
Carbon tetrachloride if I remember correctly. Numerous steroid injections for spine issues plus oral steroids and pain meds. I just push thru the pain instead of using those therapies now so hopefully will help my numbers. Being retired now I can slow down on days when not feeling great and then can be back up and going strong when feeling better. Thanks for sharing your story.
Tom

 

[Fedup]

My sister has stage 2, CKD and prediabetes. I think must be side effects from her high blood pressure problem. But she seems ok, 62 and still working.
My dad died at 87 with kidney disease. A few months or year before he died he had dialysis 3 times a week because he didn't want any surgery. I think he also had a stroke before that, high blood pressure problem. He died of old age. He just refused to eat lunch and then died. That's all I know.
My whole family has high blood pressure problem, most of my siblings have been on high blood pressure since they turned 40s. I think it's genetic.