Anyone have knowledge on kidney function? Panicking!

[BadMoon]

I've posted on chat for traffic. Have got myself into a bit of a state worrying about this.

In December I went to see the dr about heavy periods and pain. I discovered that I had two fibroids and a low ferritin level of 6 (have been taking iron tablet for just over a month). The dr then told me they wanted to do some more tests to make sure everything was ok with my kidneys.

Yesterday, I had an appointment with the dr and they told me my eGFR (kidney filtration rate) is 55. It has gone down from 58 when I was initially tested in December to 55 (last week). A scan is now booked to look at my kidneys. It will look at whether the problem is structural or non structural and I'll then get referred to the relevant specialist. They obviously couldn't commit themselves any further to what the issue might be.

Having had a reading frenzy bit of a look on google, I am now panicking, does my eGFR definitely mean that I have kidney disease (the eGFR indicates it would be stage 3)? Or is it something that may be treatable? Is it possible to return your kidney function to normal?

I am also really worried about diet - everything seems to be saying that I would need to cut out loads of stuff such as red meat and phosphorous to keep my kidneys healthy. A lot of them are things I have been trying to add, due to my iron levels and the resulting - horrible - hair loss!

Any knowledgable people out there? I'd be very grateful for some advice.

My mum had kidney issues in her 40s. It turned out to be (in layman's terms) a kinked tube that got blocked over time. It needed surgery to rebuild but her kidney recovered. Function was down to 5% before the op.

Thanks eurochick - that makes me feel a bit better!

What ethnicity are you? If you are Afro-Caribbean then you have to multiply the eGFR by 1.2 to get an accurate one so that would make it normal. I wouldn't massively worry about one between 50 and 60, usually nothing needs doing other than watch your blood pressure and all the usual don't smoke, stay a healthy weight etc. An eGFR of 55 with nothing else would not need referring to secondary care. Referral criteria about halfway down the page here cks.nice.org.uk/chronic-kidney-disease#!scenario

Thanks Waterbottle - that is very reassuring. I will have a read.

I am white UK born.

I got called into hospital because my dads kidney was down to 18%, prepared my (mostly grown up kids) for the worse, visited next day and 78%.

Hi @badmoon

Firstly, so many factors so please try not to worry. I was diagnosed with kidney disease out of nowhere several years ago and had eGFR of 22 when discovered. It went downhill to 6% then I went on dialysis. My friend donated me a kidney (the most amazing gift ever) and I'm now holding my 2 month old baby so even if it was worst case scenario (which I really don't think it will be!!!) life doesn't stop and good things can still happen.

An eGFR can fluctuate greatly and they usually take an average. My eGFR post transplant fluctuates anywhere from 48-55 and they therefore take an average. This is perfectly normal so I won't worry about such a small change. And they are very happy with that as an eGFR!

There are also lots of things that could be temporarily causing this that can be easily fixed (as PP suggested). So this may very well not be permanent.

IF you are stage 3 an eGFR of 55 is perfectly acceptable and your kidneys may not deteriorate at all at this stage so it may end up being something you are aware of and needs small dietary adjustments but otherwise you'd never know. Lots who are at stage 3 manage in this way and it really doesn't impact their lives at all. The only reason mine deteriorated is they were heavily scarred and couldn't sustain themselves-but this is at the very low level of 22.

There are some small things you can do in the meantime. Stop taking any NSAIDs (ibuprofen etc) as these will damage the kidneys. Take your blood Pressure and ensure this is well managed. Cut out salt but DON'T use salt substitutes as these are high in potassium. Leach vegetables that are high in potassium (boil rather than steam and throw water away).

Good luck but this sounds like something very manageable, and that's if it doesn't get treated and improve-which it may well do!

Dehydration and low Vit D can cause similar readings.
Is your blood pressure normal?

As others say it can vary and usually not an issue, the scan will be reassuring.

I have kidney disease, and currently being worked up for a transplant. A gfr of 55 is ok - it could stay stable like that for years and you may never need further treatment. My kidneys were always worse than that, and it's only been recently (gfr of 20 and below) that I've started having symptoms and need to take more medication. I still haven't needed to make any changes to my diet as blood tests don't indicate I need to, so you're probably ok at this stage . Only thing to watch is avoid ibuprofen and make sure you keep your blood pressure at healthy levels.

Any questions feel free to ask me!

This is great - so much useful information and reassurance - thanks everyone! I think I am going to try and chill out until the scan now. And step away from Google.

dotty - that's very interesting about your dad - I had no idea the levels could jump that dramatically. You must have been so relieved.

MyFartWillGoOn - (loving the user name btw) You have an amazing friend - and congratulations on your new baby! It sounds like things have been really rough for you.
My blood pressure is normal and has never been an issue, so that's a good start. Also, thanks for the pointers on the diet.

Techway - the dehydration point is interesting. I don't drink much at night because I am a very restless sleeper and hate getting up at night to go to the loo. I probably need to drink more first thing in the morning. No idea what my vit d levels are - but I do take a supplement with it in.

BerkshireCat - sorry to hear that you have been so poorly - I really hope things improve for you. Your comments about diet are really reassuring. I have been so worried about my hair loss and iron levels that I really don't want to cut too many things out.

My DF is in his 90's and his kidneys are functioning around 10%.
He's frail, but has been like this for some months.
Good luck

Thanks Parsley.