Kidney problems

[somewhereintheworld]

I have something called iga nephropathy which means I don't have 100% kidney function. On my recent hospital appointment I was told my kidney function has declined further and I may need steroid treatment. I'm loathe to go on this treatment as I'm worried about weight gain. Do any of you have this condition and have you had this treatment and how did it affect you?

There are other medications that Renal can consider to protect your kidney function e.g. dapagliflozin. Depends on your individual circumstances - I have interstitial tubular nephritis and my Egfr is too low for those. I have had a few courses of high dose Prednisolone since 2016 for my kidneys and other autoimmune issues. Hated every minute, but each dose did ultimately help my Egfr. I would have been on dialysis by now without them. I did get “moon face” and my appetite increased. I was in them for best part of 10 months each time and did gain a few pounds. It was mostly water weight/ bloating and the moon face went away after a few months of stopping steroids. The mood swings are something else! There are some useful fb groups - Chronic Kidney Disease UK and Kidney Disease/ Failure Support group.

Thanks for the advice. I already take Dapagliflozin, but I don't think it's working so well now. If my urine sample shows lots of protein I will have to take the steroids. I will look into the fb groups too. I haven't heard of your condition. Does it give you any pain? Mine is completely symptom free, so I was shocked when I had this diagnosis last week. Good luck for the future.

I have IgA nephropathy too and was advised steroids when my kidney function declined. I was worried about weight gain as well. Some people do experience increased appetite and weight gain, but not everyone does, and the benefits can sometimes outweigh the risks if the kidneys are deteriorating. It’s worth discussing all treatment options and side effects with your nephrologist before making a decision.

Preserving your remaining kidney function, or slowing down further decline is important. Steroids can have side effects (but not for everyone) but remember the endpoint for declining kidney function can be dialysis or transplant. Some weight gain may be far more preferable than the restrictions needed to deal with severe kidney disease, dialysis or transplant.

Thanks for your advice SerenitySeeker4 and lljp. I just hope I'm not gonna need the steroids.