Confused why Doctors aren't concerned about egfr 54???

The doctor is clearly concerned enough to be monitoring your kidney function but until it gets a lot worse a referral to a nephrologist is not considered necessary. My efgr is 44 but I haven’t been referred either. Considering we don’t need two kidneys, half functioning is considered OK, at least for me at age 67.

56 isn’t a bad GFR I’ve been 45 for the last 5 years.. most of the population have some form of chronic kidney disease. At GFR of 45 I just take a blood pressure tablet and a calcium supplement... there’s nothing else required. Yes high blood pressure can effect your kidneys and can be dangerous on them, but there’s loads of causes of high blood pressure. There concern is managing your blood pressure, your creatinine is obviously stable otherwise they would look to refer you on. Once your BP is stable your GFR is likely to stay stable and may never effect you. 

My nephrologist pays much more attention to my Creatinine level than my eGFR level. However, he would not consider a shift like you describe on my eGFR as at all unusual. 

Anything close to an eGFR of 50 is not of concern for people in my age range. (I'm 64 years old.) If you were seeing a big shift in your data even with a higher eGFR that would be of concern. So if your data is overall quite stable and your eGFR is 50 or higher I wouldn't expect there would be much concern.

But it is hard not to worry. And for me, worrying will cause elevated BP on its own🐶 So I do try to stay as calm as is possible ... Of course that can be quite the struggle too.

Marj

Marj

I'm sorry to hear of your concern.  It is important to control your BP if your kidneys are to be protected so although your GFR is not a cause for concern presently, controlling your BP is. I have to take 3 medications to control my BP and since I did this, my GFR has been better controlled, though it is low at 22%.  My nephrologist prescribed Losartan as he said it was kidney protective and I also take Moxonidine which is the medication that finally brought my BP to a reasonable level.  Also Bendroflumiazide.  I needed to experiment with various combinations to get it right, but it has worked for me.  Keep trying!

GFR 54?  I wood kiss a dogs butt to have a gfr of 54!!   I'm 63 years old with high blood pressure. I think you're doing pretty good. I would ask your gp for suggestions for working on your BP, salt intake, diet, exercise, meditation or mild sedatives to help you relax. I also have Lupus so I understand leg pains, be careful with pain pills,  get the OK from your gp before taking anything that may hurt your kidneys.  I don't think your gp will send you to a nephrologists with a gfr like yours, anything is possible though.

Well Virginia, I think it's like this, they are human and make mistakes. That is why we need to be our biggest advocate. Keep an eye on your Dr, ask the lab for a copy of your labs and research, research,  research. You are in control, they help you because they work for you. 

https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/kidney-urinary/kidney8.htm

It looks like you will have to educate that bozo "educate that "alleged dr" and then drop his dumb arse for someone who knows what they are talking about.