1. Community
  2. Genito-urinary/Kidney
  3. Kidney Failure and CKD

GFR of 4 can it be wrong?

Posted , 5 users are following.

ste30097
ste30097

My friend has been given a GFR of 4 and has been put on dialysis within 2 days without any other test. He is perfectly healthy, feels fine in himself is peeing normal, isn’t fatigued... it seems something is amiss with the results. Everything I have read says he should be feeling horrible and he’s totally fine. He has been take a lot of creatine for the gym like 25g a day. He told the doctor this but they said it wouldn’t make a difference to the GFR, but I thought this was measured on the creatinine level which is the waste product of creatine? I'm obviously not a doctor but i feel something is wrong with his diagnosis. Does anyone have any advice for me or had a false GFR reading.

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

Next
  • Neffie
    Neffie ste30097

    Posted

    My sister was on an antibiotic when she had bloodwork done. Her gfr was terribel, so was creatinine.  Had the tests redone after 6 weeks, they improved so much..  I have never heard of such a thing.  4????   Something is wrong.  He would not be able to function.  Get to another doctor,   get tests redone.  
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    it is common to have stage 5 failure without feeling ill, my mother has 5% and has no symptoms either
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    the singer max Merritt was recently admitted to hospuital with a kidney function of ZERO, he didnt know he had a kidney problem until they gave him a bllod test
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    i can alomost guarantee you, that your friends test is accurate. it's a simple blood test to measure creatine clearance, and it's reliable. it cant tell you why your kidneys aren't functioning, but it can detect function 
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    although Neffie seems suprised, I can assure you this is not a rare situation, there are many people that have less then 5% function and don't feel ill.​ the reason why your friend isnt ill is because he is an individual and not a statistic, it is true most peopleet ill when function falls below 15%, but not all of them do, i personally know 4 people with less then 5% function and they are not feeling ill
    • ste30097
      ste30097 tony78174

      Posted

      Thanks for the info. Yeah it makes sense what you are saying about everyone being different. He is only 30 and other than this is extremely fit and healthy. Just looking for a positive with the hole situation and hoping the test was wrong somewhere along the line. So im assuming creatine supplements wouldn't distort the results?
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    15% or under is classified as end stage renal failure, it is serious.  how  was he informed he had 5% function ? if h wasnt ill, why did he have a kidney function test ?
    • ste30097
      ste30097 tony78174

      Posted

      He went in to the docs with a pain in his chest that he'd had for a few days, turned out it was muscle damage from the gym. They check his blood pressure while he was there and it was 180/100 so ran further tests. Plus he only has one kidney (born with one) which i assume would have been in his notes
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey ste30097

      Posted

      ste30097, it is now important that your friend is treated with the relevant medication to reduce his blood pressure in order to protect his remaining kidney function.  Certain BP lowering drugs can be kidney protective - Ramipril is one, and in fact my kidney function improved within a very short time of taking it.  I believe the only people for whom Ramipril is not suitable/recommended is those who have narrowing of the arteries to the kidneys.  However, unfortunately I am very sensitive to a lot of BP meds, including Ramipril, so had to stop taking it.  Your friend might just be able to reduce his blood pressure naturally, simply by losing weight, avoiding salt and caffeine, drinking plenty of water and taking regular exercise - although I think hard workouts in the gym might be a step too far for now. 
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    ok now i understand the situation, high blood pressure is a killer of kidney health, the high blood pressure may be the reason for the kidney damage. i'm just suprised... if he only had one kidney why wasn't his blood pressure being monitored years ago for early intervention ?
  • tony78174
    tony78174 ste30097

    Posted

    i can't believe it, he only had one kidney and no one told him not to have to much protein, and no one was monitoring his blood pressure ? which country are you in ?
    • ste30097
      ste30097 tony78174

      Posted

      In the UK, he had a test 3 years ago and it was 29 then which is close to stage 5 i think but it was over looked and no one followed up on it or told him. He has only found out about it now. Never been told to limit protein as far as i am aware
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey tony78174

      Posted

      Tony, as people can live a completely normal life with just one kidney, if they are otherwise healthy there is absolutely no reason to check kidney function.  Neither does someone with one healthy kidney need to follow any particular diet, ie no need to watch protein intake - that situation is reserved for the time when certain kidney conditions require a low protein intake.   I know what I'm talking about because I had a kidney removed when I was 12 years old, following which I have spent more than 50 years with one perfectly working kidney.  Now in older age and with high blood pressure, my kidney function is deteriorating and I have CKD3.  Unfortunately, it looks as though either an undiagnosed inflammatory conditon or the Ibuprofen involved at the time caused the damage, and now the high blood pressure is adding to the reducing function.  Even some of the blood pressure medications prescribed have had a deleterious effect on my kidney. 
    • tony78174
      tony78174 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      the reason for monitoring is because he now has stage 5 failure in the remaining kidney (it is a simple urine protein paper stick test done in doctor's office).... and they certainly do it in my country to every patient at least once a year (with or without kidney disease) blood or protein in urine can be detected instantly and inexpensively it is so damn simple that it's criminal no doctor ever gave him this test as a general anual test
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey tony78174

      Posted

      Which country is that, Tony?  Sounds efficient - do you have to pay for the care?  The big oversight on the part of those looking after (or not!) ste30097's friend was that no-one followed it up when the eGFR was found to be as low at 29 - disgraceful.
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey tony78174

      Posted

      I have a friend in Australia, and I'm sure she has said she pays into something.
    • tony78174
      tony78174 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      sure, the payment system allows you to chose the specialist you desire, but if you dont want to pay government fees you can select free  doctor
    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey tony78174

      Posted

      Sounds good, Tony, although I can't knock our NHS even if I do moan about it sometimes!  When it works, it's brilliant.
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.