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I am so worried about my kidneys and I need help

Posted , 5 users are following.

kidneyhelppp
kidneyhelppp

Hi there,

I've been worried about my kidneys for a few days ever since I've had lower back pain. I am a Type 2 Diabetic and I stopped taking metformin when I had horrible side effects and my doctor wasn't helping me. I have heard the strains metformin can have on kidneys and I am reduced to tears right now after multiple ER visits and the labs from the ER say that my Glomerular Filtration Rate Calc is < 60 and there is a little comment next to it saying "CKD STAGE 2 OR LESS" Obviously after googling in a panic what CKD is I am horrified. Could I have Chronic Kidney Disease and the doctor didn't even tell me? I am beyond frustrated at this point and I have no one to ask or talk to. I don't see a primary care doctor until March, can someone please help me? 

By the way I'm only 22 years old.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • badger_47080
    badger_47080 kidneyhelppp

    Posted

    Sweetie..please do not panic.

    First thing you need to do is contact a nephrologist asap..do not wait. A nephrologist specializes in kidney function. He will help you and give you the information that you need to start the healing process. If you are stage 2 kidney disease no need to worry it's the beginning stages. Diet is the most important thing right now and you need to educate yourself on foods to eat. The foods you eat can either make you or break you, good news is your kidneys can be fixed at stage 2. Before getting a nephrologist make sure you do extensive research on the doctor and that he has good reviews. Don't worry..you will be fine..

    • kidneyhelppp
      kidneyhelppp badger_47080

      Posted

      Thank you so much. I was horribly worried. I am going to do everything in my power to fix this and try to calm down. I know anxiety might cause high blood pressure and that will also strain my kidneys. 

      I have cut out sugars and fatty foods completely (besides natural fish, some milk, natural sugars from fruits) in hopes this will make me feel better until seeing the doctor. 

      I really appreciate your answer so much. 

  • marj01201
    marj01201 kidneyhelppp

    Posted

    First, I would encourage you to restart the metformin until you get to s e your doctor. High glucos levels are much harder on your kidneys than metformin.

    Second, as you wait for your appointment be sure to eat a healthy diet and exercise daily. The exercise will help your diabetes management as well as stress management.

    I'm not sure what country you are in, but if you are in the USA you may be able to see a nurse practitioner who works with your doctor in just a week or two. If that isn't an option you could call to see if your doctor can see you early.

    At your doctor's appointment, your doctor should order a renal panel to get another set of data scores on your kidneys. He or she may also ask for a urine sample to check for protein levels in your urine.

    The first step is to confirm your lab results. The next step is to discuss what the results actually mean. If you have chronic kidney disease and are in Stage II, you will likely just need to eat a healthy diet, including low sodium, and exercise. The goal will be to stabilize function or at least slow deterioration.

    Not all people with CKD progress to renal failure. 

    And one other thing, you doctor may want to refer you to a nephrologist. If not you could ask to be referred to a nephrologist (kidney specialist). I would want to do that. i think it's good to get a nephrologist involved early to get their guidance on your treatment plan--if you have CKD.

    Take a deep breath. Take your medication. Eat healthy. Exercise. And see about moving your appointment up. Right now you need information🐶 And try to relax. As bad as it sounds you've actually got plenty of renal function at this point. 

    Marj

    • kidneyhelppp
      kidneyhelppp marj01201

      Posted

      Thank you so much. I was having the worst anxiety of my life thinking about this. I am in the USA.

      I'm just afraid my doctor isn't going to treat me because I stopped taking the Metformin without informing her and I haven't been in to see her in over a year. 

      If my protein levels are low in my urine could that mean I might not have CKD or it could be at stage 1? In my labs it says my ketones are at 80 and I thought that was good. 

      I am definitely going to check to see if she can refer me to a kidney specialist ASAP to help me through this. 

      What I was really really worried about was renal failure but that can't progress in less than 2 years can it? I was only diagnosed as diabetic in late 2015. 

       

    • badger_47080
      badger_47080 kidneyhelppp

      Posted

      Kidney failure can progress quickly..depends on other health issues, age and diet and doctor. My mom's kidneys failed from stage 3 to 5 in 4 months. She had diabetes, high blood pressure and was AFib age 73.

      If you go on Pinterest it will give you menus on what to eat. I made a lot of recipes from Pinterest for her. Her favorite was a cucumber boat with yogurt chicken salad and rice crackers. Try your best to eat organic food and stay off of white bread and sugars.

    • kidneyhelppp
      kidneyhelppp badger_47080

      Posted

      I dont have high blood pressure, and I stopped eating sugars immediately as soon as I suspected something wrong. 

      My BUN is only at an 8, which is fairly low. How did her kidneys fail so quickly? 

    • badger_47080
      badger_47080 kidneyhelppp

      Posted

      She had other health problems like highblood pressure, diabetes and afib. The last two months before she passed I noticed swelling from her waist up even on her face. I knew something was really wrong so I demanded the doctor to do more testing, I had to fight him in order for him to do it. We found that she had cirrhosis of the liver also. When one organ fails the rest start to fall apart but only if there is a cluster of illnesses. She was in the hospital for 3 months and palliative care for one month. I did everything in my power to keep her alive. The fight was excruciating making sure that she had the right medications, probiotics, kind nurses an educated doctors. I strongly believe that doctors should have continuing medical education as the medical field tends to evolve. The last month dialysis was not working anymore so we had to make the decision of taking her to hospice. I miss the love of my life. I have educated myself completely and dedicated to at least trying to help others. All I know is that diet was everything. I did not let her eat the hospital food as I made her healthy organic recipes and lots and lots of berries. Her number started slowly going up but then all of a sudden we found the cirrhosis of the liver.
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