Moms GFR dropping quickly
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Hi, I'm new and need some help here. My mom is 89 and in acute heart failure and kidney failure. In Oct of 2016 her GFR was 36 and had been that way for over 3 years. In November., it dropped to 28 and her gp took her off diuretics. Mom ended in hospital with severe heart failure in January. Her Drs put her back on diuretics to help but her GFR dropped to 26 in the hospital. In February it was 23 and in March it dropped to 21. Her kidney specialist said they won't do dialysis because with heart failure it can't be done. Can someone tell me her prognosis and what I can expect, time frame, issues? Thank you for your help
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patricia53019 karen55008
Posted
MY GFR WAS 34 THEN 27 THE 32 THEN 32 NOW 23
IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND THIS CKD I CALLED THE NKF THEY SAID MY NUMBERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO BACK UP AND NOW I MAY ALSO HAVE LUPUS
HOPE TO FIND OUT SOON
helen54849 patricia53019
Posted
Hi,
A GFR is only a best guess and can change if you are on certain meds, if you have a cold or infection and lots of other things. Creatinine levels are far more accurate, ask your dr what those levels are. There is no normal as such as we are all different. To try and help and show a guide, before I had my transplant mine was 680 and now its 73, my friend who gave me the kidney has a reading in the 60's and I no people who's creatinine is in the thousands. This figure is a better guide. If you are in the UK you can register on patient view, this lets you see your blood results but also explains what levels should be and what it means if they are too high or too low and there are some very good reasons that are not as scary as you think. You go onto the site, click you would like to join, then ask you dr for the forms they be the witness, you complete your part, they send it off, then you get emailed a password. Off you go then, it is a very interesting read, but it can also put your mind at rest when you can understand what is happening to you and why. Hope this helps
helen54849 karen55008
Posted
Hi Karen,
I am so sorry to hear about your Mum, you must be so worried and scared. I had a swift drop in GFR but I was 37 at the time with no other health issues, my drop took the drs by surprise. I could have dialsysis and was on that for two years before a very kind friend gave me one of her kidneys. I am surprised your Mums drs have not told you both that your Mum will probably not leave you due to kidney failure, this is because she has heart failure this will more than likely be the cause of any issues. I hate explaining this to people its really hard. If it was just kidney failure then she would just become weaker I was told by my neph it is a gentle way to go (not that other ways differ) Obviously no one even the drs can give timescales. Spend as much time with your dear Mum as you can and just be there and reassure her. It may take a while for her GFR to drop she would be no where near dialysis with a GFR of 21 mine was 6 before I started on it, in the uk they don't start talking about it until 15%. I wish you and your Mum all the very best and am sending massive hugs to you both. Kidney failure is not nice I have had it all my life and so I know how scared you are. Please come back and post now and again with updates x