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Thetas I
New Member
Canada
3 Posts |
 Posted - 06/16/2009 : 17:48:20
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I have a mild kidney disorder. Apart from that I'm very healthy.
(BP 116/65, pulse 92 at rest)
What can I do to take it easy on my kidneys?
So far I've cut back on proteins, drink more water, exercise more, watch my weight, and avoid all OTC anti-inflammatories and painkillers (e.g. Ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen, etc. )
Couldn't find much more on the net, other than 'see your doctor'.
Doc's response: watch and wait
But I wanna be more proactive! Waaaaaaah!
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Edited by - Thetas I on 06/16/2009 18:03:42
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 01:05:14 [Permalink]
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Welcome to SFN!
BP 116/65 & pulse 92 at rest doesn't sound normal. When I had my bleeding ulcer, and the blood count was down to 56, my heartbeat was around 90 at rest. On the other hand, my BP was high. Just before the hip surgery it was 180/115.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
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"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 19:45:30 [Permalink]
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| BP 116/65 & pulse 92 at rest doesn't sound normal. |
That is pretty close to normal bp and pulse for an adult. The pulse is a little fast, maybe.
Thetas I
Couldn't find much more on the net, other than 'see your doctor'.
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I'm not going to offer you medical advice over the internets...
But I will tell you the absolute best thing you can do for yourself is find a MD (an actual medical doctor) who specializes in Nephrology, and is board certified in that specialty. Go see them, and follow their instructions exactly.
If you already have a nephrology specialist, and the advice that person gave you is "watch and wait", then you are probably in good shape. You can also ask them what you can do to be pro-active about whatever your condition is, and they may have some advice for you. If you don't like the info you get from one, you can always seek a second opinion.
You'll probably get a list of things you know you should already be doing for yourself. Don't drink, smoke, use recreational drugs. Control your body weight, if you are fat then drop some pounds. Eat a balanced diet of healthy foods. Exercise more. Be 100% compliant with any other medical treatment you are getting, i.e. take your pills, follow the diet plan, never skip scheduled checkups, and so on.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Thetas I
New Member
Canada
3 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2009 : 08:51:28 [Permalink]
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Dave, "what kidney disorder"?
When I had my annual checkup in December the blood work came back
CREATININE 81 (NORMAL = 40-95)
GR (estimated) 59 (flagged L) (normal > 60 ml/min)
Notation: "Kidney function estimate based on serum creatinine: indicates reduced function: needs further evaluation and follow up"
GP says just on the cusp; no need to worry now, but follow up in December next checkup. Meantime live really healthy lifestyle.
Which I do. |
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Parker Georgy
Spammer
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2009 : 04:37:12 [Permalink]
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Help to kidney stones forming
Get your CAT scan from the place where it was done. Take it to a different doctor.If your tubes are inflamed, somebody should be looking into it,and you are not going to change the mind of your doctor.He is committed. |
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Zebra
Skeptic Friend
USA
354 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2009 : 21:37:25 [Permalink]
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Thetas I, with a creatinine in the normal range (upper end of normal range) but a calculated GFR just a snidge below 60, I'm going to use my magic crystal ball to guess that you're female, or "older", or both. (Or, low body weight, if the calculation the lab used took that into consideration.) If not, then the "creatinine" and "GFR" results do not match up.
If they do match up: First, don't panic. It may well be nothing. (Also, remember that life is a terminal condition...though for some reason, not many people seem to find that reassuring.) Your blood pressure is excellent (high blood pressure is a major stressor on the kidneys) and you should definitely avoid NSAIDs given the question of something going on w/ your kidneys. Here's more info:
Lab results can be up or down for various fluky reasons. Rechecking the level is a very reasonable thing to do (so is letting some time go by first, but of course then you have all that time to wonder about your kidneys).
Remember too that the "normal" ranges for lab tests are picked so that 90% of healthy people fall within the selected range, meaning that 10% of normal people can fall outside the "normal" range & still be fine. Having a lab result that is just above or just below the normal range & is stable over time, on several checks, may well mean that that's your normal. (Though that truism holds less true for creatinine than for other labs, like liver function tests or hematocrit. Do you have any prior creatinine values to compare this one to?)
Creatinine is a breakdown product of muscle, cleared by the kidneys; the serum level is used as a marker of kidney function.
Serum creatinine can be higher if someone's dehydrated, or recently exercised vigorously, or was taking anti-inflammatory medications, or maybe even eating lots of animal protein (or protein supplements containing creatinine) before the lab draw. In each of these cases, the creatinine typically comes down readily once the underlying explanation is gone (though the anti-inflammatories can do permanent damage, so your plan to avoid them is excellent).
Serum creatinine can also be elevated without reflecting poorly on the kidney function if a person has been taking one of a number of medications which compete with creatinine for active excretion at the kidney glomeruli.
These include the acid-blocking medication cimetidine (Tagamet in the US; I don't know what it's called in Canada) or the antibiotic trimethoprim (most commonly taken as part of "sulfa" antibiotic, aka Bactrim or Septra, in the U.S.). In these cases, the creatinine will come down quickly after the person stops taking the medication, with no risk of kidney harm at any point along the way.
Simply coincidentally, I saw a patient today whose creatinine was elevated once in 2005, and she's still worried about it. It was normal 10 times before then (over 10 years), and it's been normal 7 times since then (over 4 years). I hope you have the same experience, except that the worry passes sooner!
Edited to add: Oh, and don't get a CT scan, especially not one with contrast - people can develop renal failure from CT contrast. If your kidneys need further evaluation (for low GFR), get an ultrasound and have a complete urinalysis done. (Though, if the question is kidney stone, then CT WITHOUT contrast is the right study.)
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I think, you know, freedom means freedom for everyone* -Dick Cheney
*some restrictions may apply |
| Edited by - Zebra on 07/20/2009 21:40:52 |
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jakesteele
New Member
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2009 : 04:50:52 [Permalink]
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I have used various types of herbal augmentation to the solid M.D. care I get. This link has a lot of good dietary advice and a couple of non-invasive adjuncts to use on a daily basis.
I recommend that you look up 'natural remedies' on google and read through some of these. You will find some good pointer on diet and certain herbs you can take that are beneficial. |
Sacred Cows make the tastiest hamburgers |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2009 : 13:20:30 [Permalink]
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I'm skeptical about "natural remedies" when you have a condition what is not fixed by a healthy diet. When "Herbal augmentation" is used, you're taking them because they contain a specific compound or another. The problem is, the herbs contain much more than just the substance you're chasing, so you end up ingesting things that might not be as beneficial for you.
On the other hand, most of the pharmaceuticals contain these substances, but without the impurities you get from the herbs.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2009 : 13:23:02 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by jakesteele
I have used various types of herbal augmentation to the solid M.D. care I get. |
For what condition?| This link has a lot of good dietary advice and a couple of non-invasive adjuncts to use on a daily basis. |
What link?| I recommend that you look up 'natural remedies' on google and read through some of these. You will find some good pointer on diet and certain herbs you can take that are beneficial. |
Using Google in such a haphazard way, Thetas will also find a whole lot of garbage. How is one to tell the difference between utter nonsense and good pointers? |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Thetas I
New Member
Canada
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 08:08:33 [Permalink]
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Hi, thanks all! Very interesting reading, and sensible.
Zebra, I may have been dehydrated a little. I'm weird. I very seldom feel thirsty. I'm amazed at people who actually DRINK the recommended 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. But I have reformed since seeing those test results.
No, I don't have other creatinine values to compare it to.
I never was a big protein eater. Well, sometimes I pig out on home made pork and beans. I have this delicious recipe. But not often.
I've never been much of an NSAID user, because I never get headaches or any chronic pain. Even if I've had a root canal, and the dentist gives me a 'just in case' prescription of a dozen or so tablets, I've never had to take more than one. Besides, I think it's good to learn how to put up with a little pain. When I was overweight once, I used to get back pain. It was miserable but I toughed it out, except for topical NSAIDS such as Salonpas (trade name). Then got rid of the weight. Back's fine now.
By the way, do you think the effect of topical NSAIDS is merely psychosomatic? (Placebo effect.) It seemed to 'really' help back pain.
I use only one prescription med: Atrovent (ipratropium bromide HFA) Inhalation Aerosol for infrequent COPD symptoms.
I had a kidney CT scan with contrast once years ago. It was for recurring cystitis. The tech didn't warn me of the sensations I would experience (rushing heat sensation, tingling, etc.) and I thought I was having an allergic reaction!
I remember it as an unpleasant experience -- hope I never need another!
Results of the scan: no kidney involvement. That GP sent me to a urologist later, and turned out I had a small urethra and was not effectively draining my bladder. Minor surgical treatment to enlarge urethra cured it permanently. Wonder if the scan did some kidney damage? Can't have been much, if it did, because I've had no kidney symptoms at all since.
By the way, your crystal ball is in great working order! I'm a 73-year-old woman. My body weight is in the normal range.
Thanks for posting. I feel better now. |
| Edited by - Thetas I on 08/03/2009 08:13:04 |
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Kidney stuff
