Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: Talli on February 14, 2024, 05:23:49 PM
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So my Mother (76) has just been diagnosed with stage 3 CKD.
She and I are really close and I’m gutted I don’t know what to do to help her.
Is this the beginning of the end?
Any reassurance appreciated :)
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My mum had that for years, got worse when she had any kind of virus and then improved again. Your mum needs to be careful with the use of diuretic drugs as they stress the kidneys, there are specific ones that are kidney sparing. Also look up diet for CKD, like low sodium etc. There is lots you / she can do diet wise. Balance of fluids is crucial, talk to the doctor about that. But to answer your question, no its not the beginning of the end. My mum passed aged 87 and from something else, so please have hope.
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Thank you Penguin!
I have been looking up diets and recipes for her online from various UK based Kidney charities so I will definitely continue to do that!
Thank you so so much for replying to me 💞
And the other advice about fluids and diuretics etc I will pass on to her too!
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You're welcome.
BtW I know the NHS is in a bit of a state atm but if your mum is on regular medication she should be having at least annual blood tests to make sure they are not impacting her organs and definitely now she has CKD to monitor changes. At which point the drugs could be changed or doses adjusted. I'd say keep track of when she last had these blood tests and push for them to be done at least every year, ideally more frequently. I don't think you can rely on GP being in contact to schedule them these days.
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Thank you again.
She does have regular annual blood tests as she is on high blood pressure medication (she dosnt smoke or drink and isn’t over weight, just runs in the family) also her cholesterol is very high.
Recently she gave me the log in details of her online account to access her details and she’s had the same results that they’ve now said is stage 3 CKD for years, sometimes the results were worse than the ones they’re suddenly interested in so I’m not sure what’s going on.
It states on her record that she has stage 3 etc but they’ve not said anything about it before :/
I’m really upset and confused
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??? C[hronic]K[idney]D[isease] ???
I've been diagnosed. But the NHS won't do any treatment until my body begins to break down ::). Picked up on annual blood tests as I take statins.
How does your Mum feel?
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She’s feeling ok just frightened by the diagnosis. She has a telephone app tomorrow with the GP so I guess we’ll know more after that.
How are you feeling about it all CLKD?
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Thank you again.
She does have regular annual blood tests as she is on high blood pressure medication (she dosnt smoke or drink and isn’t over weight, just runs in the family) also her cholesterol is very high.
Recently she gave me the log in details of her online account to access her details and she’s had the same results that they’ve now said is stage 3 CKD for years, sometimes the results were worse than the ones they’re suddenly interested in so I’m not sure what’s going on.
It states on her record that she has stage 3 etc but they’ve not said anything about it before :/
I’m really upset and confused
That was the same with my mum, hers fluctuated for years. Do they plan on referring her to a specialist? If not then continue as you're going and try not to worry especially as this has been there for years and she's previously had worse results. Perhaps it is as simple as a different doctor reviewing her notes and deciding to formally tell you, it doesn't mean anything has changed.
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Thank you again Penguin!
You’ve really put my mind at rest!
We shall continue with researching the diets and fluids etc and just try to manage it.
Yes it could be something as simple as another Dr noticing and deciding finally to tell her.
Thanks again!
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Thank you again.
She does have regular annual blood tests as she is on high blood pressure medication (she dosnt smoke or drink and isn’t over weight, just runs in the family) also her cholesterol is very high.
Recently she gave me the log in details of her online account to access her details and she’s had the same results that they’ve now said is stage 3 CKD for years, sometimes the results were worse than the ones they’re suddenly interested in so I’m not sure what’s going on.
It states on her record that she has stage 3 etc but they’ve not said anything about it before :/
I’m really upset and confused
That was the same with my mum, hers fluctuated for years. Do they plan on referring her to a specialist? If not then continue as you're going and try not to worry especially as this has been there for years and she's previously had worse results. Perhaps it is as simple as a different doctor reviewing her notes and deciding to formally tell you, it doesn't mean anything has changed.
Oh don’t know about specialist yet, might know more tomorrow after her app.
Forgot to mention that in my reply to you X
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Let us know how she gets on and please feel free to bounce off us with anything you are thinking about. Ageing parents are such a worry, but my mum lasted over a decade even with heart failure. There are so many options these days both medication and lifestyle.
BTW did you know beetroot is great for lowering blood pressure?
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How very odd....my 71 Yr old husband was told, just this week, that he has stage 3 CKD - by the pharmacist at our surgery who had called him to discuss statins! Apparently he's has raised creatinine levels in his blood since 2017 but has not been told about this in the past!
Back in Nov he was referred to ENT for an ear problem and we noticed the reference to CKD stage 3 in a list of medical history but we confidently told the consultant that this was a mistake!!
Hubby has high blood pressure which is controlled by medication and borderline high cholesterol, so I think it's these combined with the CKD that led the GP Surgery to suggest, via a call with the pharmacist, statins. We've done a lot of reading in the last few days and, maybe naively, have decided it's something to be aware of but not to worry about.
I'm sure your Mum will be fine and, hopefully, you'll be reassured by what her GP tells her. I suspect it's a pretty common thing that sounds worse than it actually is for most people and that as medical science provides more info more people will be diagnosed and offered appropriate drugs.
I'll be interested to hear what her GP says, if you wouldn't mind letting us know.
Susie
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Let us know how she gets on and please feel free to bounce off us with anything you are thinking about. Ageing parents are such a worry, but my mum lasted over a decade even with heart failure. There are so many options these days both medication and lifestyle.
BTW did you know beetroot is great for lowering blood pressure?
Thanks for your comment. And you’re right :)
And yes I did know about beetroot actually as I have inherited the high blood pressure too and tried at first to lower it naturally but it was too high so had to have medication eventually.
My Mum is on 105mg a day :o
Oh gosh yes about aging parents!
I have two in-laws both who’ve had cancer and both my parents who aren’t well, my Mum with this and other things and my Dad with serious heart problems and crumbling bones in his hips and knees.
It’s a nightmare! ???
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How very odd....my 71 Yr old husband was told, just this week, that he has stage 3 CKD - by the pharmacist at our surgery who had called him to discuss statins! Apparently he's has raised creatinine levels in his blood since 2017 but has not been told about this in the past!
Back in Nov he was referred to ENT for an ear problem and we noticed the reference to CKD stage 3 in a list of medical history but we confidently told the consultant that this was a mistake!!
Hubby has high blood pressure which is controlled by medication and borderline high cholesterol, so I think it's these combined with the CKD that led the GP Surgery to suggest, via a call with the pharmacist, statins. We've done a lot of reading in the last few days and, maybe naively, have decided it's something to be aware of but not to worry about.
I'm sure your Mum will be fine and, hopefully, you'll be reassured by what her GP tells her. I suspect it's a pretty common thing that sounds worse than it actually is for most people and that as medical science provides more info more people will be diagnosed and offered appropriate drugs.
I'll be interested to hear what her GP says, if you wouldn't mind letting us know.
Susie
How very odd but also interesting!
That seems to be the way it goes then…nothing and then they tell you.
Funny because I noticed on my Mums record that it was when they prescribed her statins that they actually put on there about the stage 3 kidney issues.
I will definitely pop back on to update after she’s had her telephone app with GP tomorrow.
Thank you for being so reassuring about it all. Especially when you’re going through it too.
This website is so supportive and helpful.
Thanks everyone! Xxx
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Talli - I wasn't worried when I was told that the NHS doesn't do anything about it ::) and I got the impression that 1 would have to be very ill B4 they considered treatment. Until this thread I had forgotten :D
I already eat little and often though tonight I've gone wrong somewhere with dreadful wind - we haven't yet worked out why this happens periodically. No rhyme nor reason :(
Let us know what the GP suggests.
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Talli - I wasn't worried when I was told that the NHS doesn't do anything about it ::) and I got the impression that 1 would have to be very ill B4 they considered treatment. Until this thread I had forgotten :D
I already eat little and often though tonight I've gone wrong somewhere with dreadful wind - we haven't yet worked out why this happens periodically. No rhyme nor reason :(
Let us know what the GP suggests.
Thank you CLKD!
That makes me feel so much better!
:-*
Xx
I will def let you all know what GP says :)
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Chronic illness usually means that it's long-term rather than an emergency problem. Put chronic and disease together and the brain might go into free fall ::)
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So…the GP said the problem was mild (stage 3? anyway…) and that there was a ‘new’ initiative from NHS England to offer everyone with high cholesterol and kidney disease statins which is apparently what the phone call was about.
Considering my mum was offered statins a year ago I’m not sure how new this initiative is but anyway.
My Mum has been following a low cholesterol diet for the last year so the GP said they’ll take a blood and urine test in June and see where they go from there.
My Mum said GP was very nice and that she (my Mum) plans to carry on with her diet and then try different statins (the first lot gave her horrific side effects so GP said to come off) after her blood test in June and then she could focus on a more kidney related diet rather than cholesterol because a lot of the foods that are good for cholesterol are bad for kidneys and vice versa.
So…that’s where we’re up to.
Thanks so much for the support and for listening guys! 🌸
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Chronic illness usually means that it's long-term rather than an emergency problem. Put chronic and disease together and the brain might go into free fall ::)
Yes I’m afraid that’s why my brain did ::)
Even though I’m aware of the fact that chronic means long term rather than shockingly worrying as I have A LOT of health issues myself other than the grand old menopause so I should have been more sensible.
Dear dear…oh well I’m chalking it up to experience and moving on ha ha
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DH and I have never had problems with statins. Some have aches and pains in the joints. DH tried to take his cholesterol down by diet but after 4 months we went onto the medication on advice of the GP.
Let us know how your Mum gets on. There's no need to be sensible on here ;D ....... we're always diagnosing ourselves with something or other . We have a thread ......... ;)
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Sorry I've just read your message.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago age 63 with stage 3 ckd.
I go for 6 monthly blood tests with the GP.
Doctors won't refer you to a specialist until you go onto stage 4
I started to follow a low salt diet, less than 3g daily and was ok until this month, when a urine test picked up that my kidneys are leaking protein, so I have to start on medication to stop it getting worse.
Tell your Mum to keep hydrated, drink plenty fluids, cut back on ibuprofen as they're kidney killers, and cut back on her salt intake.
I use the nutracheck app to log all my food
As long as her egfr stays in stage 3 and she doesn't develop complications she should be ok, but push for 6 monthly blood tests if you want reassurance
Hope this helps
Susan
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Don't cut back too much on the salt - if U find that cramp sets in, then the body isn't getting enough!
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DH and I have never had problems with statins. Some have aches and pains in the joints. DH tried to take his cholesterol down by diet but after 4 months we went onto the medication on advice of the GP.
Let us know how your Mum gets on. There's no need to be sensible on here ;D ....... we're always diagnosing ourselves with something or other . We have a thread ......... ;)
Hopefully they can give her a different brand if she does need them that don’t make her react like the others did.
Hahaha I’m the queen of self diagnosis and terrible health anxiety! My husband will attest to that! ;D
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Sorry I've just read your message.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago age 63 with stage 3 ckd.
I go for 6 monthly blood tests with the GP.
Doctors won't refer you to a specialist until you go onto stage 4
I started to follow a low salt diet, less than 3g daily and was ok until this month, when a urine test picked up that my kidneys are leaking protein, so I have to start on medication to stop it getting worse.
Tell your Mum to keep hydrated, drink plenty fluids, cut back on ibuprofen as they're kidney killers, and cut back on her salt intake.
I use the nutracheck app to log all my food
As long as her egfr stays in stage 3 and she doesn't develop complications she should be ok, but push for 6 monthly blood tests if you want reassurance
Hope this helps
Susan
Good to know all that! Thank you so much! I will try and keep everyone posted but my memory is pretty terrible these days! ;D :o
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I make notes then 4get where I've put them ;D