kidneys and dehydration

jim and i
jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Jim was admitted to the hospital Friday for dehydration. This morning the doctor said his kidney function numbers were up and if they did not go down by tomorrow they would call in a kidney specialist. I am scared. Has anyone been through this? He has been on intervenious fluids since and is not getting any better. Doc said sometimes the kidneys clear up by themselves, But what if they don't?

Comments

  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #2
    My husband was hospitalized
    My husband was hospitalized for dehydration and after the blood test came back, they informed us that his kidneys were functioning at 20%. I was very scared, but after a few days of fluids the numbers did get a little better, not where they wanted them. They went ahead and sent him home. He was getting Cisplatin at the time. They switched him to carb/taxol and he had no more problems with his kidneys. It took several weeks for the numbers to reach normal status. He is 6 weeks out of treatment now. Is your husband still in treatment mode? If so, what is his treatment protocol? Prayers coming your way that his numbers will reach a healthy level.
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #3
    arndog64 said:

    My husband was hospitalized
    My husband was hospitalized for dehydration and after the blood test came back, they informed us that his kidneys were functioning at 20%. I was very scared, but after a few days of fluids the numbers did get a little better, not where they wanted them. They went ahead and sent him home. He was getting Cisplatin at the time. They switched him to carb/taxol and he had no more problems with his kidneys. It took several weeks for the numbers to reach normal status. He is 6 weeks out of treatment now. Is your husband still in treatment mode? If so, what is his treatment protocol? Prayers coming your way that his numbers will reach a healthy level.

    still in treatment
    Yes Jim is in treatment. He was to have 3 Cisplatin treatments with 8 weeks of radiation but the chemo doc said no more chemo. It is encouraging to know that your husbands kidneys returned to normal. Thanks for the prayers.

    Debbie
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    jim and i said:

    still in treatment
    Yes Jim is in treatment. He was to have 3 Cisplatin treatments with 8 weeks of radiation but the chemo doc said no more chemo. It is encouraging to know that your husbands kidneys returned to normal. Thanks for the prayers.

    Debbie

    Debbie
    I cannot help as far as info goes, but I will surely lift him up in prayer tonight.
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #5
    sweetblood22 said:

    Debbie
    I cannot help as far as info goes, but I will surely lift him up in prayer tonight.

    I'll take the prayers,
    I'll take the prayers, thanks
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #6
    jim and i said:

    still in treatment
    Yes Jim is in treatment. He was to have 3 Cisplatin treatments with 8 weeks of radiation but the chemo doc said no more chemo. It is encouraging to know that your husbands kidneys returned to normal. Thanks for the prayers.

    Debbie

    Cisplatin is brutal on the
    Cisplatin is brutal on the kidneys. Let me know if they switch chemo meds.
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #7
    jim and i said:

    still in treatment
    Yes Jim is in treatment. He was to have 3 Cisplatin treatments with 8 weeks of radiation but the chemo doc said no more chemo. It is encouraging to know that your husbands kidneys returned to normal. Thanks for the prayers.

    Debbie

    It tool like 2 months.. I
    It tool like 2 months.. I always watched his water intake and made sure he was using the restroom when he got released. Take care all will be ok.
  • palmyrafan
    palmyrafan Member Posts: 396
    #8
    Kidneys
    Have been through dehydration (was hospitalized in January) but have not had the kidney issues associated with it.

    I will add both you and your husband to my prayers.

    Teresa
  • Toni08
    Toni08 Member Posts: 39
    #9
    Same here
    My dad was hospitalized after each of his chemo sessions with dehydration and tests showed his kidneys were not functioning properly. He is fine now. I am familiar with the fear and what ifs. Just know this is a chemo side effect, the doctors are very familiar with treating it, and he is in the best possible place to be. Unfortunately improvements are not immediate, they take longer than we would like. Hang in there, it will get better
  • Toni08
    Toni08 Member Posts: 39
    #10
    Same here
    My dad was hospitalized after each of his chemo sessions with dehydration and tests showed his kidneys were not functioning properly. He is fine now. I am familiar with the fear and what ifs. Just know this is a chemo side effect, the doctors are very familiar with treating it, and he is in the best possible place to be. Unfortunately improvements are not immediate, they take longer than we would like. Hang in there, it will get better
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    Cisplatin & Hydration
    Like mentioned, Cisplatin is brutal on the kidneys...one reason they give you Lasix and other fluids during treatment....flushing the systems as thorough and quickly as possible.

    Usually they'll stop the Chemo or change the "cocktail" until the kidneys start functioning within range again....

    One of the main indicators is on your blood count sheets (you should ask for a hardcopy each time you have blood tests)...GFR.

    GFR measures the functionality and filtration of the kidneys.

    Best,
    John
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #12
    Kidneys
    Buzz has some kidney damage from the Cisplatin and received 2 out of 3 rounds of chemo. The doctor thought the third round would really do him more harm. Hydration should get those numbers into a more normal range. Buzz last had Cisplatin in October and still has abnormal kidney function. We did see a kidney specialist who said his kidneys are working at the 50% level which alarmed us. She did not seem overly concerned. She just told him to stay hydrated and avoid motrin, aleve, etc. She also ordered some tests. Apparently, kidney function can get to 10% before dialysis is needed. I would think that if the numbers don't improve with hydration, another chemo instead of Cisplatin might be indicated. Karen
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #13
    Skiffin16 said:

    Cisplatin & Hydration
    Like mentioned, Cisplatin is brutal on the kidneys...one reason they give you Lasix and other fluids during treatment....flushing the systems as thorough and quickly as possible.

    Usually they'll stop the Chemo or change the "cocktail" until the kidneys start functioning within range again....

    One of the main indicators is on your blood count sheets (you should ask for a hardcopy each time you have blood tests)...GFR.

    GFR measures the functionality and filtration of the kidneys.

    Best,
    John

    Thanks John, I do get the
    Thanks John, I do get the hard copy but did not know what number was the kidney. I will pull them and check it out.

    Blessings,
    Debbie
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #14
    buzz99 said:

    Kidneys
    Buzz has some kidney damage from the Cisplatin and received 2 out of 3 rounds of chemo. The doctor thought the third round would really do him more harm. Hydration should get those numbers into a more normal range. Buzz last had Cisplatin in October and still has abnormal kidney function. We did see a kidney specialist who said his kidneys are working at the 50% level which alarmed us. She did not seem overly concerned. She just told him to stay hydrated and avoid motrin, aleve, etc. She also ordered some tests. Apparently, kidney function can get to 10% before dialysis is needed. I would think that if the numbers don't improve with hydration, another chemo instead of Cisplatin might be indicated. Karen

    Karen, doc told us no more
    Karen, doc told us no more chemo, Jim has had 2. We are worried that the cancelation of the third chemo and delay of radiation will lessen the effect of treatment. The doctor on call this weekend led us to believe his kidney's were improving but his doctor said no improvement from yesterday and he will be in hospital until they improve and he can eat and drink. It is so hard because our home is 45 minutes away and the only thing in the room for me to sleep on is a hard recliner that doesn't recline all the way. I have osteo arthritis in may lower back and it about did me in when I slept in it the first night. So Jim insist I go home at night, but he gets agitated because he worries something will happen to me. Seems like no good solution.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #15
    jim and i said:

    Karen, doc told us no more
    Karen, doc told us no more chemo, Jim has had 2. We are worried that the cancelation of the third chemo and delay of radiation will lessen the effect of treatment. The doctor on call this weekend led us to believe his kidney's were improving but his doctor said no improvement from yesterday and he will be in hospital until they improve and he can eat and drink. It is so hard because our home is 45 minutes away and the only thing in the room for me to sleep on is a hard recliner that doesn't recline all the way. I have osteo arthritis in may lower back and it about did me in when I slept in it the first night. So Jim insist I go home at night, but he gets agitated because he worries something will happen to me. Seems like no good solution.

    GFR
    As for GFR normal is aorund the number 93, that's where I started and ended after all of my chemo. Three rounds of Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU and another seven rounds of Carboplatin....but it did drop down below 70 once..never interfered with my chemo sessions, but worried me.

    Comfort, maybe you could get some kind of roll-up blow-up cushion for sleeping over...not sure.

    Sorry for what you guys are having to go through.

    Best,
    John
  • Lelia
    Lelia Member Posts: 98
    #16
    jim and i said:

    Karen, doc told us no more
    Karen, doc told us no more chemo, Jim has had 2. We are worried that the cancelation of the third chemo and delay of radiation will lessen the effect of treatment. The doctor on call this weekend led us to believe his kidney's were improving but his doctor said no improvement from yesterday and he will be in hospital until they improve and he can eat and drink. It is so hard because our home is 45 minutes away and the only thing in the room for me to sleep on is a hard recliner that doesn't recline all the way. I have osteo arthritis in may lower back and it about did me in when I slept in it the first night. So Jim insist I go home at night, but he gets agitated because he worries something will happen to me. Seems like no good solution.

    Thinking of you Debbie
    Those hospital room recliners are dreadful, I spent nine April nights in one and ended up not 'reclining' at all, overnighting fitfully in a weird contortion, seated kinda with my legs dangling over the lowered rolling tray table staring blankly at the tiniest TV ever invented.

    Every night they offered me a cot, I never saw it so I'm not sure how comfy it was, I couldn't sleep anyway with them coming in every 15 minutes. It would be terrible with a bad back trying to stay overnight, you know you need rest but you can't eat or relax at home, you just worry, and when you return something weird has happened or you missed rounds that morning. I took a fifteen minute walk one day and when I got back they'd inexplicably added Ativan, flexeril and dilaudid to the IV cocktail, it took four days to get my husband sane again, pretty awful.

    I am so sorry you're going through all this, Debbie. Wishing you strength and wisdom.
  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #17
    Lelia said:

    Thinking of you Debbie
    Those hospital room recliners are dreadful, I spent nine April nights in one and ended up not 'reclining' at all, overnighting fitfully in a weird contortion, seated kinda with my legs dangling over the lowered rolling tray table staring blankly at the tiniest TV ever invented.

    Every night they offered me a cot, I never saw it so I'm not sure how comfy it was, I couldn't sleep anyway with them coming in every 15 minutes. It would be terrible with a bad back trying to stay overnight, you know you need rest but you can't eat or relax at home, you just worry, and when you return something weird has happened or you missed rounds that morning. I took a fifteen minute walk one day and when I got back they'd inexplicably added Ativan, flexeril and dilaudid to the IV cocktail, it took four days to get my husband sane again, pretty awful.

    I am so sorry you're going through all this, Debbie. Wishing you strength and wisdom.

    Jim is home from the
    Jim is home from the hospital and started radiation today. They changed his feedings to Osmolite, only difference I could see was the Osmolite protein is soy. He lost 9 pounds while in the hospital which is not good.

    Thanks everyone for the thoughts and prayers.

    Debbie

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