GFR

Jojo61
Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

Went to my family doctor today for results for a bunch of blood tests. He said everything was EXCELLENT. I was very happy. I asked if my hemoglobin and B12 were better (very low previously) and he said yes. Hemoglobin is on low end of scale but okay. B12 good.

However when I got home, I noticed on the printout that 2 things were flagged:

Hematrocit (subform of Hemoglobin) -  at .347

GFR was flagged at 55 ml/min

The Flag note read:

GFR values from 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m2 are consistent with moderate chronic kidney disease, if result is confirmed by repeat with persistence in 3 months or more.

For reference purposes my creatinine was 93.

In October my creatinine was 86 and GFR was 60.

I have never paid much attention to these numbers before, and I have seen other posts previously, but at that point it was all Greek to me! It still is, but I am trying to learn Sealed.

Once again, any guidance would be very much appreciated!

Hugs

Jojo

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    GFR

    JoJo,

     

    If you hit the Kidney Cancer icon above and than fill in GFR under search by title you will find a number of forum posts on GFR. All of us with only 1 kidney have low GFR"s. Those betwwn 31 and 59 have what is according to the charts Stage 3 Chronic Kidney disease (CKD). As we age the numbers tend to get lower. The lower the number the more chance you have of having a heart issue. Kidney failure requires numbers below 20. Mine had been down to as low as 39, but recently after I lost 35 lbs. (whatever that is in Kg's) it is back up to 55. Absent everything else the number will go down each year a point or so because of age. Being under 60 with a gFR of 55 is like 45 for an old guy like me. It is  heavily effective by your cretine level (I do not recognize your creatine numbers). Those of us with 1 kidney have by definition  higher than normal creatine levels. When all is said and done watch your waight, watch your blood pressure and see a Nephrologist regarding your GFR (kidney function). And than do the one thing that negatively effect your GFR number. Grow older.

     

     

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    GFR

    JoJo,

     

    If you hit the Kidney Cancer icon above and than fill in GFR under search by title you will find a number of forum posts on GFR. All of us with only 1 kidney have low GFR"s. Those betwwn 31 and 59 have what is according to the charts Stage 3 Chronic Kidney disease (CKD). As we age the numbers tend to get lower. The lower the number the more chance you have of having a heart issue. Kidney failure requires numbers below 20. Mine had been down to as low as 39, but recently after I lost 35 lbs. (whatever that is in Kg's) it is back up to 55. Absent everything else the number will go down each year a point or so because of age. Being under 60 with a gFR of 55 is like 45 for an old guy like me. It is  heavily effective by your cretine level (I do not recognize your creatine numbers). Those of us with 1 kidney have by definition  higher than normal creatine levels. When all is said and done watch your waight, watch your blood pressure and see a Nephrologist regarding your GFR (kidney function). And than do the one thing that negatively effect your GFR number. Grow older.

     

     

    Thanks Iceman! We only live a

    Thanks Iceman! We only live a few hours from each other, and yet we seem to have some language barriers (pounds vs. kilos, Creatinine readings). However even though we are on the metric system here EVERYONE still counts their weight in pounds! Kilos sounds lighter though. LOL

    Your info is very helpful. My blood pressure has dropped a lot recently. I had high blood pressure and therefore was on bp medication for it. 5 weeks ago it was 98/64...and that was with missing my bp medication the day before! The doctor suggested I cut my meds in half and monitor my bp. Today it was perfect at half medication. So he wrote me a new script.

    As of January 1, my resolution was to lose weight and I joined Weight Watchers - hoping to be as successful as you in the weight loss area, Iceman!!

    Calling the doctor tonight and leaving a voicemail.

    All of your suggestions are covered!!

    Jojo

     

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #4
    Jojo61 said:

    Thanks Iceman! We only live a

    Thanks Iceman! We only live a few hours from each other, and yet we seem to have some language barriers (pounds vs. kilos, Creatinine readings). However even though we are on the metric system here EVERYONE still counts their weight in pounds! Kilos sounds lighter though. LOL

    Your info is very helpful. My blood pressure has dropped a lot recently. I had high blood pressure and therefore was on bp medication for it. 5 weeks ago it was 98/64...and that was with missing my bp medication the day before! The doctor suggested I cut my meds in half and monitor my bp. Today it was perfect at half medication. So he wrote me a new script.

    As of January 1, my resolution was to lose weight and I joined Weight Watchers - hoping to be as successful as you in the weight loss area, Iceman!!

    Calling the doctor tonight and leaving a voicemail.

    All of your suggestions are covered!!

    Jojo

     

    Age

    Jojo,

     

    I am so old I remember mile markers on the 401.

     

    Icemantoo

  • Srashedb
    Srashedb Member Posts: 482 Member
    #5
    Kidney

    Jojo:

    i finally got my husband to see a nephrologist last month; he ran a full battery of blood tests.

    my husband's creatinine had gone up to 1.68 and the GFR in the 40's; not alarming but enough for the doc to say "no contrast "

    he is also diagnosed as having kidney disease, grade 3. It is something to monitor but not panic

     the truth is that the other doctors on the team don't focus on the kidney health so monitoring is important 

    Interestingly, the area for which he was biopsied (still no results) was noted because there was no contrast and from now on, he will be getting MRIs and CT only for the chest.

    we leave for Hawaii early tomorrow and we will likely know more by the end of the week.

    Sarah

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #6
    Srashedb said:

    Kidney

    Jojo:

    i finally got my husband to see a nephrologist last month; he ran a full battery of blood tests.

    my husband's creatinine had gone up to 1.68 and the GFR in the 40's; not alarming but enough for the doc to say "no contrast "

    he is also diagnosed as having kidney disease, grade 3. It is something to monitor but not panic

     the truth is that the other doctors on the team don't focus on the kidney health so monitoring is important 

    Interestingly, the area for which he was biopsied (still no results) was noted because there was no contrast and from now on, he will be getting MRIs and CT only for the chest.

    we leave for Hawaii early tomorrow and we will likely know more by the end of the week.

    Sarah

    Interesting, indeed. I will

    Interesting, indeed. I will be looking for your posting on his biopsy results (and will keep him in my prayers as well).

    In the mean time....have a wonderful, delicious holiday together in beautiful Hawaii!

    Hugs

    Jojo

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #7
    icemantoo said:

    Age

    Jojo,

     

    I am so old I remember mile markers on the 401.

     

    Icemantoo

    Me too, Iceman!

    Me too, Iceman!

    Foot in Mouth

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #8
    GFR - doctor called back

    And said he doesn't pay attention to the GFR #....just pays attention to the Creatinine - and that was at a good number.

    Does this sound about right?

    Thanks!

    Jojo

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
    Jojo61 said:

    GFR - doctor called back

    And said he doesn't pay attention to the GFR #....just pays attention to the Creatinine - and that was at a good number.

    Does this sound about right?

    Thanks!

    Jojo

    See a Nephrologist

    Jojo,

     

    It sounds like that comment was from an RCC doctor whose interest in Creaine may be limited to whether you can be scanned with contrast. I went around my RCC doctor and GP to see a Nephrologist who neither said I needed one. Kidney heath down the road is as much to do wiith Kidney function as it has to do with recurrance which is the focus of the RCC doctor. Thats my 2 cents worth.

     

    A low GFR causes heart issues a long time before any kind of Kidney failure. That is my understanding of the big picture which is a lot wider than whether you have RCC recurrance or kidney failure down the road.

     

     

    Icemantoo

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • thaxter
    thaxter Member Posts: 124
    #10
    Jojo61 said:

    GFR - doctor called back

    And said he doesn't pay attention to the GFR #....just pays attention to the Creatinine - and that was at a good number.

    Does this sound about right?

    Thanks!

    Jojo

    Is your creatinine .93?

    .93 is well within normal limits of .5 to 1.1 for adult females and excellent for one kidney. 

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #11
    thaxter said:

    Is your creatinine .93?

    .93 is well within normal limits of .5 to 1.1 for adult females and excellent for one kidney. 

    Mine is

    consistant. GFR of over 60. Creatinine of .9. Not bad for a 62 yo male with one kidney. I think that I have been on one kidney for a long time.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #12
    foxhd said:

    Mine is

    consistant. GFR of over 60. Creatinine of .9. Not bad for a 62 yo male with one kidney. I think that I have been on one kidney for a long time.

    Six months visiit with Nephrologist

    I had my 6 month visit with my Nephrologist today and discussed with him some of the back and forth discussion about GFR on this board and my trying to be as accurate as a layman can be on this subject.

     

    He did share his observation that those patients he sees with low GFR's as a result of a neph generally do better than where those same low numbers are caused by hypertension, diabtes and Kidney Disease. Good news for all us Neph fans.

     

    I also stumped him on the one bad thing we should all do for our GFR.

     

    Grow older.

     

    He is starting to appreciate my  educational sarcasm.

     

    Icemantoo

     

     

     

     

  • Jojo61
    Jojo61 Member Posts: 1,309 Member
    #13
    icemantoo said:

    Six months visiit with Nephrologist

    I had my 6 month visit with my Nephrologist today and discussed with him some of the back and forth discussion about GFR on this board and my trying to be as accurate as a layman can be on this subject.

     

    He did share his observation that those patients he sees with low GFR's as a result of a neph generally do better than where those same low numbers are caused by hypertension, diabtes and Kidney Disease. Good news for all us Neph fans.

     

    I also stumped him on the one bad thing we should all do for our GFR.

     

    Grow older.

     

    He is starting to appreciate my  educational sarcasm.

     

    Icemantoo

     

     

     

     

    That is very reassuring Iceman!

    Thank you for sharing that tidbit of information.

    Let's hope we all get the opportunity to do that one bad thing we should all do for our GFR! Amen!

    Stay warm!

    Hugs

    Jojo

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