Also see these are the websites that i found the information about some of the symptoms i am having. this one says that changes in skin color and increased skin pigmentation are in stage 5 of chronic kidney disease. https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/overview/stages-of-kidney-disease/stage-5-of-chronic-kidney-disease/e/4753
http://www.nationalkidneycenter.org/chronic-kidney-disease/stages/stage-5/
Then this website says that skin color changes and diarrhea and muscle twitches are in stage 5 as well. Are these websites accurate? That's why I am worried that i might be in stage 5 already because i have those symptoms that are in stage 5. Do most people have alot of those symptoms in stage 5 that they are talking about on these websites? Or does it just depend on the person? like do some people have those symptoms in stage 3 or 4 sometimes too?
First take a really deep breath and try and relax! As hard as that is you can’t stress until you know. I am 42 with high blood pressure and just found out in January I have (CKD) stage 3b. I had never heard of it never had any symptoms just my blood work was coming back with high levels. I freaked out looked at every scenario every symptom. I had to have an ultrasound and she spent more time on my right side than my left and I freaked out again.... FYI if you have this done your liver and bladder are in that area and they do spend a little more time there. Anyway long story short my levels should stay where they are an not be concerning I just have to be tested every 3-6 months since all my other test came back ok. There are many people with these stages that have no clue they even have it. It sucks because it’s scary but in all actuality it’s really not that bad if it’s just levels which could be your high blood pressure you never know! Don’t stress until you know and just breath!! Good Luck!!
Hi Kelly, stage 3b here too. Same action plan as you, to be tested every 3 to 6 months. You mentioned you found you were 3b because of high levels? When you say you were diagnosed because of high levels, I assume you mean high levels of creatinine. Mine is in the range of 1.8 to 1.9 most of the time, but was fortunate this last test it was 1.62.
Yes Primary Dr. started watching when my levels were going up. Thankfully it is just at 1.3 but my BUN keeps going down it is now at 42. I’m hoping my levels next check will be a little better I was a huge Ibuprofen user and I was taking Omeprozol which they say has been causing kidney problems and then add my high blood pressure... So we will see. I’ve stopped stressing for now and will wait to see what my next results will be and hopefully it was the medication! The BUN is what they goby when they figure out what stage you are at.
Hey Jenny,
What medications are you on? Do you know why you are leaking proteins?
Thanks for the advice and i will try not to stress out until I know. I would just be scared if I did have kidney disease though because dialysis sounds scary. I am just really scared of doctors and needles. And yes i guess it could be my high blood pressure that is causing me those symptoms that i listed above. or i guess it could be some other problem that i have instead. I am just scared to get tested for kidney disease. But i know its important for me to go to the doctor and get tested for it since i think i have it. I know i should try my best to be brave. And thanks for wishing me good luck.
Also the reason why I think i might have kidney disease is because on these websites called Davita and The National Kidney Center it says that the skin pigmentation and the muscle twitches and the easy bruising, and diarrhea are symptoms that happen in Stage 4 and 5 of chronic kidney disease. so that's one reason why i am pretty sure that i have it. Are those 2 websites pretty accurate on their information?
Also the reason why I think i might have kidney disease is because on these websites called Davita and The National Kidney Center it says that the skin pigmentation and the muscle twitches and the easy bruising, and diarrhea are symptoms that happen in Stage 4 and 5 of chronic kidney disease. so that's one reason why i am pretty sure that i have it. Are those 2 websites pretty accurate on their information?
sorry about that i posted the same thing twice accidentally.
Megan, I just do not understand. You are obviously terrified. Maybe your are right to be, but also maybe you are wrong. but it seems to me that your time would be better spent. You spend so much time determining by yourself what is wrong, what could be. You spend a lot of time reading all these terrible things and symptoms about kidney disease on the internet (even thought you may not even have the disease). You looks for every reason to believe you have it (heredity, minor possible indications, etc.). Yet you are NOT in a doctors office or an emergency room? Why not?? What is your delay? If you are correct about what you believe is wrong, what are gaining by waiting? Go now! Get up this moment and get an immediate appointment. If you can not find a doctor to see you within the week, go to the hospital, or a clinic, or a walk in. A simple blood test would either point you in the direction of possible CKD, or eliminate CKD and yet find out what is causing what you believe to be symptoms. Even if the outcome is CKD you will not be driving yourself crazy with wondering and can then focus your attention on an action plan. Think for a moment Megan, what if you are wrong and this is NOT CKD. You will have wasted so much time on investigating and convincing yourself it was CKD, making yourself a nervous wreck, for absolutely no reason. We are all behind you, but please, get up right now and call a doctor!!
Megan,
When you get to the doctor's office they will draw some blood and collect a urine sample. That's it. From the testing they do on these they will check for your renal panel numbers and the protein level in your urine. You should then have a follow-up visit where your doctor will explain your results to you.
Any primary care doctor can order and interpret thes tests. In fact, a nurse practitioner may be able to do this as well. It is NOT stressful or difficult. Do you have medical insurance to cover the appointment? If not, reach out to social services in your area for help.
CKD cannot be accurately diagnosed without these tests. Further, it cannot be effectively treated without these same tests.
If you are afraid to go to the doctor's office alone to get these tests run, ask a family member or friend to go with you.
I dreaded my first appointment with a nephrologist too; in large part because my father had CKD. I had been one of his in-hone hemodialysis caregivers. So, yes, I was terrified to go to that appointment. But I knew waiting was not going to be of any help either. So, I took a deep breath; scheduled the appointment; and on Oct 31, 2011 arrived at a nephrologist's office for my first appointment.
I am the last person living in my immediate family. I'm single. I never married. I have no children. So I headed in yo this appointment alone. My point, you may be very surprised by your internal strength.
It's not clear what is keeping you from setting the appointment. You need to figure that out and then take the necessary action to address the issue. Is it frightening? Absolutely!!! But not knowing is MUCH, MUCH worse.
I hope to hear that you have scheduled an appointment with a physician to address this in your next post. Unfortunately if you don't take that action, there really is nothing any of us in this forum can do--none of us are medical professionals.
Marj
I don't have a primary care doctor anymore because the one i used to go to retired. But I know I can just look online and find a new one to go to that will take my health insurance. I guess I am just scared to find out also. But yes I know it is important for me to know. Because if I can find out soon then I will be able to do something about it even though it would be upsetting for me. And yes i am going to go to the doctor. Or i will just go to a walk in clinic if I can't find a doctor to go to.
Thanks for the advice. I don't have a doctor but i do have health insurance. So i will find a doctor to go to and make an appointment with them. And that is a good idea about bringing a family member or friend with me since I am scared.
Glad to hear that you've got health insurance. That is definitely a blessing at times like this; it minimizes the financial burden some.
I've come to think of my doctor's as my medical team. We work together to support my health. You just need to identify your medical team members and then build good working relationships with them.
Marj
Hi Megan,
Look, it’s never easy to stop worrying when you know something is wrong. But let me tell you now, if you were Stage 5, you would seriously know about it and I mean that. You wouldn’t be walking around happily, you’d have filtration rate (GFR) of 15 ml/min or less plus it wouldn’t necessarily mean you’d be put on dialiysis as there’s kidney transplants you can have.
I’ve had this talk with my doctor, because this is my potential future as well depending on certain life choices I make, I may not be able to have children due to this condition and I may die younger. But at the end of the day you’re still alive now. I too have a phobia of needles but you’ve just got to man up as it’s saving your life
Thanks,
Jenny
Hi,
Well I’m on medication called Ramipril, and it basically helps my kidney filter out the bad stuff which is was failing to do hence why my kidney was leaking protein. I only have one kidney that works and that is failing, I am diagnosed with Stage 3 CKD and this medication is the only thing that’s maintaining my kidneys functioning. I found out just from a regular check up that I had CKD and that was a massive shock at the age of 19.
Hi Megan you’re like me love to self diagnosed.I had this problem of itchy feet every night doctors did some blood test I don’t think she include blood test for kidney my Liver function test came back above normal so need repeat it in 6 weeks time.This past few weeks I’ve been very anxious and emotional wrecked because when I google, it will just lead me to chronic autoimmune liver diseases it’s really upsetting but later on I’d overcome the fear of having liver disease though half of my mind is telling me I have it.Today, anxiety attacked me again my left hand is getting bigger (swollen/water retention)a year ago been to the doctors because Of my swollen hand but that time it wasn’t as bad as now blood test last year it all came back normal so the doctors were not bothered about my dwollen hand anymore.But if you look at my left hand today it’s so alarming and one of my friend mentioned I might have kidney problem as well...God I don’t know how will I cope with both liver and kidney diseases😞....But I’m still trying to calm down and convincing myself I’m still ok,it’s really difficult I still cry most of the time because I’m always thinking the worst but there’s nothing I can do but wait...I can’t see the doctor until May 11 because I need to wait for that repeat LIver function blood test but I will make sure that doctor would do me test for kidney too.I know you’re worried I’m in your position,it’s difficult but as what my husband told me “stop worrying about something you don’t know you have or you don’t even have you’re just stressing yourslef which is not good for your body,wait until a doctor tell you you have it and then you have all the reasons to be upset and scared”
I’m still scared but trying my best to feel better hope you too.
I have a question for the lovely people here if water retention caused by kidney disease does that mean you’re already in the late stage?.I also get lower back pain on my right side every now and then,actually I’m having it now as I am typing these,feels like the pain from lower back will connect striahgt to my legs down to my ankle.I’m 31 but when I was on my 20’s I always get urinary tract infections as well.
Fhame
No water retention is not a symptom of late stage kidney disease.
Both you and Megan should stop worrying and wait for a true diagnosis before you guess yourselves into an early grave through stress!
Hardly any of us here have either of your symptoms this should be very reassuring to you both.
Enjoy life!!
Best of luck x
Everyone does a bit of worry about different things their body does, but you have done the right thing and went to a doctor, who obviously is not alarmed or they would not be waiting for six weeks. There are a lot of reasons for water retention and yet you jump to CKD, a most severe problem. Relax. Let me tell you about my father. In his 40's he started to get water retention on occasion. His showed in his ankles, feet. Which is usually where retention occurs first, not the hand. He just needed a diuretic and lived happily until he was 92. You have what you believe to be retention because of kidney disease, is a stretch since you get it in just one body part, and in just one hand, and nothing in feet. Relax. You a likely to do yourself more problems with worry than with what may or may not be wrong with you. Also, I do not know if you know this but water retention in hands, can be tied to pms. It is not unusual. Do a search on google and then you can worry about that instead of ckd. All will be well.
Yes i will try not to worry until I go to the doctor. I guess i was just worried because i saw on some websites like The National Kidney Center that some of the symptoms of kidney disease are skin color changes, muscle twitching, dark urine, diarrhea, and easy bruising, which is what i have. I guess everyone that has kidney disease must have different symptoms though. But yes i could have some other kinds of problems instead. I will try my best to keep calm until I see what the doctor says though.