eGFR down 50 points in less than a year

[MeganY24]

I started seeing a nephrologist last year because of a cyst and scarring on my right kidney. All of my labs were perfect during my appointment last august, which is good considering I'm only 26 years old. My eGFR was 123 so my doctor told me that I had great function and he only needed to see me once a year to keep an eye on things.

I've had quite a few health problems over the past year but nothing specifically related to my kidneys, however my most recent lab work shows that my eGFR is now only 83. My specialist didn't fully address the loss of function (and of course I didn't know what questions to ask) but did tell me that it was less than 90% which means I'm in stage 2 kidney disease.

What is the cause of my levels dropping so much? What should I be asking? What can I do to help my kidneys? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[MeganY24]

That doesn't make me feel better :-(

I live on ibuprofen and diet coke!!!!! I know I need to make some changes for a healthier lifestyle.

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease two years ago and my health has been all over the place since then. My specialist sounded very confident that Lyme disease does NOT cause kidney damage, but I've heard otherwise from my Lyme doctor. I also JUST found out that my gallbladder isn't functioning and I'm suddenly anemic. All of this is just so confusing and I never dreamed that any of my organs would be failing before I turned 30 :-(

[Lazza1]

What other health problems have you had?  High blood pressure and diabetes are leading causes of CKD.  If you've been popping NSAIDs frequently and chugging down diet soda you haven't been doing your kidneys any favors either.  Still, your eGFR is still quite good.

Unless you really push things with your specialist I suspect no action will happen until your eGFR drops below 60.  

Best of luck!


_Lazza