Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Support Group

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a progressive, genetic disorder of the kidneys. It occurs in humans and other organisms. PKD is characterised by the presence of multiple cysts (polycystic) in both kidneys. The disease can also damage the liver, pancreas and rarely the heart and brain.

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NVBobby 02/25/2012

Hi
I just wanted to introduce myself to the group. My name is Bobby.I.m 55 and have been diagnosed with PKD at age 45..
I am starting to get concerned about my creatinine levels as I see they are starting to rise . I have always been between 1.3 and 1.4 but the last blood work up it was 1.67.. My doctor always said 1 is good, 5 is bad..
I do have some discomfort, but no actual pain.. My kidneys are 21 cm ..

I have read some of the posts and they have helped me mentally alot..

deleted_user 02/25/2012

hi Bobby and welcome.
first, a rise in creatinine as small as yours is not necessarily a sign of kidney deterioration. a rise can be caused by dehydration (are you drinking enough water?), an illness or infection, other factors.
on the other hand it is something to watch. your next labs may show a lower creatinine.
regardless of changes in creatinine, you should do all you can to maintain your kidney health, that is no negative behaviors like smoking or drinking, no recreational drugs or even aspirin, Advil, etc. no meds unless your nephrologist approves.
a healthy diet high in fruits and veggies, meat is ok but try to get most of your protein from vegetable sources, AVOID salty foods. cold cuts are very high in sodium, in fact most prepared foods are.
keep your blood pressure under control, if you are on bp meds be sure to take them.
drink plenty of water, not one drop less than 2 quarts a day, preferably double that.
good luck and keep us informed about your labs in the future.

NVBobby 02/25/2012

Thank you for your input Spiderwomen
Drinking enough water is one of my downfalls...I try, First thing in the morn an 8 ounce glasss of water followed by a bottle when I get to work..After that ???

Thanks again

deleted_user 02/25/2012

Welcome Bobby. I don't have much to add because Spiderwoman did a good job of covering all the bases. I just want to welcome you and say this is a great place to come for information and support.

deleted_user 02/26/2012

welcome bobby. sorry to hear your numbers are up a bit. as others have said, a small increase could just be variation, or caused by some other factor, or it could be a small change in function. my husband's doctor has always said that the trend is more important than the specific number (at least in the short term, though like you said - higher numbers are definitely worse that lower ones). sounds like you're not drinking a lot of water - has your doctor recommended that for you - my husband's doctor did for him - and so he does have to make a conscious effort to do it, but he does drink about 3 litres (96 ounces) of water a day. his numbers still crept up slowly, but the research was pretty clear that he should keep drinking, so he does, because even if it made a tiny tiny impact - at least it's something.

welcome

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