Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) worth considering if your out of puff

[hondated]

Well life can certainly throw some curve balls at you when you least expect it cant it. Having already written about having a Hiatus Hernia and acid reflux and been prescribed tablets for it plus altering my diet I still could not understand why I continued to suffer so much on the hills. Ok I am a little overweight but I should still have not struggled like I have. So I pursued the issue with my doctor. His initial reaction was to test my breathing rate which he said was fine which makes what I am about to write even more intriguing.
After a blood and urine test and it still needs to be confirmed by a specialist is that I have chronic kidney disease and one of my kidneys is making too much creatinine.
Not something that I particularly wanted to be told but at least finally I have an answer to why I have been suffering on the bike so much.
So even if you think your like me that there is nothing wrong with your breathing capacity get them to check your kidneys as they may be the problem.
Hopefully not but it might be an electric bike for me then !

[Smudgerii]

How is your bloodpressure?

Had CKD FOR 19 years, the bloodpressure was the driver to my diagnosis and the only thing they treat with drugs. Diet changes made the greatest difference

[531colin]

Keep chasing the diagnosis, Ted.
Creatinine is produced by breakdown of creatine in the muscles, and the kidneys take it out of the circulating blood for elimination.
If you go for a hard ride before your urinary creatinine test, you should expect a raised value. (Hard enough that your muscles are sore the next day.)

[hondated]

Thanks smudgerii & colin.
Smudgerii I am obviously not happy to read that you have suffered from this for so long but I cannot thank you enough for telling me that as I am tending to have morbid thoughts and you have made me realise that I am being a little bit stupid. Blood pressure is ok at the moment.
Thanks Colin yes I will keep chasing them up. I am frustrated that its another week until I get the blood test and given that will then be two weeks I have waited I questioned the surgery appointments secretary and she said that the doctor specified two weeks to ensure they get an accurate assessment. Doesn't help that I am now getting chest pains which I am monitoring so anything too strong and I will be straight up to the A & E.
I am just riding short level routes for now and prior to the next blood test taking your point on board I will not cycle at all.
Thanks again Ted.

[Vorpal]

I would discuss the chest pain with your GP, too. Even if you don't think it's serious, it may be a symptom (esophageal spasm? referred pain?) that could contribute to diagnosis or treatment.

[Smudgerii]

Are you taking any 'training' supplements? Or protein shakes? If you are then check them for creatine, it is often an added ingredient, bin them if you do have some.

Pottassium is another thing to avoid, diet is a minefield.... Bananas a no no, and choccy, drop the salt and don't be tempted by lo-sodium equivalents.

Once you have a diagnosis you will relax, and maybe the chest pain will disappear. Don't stress it, you'll be reet...

[al_yrpal]

Sorry to hear about this Ted. Take care.

Al

[hondated]

Thanks again smudgerii no I am not taking any training supplements or protein shakes and its funny you mention them because in the process of being diagnosed with having a hiatus hernia and acid reflux the specialist asked the same question. I must admit some years ago now I did start to take protein shakes but gave up pretty soon as my grandsons kept telling me off for drinking them as I was just getting fatter and not leaner.love em to bits though.
The specialist also told me of a patient he had that was in to weight training and would wake up of a night just to drink a protein shake and was now having problems.
Funnily enough before the recent blood test a banana was literally a daily part of my diet and has been for years but when I delved into what I should be avoiding to eat I was amazed to see bananas on the list. Needless to say they are now off my diet plan. Didn't know about chocolate so sadly I will now avoid eating that. Thank you for your kind words again.
Vorpal thank you for your advice and I will discuss with my GP as you advise and to be honest I think the fact that I have read that with regard to kidney disease you can have no symptoms and suddenly keel over because toxins are in your system is worrying me given I have another week before the blood test but what can you do. For now trying to get over my worrying I just get out for a good walk which seems to help.
Thanks Al that's kind of you. I think its worth mentioning on here because you can get advice and support from other forum members who may have had the same experiences but I am also aware that some of our colleagues are going through far worse or have had far worse than me.
If I remember correctly Al haven't you had health issues in the past and I daresay because a lot of us are much the same age we all have to accept that we are all gradually wearing out.
Its just a shame we cannot all some how get together because we would probably spend more time discussing our ailments rather than riding our bikes.

[Vorpal]

Vorpal thank you for your advice and I will discuss with my GP as you advise and to be honest I think the fact that I have read that with regard to kidney disease you can have no symptoms and suddenly keel over because toxins are in your system is worrying me given I have another week before the blood test but what can you do. For now trying to get over my worrying I just get out for a good walk which seems to help.

I think if you were anywhere near keeling over, you'd have other symptoms accumulating. My elderly aunt who has CKD is also a medical doctor, and seemed to have quite a good idea of what was likely to happen, and even though she's had a stent installed because she expects to need (but doesn't quite yet) dialysis, she didn't seem to think that she was likely to keel over any time soon, and when I was in the USA in August, she flew from Vermont to Chicago to spend the better part of a week with us, so I'm sure you'll get this sorted out and resume a normal life, less some dietary restrictions.

p.s. I presume they've told you, but do *not* under any circumstances take ibuprofen or any other NSAIDS.

[hogkite]

hondated.......as you are probably aware there are various stages of CKD, I've had stage 2 for well over 20 years. Similar to smudgerii my treatment has largely been through blood pressure control via ACE inhibitors. At the start I had various symptoms related to blood in urine and what looked like skin rashes but wasn't. Never had any problem with breathing related to CKD, a 12% incline usually does it though

Sounds like you may be worrying unnecessarily, wait til you get the results, if breathing was the main symptom I would be surprised if you have severe CKD without other symptoms. In which case it can be managed quite well.

Hope this go well

[Smudgerii]

Look on the brightside.... You are now front of the que each year for a Flu jab

I'm lucky in as much as my kidneys are 'leakers' and therefore my blood is clean, but I lose the good stuff you need as well, like blood and the ever useful antibodies... It is very easily managed through diet, lifestyle and a few meds. It has taken since '97' to go from 75% functionality to 40% at that rate I'll be 70 before I need to worry

Still weighttrain 5 times a week, cycling is something I've recently returned to after 20 years away, and the old pencil still got it's lead....

[hondated]

Thanks hogkite and smudgerii wise words again from both of you which I will heed.
I said its a funny old world and its proven to be true again today as I have just read Mick F post about high blood pressure which I would never have expected to read as Micks got a proven record of cycling long distances.
Never met Mick and never likely too but I consider us all to be cyber mates so I hope he can settle down with the meds and get back out on that bike very soon.

[hondated]

Thanks hogkite and smudgerii wise words again from both of you which I will heed.
I said its a funny old world and its proven to be true again today as I have just read Mick F post about high blood pressure which I would never have expected to read as Micks got a proven record of cycling long distances.
Never met Mick and never likely too but I consider us all to be cyber mates so I hope he can settle down with the meds and get back out on that bike very soon.

I cannot believe that I posted this thread three years ago as I had used Dr Google and considered I might have CKD. A few visits to see my GP over the last three years to try and find out what I was still suffering never resulted in me finding out what the problem was. But then a month ago after cycling I on several occasions felt light headed. Rather than bore anyone several tests later I was referred to a cardiologist and at my first appointment he looked at his screen and immediately said " oh I see you have CKD " .What !. I now have to wait another four weeks to get an Echocardiogram. Great !
Why have I updated this post
To emphasis to anyone that is experiencing the same symptoms that I was getting three years ago and to get your GP to check your kidneys as you may have what I now have.
Oh and it gets worse I have been told to now keep my cycling to a minimum.
Yes the NHS is great but boy does it take time to get anything sorted out.

[531colin]

........ after cycling I on several occasions felt light headed...……..

Are you taking medication for high blood pressure?

[LittleGreyCat]

Has anyone told you an eGFR value?
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/diagnosis/
I am currently at Stage 3(a) for CKD but it doesn't seem to impair my cycling and nobody has suggested that is likely to have any impact.
The value seems to vary year by year and test by test, and a high(ish) protein keto diet may also have an impact.
I probably don't drink enough water to flush out my kidneys each day, either.

I certainly don't seem to suffer from shortness of breath, although I do suffer from steepness of hills!

Please keep us updated.