Can ckd cause these problems?

[doubleaaaron]

Recently I Have had chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath. There have been times recently that I have nearly passed out and doing any activities pretty much whipes me out for energy. Also as of late I have had quite a bit of itching all over my body, but mostly my legs. I have had swelling in my legs for a while now and sometimes in the rest of my body. I know fluid retention can cause shortness of breath, but I was wondering if any of the other problems I have could come from my kidney? My kidney function a couple of months ago was 51. I am not sure what it is now. I figure since I have felt worse that maybe it has dropped a little. Could things like this happen this early? Thanks, aaron.

[DoriSchatell]

Anemia (a shortage of red blood cells) can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and feeling wiped out--but I've never heard that it causes chest pain or palpitations. Many of the conditions that cause kidney disease can ALSO cause heart problems. I urge you to contact your doctor--you may even want to go to the ER and get an EKG done to be sure that your heart is okay. When you see your doctor (or the ER), you might also ask for a serum creatinine level so they can check your kidney function again--it may well have dropped. Often, this happens slowly, but it can be fast.

Anemia, if you have it, can also cause heart damage. Anemia can and should be treated with Aranesp or Procrit. Ask your doctor about this, too.

[doubleaaaron]

I never thought about anemia causing it, but it makes sense. I Have had problems for a while now with my kidney, but as of late (last 2 months or less) I have had chest pains as I described. I was starting to get used to being tired and having back and side pains, but now that my chest won't stop bothering me I will go and get checked. Hopefully I can get some answers. Plus my back is getting worse and I have had foamy urine for a while now. I have been going to the bathroom less lately and mostly at night. So I will ask about those things as well. I have not seen a doctor since I have had chest problems because I was afraid of them telling me that I have anxiety or something and I know that isn't what's wrong with me. Is it possible that since I have been to the doctor that these things could have got worse or happened all together? The last few times that I went to the transplant clinic my gfr was lower than it was the last time I was there. Which was only months or less apart. Thanks for the help, Aaron.

[DoriSchatell]

There's no doubt that going to the doctor and being told that what you feel is "all in your head" is a horribly frustrating experience. But sometimes we just have to bite the bullet and go anyway--and then go again if we KNOW something is wrong and the doctor doesn't believe it. Trust yourself and your body.

Things are different for you than they were. Foamy urine, urinating at night, shortness of breath...all of these things suggest that--for whatever reason--your kidney function has slipped further than it was. You seem to be keeping track of your symptoms, which is a good thing--your doctor may be an expert in treating disease, but you are the only expert in how it affects YOU, and you can work more effectively with your doctor if you track and report how you feel--and how it's different.

Do you have a nephrologist (kidney specialist)? If not, it may be time to ask for a referral to one. If you do, go see him again. And definitely do get your heart checked out. Feel free to post here, we're happy to help you figure out what questions to ask, even if we can't answer them ourselves.

[doubleaaaron]

I went to the ER saturday. The nurse told me that my white blood cells were abnormal, my BUN was elevated and my liver enzymes were elevated as well. They want me to see a cardiologist as soon as possible so they can figure out what is going on with my heart. The ekg I had said it was abnormal, but the doctor said that at the moment anyway that I was ok. Or at lest while I was there at the hospital. I will have to see the cariologist to see if I have angina. So I guess they will make me take a stress test. If they don't should I request one? My chest bothers me on and off while resting, but when I exercise it gets worse. My chest pounds horribly and I feel like passing out. I also bothers me after eating. I have been exercising for years and I have also been doing kung fu for many years as well and I have never had this problem until my chest started bothering me a couple of months ago. I was on a monitor and my bp was 150/95. I asked the nurse if it was too high and she said no, which I thought was strange. Especially being that I have one kidney. My TC told me they wanted less than 130/80. Could it be possible that I have an immune system disease Because of white cells, liver, and bun being abnormal? With so many problems I can't figure what is going on anymore. I pretty much just wait and see what the next day brings me hoping I feel better than the day before. Thank you for all your help, Aaron.

[DoriSchatell]

Hi Aaron,

The nurse was wrong and you were right--your BP was high. Sometimes it can be higher in an MD's office than it is at home (they call this "White Coat Hypertension"). If you can afford it, a home BP monitor can tell you more about what it's really like in your day-to-day life.

Since you've been so active, especially, I would definitely ask for a stress test if your doctor doesn't suggest one. It does sound like you know your body well, and you should share that knowledge with your doctor. I'm glad that they're doing some tests and taking this all seriously.

Since I'm not a doctor, I can't comment on whether your problem might be immune related. The number 1 cause of kidney failure is type 2 diabetes, and the number 2 cause is high blood pressure. Beyond that, there are cystic diseases, diseases of the kidney filters (glomerulopathies), immune diseases, birth defects, poisons, etc. that can cause kidney damage. Taking too many NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs--like Aleve, Advil, etc.) can harm the kidneys, too.

It sounds like right now, your best bet is to wait for the tests to come back, question your doctor, and keep a log of your various symptoms--when do they happen? Does anything make them better/worse? Are they worse at certain times of day? Have you started any new medications that might have made them worse? Describe them in as much detail as you can and keep the desription in a notebook that you bring with you to your doctor visits. You may want to have a loved one come along, too, so you can both listen.

[doubleaaaron]

I have a bp monitor at home and it is consistant with the numbers at the hospital. I talked to my TC today and she said it was too high and I needed medicine for it so it doesn't damage my kidney. She said it could be an immune disease, but doubts that's what is wrong. The stress test was recomended by my TC as well. I figure since I get chest pain worse when I exercise or anything close to that, they will want to do one. I went to my kung fu class tonight and I had to stop during most of it because I was feeling bad. My instructor even noticed that I was ill. I don't think I will go to anymore classes until I go to the cardiologist. Tommorow I have to call and make an appointment. Hopefully I will see what is going on. Is there anyway that all of the tests being abnormal (white blood cells, bun, liver enzymes) could be wrong or can something cause all of them to be elevated or low? Thank you for helping me and answering my questions, Aaron.

[DoriSchatell]

Hi Aaron,

I wish I could tell you what might cause so many of your blood tests to be "off", but that would take a doctor's knowledge. It's an excellent question, though, so do keep it in mind to ask. It may be that one thing going wrong is causing a "domino effect" by putting more stress on other body systems, so if that one thing is dealt with, everything else will come back into alignment. But I don't know.

I'm glad that you'll be getting blood pressure meds to protect your kidney--it sounds like a good idea. It also sounds as if taking a short break from the kung fu class until you know a bit more about what's going on with your heart would be wise, although in general it's a great idea to stay active and fit.

[doubleaaaron]

As far as the bp meds I have not got them yet my tc just said I needed them and told me to ask the cardioloigist about it. I did have one more question I forgot to ask. If my BUN is elevated could it cause me to itch? Lately I have been scratching, especially my legs. Thanks again, Aaron.

[DoriSchatell]

Itching can be a symptom related to having less kidney function. It may mean that the levels of phosphorus in your blood are also higher than the normal levels. You might ask your doctor about this, too.