I had NS 3 years old and relapse again at age of 20 years (during the relapse a biopsy was performed and MCD is confirmed). I was treated with prednisolone. Now I am 26 years. In six months 3 relapses continuously occur. l take MMF and Wysolone 10 mg alternate day two week. My urine albumin is faint trace. 1. Is remission is occur? 2. What are the after effects?

The clinical course that you describe is of relapsing nephrotic syndrome (NS). Your biopsy indicates that this is caused by Minimal Change Disease (MCD). If your urine protein (albumin) is undetectable, then it would appear that you are in a clinical remission. Relapsing nephrotic syndrome can be associated with recurring infections, bone loss with possible osteoporosis, and also can cause hardening of the arteries related to abnormal cholesterol and blood lipids. Your physician will need to monitor you for relapse and also complications of the nephrotic syndrome.

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I am 63, female. I have single kidney for 20 years (other fibrosed due to obstructive nephropathy). I am sufferer of chronic pyelonephritis for 5 years and DJ stent placement for 10 years. Despite all the medications, my creatinine is rising. It was 1.01 3 years ago, now it’s 1.4. My current meds are Valsartan, Amlodipine and Hydrochlorothiazide, and off and on Septra. I take half a tablet of 80mg of valsartan. I just want to NOT let my creatinine drop any further. Please give me suggestions how to avoid it. Really worried.

I recommend that you have your blood pressure checked and make sure that it is less than 130/80. You should not smoke. You should eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy body weight. You should see your physician at least once per year and have blood and urine testing for kidney disease. If you have an infection, it should be treated promptly.

My 88 year old father suffers from CKD with eGFR of 30-35 which has remained steady for 4 yrs. Otherwise, besides high blood pressure, he is in good health. His kidney specialist (just retired) used 3 BP meds to keep the BP well managed. Namely Diovan, Monopril and 5 mg of Norvasc. My father was hospitalized for elective surgery and the Doctor in charge discontinued the first 2 medications while increasing the Norvasc to 10 mgs. He claimed that Calcium channel blockers are more efficient at regulating BP and BP measurements in the weeks following his release have proved him right. However I was under the impression that ARB and ACE drugs had their use in CKD irrespective of BP use. Please give us your input because as mentioned our kidney specialist is not available. If I can get the Doctor to reintroduce one med, would either the ARB or ACE class of drug be preferable?

It is true that either an ACE-inhibitor or an ARB agent is used to treat and slow the progress of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Currently, the use of both an ACE-inhibitor and an ARB agent is not a recommended treatment for CKD. The Monopril that you mention is an ACE-inhibitor and Diovan is an ARB agent. I am not able to recommend medical treatment without performing a complete history and physical examination. I recommend that you review this treatment with his primary care physician (PCP).

Hi. My name is Razak. I am 18 yrs old. I just felt pain in my both lower side of my ribs when I went to bed. After 3-4 mins, it disappeared. I think that pain was from my kidneys. The pain was in lower back side of the ribs. I took Fluconazole 3 hours before the pain and I drank milk after that. Is there something serious?? Please tell me. Now it’s fine by the way. If there is something serious, please tell me. It happened very first time to me. This thing never happened before but now I am feeling completely fine. Please tell me if there is something serious.

I do not recognize any kidney disease based on the information that you provide. If the pain recurs, then I would contact your primary care physician for an examination.

I am a Vietnam VET. The VA rates 100% disabled due to exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. I have been diagnosed with CKD. Is there a possibility of recovery ?

The Veterans Administration (VA) does not list chronic kidney disease (CKD) as one of the known associated diseases with Agent Orange. This does not mean you can’t apply, but if the disease is not on the list, then the VA will determine your eligibility on a case by case basis. I suggest you review the list on the VA web site at: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/

I am a 73 yrs old female. Have early stage 3a kidney disease. Have chronic sinus inflammation. Can I take short does of prednisone? Thank you so very much.

Short courses of prednisone should not cause any concern for chronic kidney disease (CKD). If you have diabetes, this could make your diabetes more difficult to control in the short term. You should also monitor your blood pressure while you are taking prednisone. Your physician should monitor this very closely with you.

I have high B/P and I am taking the drug Losartan. This drug is high in Potassium. All data indicate that a person with kidney disease should reduce their intake of Potassium. This drug works well for me. Should I change my B/P drug to one that has less potassium?

I believe that you are referring to the fact that Losartan is provided as a potassium salt of the drug. The amount of potassium that is in each pill is very small. The amount of potassium in the largest (100 milligram) pill is 8.5 milligrams. This is a very small amount of potassium. I do not recommend any potassium restriction in patients with early Stage 3 and most Stage 4 chronic kidney disease. I do recommend a sodium restriction. The amount of potassium in the typical Western diet is around 3000 to 4000 milligrams per day. Hence, the amount of potassium in your Losartan pill is insignificant compared to your diet.

I just found out the other day my kidney function is at 40 %. I have high blood pressure controlled by med. My stomach is swollen. What risks am I facing?

High blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are usually two diseases that do not have symptoms. The fact that you are having stomach swelling cannot easily be explained by high blood pressure or CKD. I suggest you see your physician and consult with him or her about your stomach swelling.

Good day Dr. I am 24 y/o. I recently undergo scan and test that shows am having kidney infection. I was admitted to antibiotic, S-flox, specifically, and it’s now up to two weeks but I still feel some moves by my sides and sometimes pain in my buttocks after a walk. Please, I would like to know what is happening? and for how long did I need to take antibiotic for kidney infection to go away? And am I supposed to be expecting this kind of changes when taking such drugs? Thank you.

The symptoms you are describing do not sound like a kidney infection. The symptoms also do not sound like the side effects of any medication that I know. I suggest that you have further examination and testing by your physician.

I was told I have stage 2 kidney disease. Three years ago my results were 60 and now 85. What is this result for? Thank you.

I am unable to make any specific diagnosis based on the information that you present. If the values you are reporting are the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) then normal is greater than 60 milliliters per minute per 1.73 meters squared. This could be Stage 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD) if you have known kidney disease, if you have abnormalities in your urine that have been present for more than 3 months, if you have abnormalities on your radiologic examination of your kidney, or if you have had a kidney biopsy that show the CKD. You can learn more about how we classify CKD on our web site at: https://www.kidney.org/professionals/explore-your-knowledge/how-to-classify-ckd