Donor with issues

[dtwbcs]

Hello,
I donated(kidney) 4Feb2014 for my Brother. Now my eGFR is 55&Creatinine is 1.45.When I look it up it puts me at stage 3A.Should I be on a low protein renal diet&take rena vites? Plus drink 4liters or more a day. Am really fatigued all the time. I get off work and I take a nap from 1-3hrs each day. Before the surgery I was very active; now am struggling each day.
Has anyone else had this type of experiences?? I want to be PROACTIVE not reactive with the way my remaining kidney is doing.

[elephant]

Dear dtwbcs,

Why did you have this testing done?  What kind of doctor is caring for you?  How does it compare to prior results? Have you made an appointment with a nephrologist?

Love, elephant

[Fr Pat]

I'm not a medical professional, but I have read that some doctors just look  at the numbers and a chart and declare "stage... kidney disease!". Other doctors look at the same test results and evaluate them in the context of the whole person's health, also taking into consideration that one kidney has been removed. I donated 14 years ago and continue to keep a close watch on (and careful records of) test results. So far the doctors I have seen have concluded that my slightly "off" numbers may be my "new normal". But there does seem to be some unknowns about what a donor's future numbers should look like. I do have a home electronic blood-pressure monitor that I try to use a couple of times a week (recording the results) to keep alert for possible blood pressure problems.

[CK]

Your creatinine is within or close to the normal range if you are a man, and perhaps a little high if you are a woman.  For reference, dialysis starts when someone's creatinine reaches around 10.0.  Also, your GFR is not that low for someone with one kidney.

My husband, who was my recipient, has 1.4 creatinine or so.  He feels great, as compared to how he felt right before the transplant.

It seems unlikely that your fatigue is caused by your kidney functioning - you should get a full medical work-up (and consider psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and stress) to see what else might be going on.