Headaches, Nausea and tiredness

[mamagemini]

  I woke up this morning with a headache that encompassed my head. Almost like a migraine. Bright lights, walking even hurt my head. Nausea is there whenever I eat. Those issues along with muscle cramps. I am waiting for my referral for the vein mapping. I am hoping they get this through before I go lower on the GFR scale. Are these part of the Stage 5 symptoms? I put in a call to the referral staff in hopes to light a fire under them. I do not want to have that tube in my chest!

[MooseMom]

My egfr has been below 20 for two years now; my latest labs showed it to be 15.  I have not experienced the symptoms you've described except for the fatigue.  I know people who have better numbers than mine but are much sicker than me, and I don't know how to explain that. 

Last Thursday, I simply could not keep my eyes open.  I had a fatigue that defied description.  Friday, for the first time, I gave in and stayed in bed for most of the day.  It was the end of my kidneys, I was convinced.  But then I remembered that the previous evening, my husband complained about feeling "coldy", and I realized that I was simply getting a rotten cold.  It is easy to view that broken fingernail as a sure sign your renal function has at long last bottomed out.

Your symptoms could very well be due to a sinking egfr, but it IS possible that you have the creepy crud that everyone seems to be coming down with.  It's impossible to know without seeing labs from a blood draw done yesterday.  I'm sorry that I don't have an answer for you.

Yes, get that vein mapping and fistula creation done as soon as you can.  I've had mine for almost 2 years, and even though I don't need it yet, I am glad I have it ready to go.

Sorry I can't be of more help.  I DO understand how these hard-to-define symptoms might be part of renal failure or might be just a cold coming on.

None of this is easy, is it.

[Rerun]

You need to watch your potassium and phosphorus.  If it gets high in your blood you will feel like crap.  If you ever need to know your lab numbers just call your doctor and tell them you want a lab draw because you are not feeling well.

Headache could be high blood pressure.

[wvgirl]

My GFR is about 11. I have about 2-3 days a week with a mild headache, nausea is on and off. I carry a bucket with me in the car just in case, but sometimes go a week without feeling sick at all. I feel tired and weak and don't get alot done. I save my energy for things I have to do and really don't WANT to do anything anymore.

When I start feeling too sick, I do call my doctor, or go and see my PCP and get some bloodwork. At one point I did this and my hemoglobin was 8.7. No wonder I didn't want to move!

Good luck

[mamagemini]

Thank you. Later today I guess I fell asleep for over two hours. My head feels a little better. I hope it is not the flu. I just got over Whooping cough and found to have Asthma now.
All I know is my head hurts, tired and confuzzled.

[sullidog]

get those labs checked

[Restorer]

Can you watch your blood pressure? I used to get headaches like that when my blood pressure was too high for too long. When it got really bad, I had optic nerve swelling that messed up my sight really badly temporarily, and weird whole-body jerks at random times or whenever there was a flash of light. I had an MRI (week later ) to make sure it wasn't a brain tumor or anything. Not something to mess around with.

[MooseMom]

Thank you. Later today I guess I fell asleep for over two hours. My head feels a little better. I hope it is not the flu. I just got over Whooping cough and found to have Asthma now.
All I know is my head hurts, tired and confuzzled.

Whooping cough and then asthma?  Oh man...you've been through the wars!

[cariad]

I just got over Whooping cough and found to have Asthma now.

Is whooping cough going around? I have been wondering if that is what I have. I have had this raging cough for almost a month, and in the past week have had it triggered so bad that I actually make the characteristic 'whoop' sound that goes with pertussis. I have had pertussis before and I remember it takes such a long time to clear.

I woke up this morning with a headache that encompassed my head. Almost like a migraine. Bright lights, walking even hurt my head. Nausea is there whenever I eat. Those issues along with muscle cramps. I am waiting for my referral for the vein mapping. I am hoping they get this through before I go lower on the GFR scale. Are these part of the Stage 5 symptoms? I put in a call to the referral staff in hopes to light a fire under them. I do not want to have that tube in my chest!

The part about the bright light immediately brings viral meningitis to mind for me, probably because I've had that as well. Everyone here is sick of me talking about it, so I won't, but for me, it was a nightmare. I had the awful headache and light sensitivity, also threw up a few times before finally driving myself to emergency and being admitted. However, it is not the season for that so it's probably unlikely. The light sensitivity does not sound like renal failure to me, but I think any bad headache could cause light sensitivity, so it's possible. Muscle cramps do sound like renal failure, as does the nausea. It's a tough call because other than the cramps these are all general symptoms.

I'm sorry you're being slammed with all of this illness. Hope it all passes quickly. Let us know what your doctor says.

[lmunchkin]

Cariad, I had Cerebral Meningitis, and I totally understand your fears of getting those headaches.  Mine started at the base of my neck and moved rapidly up to top of my head. It was so painful that I immediately passed out and came to in the hospital.  I remember seeing my family, all of whom had Masks on.  Very very frightful time for me.  Probably the worst pain I have ever felt!

lmunchkin
 

[big777bill]

 Right before I started D on Feb 07, 2012 I had similar symptoms with the exception of the light sensitivity. My GFR was 15 but because I was feeling so crappy my Neph said it was time to start. After over 2 weeks of D the headache is gone and I have no nausea whatsoever. I'm not saying it's from your kidneys only your Dr can do that. It's just that it sounds almost exactly what I was going through before starting D.

[mamagemini]

I feel much better today. Had a great day. I think the day before I may have over done it with protein and sodium. I have since been watching it again and nothing except the dizziness when I bend over.
I will go and get my BP checked tomorrow for sure. I hope it isn't that!
I do not think it is the flu. I feel that it is loss of GFR. Is there anything else I should look out for as to worsening kidney failure?

[MooseMom]

I'm glad you are feeling better.

As for other things to look out for that may be signalling further decline in kidney function, probably edema.