Kidney Function Return after ESRD - Input?

[TheGrandson]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone here either has / has heard of someone in ERSD / Dialysis treatment whos kidney function ended up returning?  This .pdf paper was a pretty good resource  http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2369-4-9.pdf  - I am specifically wondering about the etiology of Hypertension and resultant ESRD.  My grandmother has been on Hemo for a grand total of 2 weeks - one week of treatment and already her first staph infection that resulted in a 5 day stay in the hospital.  She is 87 years old had has the mind and heart of a 30 year old woman ~ she means so much to me. 

TheGrandson

[MooseMom]

Is she still urinating?

[MightyMike]

I hate to be the deliverer of bad news but the chances of kidney function returning to the point of not needing dialysis anymore without a transplant are slim to none.  Unless it was caused from acute attack it's sometimes possible depending on the cause of the ESRD but I wouldn't get your hopes up.  Some people retain residual function I still urinate and been on dialysis 3 years.  Best wishes.

[TheGrandson]

Thanks for your candor.  Yes, she still urinates - but does have puffiness in parts of her body.  Also, she has this odd swelling of her arm that occurred after the Central Line was installed (clavical).  The line was pulled on Wednesday, but the swelling has not come down.  Has anyone else had this occurance?

[okarol]

What is her creatinine level? Was the kidney failure sudden after a heart procedure or other surgery? Or has she had declining function over a period of time?

This info may be helpful:

Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys lose their ability to function. To treat kidney failure effectively, it is important to know whether kidney disease has developed suddenly (acute) or over the long term (chronic). Many conditions, diseases, and medicines can create situations that lead to acute and chronic kidney disease. Acute renal failure is more commonly reversible than chronic kidney failure.

    Acute renal failure (ARF) is usually caused by an event that leads to kidney malfunction, such as dehydration, blood loss from major surgery or injury, or the use of medicines.
    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is usually caused by a long-term disease, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, that slowly damages the kidneys and reduces their function over time.

The presence or lack of symptoms may help your doctor determine whether acute renal failure or chronic kidney disease is present.

    Symptoms of decreased kidney function, such as fluid buildup or electrolyte imbalance, are more likely to develop with acute renal failure, regardless of how long the kidney has been malfunctioning. Symptoms may reflect the actual cause of the kidney problem.
        An obstruction in the urinary tract may cause pain in the side or lower back (flank pain), blood in the urine, or reduced urine output.
        Dehydration may cause extreme thirst; lightheadedness or faintness; a weak, rapid pulse; and other symptoms.
    Symptoms of chronic kidney disease may not develop until very little kidney function remains. Other problems may develop with chronic kidney disease, such as anemia and increased levels of phosphates in the blood (hyperphosphatemia), along with complications caused by kidney failure. These complications often do not develop until kidney disease has been present for some time.

Most cases of acute renal failure occur in people who are already in the hospital for other reasons. In these people, acute renal failure is usually diagnosed when routine tests show a sudden increase in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. A buildup of these waste products in the blood points to a loss of kidney function. Your doctor will compare these levels to previous tests to find out if kidney disease is acute or chronic.

[Relentless]

They can usually tell if it's an acute by doing a kidney biopsy.

[chefmagnus]

Hi there,
I am the slim in slim to none. I started dialysis last Jan. and had 9 treatments. During this three weeks my doctor reworked my drugs and I was off dialysis until the 14th of Aug. During that time I had a fistula placed and was glad to be off dialysis.
Since I helped my doctor get his cert of need from the state some of the less informed knuckleheads at the Dialysis Center claim that I was kept of dialysis for the 7 months to cheat the corp. out of money. My kidney function was 7% when I started dialysis and it was 43% when I stopped dialysis. It dropped slowly all summer and my dr monitored it. When I started getting sick again we decided it was time for me to go back onto dialysis.
No one at the dialysis center has ever heard of someone like my case.

Chef

[TheGrandson]

Chef,

Thanks so much for your input!  Even a dialysis vacation for 8 months would be quite welcome.  To better illustrate the origins of this thread, we had been monitoring an ever dropping eGfR with grandma for the past few years.   I don't know if this fact makes her etiology an automatic CKD, as opposed to Acute.  By time we initiated hemodiaysis, she had developed uremic frost and had intense itching, and an estimated 10 lbs of fluid buildup.  Her eGfR was 5.

Heres my question- did you and your physician use urine tests to determine that your GFR had increased back to the 40% range?  I believe blood tests would no longer be accurate while on HD, since the blood is getting cleaned?  Man, an 8 month holiday would be outstanding.  As of now, we have been on HD since 12/8, including one week in the hospital due to an infection already.  But since then, her frost has completely gone, and have removed escess water down to her dry weight. 

Any input would ge great!
Thanks

[CebuShan]

You mentioned a strange swelling in her arm after the catheter was placed. I had that happen after my second catheter. It was my whole upper right side of my body! I was in the hospital for 10 days because of it. They finally decided that it was because of the catheter but couldn't do anything about pulling it until my fistula was ready to use. The swelling finally did go down BUT one boob is still bigger than the other!     I wish you the best! What a great grandson you are helping her at this difficult time!   

[jeannea]

For TheGrandson, the best way to determine total kidney function is a 24 hr urine collection and then they calculate creatinine clearance. It's a pain but still the most accurate.

[TheGrandson]

Thanks.  Yes, I am wondering maybe it has to do with a blockage of some sort, and lymphatic fluid, maybe.  But back to the main subject, I noticed her weight has already increased by 1.2 k since yesterday's treatment, we had her all the way down to an estimated dry weight.  So, It doesn't exactly bode well as far as kidney function returning.  IDK thought, there are some kidney teas out there.  May as well give it a try!  Happy New Year and thanks to everyone for your support and responses!

[M3Riddler]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone here either has / has heard of someone in ERSD / Dialysis treatment whos kidney function ended up returning?  This .pdf paper was a pretty good resource  http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2369-4-9.pdf  - I am specifically wondering about the etiology of Hypertension and resultant ESRD.  My grandmother has been on Hemo for a grand total of 2 weeks - one week of treatment and already her first staph infection that resulted in a 5 day stay in the hospital.  She is 87 years old had has the mind and heart of a 30 year old woman ~ she means so much to me. 

TheGrandson

TheGrandson,

It all depend on why the kidneys failed in the first place that determines if you may return to normal kidney function without dialysis. This is called acute kidney failure.  More people have chronic kidney failure than acute.   Many who do drugs ( not saying your grandmother does drugs), as well as over the counter meds, and being in an accident are examples of how you can get acute kidney failure.  Sometimes dialysis will let the pressure off the kidneys in order for them to hearl and return to normal.

But, being on dialysis can also show improved lab results just from the dialysis. Dont let this confuse you with acute kidney failure.  The dialysis is doing what the kdineys do, so you will see normal lab results at times.  It sounds like your grandmothers kidney failure resulted from Hypertention. This is very comon. Long term high blood presure can damage the kidneys chronically.     The more dialysis, the better outcomes your grandmother will have.       Is the infection under control?   
She will be in my prayers..

[TheGrandson]

Thanks for your response.  And no, Grandma did not do drugs, ha!  She was however on blood pressure medications for most of her life.   Although we do not have a 100% sure answer as to why her kidneys finally gave out, it is most likely long term hypertension.  We have been watching her egfr decline over a period of years. 

I am guessing this would put us in the category of 'chronic.'  Have you heard of anyone with chronic / hypertension - related etiology have function return?