My CKD Journey (33 M)
Hi everyone, I wanted to share my journey and hear perspectives from others with similar experiences.
Timeline
Aug 2022 (Before infection)
- Routine bloodwork: Creatinine 1.12
Sept 2022
- Prolonged infection lasting 5–6 weeks
- Multiple antibiotics initially didn’t help
- Ultrasound showed increased cortical echogenicity; kidney size essentially normal
- Urine showed infection + 1+ protein
- Creatinine rose to 1.66
After treatment
- Infection resolved
- Creatinine improved to around 1.5
Feb 2023
- Repeat testing showed creatinine still around 1.5
- Repeat ultrasound similar
- 1+ proteinuria persisted
- Referred to nephrologist, which is when I effectively learned I had CKD
Background factor
- Longstanding hypertension since early 20s
- Started BP medications around 2016–17
- Took them fairly consistently until around 2019–20
- After that, medication use became on-and-off, with periods of stopping and restarting
Nephrologists’ perspective
- I’ve seen multiple nephrologists
- Most have not considered the infection itself the main issue
- Their working diagnosis has mainly been hypertensive kidney disease / hypertension-related damage
- Multiple nephrologists felt kidney biopsy was not needed and advised against it
Since diagnosis
- Creatinine has mostly stayed around 1.5–1.6 and been relatively stable
- Some fluctuations happened during illnesses
- Protein leakage increased at times, but currently absent
Current status
- Recent creatinine 1.42–1.49
- eGFR around 62
- Some recent stability / slight improvement
Question
- Given the long-term stability, recent improvement, and nephrologists viewing hypertension as the main cause, how would you view this trajectory?
- Has anyone had a similar stable-for-years CKD experience, especially with presumed hypertensive kidney disease?
Looking for perspective and shared experiences, not medical advice.