[LadyLib]

Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by LadyLib on Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:01 pm

Can creatinine levels improve after treatment starts, or after an autologous stem cell transplant?

[Arizonan]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by Arizonan on Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:59 pm

I was diagnosed in 2010. My Cr was 1.2 then. I believe that studies show that Cr usually improves for most patients once the myeloma is under control. In my case, though, I had a stem-cell transplant, resulting in graft-vs-host disease, which drove my Cr to 5!

I have been to many nephrologists. Most of their job appears to preparing people for dialysis or a kidney transplant. There appears to be little they can do to help your kidneys. But, regardless of their opinion, it is better to NOT go on dialysis for as long as possible.

Over the course of the last three years my Cr has slowly done down to 2.1. The only glitch was when I started 5 mg Revlimid daily, my Cr started back up. But I got off Revlimid and am doing fine.

The odd thing about my kidney problems was that they were always on paper. I never experienced any symptoms.

In general, initial myeloma treatment focuses on getting the myeloma under control, assuming the kidneys will improve too. It usually works.

Good luck.

[LadyLib]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by LadyLib on Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:46 am

I am looking to find out more about the kidney effect. We just did an auto (Day 4). My husband's levels have started dropping which we are grateful for. I am just wondering if the auto will actually help his levels get more normal. The nephrologists all say - no, but the results say something different. He was at a 6.6 at diagnosis for creatinine. With treatment, he was on average a 4.0. Now he has dropped into the 3 range. Will this stay? Where did you start?

[Multibilly]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by Multibilly on Sat Jan 04, 2014 9:02 am

LadyLib,

Did you see this earlier article on the Beacon?

https://myelomabeacon.org/news/2013/10/29/stem-cell-transplant-advanced-kidney-disease-multiple-myeloma/

[StandingTall]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by StandingTall on Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:01 pm

My creatinine improved drastically, but then again it shot up really high in a short amount of time...1.8 mg/dL when my vertebrae collapsed...and then 5.6 a month later after blood lab and was readmitted...but it shot up to six. I had been receiving antibiotics and major fluids which seemed to immediately caused my kidneys to relax..so no dialysis...and my kidneys dropped back to near normal before chemo...and now it hovers around .85-.9 mg/dL during.

Normal range for creatinine is .7 - 1.3

[Wayne K]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by Wayne K on Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:14 pm

My creatinine was at 7 when I was diagnosed and I was put on dialysis. I stayed on it for 6 months and would probably be on it today if I had not become proactive.
After about 4 1/2 months my level dropped to 3 and then remained there. After roughly a month of that and while having to miss some treatments because of conflicts with my chemo it didn't change I stepped up. Basically knowing that my hematologist was going to do blood work I told them I intended to miss 3 sessions to see what evolved. My creatinine did not rise and I opted out. Two months later it was at 1.5.
There is a fly in the ointment however when it comes to being proactive. medicare can, and I've told will, come back on you for refusing some treatments. That's why I had to be sure that the dialysis center knew i wasn't shooting in the dark.

[LadyLib]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by LadyLib on Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:43 pm

Thank you for the article link, Multibilly. It was very helpful.

[Wayne K]

Re: Can creatinine levels (kidney function) improve?

by Wayne K on Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:41 pm

My kidneys returned to pre diagnoses levels. The SCT center however would do transplants on dialysis patients. I obviously don't know if there were rare exceptions, but I was told that was the policy.