In the summer of 2014, my primary care doctor started using the term “Chronic Kidney Disease” (CKD) with me, as my creatinine level had increased, and over a period of three tests, it measured in the 1.2 to 1.4 range. Then last December (2015) I ended up in the hospital, barely able to stay conscious. My creatinine level was then in the 1.6 to 1.8 range.
At this time I started on a DASH (low sodium) diet, which, over a period of days and weeks, helped with the symptoms.
I also got in to see a kidney specialist (a nephrologist), who listened to my story without saying anything. Then when I said, “I started taking Fenofibrate in October,” he really perked up. “Now that is interesting,” is exactly what he said.
Long story short, according to this doctor, taking Fenofibrate — which is used to used to treat high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels — is known to raise creatinine levels. He said he has seen it before, and told me to stop taking it asap. (Which of course means that you need to go back to your liver doctor to find something else to take for those symptoms.)
I could write more about this, but that’s the main lesson: It appears that the Fenofibrate caused an increase in my creatinine levels. I stopped taking the Fenofibrate, stayed on the DASH diet, and in February, 2016, my creatinine level was in the 1.2 range. Apparently once the kidneys are damaged to a certain level over a long term, they never get better, so they call 1.2 my “baseline.” So my creatinine level may never get better than 1.2, but at least it’s down from 1.8, and my risk of advanced CKD symptoms is much lower.
FWIW, I was taking Fenofibrate; that was the name on the prescription bottle. According to this rxlist.com page, other brand names for Fenofibrate are Antara, Fenoglide, Lipofen, Lofibra, TriCor, and Triglide.
books by alvin
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