Trental Lab Results (As promised)
mainframetech
trying 'Trental' or Pentoxifylline with my nephrologists agreement and
his prescription. The drug is normally for those with 'claudication'
or pains in the legs from clogged arteries not carrying enough blood
when walking any distance.
I had found reports of studies where they tried the 'Trental' drug
on humans with Chronic Kidney Disease and got good results.
I have been taking Trental at 400 mg twice a day for about 2 weeks.
My Serum Creatinine was at 1.9 and eGFR was at 36. I'm on the Walser
very low protein diet, and have been for over 2 years now, and it has
done what it should and helped me avoid dialysis for those 2 years.
Lately my numbers were declining slowly but surely from 1.5 and 45
down to the ones mentioned above. Now with the test results I'm
showing Serum Creatinine at 1.83 and eGFR at 37. My numbers have been
very consistent in their gradual dropping, yet they show a slight
uptick after using the drug for 2 weeks.
This is not the beginning of the world, but for a CKD sufferer that
watches their numbers go south, it's a great feeling to see them hold
off that inevitable slide down to dialysis, and to even go up
slightly.
I have posted some links elsewhere to studies for folks, but anyone
can find them by googling with Trental and "kidney disease" and
sifting through the output.
I have also found a drug called 'Captopril' that is supposedly also
good at holding the numbers from progressing down, but I'm not a fan
of ACE inhibitors.
I suggest that anyone reading this take the information to their
doctor or nephrologist and pass any questions to me that they want
answered if I can. I will be happy also to take phone calls from
those doctors, or direct them to my doctor for a chat.
You have to take your medical situation into your own hands. You just
can't put something so important completely into the hands of the
medical community. There are too many uncaring people in that group.
Not one of them ever mentioned to me that Trental had the effect it
has had on CKD, but the successful study was completed in January,
2007. I assume that they just don't keep up with work being done until
it hits them in the head, but hwen it's you yourself that has the
problem, you're motivated much more strongly.
Good Luck,
Chris
John
clearly states in his book that serum creatinine measurements by themselves
are VERY unreliable. If you need the page number I can get it for you. He
suggests alternate ways of getting accurate readings. What do you make of
this? tx, John
"mainframetech" <mainfr...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d097bd9a-5e38-4e7e...@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
mainframetech
> Glad to hear of your success but I'm curious about something. Walser
> clearly states in his book that serum creatinine measurements by themselves
> are VERY unreliable. If you need the page number I can get it for you. He
> suggests alternate ways of getting accurate readings. What do you make of
> this? tx, John
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
John,
I've watched my readings closely (as you may imagine) for 2-3
years, and I feel reasonably confident about the information I gave.
However, there is another test point in about 6-7 weeks, so we'll see
if it is consistent. I will post the numbers then too.
I understand any reluctance to jump on good news, so I'm not doing
that just yet. If this drug works, there's nothing solid that labels
it as anything more than another delaying tactic in the battle. But
that's only second best to a cure... :)
What number do you feel is more sure to follow from your studies
that would show what we want?
Chris
John
the importance of doing the serum creatinine with cimetide like Dr. Walser
recommends and they looked at me like I had a turnip growing out of my ear
so that was a dead end.
I have to go by standard lab values but since I have them often I believe
them to be fairly accurate. Also I just had the 24 hour creatinine
clearance test by collecting the urine and that also puts me in stage 3.
Remember, in August I had six blood readings done in the space of a month
all over 3.0 the higheste being 3.4. That's late Stage 4. One hundred days
on my very strict version of the Walser diet and now I am in the middle of
stage 3. My neph confirmed that today and is also amazed at the rapid drop.
Her advice? Keep doing what you're doing. My response? Don't worry, I
will!
"mainframetech" <mainfr...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:0e1c6688-29be-4f5d...@e17g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
John
have a feeling I'm settling in for the long haul now and things are going to
go very slowly from this point I'm sure. But that's ok. I'm still so blown
away by these initial results I know that if more healing can occur it will
take years. I am encouraged by your progress Chris - do you have diabetes?
"John" <jdjd...@jfsfjkas.com> wrote in message
news:V7adnTpXfukU32TV...@comcast.com...
mainframetech
> My last three readings in the past ten days have been 1.7, 1.8 and 1.8. I
> have a feeling I'm settling in for the long haul now and things are going to
> go very slowly from this point I'm sure. But that's ok. I'm still so blown
> away by these initial results I know that if more healing can occur it will
>
> news:V7adnTpXfukU32TV...@comcast.com...
>
>
>
> > Hi Chris. I tried to talk to my personl Kaiser physician and my neph
> about
> > the importance of doing the serum creatinine with cimetide like Dr. Walser
> > recommends and they looked at me like I had a turnip growing out of my ear
> > so that was a dead end.
>
> > I have to go by standard lab values but since I have them often I believe
> > them to be fairly accurate. Also I just had the 24 hour creatinine
> > clearance test by collecting the urine and that also puts me in stage 3.
> > Remember, in August I had six blood readings done in the space of a month
> > all over 3.0 the higheste being 3.4. That's late Stage 4. One hundred
> days
> > on my very strict version of the Walser diet and now I am in the middle of
> > stage 3. My neph confirmed that today and is also amazed at the rapid
> drop.
> > Her advice? Keep doing what you're doing. My response? Don't worry, I
> > will!
>
> - Show quoted text -
No, I don't have diabetes. I have kept a rounded diet in the past,
and although I wasn't in the best of shape, I'm not feeling like it is
in my future. The CKD is quite enough, along with certain arterial
complications...thank you... :)
Good Luck,
Chris
Wildthing
Chris..this looks like great news for you....
Just out of curiosity, I'm assuming you're still on the Walser diet at
the same time you're taking these drugs...how much can you or do you
relate this improvment in your creatinine numbers to just the drugs,
or do you think the diet is working with the drugs to improve
things...perhaps I'm not making myself clear but in effect, I'm
asking, if you just took the drugs and went back to a protein filled
diet would you see the same positive results ???
Btw, please continue to post your results...hopefully they continue in
their positive direction...thanks and best of luck.
Jeff
mainframetech
Jeff,
I have been taking the Walser diet for about 2-2.5 years and
haven't stopped. I was using the diet during the taking of the
Trental drug, and I'm continuing with it and the drug.
I have watched my numbers for a good while now and am somewhat used
to them. They were fairly static after beginning the diet until about
6-8 months ago when my blood pressure crept up. My creatinine numbers
were consistently going down until I began the Trental drug at 2 400mg
pills daily. The usual recommended amount is 3 a day. I found one
item warning not to use the drug for CKD sufferers who have serum
creatinine of 30 or less. I was at 36 at the time down from 43. I
don't know if the 30 is valid because they gave Trental to people with
lower numbers in a study, but I didn't want to play loose with a
warning like that.
The diffenence in my numbers was a slight uptick rather than
another down turn. For me, that was enough to cheer about. Holding
off dialysis is my main goal, but I'm seeing that the drug companies
don't want to put a 'cure' out there and lose all their nice, paying
patients. I feel that way from my research on the 'net and email
answers I got from some companies.
I feel that my numbers might have been more dramatic if I weren't on
the diet, but I can't be sure. I will be at another lab test point in
about a month and a half and I will post the results then.
The Trental was originally intended for relieving the pain of
claudication due to artery clogging in the leg.
Good Luck,
Chris
mainframetech
Jeff,
I posted an answer to your question and noticed that it didn't come
out on the board. Let me try again.
I'm familiar with my numbers from looking at them for over 2
years. At the time I began taking the Trental I was on the Walser
diet, and I still am. I am also continuing to take the Trental.
After taking the Trental my numbers had a slight uptick rather than
the steady downticks I had been seeing. I'm taking two 400mg pills of
the Trental, although they recommend 3 a day normally. I found one
warning about using Trental if you have serum creatinine of 30 or
less, but only one warning.
I have considered that I did not have as good a benefit in my
numbers as the studies noted, but I think it might be due to my being
on the diet.
I will continue on both methods and will have lab tests in about a
month and will post the results.
Good Luck,
Chris
mainframetech
Howdy all... :)
As promised I'm here with the results of my testing of the drug
'Trental' on my CKD. I began taking the Trental over 2 months ago and
did a lab test about 2 months ago and had slightly improved Serum
Creatinine and eGFR numbers. I promised that I would report here when
I ran the second set of lab tests, and I just got the results. After
taking Trental for over 2 months, I found that my numbers are exactly
the same as they were 2 months ago. For me this is quite a wonderful
thing, knowing my numbers as I do. Let's say it's a christmas present
a few days early.
My serum creatinine was 1.83 down from 1.9, and my eGFR was 37 up
from 36. My numbers were going south slowly but steadily by 1 or 2
points a month before the last 2 months, and I haven't done anything
other than taking the Trental. I'm not using the full amount they
normally recommend to those with leg pains from clogged arteries, as
I wanted a small safety factor. I found a reference on the internet
to avoid taking Trental if you had a eGFR of 30 or less, so I took
only 2/3 of the normal dose. I'm taking 2 400mg pills daily separated
by 12 hours. I recommend anyone with CKD to put this info in front of
their nephrologist or a knowledgable doctor and see if Trental is good
for them. I've had no side effects from the drug, though there are
some mentio9ned in the literature.
I will be continuing taking the Trental and will let you know here
whether there are any major changes from my current status, either
good or bad. If I can be of help to anyone, or answer any questions
on the above or my experiences with avoiding or delaying dialysis, let
me know.
Good Luck,
Chris
Jason
<f229ae0e-8532-4916...@v42g2000yqv.googlegroups.com>,
mainframetech <mainfr...@yahoo.com> wrote:
That is great news. I am praying and hoping that your test numbers keep
moving in the right direction for the rest of your life. Keep up the great
work.
Happy new year,
Jason
mainframetech
>
I have to add a caveat to my comments about Trental. I had felt
that my blood pressure should be reduced a bit more because my kidney
damage was increasing. Trental may have the effect of lowering the BP
by opening up arteries. Because of that, I can't say definitely that
the Trental helped my kidney disease directly.
Chris