how long can i live with one kidney?

Question

I take atirejection med for a kidney , but for the first time in 6yrs I have run out. How long before this is a huge issue? I have only missed one dose so far. My insurance has been terminated and I am unemployed. I'm not sure what to do. Any thoughts?

Answer 1

Normal life: If generally healthy, people can live a normal life with one kidney.

Answer 2

It depends: That is a question that no one can really answer. There are too many variables including your other medical issues, genetics, etc. But with close follow-up, hopefully, it will remain healthy for a long time.

Answer 3

Yes: Absolutely. But if the failed kidney is because of a systemic medical condition, like high blood pressure or diabetes, then both kidneys are affected, and the one left may not be too healthy.

Answer 4

Usually: Usually when one kidney fails for some reason, the other kidney will grow in size and take on some of the load of the other failed kidney. This takes time (years). Of course, this all depends on the other kidney being healthy and one not having a disease that will affect the other kidney. Nevertheless, one should follow closely with their doctor to ensure the one remaining kidney stays healthy.

Answer 5

Not necessarily: If one kidney fails, the other kidney (if healthy) will compensate by increasing the blood flow (GFR) through it. If one kidney fails completely, the other will have more filtration but it does not necessarily weaken. The caveat is if the process that caused the first kidney to fail persists (such as diabetes, or hypertension), then this could cause the other kidney to fail as well.

Answer 6

Yes: Many people are born with a single kidney instead of two and never know about it unless they have some form of medical imaging.

Answer 7

Yes: If the other kidneys is normal, you will have no problem.

Answer 8

Kidney size: No. That is normal.

Answer 9

Asymmetrical kidneys: In general most kidneys are the same size. If the difference is more than a centimeter it may be significant. You may have been born that way. There may have been prior infection scar or decrease blood flow to one kidney. Also an ultrasound is technician dependent so maybe it's the test was done and not accurate.

Answer 10

See below: It may be part of development, or it may be one is shrunken due to damage from lack of blood supply, or one is blocked and is swelling up [called hydronephrosis] your doctor can help.

Answer 11

Yes: Yes many patients are either born with one kidney or have to have a resection. The remaining kidney can be overworked to compensate for loss of tissue. Sometimes scarring occurs (called fsgs). However, if the kidney is normal to start with, it usually handles the pressure over the years with no significant problems. Consider nephrology follow up and ace inhibitors.

how long can i live with one kidney?

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