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I have Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease and have been eating a Carnivore Diet for over a year now. Am I killing my kidneys with all that protein, or am I healing them? Modern medicine teaches that protein is hard on the kidneys, especially for those with CKD, so am I taking a big risk here? Can a person with CKD eat a Carnivore Diet or meat-heavy carnivore-centric keto diet? Should those with healthy kidneys eat low protein and avoid red meat in order to protect their kidney function? I discuss all these questions in this video.

 

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00:00 Introduction
00:32 The Protein Myth
02:06 What does the research reveal?
04:12 Protein is Vital
05:06 I have Stage 4 CKD
07:12 Why the Carnivore Diet?
09:56 My Results and Bloodwork
11:56 Why Creatinine goes UP
14:21 Cystatin C and other Markers
15:58 What actually caused my CKD?

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Carnivore doctors claim kidneys are like a muscle and the more protien you eat the stronger the kidneys could get. We hope

I hope so too. 

I just got some blood work done and my creatinine was checked - and it again looks worse on paper (explained in the video). I'm going to go get a cystatin C next week and hopefully that has remained the same.

On 10/21/2024 at 11:02 AM, Bob said:

I hope so too. 

I just got some blood work done and my creatinine was checked - and it again looks worse on paper (explained in the video). I'm going to go get a cystatin C next week and hopefully that has remained the same.

how is your cystatin C now?

On 10/30/2024 at 10:14 AM, w1zxjr said:

how is your cystatin C now?

My Cystatin C has gone up slightly from the last time, which unfortunately trends in the wrong direction than what I wanted to see. 

There's a huge disparity though with my creatine vs cystatin C. Part of this disparity is the protein in the diet, as explained in my video. The other part I think is my fault. When I had the high triglyceride scare, I started taking high dose Niacin and fenofibrate. Fenofibrate is known to increase creatinine levels. But, after several months I started to have major issues with cramps. This issue almost miraculously disappeared overnight when I ran out of Niacin, which I posted about HERE back in the beginning of August.

While my initial research said that Niacin is good for lowering trigs and LDL while raising HDL, and being good for the kidneys, now my much deeper research revealed that high dose Niacin in people with late stage renal disease (me) can cause rhabdomyolysis (muscle wasting) and increase the chance of early all-cause mortality (like, holy crap!).

I think I was giving myself rhabdomyolysis, as evidenced by the chronic cramping. This muscle wasting and protein breakdown in turn caused my creatinine to go through the roof. On paper, I'm already dead. But I still feel fantastic and symptom free - especially now that I dropped the Niacin. I only struggle with electrolye balance which a little magnesium helps me with.

1 hour ago, Bob said:

My Cystatin C has gone up slightly from the last time, which unfortunately trends in the wrong direction than what I wanted to see. 

There's a huge disparity though with my creatine vs cystatin C. Part of this disparity is the protein in the diet, as explained in my video. The other part I think is my fault. When I had the high triglyceride scare, I started taking high dose Niacin and fenofibrate. Fenofibrate is known to increase creatinine levels. But, after several months I started to have major issues with cramps. This issue almost miraculously disappeared overnight when I ran out of Niacin, which I posted about HERE back in the beginning of August.

While my initial research said that Niacin is good for lowering trigs and LDL while raising HDL, and being good for the kidneys, now my much deeper research revealed that high dose Niacin in people with late stage renal disease (me) can cause rhabdomyolysis (muscle wasting) and increase the chance of early all-cause mortality (like, holy crap!).

I think I was giving myself rhabdomyolysis, as evidenced by the chronic cramping. This muscle wasting and protein breakdown in turn caused my creatinine to go through the roof. On paper, I'm already dead. But I still feel fantastic and symptom free - especially now that I dropped the Niacin. I only struggle with electrolye balance which a little magnesium helps me with.

Rhabdomyolysis is just the worst and fastest way to damage your kidney. However, Cystatin C could also be affected by thyroid functions tho but I hope this is just temporary and I hope you will do well. Stay strong 💪.

Thank you w1zxjr 🙂 

I've reversed everything except for my CKD and hypertriglyceridemia, which is a consequence of the CKD. I've never checked my thyroid. I should just for the sake of it. 

I'm making a handful of changes and hope to see some improvement, even if it's just a return to the Cystatin C level I had previously. 

For an entire year my bloodwork was horrible and with ckd3b, and I am finally seeing big results on carnivore I am no longer losing electrolytes, and all my blood work came back normal. My blood pressure stable under 110/65 last year my average blood pressure was 156/110.  I been eating lots of real butter , and I increased my egg intake per month to over 100 eggs. And I stopped coffee including decafe and tea.

 

 

Great job Merlin. 

12 hours ago, merlin said:

For an entire year my bloodwork was horrible and with ckd3b, and I am finally seeing big results on carnivore I am no longer losing electrolytes, and all my blood work came back normal. My blood pressure stable under 110/65 last year my average blood pressure was 156/110.  I been eating lots of real butter , and I increased my egg intake per month to over 100 eggs. And I stopped coffee including decafe and tea.

That's awesome. 

I quit coffee but still have a hot tea and some artificially sweetened caffeinated beverages throughout the day. That's really the next addiction I need to focus on. I would be curious if I would see better and faster results with water alone. 

Now everyone different but for me and I am taking a risk eating 80 percent fat with usually under 120 grams protien per day Sunday though Thursday, And Friday though Saturdays I eat as much as I want I eat 4 pounds protien on these days or even more. I also eat alot of real butter atleast 6 too 8 pounds realbutter per month or more. I no longer have to limit salt, potassium, magnesium because my kidney function getting better.

5 hours ago, merlin said:

I no longer have to limit salt, potassium, magnesium because my kidney function getting better.

I've actually never limited these things, and I have never had a problem. I still salt to taste. 

I do, however, avoid products like LMNT because I take losartan potassium for blood pressure, and the added potassium in LMNT will put my potassium levels above the high range.

Do you have to split your protein throughout the day to avoid uremia?

On 7/30/2025 at 3:52 AM, sillybilly29 said:

Do you have to split your protein throughout the day to avoid uremia?

No. At least I don't do that intentionally. An average day for me is eggs and sausage for breakfast, then in the afternoon nibbling on beef jerky, and then a new york strip for dinner.

I wouldn't think that "splitting my protein" or intermittent fasting would have any effect. The toxins that build up in the blood, creatinine, Cystatin C, prosperous, BUN, etc, are going to be pretty consistent because my filtration rate remains constant.

From what I understand, BUN and creatinine are pretty harmless even in my concentrations. My phosphorous is a little higher than I would like, but it's much lower than it was at the end of last year.