Signs and symptoms may include any of the following:
- High blood pressure
- Decreased urine output or no urine output
- Darkly coloured urine
- Anaemia
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Sudden weight change
- A general sense of discomfort and unease (malaise)
- Fatigue and weakness
- Muscle twitches and cramps
- Swelling of the feet and ankles
- Yellowish-brown cast to your skin
- Persistent itching
CKD can be difficult for you or your doctor to detect initially. Signs and symptoms are often non-specific, meaning they can also be attributed to other illnesses. In addition, because your kidneys are highly adaptable and able to compensate for lost function, signs and symptoms of chronic kidney failure may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.
If you have a chronic medical condition that puts you at increased risk of CKD, your doctor is likely to monitor your blood pressure and kidney function with urine and blood tests during regularly scheduled office/clinic visits.
Call your doctor if you experience any of the signs and symptoms of CKD between visits. These may include a change in urination patterns or quantity, dark or cola-coloured urine, unexplained weight loss, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, or a yellowish-brown cast to your skin. Even if you have no risk factors for kidney failure, see your doctor immediately if you notice that you are urinating much more or much less than usual or if you see any blood in your urine.