Kidney Disease Symptoms
When you know the symptoms of chronic kidney disease (CKD), you can get treatment and feel your best. CKD symptoms can be subtle. Some people don’t have any symptoms — or don’t think they do. If you have one or more of the 15 symptoms below, or worry about kidney problems, see a doctor for blood and urine tests. Many of the symptoms on this list can be caused by other health problems. The only way to know the cause of YOUR symptoms is to see your doctor.
NOTE: Low back pain is not a sign of kidney disease. Your kidneys are above your waist in the back of your body. If you have pain there, tell your doctor.
Fill out the symptom-chart at the end of this section and print it to share with your health care team.
15 Symptoms of Kidney Disease
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1. Fatigue – being tired all of the time
Why this happens:
Healthy kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin (a-rith'- ro-po'- uh-tin), or EPO, that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they make less EPO. With fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, your muscles and brain tire very quickly. This is anemia, and it can be treated.
What patients said:
I was constantly exhausted and didn't have any pep or anything.
I would sleep a lot. I'd come home from work and get right in that bed.
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2. Feeling cold – when others are warm
Why this happens:
Anemia can make you feel cold all the time, even in a warm room.
What patients said:
I notice sometimes I get really cold, I get chills.
Sometimes I get really, really cold. It could be hot, and I'd be cold.
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3. Shortness of breath – after very little effort
Why this happens:
Being short of breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia (a shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.
What patients said:
At the times when I get the shortness of breath, it's alarming to me. It just fears me. I think maybe I might fall or something so I usually go sit down for awhile.
I couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't catch my breath, like I was drowning or something. And, the bloating, can't breathe, can't walk anywhere. It was bad.
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4. Feeling faint, dizzy, or weak
Why this happens:
Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to feeling faint, dizzy, or weak.
What patients said:
I was always tired and dizzy.
It got to the point, like, I used to be at work, and all of the sudden I'd start getting dizzy. So I was thinking maybe it was my blood pressure or else diabetes was going bad. That's what was on my mind.
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5. Trouble thinking clearly
Why this happens:
Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to memory problems or trouble with concentration.
What patients said:
I know I mentioned to my wife that my memory—I couldn't remember what I did last week, or maybe what I had 2 days ago. I couldn't really concentrate, because I like to work crossword puzzles and read a lot.
I would get up to do something and by the time I got there I couldn't remember what I was going to do.
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6. Feeling very itchy
Why this happens:
Kidneys remove wastes from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, the build-up of wastes in your blood can cause severe itching.
What patients said:
It's not really a skin itch or anything, it's just right down to the bone. I had to get a brush and dig. My back was just bloody from scratching it so much.
My skin had broke out, I was itching and scratching a lot.
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7. Swelling in hands or feet
Why this happens:
Failing kidneys don't remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, and/or hands.
What patients said:
I remember a lot of swelling in my ankles. My ankles were so big I couldn't get my shoes on.
Going to work one morning, my left ankle was swollen, real swollen, and I was very exhausted just walking to the bus stop. And I knew then that I had to see a doctor.
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8. Swollen or puffy face
Why this happens:
Failing kidneys don't remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the face.
What patients said:
My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.
My checks were always puffy and tight. Sometimes they would even hurt.
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9. Food tastes like metal
Why this happens:
A build-up of wastes in the blood (called uremia) can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don't feel like eating.
What patients said:
Foul taste in your mouth. Almost like you're drinking iron.
I don't have the appetite I had before I started dialysis, I must have lost about 10 pounds.
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10. Ammonia breath
Why this happens:
A build-up of wastes in the blood (called uremia) can cause bad breath.
What patients said:
My husband always tells me I have fish breath.
Sometimes my breath smells like urine and I need to brush my teeth more often.
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11. Upset stomach, nausea, vomiting
Why this happens:
A severe build-up of wastes in the blood (uremia) can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.
What patients said:
I had a lot of itching, and I was nauseated, throwing up all the time. I couldn't keep anything down in my stomach.
When I got the nausea, I couldn't eat and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure pills.
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12. Getting up during the night to make urine
Why this happens:
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How?
- You may urinate more often, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine.
- You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.
What patients said:
My urine is what I had started noticing. Then I was frequently going to the bathroom, and when I got there, nothing's happening. You think, 'Hey, I've got to go to the john,' and you get there, 2 or 3 drops.
I would get up two or three times at night and had lots of pressure each time.
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13. Foamy or bubbly urine
Why this happens:
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How?
- Urine may be foamy or bubbly.
- This can lead to an above-normal amount of protein in the urine.
What patients said:
The bowl would be filled with bubbles.
Sometimes I would notice my urine being very foamy, so I made an appointment with the doctor.
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14. Brown, red, or purple urine
Why this happens:
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How?
- You may urinate less often, or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark-colored urine.
- Your urine may contain blood.
What patients said:
I was passing blood in my urine. It was so dark it looked like grape Kool-Aid. And when I went to the hospital they thought I was lying about what color it was.
I thought I had a urinary infection when I first saw blood in my urine.
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15. Pressure when you make urine
Why this happens:
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How?
- You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.
What patients said:
When you go to use the restroom, you couldn't get it all out. And it would still feel just like tightness down there, there was so much pressure.
The pressure was so great, yet it would come out so slow. Like 2-3 minutes slow. I thougth what is going on here.
Kidney Disease Symptom Chart
Check the symptoms you have and then print the chart to share with your doctor.
Next Section:
Kidney Disease Treatments