ACE inhibitors for early kidney damage

I need to know if there are any problems with taking an ACE inhibitor for earlydiabetic kidney failure.

First I need to know whether to think I have early kidney failure, and if so,what is really likely to have caused it.

My mother died of diabetic kidney failure with fasting blood sugar levels around110 - the last time she was following them. That is possible; rates ofmicrovascular complications of diabetes rise sharply above that level.

I have a glomerular filtration rate of 52 on noe test and 65 on the secnod test.To begin with, the Internet is all over the scale as to whether that is normal,and the doctors at my clinic are split on the matter as well. One doctor saidif everything is fine and hunky dory than it should be over 100, but over 60 isperfectly normal. My doctor says she doesn't know what to make of it. So farall my other kidney function tests are fine, though one was near the borderline.

There was no microalbumin in my urine. Ultrasound of one kidney was fine. (Itgot caught in the ultrasound checking otu the damage aloe vera did to mystomach.)

I do find that by the time microalbumin was in my urine, I'd have lost half tothree quarters of my kidney function.

I am drinking herb tea for my diverticulitis the main ingredient of which isundeglywhatevered licorice. It's so far the only thing, prescription orotherwise, that has been tried that does help my diverticulitis, and does nothave impossible side effects. Prescription antispasmodics, and some herbalones, set off my reflux big time. I don't have any swelling or problems withfluid accumulation. I have tentative medical approval to keep using it.

Should I think I have anything to worry about? We're doing a 24 hour urinetest as soon as my digestive system lets me eat a diet with a normal amount ofprotein. Right now my blood protein levels aren't even normal, so how wouldthere be protein in my urine.

Then, is ACE inhibitors really a good thing for early kidney damage?Has anyone had trouble wtih face or throat swelling with it?
Yours,
Dora SmithAustin,
TX