Bubbles in urine

[DIY12]

Hi guys,

I have recently noticed bubbles in my urine it is intermittent but quite disconcerting. Has anybody else had a similar issue? (GFR is currently 62)

[verdogo]

I think it is normal with Kidney Desease. I have the bubbles also. My GFR 30/Creatinine 1.8. Hope this helps? Research it see if what you read says its normal for kidney desease patients to be sure

[Cruze44]

Everyone has bubbles in urine. I have had bubbly urine all my life and I have no protein in my urine. Its just the force of the urine hitting the water. If it’s due to protein it will be foamy. Not bubbly. And it will not dissipate quickly. I’ve actually been peeping at the urinals at work when I pee cause ya know men are slobs and never flush lol. All the unflushed urinals contain bubbly pee lol.

[rabbit01]

If it is frothy like a bubble bath and the bubbles don't quickly dissipate then that is normally due to protein leaking through the damaged kidneys. I have that all the time but I am at 13% eGFR.

[Shawn123]

Hi I am exactly the same......gfr the same. No protein in urine and only symptoms are bubbly pee at different times of the day. All other tests normal ... and doc says if gfr 60 ish then not CKD.....but I m not convinced and constantly checking pee

[Sally10255]

I am not sure what causes it, try drinking lots more water.

[RickHow]

I have stage 3b with NO protein in urine. Ever since the removal of one kidney I have had foamy urine. In the morning it is at it's worst and is present all day but generally the more water I drink the less it gets. But always foam. To be totally honest, I may have had this my entire life and simply not noticed it or considered it an illness. It was just me and I never paid attention. I have 5 doctors. A urologist, a kidney doctor, and oncologist, a primary care physician, a cardiologist. They ALL say it doesn't matter as long as no protein is shown in urine tests. Some people simply have foam in urine. Now if it amounts to more than can disappear with a single flush, then it could be something. Some people described the foam as disappearing. Mine does dissipate some but general is always present. My father, age 92, sharp as a tack, said his entire life he has had this. Get a urine test. no protein. Then don't worry.

[Shawn123 in reply to RickHow]

Thanks for your input......I am constantly thinking the bubbly foamy pee is a really bad sign because when I gave googled it in the past it says that is a sign of late stage kidney disease...which causes me to worry.

[RickHow in reply to Shawn123]

That's one of the bad things about the internet. You can have a symptom or something on your mind and turn to the internet. There you can find it is a symptom of one disease, or two, or many diseases. But there is so much more into determining if you have a specific disease, than just experiencing one symptom. Take something simple. I have a bad headache. On the internet I can find it is a symptom of high blood pressure, or a brain tumor, or a sinus condition, or stroke, etc. And probably, more times than not, it is just that...a headache. Your gfr is healthy. You reported nothing else wrong in any bloodwork (such as abnormal Bun levels), etc. Your doctor took the precaution of sending you to a kidney doctor. You most certainly DO NOT have late stage CKD! I'm sure your doctors have scheduled another urine and blood test in a few weeks or 3 to 6 months. See what those results are. If still just a trace of protein and you are not overtly exercising or taking meds, dehydrated, etc. than it more than likely is just YOU. Remember when they say this measurement or that measurement is normal, it does not mean everyone is the same.

[Shawn123 in reply to RickHow]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.......very useful advice.

Shawn.

[Ressa1 in reply to RickHow]

I see tiny bubbles in my urine and I googled and now I'm so scared after seeing it's saying CKD.. I'm really scared now and my pressure isn't normal like it was before, I think I'm frustrating myself too much after seeing CKD..I'm really scared. I'm only 33.

Im going to do a test in the morning. I've been crying allot. I'm really scared.

[RickHow in reply to Ressa1]

Reesa, calm yourself. The simple sight of bubbles in urine does NOT NOT NOT mean you have CKD. As I have posted in this forum many times, my father had bubbles in his urine most of his adult years. He died in his sleep just shy of his 93rd birthday. You are obsessed that it is CKD and in this case you are doing the right thing by getting tested (I guess you mean blood and urine tests). I DO have CKD because I had one kidney removed due to cancer. So the other can't do the complete necessary job. I reported bubbles in my urine to my doctors. More in the morning and less and less each time during the rest of the day. They said I probably always had this and did not even notice it until I began worrying about everything concerning CKD. And there is a difference between bubbles in the urine and foam in the urine. IF the bubbles are caused by CKD it is generally due to protein leaking through the kidney. A simple urine test will show if this is the case. DO NOT TAKE YOUR ADVICE from google. See what your doctors say.

[DIY12]

Thanks to everyone who posted on this topic. Really appreciate your insights.

My urine is bubbly intermittently, sometimes it's okay other times there are bubbles so I'm confused!

[Ressa1 in reply to DIY12]

Did u find out why?

[RickHow in reply to DIY12]

Could be your hydration levels. More foamy in the early hours after not having liquids all night? Then likely hydration.

[jeanswood]

I too only have one kidney with a eGFR last of 48. I had mentioned to my urologist before I had my kidney removed that I had bubbles and foam in my urine. His reply was mostly everyone has bubbles in their urine. It also depends on the stream and if there are any cleaning products in the water. Sometimes mine is worse than others but so far my urine tests fine.

[RickHow in reply to jeanswood]

We are twins :). Same here. One kidney (other removed with cancer). I then noticed bubbles in the urine. Doctor told me I probably always had that and just never paid attention but now I am paying too much attention to every little thing. As my urine tests were fine, he was totally unconcerned. I have another doctor who even refuses to call it CKD. When a kidney is removed the other can expand itself and handle the complete needed function done by both kidneys. But the older we get the less this is the norm. So it is quite normal for a person to have Creatinine levels of 1.7 or 1.8. By the charts and formulas this is called CKD. But in fact the existing remaining kidney may not be "diseased" at all (beyond normal deterioration which comes as we all age) but just can't handle all the work previously done by 2. She (a kidney doctor) tells me we will just watch and make sure the creatinine levels remain constant (1.7 or 1.8, which others would call CKD). A normal deterioration of the kidney should be about a little less than 1% every 12 to 18 months. And that is not due to "CKD" but just normal aging.

[jeanswood in reply to RickHow]

Funny how some days I have more bubbles than other days! I am doing everything I can to keep everything stable. Diet definitely plays a big part in keeping my levels stable. If I cheat too much it shows! Because I see a Nephrologist and Urologist I get blood work done every 3 months which allows me to really stay on top of this. Best of luck to you in keeping your remaining kidney healthy. Are you good about limiting your protein and salt? So far my potassium and phosphorous levels are great. I also drink lots of water! Thanks for reaching out!

[RickHow in reply to jeanswood]

Yes my foam/bubbles varies too. Always there but some days more than others. And varies during the day too. Kidney and Urologist tell me just ignore it. I think I am very good at watching my protein. I eat primarily chicken. And once a week, sometimes 2, small portions of lean pork. Beef is perhaps 2 times a month in the form of a hamburger or a slice of meat loaf. My breakfast if primarily a bagel, with butter or jam, and coffee. For lunch I eat a yogurt (low fat), sometimes with nothing else. Sometimes with a slice of bread and some peanut butter (not a lot). Supper is a normal meal of protein (again portions are not normal, not huge), sometimes with potato but mostly with a frozen vegetable (I eliminated anything canned from my diet because the sodium content is outrageous). I will 2 or 3 times a week eat white rice at dinner as a side dish also. I have Italian about once a week. Spaghetti or ravioli, with a moderate amount of potato sauce. At night before bed I have my 2nd coffee for the day along with the treat of something like 1/2 a muffin, or small piece of cake or pie. I drink water all day, trying to at least have 60 ounces, plus my two coffees each day of 8 ounces each. Now there are special occasions or just when the mood strikes me that I will have pizza or some treat I shouldn't. But the doctors tell me this is fine. That we must care for ourselves but we must also enjoy our life. My blood and urine testing is done every 4 months. I also each day, on the direction of the doctor, eat a small portion 1 or 2 ounces of peanuts (salted).

[jeanswood in reply to RickHow]

I have changed my diet a bit lately so I will see how my blood work looks next month. I start my day with 2 glasses of lemon water, sometimes followed by 1 glass of celery juice. I just started having 1 or 2 scrambles eggs with onions, peppers and spinach. Then I go to work and enjoy a cup of coffee! I sometimes have an apple with or without peanut butter or celery and carrot sticks for a snack. I just bought some almond butter to replace the peanut butter. I will try to like it! Then for lunch I usually have a salad with a bunch of vegetables in it. I sometimes make soup and have that instead. For dinner I will have a little bit of chicken with lots of vegetables. I love roasted vegetables! I do include sweet potatoes or regular potatoes at times. I also love avocados that I include each week in my salads. If I go out to dinner I usually get salmon. I keep trying new recipes so I don't get too bored! I do enjoy a sweet treat every now and again. I try to be Gluten Free as much as possible since I used to have a sensitivity to it. I have been writing down everything I eat the last two weeks to make sure I don't go over my protein allowance too much. Some days it is impossible when you go out to dinner or are on vacation! Sometimes I crave a good hamburger and I do indulge. Like you said you have to live too. I drink a lot of water and not much else except for decaf tea and coffee in the morning. Thanks for sharing!

[RickHow in reply to jeanswood]

It seems we are similar in our approach. Some differences in consumption but generally doing the same things. I too occasionally track my protein total just to see how I'm doing. My doctors advise me to go over a bit now and then is not a sin. This is not going to cause any harm to the kidney. It takes a long time for any excess to really bother the kidney performance, unless you the excess is too much salt continually (raises blood pressure). I am directed to have the peanuts/nuts and/or some peanut butter because it helps in the reduction of triglycerides. Again, not in excess, but a little daily or 4 or 5 times a week. Most people who reach end stage renal disease do not pass from the actual failure of the kidney but rather from a cardiovascular event. So it is important to keep our heart as healthy as possible too. Best of luck.

[metopazone]

Yes, all the time. I have had kidney problems since the middle 1990"s with a kidney transplant in 2007. The bubbles are caused by two possible factors: (1) too much protein (2) dehydration. You need to have a metabolic and differential analysis blood test. If your creatinine is over 1.4 ,you need to be under a watch from a nephrologist care. Check your albumin and uric acid levels.