Protein in urine

[LisaEP]

Hi everyone

I posted on here a while ago about losing protein in my urine. Just a quick update - I’ve had a kidney ultrasound which was fine and have had a full set of blood tests. My bloods aren’t showing anything of major concern but my GFR is 88. Given the GFR and protein in urine when I see my consultant again in 2 weeks time my guess is that he’ll say I have stage 2 CKD. I’m currently on the waiting list for a kidney biopsy to try to find out what’s causing the protein loss. Fingers crossed it’s something that can be controlled and slowed down.

[MAS_Nurse]

Good luck to you Lisa and thanks for keeping us in the loop so to speak. We will be thinking of you and sending good vibes.

MAS Nurse & Moderator.

[LisaEP in reply to MAS_Nurse]

Thank you - much appreciated.

[Momofson]

Please have them check you thyroid too. There is a connection!

[LisaEP in reply to Momofson]

To protein in urine?

[Momofson in reply to LisaEP]

Yes! There is much on the internet about it but always stay with the reliable sites. A very interesting article on it in “International Journal of Nephrology.” Several other good articles.

My son had a lot of protein loss without kidney disease. They first put him on blood pressure medicine to slow it down but his blood pressure wasn’t overly high to begin with so it made him too tired. I kept asking about his thyroid but none of the local doctors thought their was a connection. He has had thyroid nodules and goiters for years but it could also come from a dysfunctional thyroid. Have your doctor run a complete thyroid panel, including thyroid antibodies TPO and TG. My son will be having his thyroid removed soon! You should probably print that article and a few more out for the doctor you see.

You can lose many other things thru your thyroid that rides out on the blood protein. It can cause other things to go wrong too and some think it can cause depression.

[Jenstepp90]

Do you lift weights regularly? I have actually had rhabdomyolysis before 2 years ago and the only symptom I had was slightly nausea and even had clear urine for the most part. My cpk levels were 3,999. The best thing you can do in the mean time is Stay hydrated and decrease your protein intake for a bit and incorporate more veggies and fruits sun it's easier on the kidneys. 80 is really not too bad at all. Dehydration can do ALOT! I asked about weight lifting because people with a higher muscle mass and density make higher levels of creatinine anyways. I knew a person who had the biopsy done and it came back normal because they had alot of muscle for their frame. They are all good today. Best if luck!

[Jenstepp90]

It would also be in your favor to have a normal BP and no diabetes. Those are good signs! Heck, I even know a person with a blood disorder who lost ALL their kidney function and an experimental drug bounce their kidneys back to 100%.

[LisaEP in reply to Jenstepp90]

Hi no I don’t lift weights. My BP is normal and no diabetes.

[RickHow]

Lisa, it seems all is well for you except for some amount of protein in urine. You probably posted how much before, but I do not remember how much protein. Obviously it is enough that your doctors are doing proper testing and not ignoring. And that is great. It sounds like you have a good medical team. Some might just say oh well your blood is fine, your egfr is in normal range, don't worry. But yours is testing all possibilities. Someone mentioned thyroid. This certainly is a possibility. Perhaps this was already in your blood test. It is called a TSH blood panel. Your doctors are doing all the right things to see what is happening. And you are now in the worst phase of waiting and worrying. We have all been there, and most of us still are. Take some solace that you have good doctors tracking down what is going on. Keep us informed.

[LisaEP in reply to RickHow]

Thank you for your response. I don’t think I’ve had the thyroid test but will check with the consultant when I see him next in two weeks time. As you say the waiting is just the worst.

[Momofson in reply to LisaEP]

I would make sure I got a thyroid checkup before I got a biopsy.

[LisaEP in reply to Momofson]

Thanks I’ll mention this to my consultant when I next see him in 2 weeks time.

[johnmehta123]

Hi Lisa, what is the level of protein and how long its being going on? Is there a microscopic blood in urine too or its just protein. My 24 hour gfr came out to be around same range. i had very small amount of protein and blood in urine and underwent biopsy last month. Good luck!

[LisaEP in reply to johnmehta123]

Hi the rand urine protein: creat ratio is 248 mg/mmol which has been classed as ‘high’ on my report. This is a UK test to I appreciate this might not mean anything to those based in the US and other countries. In terms of how long it’s been going on it’s difficult to say. I was first tested in January but suspect it had been going on for at leat a few months before that.

[johnmehta123 in reply to LisaEP]

yes the test was different here in US but your number seemsnhigher than normal range. I was diagnosed with IGA nephropathy post biopsy.

I hope everything goes well with your biopsy. please keep us posted!

[LisaEP in reply to johnmehta123]

Can I ask were your IGA blood levels raised? Mine isn’t but the IGM is slightly elevated.

[macintoshm in reply to LisaEP]

I recently had the same, biopsy after every other check and microscopic blood/protein in urine and diagnosed IGA Nephropathy. I have high BP, that keeps going in a cycle of higher drug dose or a new drug, gets low, creeps up, higher dose etc. on 4 medications now. but at least I have something to link it to IGA nephropathy, which seems to be both caused by high BP and caused by high BP! all a bit confusing

[LisaEP in reply to macintoshm]

Hi presumably your IGA levels were higher than average in your blood results?

[macintoshm in reply to LisaEP]

not sure - i know my general kidney function is fine.

[LisaEP in reply to macintoshm]

Yeah same here. I just wish they’d get to the bottom of it. Just seems to be taking forever to get a diagnosis.

[macintoshm in reply to LisaEP]

there's no real cause or treatment, other than keep BP down. it may never get any worse, it has been steady for 18 months or more, so its not the rapid type, so hopefully as long as BP can be kept normal it wont have any impact on general health.