Strange Test Result: High BUN dan Ureum but Low Creatinine

[FitchT]

Hi, hope this message finds you well

I am new member, excited to be here.

I received my blood test today and will discuss it with my doctor next week.

In the meantime I would be grateful if I can get some advices from good fellows here

The questions I have is from my March 2020 to June 2020 measurements :

1. Blood Urea Nitrogen increased from 20.7 to 25.7, it is above the 6 - 20 range

2. Creatinine decreased from 1.25 to 0.68, it is too low, not within the 0.70-1.20 range. I do not understand its implication

3. Ureum increased from 44 to 55, it is above the 13 - 43 range

Is that a big concern? Does that mean I still eat too much protein? But why the Creatinine level dropped?

is that a reasonable sign of false test result?

In average, everyday I eat a lot of alkaline food. Among others are veggies, pumpkin seeds, olive oil and these proteins : 2 white eggs, one piece of fish and one piece of tempeh (fermented soybean).

Kindly advise what did I do wrong and how to fix it.

Thanking you in advance

[WYOAnne]

You are going to have to ask your doctor about these results.

The high BUN means you were dehydrated. So you need to be drinking more water everyday, not just right before you have labs done

Usually when your BUN is high so is your creatinine. So, really don't know about yours. Lab error? you will have to ask your doctor about this.

Urea usually shows how much of that waste product (urea) is in your urine. It shows that your kidneys are working overtime to breakdown protein.

A renal dietician can help you sort out your diet. When you see your doctor next week ask him about your labs and ask for a referral to see the dietician.

[FitchT in reply to WYOAnne]

Hi WYOAnne,

Thank you so much for your thoughts, it's helpful.

Lab's error comes to mind, because over the year my creatinine is in the upper range, not off the lower range like this.

I spoke with my friend regarding my higher Urea level compared to the previous test, she told me I have exercised too much.

It reminds me that what changed before my last test was that I did 20 minutes HIIT every day, 7 days a week. Do you share her opinion?

Thank you again, you have made me less worried

Stay safe

[WYOAnne in reply to FitchT]

YES, definitely too much exercise can do it.

Make sure though you discuss this with your doctor just to be sure you are both on the same page

[orangecity41]

Here is a link to information on test results , some pertaining to kidney disease. This might help you in determining questions to ask your Doctor. kidney.org/atoz/content/und...

[RickHow]

What you describe of course should be discussed with your doctor. Personally I would not worry about these results (and I am a person who generally worries). My BUN levels are all over the place. The doctor hardly pays attention saying it all is due to hydration. Yes kidney problems effect BUN. Usually it means they are weakened. Overworked. This can be due to aging or "ill" kidneys, improper diet, lack of fluids, heart problems, liver problems. But I assume all your other blood categories were fine. Too much protein is a usual culprit too.

Now the low Creatinine. This too can vary greatly due to hydration. However it is usual that the more hydrated you are, the lower your creatinine. This is not your case, since your BUN level is higher. So something (not the kidney it seems) is amiss. Yes Lab errors happen, but not so dramatically. Not often. This needs discussion with your doctor. If it were me I'd want another blood test. If the same/similar results, then further investigation is needed. I would think it time to involve a cardiologist. Or a kidney ultrasound. It sounds like improper blood flow to the kidney, causing the kidney to work "overtime". By the way. you only fell outside the "normal" Creatinine level by a very tiny amount. Remember "normal" is not a rule. It is just what are typical results. But typical results vary by race, age, sex, medications, etc. Get another test.

[FitchT in reply to RickHow]

Hi Rick,

Thank you so much for your insights. You have made me less worried and I come to realize that worry will only make things worse.

I spoke to the doctor and she can not make sense of the test result that my BUN reading is increasing while my creatinine is decreasing by far at the same time. She asked me to retest.

She told me a very useful advise, similar to what you said. Blood test result should not make you worry too much, especially when it is still in the borderline.

It's just a score card to tell you what you should improve in terms of diet, exercise, sleep, managing stress and what kind of vitamins to take. She told me to avoid high dose of vitamin C at prolonged period of time as it would be hard for the kidney

Thanks again Rick

[RickHow in reply to FitchT]

Good. Let us know the results of your retest.