Hello all. Its now been more than a year that I keep having foamy urine. I have tested and it doesn't seem to show any protein in it. Did extensive urine analysis, full blood work, and a abdominal sonogram, and an MRI. Kidneys seem to be fine on all those tests. There is no pain. How ever I have started to notice the foam after one day when I held my pee for too long and then went and I did have slight kidney pain that one time. And I think ever since then I see heavy foam. But again its negative for protein. I have tried everything, i stay hydrated, its not a chemically induced toilet water, although in some toilets the foam disappears almost instantly. In my toilet the foam stays and visible for a long time. I was wondering if anyone has encountered this before?
Thanks.
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Kidney Disease is not the only cause of foamy urine. You've already mentioned a couple of the causes and I've included an article for you to read and speak to your physician about.
Hi Mr_kidney, thanks for your response. Thats kind of the thing there is no definitive answer here. I have been googling for some time now and there is no answer. Its either dehydration, or proteinuria, or diabetes, and my doctor checked me for all those things and i do stay hydrated. This is what drives me crazy because di don't have an answer and i feel like if its happening then something is wrong. But i cant find out it is and thus i feel like im in some way unhealthy or this is some underlying problem which if left alone can turn into a big problem. I've been to several doctors and after all the testing they say.. "just dont worry about it everything checks out fine" but i cant not worry about it since its happening. And all doctors blame it on the most common thing which is protein and they test for it and if its clean then they just brush me off. So thats why im here hoping to find someone else who had the same thing.
Do you have copies from all of the testing done by all of the physicians? If not contact them and ask for hard copies from their Records Office is from a large clinic and if it's a solo practice their nurse can make copies for you from your records in a day or two. Find out if the physicians are using the same labs. Solo practices in the same town usually use the same lab. If the labs are different and still getting the same results I'd look into seeing a specialist. Have you been to a Urologist? Get someone with more specific knowledge and have them run your labs, possibly even a 24-hour urine sample. Foamy urine isn't normal and there has to be a reason for it. Once you rule out the individual physicians and the lab it's time for a specialist. Hopefully, someone here has more knowledge and can offer some sage advice in the next day or so.
Simple blood and urine labs. If you haven't received hard copies of all of your previous labs get them. If you do indeed have CKD it would help you when you meet with a Renal Dietitian and develop a kidney-friendly mesl plan. For now get the appointment and meet with the nephroloist after you get your labs.
Im reading that they determine CKD via various blood and urine tests and I had all those and they came back negative. I have had them several times through 6 months.
Many of the folks here in this community were told the same thing by PCP's. Some physicians don't inform their patients that they have CKD until the later stages. So much time is lost for the patients to slow the progression of CKD. That isn't right but it does happen.
Hey, pretty much in the same situation, it always comes back when having a hard time in life,
what is the status on your health now if i may ask?
Mine foams all the time, I used to worry about it but accept it as normal now. I suppose I should look into it but then I was diagnosed with kidney disease in 1993 and have annual checks with GP and it’s never been of concern in urine tests since. My disease can’t be treated anyway so they just monitor me to make sure it doesn’t get any worse and I don’t look for problems.
I’m trying to reassure but obviously if you’re concerned then push for an explanation.
Hi, thanks for responding. So should I be concerned about kidney disease? Did you have any other symptoms? Do you think this foam correlates with that? My tests don't show any protein in the urine. crap should I be worried about kidney disease? Did you have symptoms?
Yeah, the biggest shock of my life was when I got up one morning and my pee was like red wine. Six weeks of investigation determined urethral structure caused by UTIs which plagued me for a few years. Once that was finally operated on and all cleared up Urologist couldn’t understand why my urine was almost green when I did a flow test so then referred me to Renal.
To this day, my urine dipstick tests go off the scale for blood content although it’s not visible. At one time I could occasionally feel my kidneys as they were tender, thankfully they’ve felt fine for the past decade.
The link provided above by Mr_Kidney is interesting, foam may not be kidney related, maybe I just pee too hard into water and that causes the foam.
Alrighty now im pretty freaked out. They tested me for all kinds of uti's several times through 6 months and it always came back negative for blood and for protein.
Hi there, Mr_Kidney! I know I’m just a little late responding on this one, but I hadn’t yet been a member of this forum when this exchange was going on. I’ve only just lately been reading some of these past posts. But I had to tell you, that’s hilarious! And frighteningly, also true! Lol! Thanks for that! 😊👍
My foamy urine also had a strong odor. Even though I am now on dialysis and watch my diet and limit my fluid intake per my Neph, it will occasionally have an odor. Years before I was diagnosed with CKD, I noticed smelly urine when I may have drank too much alcohol at a party. I never related the smelly urine to the possibility I was hurting my kidneys. Lots of guilt feelings when I was diagnosed.
Both my dad and brother had foamy urine and neither ever had kidney disease. I have stage 2 CKD. Mine just started foaming a little a few months ago. All my labs are great except my potassium is a little high. I was worried about it at first but there doesn’t seem to be a reason so I just accepted it as the new normal.
Wait so all your tests came back good, so then how did they diagnose you to have CKD? Do you have symptoms or anything? My blood work was good too regarding the kidney stuff, and urine didn't show any uti's or protein or blood in it. I mean I will now make an appointment to go check again but if things don't show up on tests then how can they call it anything?
All my tests were good except for eGFR. 57, then dropped to 56 the next year. That’s when I discovered it in my medical records and made dietary changes. 3 months later I brought it back up to 73 and lowered my creatinine a little. My PCP refuses to send me to a nephrologist.
Whose health are we talking about, yours or the doctor? This is the time for you to become proactive. Seeing a nephrologist, and then a Renal Dietitian to develop a kidney-friendly meal plan to help slow the progression of CKD is the second and third thing you must do. The first is to find a new PCP if your current one will not agree to your wishes.
We are the dictators of our body and should be the ones to make the final decision especially when it is related to our health. There is NO WAY I would allow a doctor to dictate if/when I see a specialist about potential health issues in which I have concern. But, I must add, to each his/her own.
That’s the way it works on the Veterans Administration(VA) hamster wheel of death. It’s basically socialized medicine and they control who gets what and when. They’re secretive about your conditions and seem to be slow to recommend referrals to specialists. I’m currently looking for health care outside the VA system.
yeah i think having your PCP dictate what you should do is a bad idea. I listen to my doctor but if im suspicious of something.. i follow through on it. Yesterday I used a pee strip, and no blood or protein showed up again. Just says im dehydrated even though i drank some water. But I had the dehydration show up before... and i drank ALOT of water for like 2 days straight and all that did was make me pee often but the bubbles were still there.
Try getting a food allergy test. I was born allergic to egg products (I'd just throw up). In my 20s, I became 'tolerant' to egg and started to compel myself to eat it (I'd no longer throw up). However, this is also when my BP started rising, and my renal physician now suspects I have IgAN.
The thinking goes like this: allergens cross the intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream. There, IgA and IgG proteins 'attack' them and form giant molecules which float around in the bloodstream until the kidneys try and filter them out. These giant molecules are called 'Circulating Immune Complexes', or 'CIC's. The CICs, being big, get trapped in kidney tubules and that's when kidney damage occurs. Kidney damage => blood pressure rises => further kidney damage.
So try avoid eating anything likely to trigger a food allergy. The best advice I can give is to increase vegetable intake, reduce milk intake, and have a look at the Gundry diet (gundrymd.com/plant-paradox-...
I do have stomach problems and intolerance to gluten and dairy. I asked Gastro doc to give me a food allergy test he laughed it off saying there is no such thing. I don't really have any breakouts of anything and I can eat just about anything but gluten makes my stomach act up instantly and dairy not so much but if i eat alto it will. But i try to stay away from both of them. They are not part of my diet. How does one get a food allergy test?
That's nonsense! You can be tested for celiac disease(gluten intolerance) with a simple blood test. Lactose intolerance can be tested by a blood test also. An ENT can do a skin test for other allergens.
heh my Gastro just brushed it off. Where do i go to do this? can my regular doctor do this? What do i ask for? I may veyr well have some kind of allergy or intolerance
Start with your primary care doctor. They can refer you to a specialist and sometimes order tests themselves. I tested negative for lactose intolerance even though I can’t handle dairy products. They go straight through me. Figure that one out. Some things are just trial and error. But, the problem with allergies is they get progressively worse the more you’re exposed so it becomes more dangerous to your health.
I think the best way to solve this and to make yourself feel relaxed is speak with your nephologist. Every person is different so a symptom they have might mean something completely different to your case. I hope you get some answers and feel assured soon.
In my work toilet the bubbles disappear almost instantly but some times they don't so i can't completely rule it out. I thought it might be due to dehydration.. so i drank alot and i went more often but the bubbles are still there. If i pee in a cup where it's just my ruine and no toilet water.. it still has bubbles. So its a mystery.
I'm all about being proactive and solving mysteries. That being said I agree to get all the test results and take them to a specialist. If at some point no clear diagnosis can be given, it may be necessary to stop looking for kidney problems and live your life with joy. Worry cannot change anything. Just be aware make daily notes if you must and find joy, beauty and fulfillment wherever you can. Blessings
Thats kinda what I was doing for a year... but every time i go to the bathroom.. the thought in the back of my head wonders.. what if there is a problem somewhere and im just letting it get worse.. and once it gets worse.. it will be too late.. and i will be kicking myself for not having looked in to it while i saw the signs. So thats why i signed up here and decided to see if anyone else went through it.
I think there are as many answers to this question as there are people. If you are concerned, which it seems you are...you need to go see a urologist like someone suggested. I was in CKD for 8 years and then was blessed with a kidney transplant. I never had foamy urine. It may be more a urinary tact issue.
So, make an appt with a urologist, and make a list of questions you want answered. Let us know what you find out. The "foamy urine" question has come here before.
Have your thyroid checked including the thyroid antibodies, TPO and TG. Thyroids have a lot to do with kidneys. Question any TSH thyroid blood test that is over 3. The doctors and labs let it go as high as 5.5 but that was changed years ago to 3, even lower if you have first degree relatives with thyroid problems. My son had proteinuria (couldn’t find a reason) for 25 years that no doctor ever connected to his thyroid problems.
Also, definitely get a 24 hour protein test done.
Losing protein can make you feel terrible! If your losing protein, you are likely losing hormones that are attached to protein, like thyroid hormones.
If you are a male (I am assuming you are) get your prostrate checked. Sometimes prostrate complications can leak some semen in the urine stream and cause a lot of foaming. Also try to pee into a container and see if the foaming is as much as in the toilet water.
Hi. Yup been down that road too. I do have a slightly enlarged prostate. Been to the urologist and had it checked and also via MRI. Looked into retrograde ejeculation. But ruled it out because that would show protein in my urine from the seamen. But even then, its hard to explain how in some toilets there is no foam. Sleep over parents house yesterday. went 3 times and even in the morning and no foam. But if i go at home its always foam. if i go into a cup just for testing there is always foam. If i go at work most of the time there is no foam. This drives me crazy. None of the toilets have tanks so they dont use any tablets or chemicals. So i donno....
i have had ckd stage 3a - 3b. i have always had foamy urine but several tests have proven no protein. so in my experience foamy or bubbly urine does not always indicate protein / albumin issues. speak to your md or nephrologist.
Have you checked your pH lately? I check mine twice a day and keep it in check with sodium carbonate tablets. Ever notice the bubbles in an aquarium? When your urine comes out, it is pretty darn close to sterile, and when it hits the non sterile water, you're gonna get bubbles. Ocean waves make bubbles when they hit the beach or rocks. See what your doctor says. There may be nothing wrong. You might check the pH of your tap water just for curiosity. What is the source of it? Where I live, the city water source is akin to a giant septic tank and is made usable with chemicals. It still tastes like the turtles have been pooping in it. I won't drink it.
I was concerned about foam too. My case is different than yours however. I have proteinuria and my creatinine was not normal. But my nephrologist was not concerned about the foam. He was telling me to follow my Nutritionist’s guidelines. As I began seriously doing what I needed to do, including what you do-hydration, only rarely do I see foam and it doesn’t concern me. I just keep on keeping on. But I work on keeping my protein intake low.
I have had very foamy urine for years. My doctors have told me it is a sign of protien leaking through the kideny due to damage from uncontolled high blood pressure.
Hi, i have been experiencing Foamy urine for a month. Really scared now :(.
I know this is an old post but I am absolutely exactly the same. Cannot fathom any pattern in when there is or isn't foam - level of activity, what I've eaten, which toilet, how much I've drunk, just no idea! But it's definitely getting worse. Did you ever get any answers?
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24 hr urine test 
At what CKD stage does urine foam occur?
Blood and protein in urine
Bright yellow urine, Flank pain, Flakes in urine
Frothy urine. 
