Creatinine 1.5Scared!

Hello I am new here I’m not sure if this is weird to post but I recently went to the ER about two weeks ago regarding a headache at the time I wasn’t sure what was going on but the doctor at the hospital did my bloodwork he said everything came back normal but he was concerned about my creatinine level which was 1.50. 7 months ago in April it was 1.01 which I was to believe is normal. I never thought I had an issue with my kidneys before I’m a bit sensitive as my father recently passed away and he was on dialysis am I slowly approaching that same fate being on dialysis?

I really don’t understand how all of this works the doctor said that he wants me to see kidney specialist but that he doesn’t think I should lose sleep over it. it is possible that I was dehydrated, as the last bloodwork in April I was dehydrated as well and that creatinine was 1.24 I have never seen my creatinine go above 1.24 ( Which after being hydrated went back down to 1.02) I’m sorry if I’m rambling I’m just really afraid and I don’t understand what’s going on here I currently don’t have insurance to keep going back to doctors so I’m just trying to get an idea of what this could mean.

Thanks

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

HI, Yes your results are just a picture of the day you had the labs. Before your next draw, make sure for the 24 hour period before the draw you are well hydrated. Drinking water only just before the lab will not resolve being dehydrated and can actually skew the result. So drink consistently before and yes, the day of the lab draw and see what happens.

[jj76541]

KUDOS for keeping such good track of your creatinine! Find out your electrolyte levels, and raise or lower any of them, with meds as needed. Do you exercise a lot? Because creatinine is a waste product muscles excrete during exercise, but bad kidneys don't filter it out as well. Hopefully, your body can be helped by drinking lots of water, if your not that lucky, the best any of us can do, is keep it from getting any worse! Be your own "physician's assistant" and research your lab values, EVERY single CKD patients labs, are different, find out what YOU need to adjust to keep YOU healthy as possible, for as long as possible!

[Hidden in reply to jj76541]

Thanks. I actually don’t work out a lot but when I do I tend to do light weights . Yeah I’m hoping that’s the # was raised due to me not drinking enough water ( as my past labs)

[jj76541 in reply to Hidden]

Dont mean to be gross, but it helps if you "drink water till your pee is clear". That way too you KNOW your body IS flushing out all the toxins.

[Hidden in reply to jj76541]

Yeah when I’m doing good with water intake it’s usually clear to very pale yellow and that’s usually when my creatinine levels are normal. I just have to stay on top of my water from now on. Really hope it goes down to normal again.

[horsie63 in reply to jj76541]

Actually clear pee might show overhydration which can be as dangerous as dehydration. You should pee about 6-8 times a day and it should be light yellow. Any darker is not good as it can indicate dehydration. Water consumption was a big deal when I was doing ultramarathons.

[Darlenia]

Hi Ms. Elle. I noticed your statement that you have no health insurance. (Sadly, you're probably not alone in the US). You can always order your own labs for a nominal price by simply going directly to Quest Labs. They're located nationwide.

[Hidden in reply to Darlenia]

Hey thanks for your reply yeah I checked into it my doctor wrote me up labs to get re-checked it’s $51 at quest. Fingers crossed 🤞 it’s gone down.

[Darlenia in reply to Hidden]

Great! Glad you're being proactive. Be at peace. In the best situation, you will have normal outcomes. If not, then there ways to improve the numbers. Hugs.

[Hidden]

Thanks! Good to know I can improve the numbers!

[itzmich]

I'd wait til my next test results. No need to worry either way. Numbers fluctuate all the time. Don't stress yourself out, but do keep checking your numbers and go see a specialist.

[manish1985]

how were your new numbers?

[RoxanneKidney]

In my case, because I was "healthy" my red flags were attributed to other things. This is not a guessing game. If some Dr. starts a sentence with "it is probably because---" head for the door and find a new doctor who isn't going to guess.