Hello - I have just had my latest set of test results back - my red and white blood cell count are below range - does this mean I am anaemic. My other results are stable and a few are falling. My Gfr is still 18.5. The one that really worries me is the urea level - that has risen again. In the uk the normal range for urea is 2.9 to 8.2 and my latest urea test is showing at 17.9 mmol which is above the high reference limit. I feel tired and not really hungry but I think that is mostly down to anxiety. I still have this uti and am awaiting another set of antibiotics. the infection has never really left me for 6 months. Do antibiotics and infection cause high urea and do fellow readers think I am approaching dialysis now. I am getting very scared. I have an appointment with the consultant on Tuesday and I am just not sure what is down the road now. I still get mixed up with converting mmol uk to u mol/L US to try and get a better understanding of what I am looking at - thanks for reading
Another bothersome result.: Hello - I have... - Kidney Disease
Another bothersome result.
If you have high uric acid, it can feel like you have a UTI. Have you actually been tested for a UTI and they have confirmed the infection? If your acid level is high, which yours seems to be, you are basically peeing battery acid and that burns like crazy and can feel like a UTI. There is medicine to take to lower the acid level and you WILL feel better. I take sodium citrate for my situation and it has helped amazingly. But there are other things you can take. Talk to the doctor about this. No need to suffer with burning pee. And as you probably know, taking non-stop antibiotics will eventually stop working.
Hello - thanks for your reply. I didn't know that uric acid and urea are both the same thing. I shall take this next course of anti biotic and see what happens. I shall also get some sodium citrate to try - regards NJ
Ah no, sodium citrate needs to be prescribed. Do not self-medicate. Talk to your doctor because there are even easier products to take but it needs to be run by your doctor.
What’s the difference between sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate and how much do you take?
Bicarb is baking soda, basically, Citrate is a compound used actually in making cheese for one thing. Citrate is a suspension; bicarb is a pill or powder. It is not wise to take either without checking with the doctors. I could not tolerate the bicarb for one and it can raise some issues so don't go taking it without checking.
Thank you
My neph always adds a urine screen to my labs every 3 months when I see him. My PH level was low at 5.5 consistently so he prescribed 650 mg Sodium Bicarb tablets twice a day. At first he told me to take a teaspoon of baking soda each day but that wasn't enough and I told him it was hard to take it that way. My urine level is now 6.5 which is much better. I was also making up lemon water using a gallon of distilled water and one fresh lemon, not bottled lemon juice. I bought a small bottle of PH dip sticks online and use those now and then to check my PH. One thing I noticed is that the PH of your saliva is higher than the PH of urine.
Yup I read this too fast. Urea is different than uric acid.
They’re not the same, it’s different tests - uric acid is a specific test measuring just that and urea is usually referred to as the BUN test.
Also to add regarding the antibiotic/UTI… Overuse can develop a resistance to antibiotics it’s really important to make sure you’re taking the right ones. Doctors often just prescribe a general one without running a C&S test (culture/sensitivity) which looks at the specific bacteria found and which ones it is susceptible to, not all antibiotics work on every bacteria. Secondly you may just have colonization of bacteria in your bladder and it’s not necessarily an active infection without clinical symptoms of one. Hopefully this will be your last round and issue gets resolved!
I have similar test results for red blood cells, white blood cells and high acid (no UTI). Doctor prescribed a gout medicine for me. My GP told me am anemic. I was diagnosed CKD 3b.
Thank you for your reply
Fartkins,
Good that you are seeing your consultant this week.
Take the copy of your labs and check off any results which flag high or low based on the ranges provided by the laboratory.
Make a list of symptoms, when they started and also your health concerns and bring them to the appointment.
Do not leave the consultants office until all of your questions have been answered and you two have put together a health plan that will not only benefit you but rid you of the UTI's.
If you have a family member or close friend who can go with you to the appointment and scribe for you, even better as it is not only a second set of ears, but allows you to focus more on the discussion.
Be your own advocate!
Stay calm and positive! Get those answers.
Bet
thank you for your reply -that is a great help.I cannot take these massive 500mg amoxycillin - they make me feel so ill and constipated. I am supposed to take them 3 times a day - there is an infection there but I am so unsure of what to do.
Fartkins,
Again, print out your lab results and check off any areas which flag high or low next to the designated ranges given by the lab.
Ask him/ her to explain what these specific lab results mean, specifically that as you mentioned that you still get mixed up with converting mmol uk to u mol/L US to try and get a better understanding of what you are looking at.
Additionally mention your on going symptoms, how long you have had them and what they feel like.
If the amoxicillin is a concern, mention it.
Do you have a UTI or could it be something else?
Express all concerns as you have told us and how worried and anxious this is making you.
See if a family member can attend the appointment with you to write down what is discussed and the medical plan for you going forward.
We are happy to listen and support you, but we can't replace the professional knowledge of a consultant. Ask !
Positive thinking!
Bet
Don't think at dialysis now. With all individual adjustment it starts normally around 9/8 egfr.
True that!
So my testing the last two rounds showed low white cells---and some UTI bacteria. The neph asked me if I had any fever, burning etc. and I said NO, and nothing was prescribed. Do you feel like you have a UTI? Even being as clean as possible when doing the testing, women still have issues with contamination. That is what I was told.
On the other issue regarding the Urea and uric acid--"Uric acid excess in the body leads to kidney stones, and excess levels of urea in the body shows the failure of the kidney."
Read more: Difference Between Urea and Uric Acid | Difference Between differencebetween.net/misce...
Sorry you are not feeling your best. Stress, I still feel is the number one killer.
Thanks for that.
Tests for Uric acid and urea are not the same. High Uric acid causes gout symptoms which are very painful. Please clarify with your doctor. Good luck on getting a handle on those UTIs.
Eat lemons...lemons naturally nutralizes Uric Acid and are a great bladder cleanse... Just be sure to rinse your teeth afterwards...Lemons can be hard on tooth enamel. If the bitterness is too much for you...cut lemon slices and put in your water. My water always has lemon slices...but as always check with your Doctor to see if lemons can effect any if your meds
Thank you - I shall try that.
It is because your kidneys are failing and not filtering. Failing kidneys do not release the hormone Erythropoietin (EPO). This can be treated with an infusion of Epogen to stimulate the red cell production by the bone marrow. Hope you start dialysis sooner than later.
Newbie with 58 egfr… what next?
I’m not so sure about this...
