Connect
Protein in urine
Hi,
I joined this group today because I have questions and concerns about protein found in my urine. About 10 days ago, I noticed bubbles in my urine. I was concerned because I never seen this before. I went on Google and my goggle search said it could be a UTI, high protein in diet, and problems with kidney. I do have a history of UTI’s but didn’t feel like I had one. I am eating an excessive amount of protein bars but not for the protein, for the fiber!! I was eating 4 protein bars a day. Three were the same bar and had 15 grams of protein. The other 4th bar had 12 grams of protein. I also eat chicken usually for lunch and dinner. I eat cottage cheese a lot. I only weight 109 lbs and don’t work out at all, didn’t realize the excessive protein was bad.
I went to my doctor four days ago and she did a urine test and it showed protein in my urine but no sign of an infection but was going to send it out for culture and for a urinalysis. Waiting on those results.
I had bloodwork done in August and my kidneys and everything was good. My BUN was 17. My creatinine was .59. My eGFR was 117.
I had a UTI in September. First urinalysis in September showed protein then went back a week later after I completed antibiotics and my infection went away and so did the protein.
My doctor told me to stop eating the protein bars and to get fiber a different way. Im doing that but still seeing the bubbles. How long would you expect the protein to stay in my system?
I asked my doctor if the protein in my urine meant I had kidney issues and she said no and kidney function is best told with bloodwork and mine was good. She said she thinks the protein is from my excessive protein in diet and weight loss. I cut out sugar and lost a lot of weight.
Im really struggling and nervous these bubbles aren’t going away yet even though i stopped eating the protein bars.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.
Connect
Hello. I recently had a radical nephrectomy due to a large beginning cyst. My egfr went from pre op 89 to post 44 and a month later to 38. I have lupus as well. I’m concerned this is all due to my lupus but really don’t know. I have an appt with nephrologist in Feb.
can you tell me a little more about your experience with your lupus and ckd? I’m getting very anxious as my gp immediately said dialysis. I feel like there has to be something to get this one kidney stabilized other than immediate dialysis.
Would love to hear your thoughts. I know this stress is adding negative effects on my body.
Thanks in advance.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@cl2020 Definitely wait to hear what your nephrologist has to say, please! You can ask to be placed on a cancellation list, so their office can contact you if an opening comes up sooner than February. A gp doesn't have the specialized training that I feel is required to speak confidently about Kidney concerns.
My Lupus was diagnosed in 1988, and I recall it being a drawn-out process to get there. First one set of tests, then the next set based on those results, and so forth. Right from the get-go, they were doing 24 hour urine collections, always finding high protein levels. But they never went further in getting to the source of it. Always chalking it up to the Lupus. Back in 1999 or 2000 a doctor said "might have to do a kidney biopsy to see if the continued high protein is the result of kidney involvement from the Lupus", but they never did. And, I wasn't advocating for myself as strenuously as I do now.
In the early 2000s I was placed on high blood pressure meds, and kidney function started to decline. Since uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of CKD, there was no further thought to that, still no correlation to Lupus, protein in urine, etc. Over the course of decades I have had a variety of providers based on where I was living. Is it their fault? Should I have grabbed my case as needing more attention? We'll never know. It feels like I may have been a victim of a medical community who basically took the easy way out, using an HMO system that didn't want to go the extra steps to see what was really going on, until it might have been too late.
Stay on top of your own situation. Ask questions, demand educated answers. For today, take time to write out your concerns, your fears. Sit with a cup of tea or coffee, and a couple of cookies. Take a deep breath, and remind yourself, "I got this!"
Ginger
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThank you for this reply. Lucky for me I have a great endo who looks at the whole body and I happened to have an appt with her right after my gp appt. She did a 24hr urine test. I had done one before with her a few years ago. I never had high protein or low egfr. The gp appt and endo appt were just scheduled routine appointments but obviously my bloodwork I did for those appointments is where the egfr of 38 came in and protein 7.7, creatinine of 1.43. I called my urologist right away, he told me not to freak out and referred me to nephrologist.
I was diagnosed with lupus back in 2013-14ish. I’ve been in remission for most of it. Very few flare ups. But of course after a major surgery like a RN I did get a flare up that only last a few days.
I’m trying to do all I can to be good to my body. I have a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly and eat pretty clean so whatever is causing the numbers to be what they are will get uncovered soon enough. I have thought seriously about making an appointment at Mayo for rhum and nephrology. I don’t like the dis connect in specialists where I live and I’m not thrilled with my rhum. Waiting for the first neph appt to make a plan.
Unfortunately we have learned that we have to advocate for our own health the hard way, I probably should have been more aggressive in the beginning of the lupus diagnosis but I physically felt fine so it seemed routine. I will prepare for the neph appointment and I always try to have my husband come because two ears are better than one. Actually I’ve started recording some of the appts. It’s so overwhelming and hard to recall everything.
Appreciate you. 😊
Any advice is always welcome or just sharing experiences. It helps me, anyway, understand things better than googling and getting canned answers that usually are doom and gloom. There’s hope, that I do believe.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions