@leaddogy2k
First you want to have blood work to determine your EGFR. But be careful, as EGFR is completely dependent on age and Creatinine levels. I was taking a pre workout supplement and it lowered my EGFR 20 pts! The test Cystatin C measure kidney function with out the rather simple calculation of EGFR. I feel its more reliable as Creatinine can be affected by many different things.

As far as the dye. I took NAC 600 mg twice a day , 2 days before and 2 days after. This is not a method that is accepted everywhere and the studies are mixed. But since it has no downside, I did it. Also after the PAE in recovery you want to have a Saline drip for hydration. That is what most interventional radiologists suggest.

Then make sure you are very well hydrated before and after the procedure. I forget the water intake, but it is readily available.

As far as an interventional radiologist, my urologist gave me very sound advice, He said that he is a big fan of PAE , but most IR only do one or two a year where I live. So he uses a company that specializes in PAE that does 1000s a year. Or have it done at a major medical facility like UCLA.

Let me close this that until you have an MRI, you will be completely in the dark as to the cause of your retention. That should give you some clues as to why, and then you can make an intelligent decision as to what your options are.