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Datalounge Nurses

Got a call from a hematology office I’ve been going to for persistent elevated WBC. Message left in my phone was to see my dr because my kidney numbers are off. I’ve had a mildly elevated creat of 1.06 for a while. But nobody cared. Nobody knows why my WBC are elevated.

I’ve had a cough. I signed onto the care portal site and my BUN is 43.6, Creat 1.87, GFR 28, Potassium 5.3, CO2 20, WBC 12.5.

Those are most of the abnormal results. But my BUN/creat ratio is 23.3, which is normal. I was drinking water in my car the whole drive (1.5 hour) to the office, so I don’t believe I was dehydrated. Plus, my last creat in August was 1.8, up from 1.06. Why is my creatinine increasing if my BUN/creat ratio is normal?

I called my dr office but it was closed.

by Anonymousreply 103December 18, 2019 7:02 PM

This is rabies. Please keep drinking water because rabies makes you thirsty.

by Anonymousreply 1December 6, 2019 4:59 AM

Oh, my RBC, HCT, HGB are all WNL.

by Anonymousreply 2December 6, 2019 5:00 AM

It sounds like demonic possession to me.

by Anonymousreply 3December 6, 2019 5:02 AM

Please don't listen to r3. It's rabies.

by Anonymousreply 4December 6, 2019 5:21 AM

Your GFR is really low. It looks like kidney damage, and you should have been referred to a Nephrologist. What caused it, it could be anything but I've seen kidney damage from high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes. Or the high WBC, you could have a kidney infection....who knows. go see your doctor ASAP.

by Anonymousreply 5December 6, 2019 5:35 AM

Could be kidney failure due to alcoholism?

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 6December 6, 2019 5:48 AM

I called my dr office & told them to get the lab results from hematologist. They said they will. Waiting to hear back.

by Anonymousreply 7December 6, 2019 5:37 PM

JFC, OP. I have Stage 4 cancer and am on an extremely harsh chemo regimen and my numbers are within normal limits in all of the above categories except WBC. Call an exorcist and let us know who can have your stuff.

by Anonymousreply 8December 6, 2019 5:45 PM

How is your blood pressure OP?

by Anonymousreply 9December 6, 2019 7:18 PM

What meds are you on, or have been on recently?

by Anonymousreply 10December 6, 2019 7:35 PM

Do you have a sizable life insurance policy?

Are you single?

by Anonymousreply 11December 6, 2019 7:41 PM

I’m on bp meds and my bp has been steady @ 110/60 for a year. My pulse is 90-110, my temp 97.8,

02 sat around 94 (I have cough & congestion), I’m peeing fine. My chol, ldl, hdl, triglycerides are wnl on Zocor. I take Zyrtec, singulair, ProAir, and cortisone nasal spray, except I stopped the cortisone spray in case it was keeping cough from clearing up & am taking antihistamine nasal spray instead.

I have lots of allergies to antibiotics, pollen, etc and had a very bad bout of poison ivy or wild carrot dermatitis on my property requiring medrol pack in August.

I have deer in my yard & found a tick on me after Halloween after trimming privet but tick was on my clothes, not burrowed into skin. I’ve had Lyme in the past that responded well to doxycycline. I have no rashes at this time.

My dr keeps telling me to drink water before blood tests & I do. I mean, wouldn’t I have to be pretty dehydrated for such high BUN & creat, low GFR & high potassium? I don’t sweat.

by Anonymousreply 12December 6, 2019 7:54 PM

The steroids put you in acute kidney injury, I think. As long as you’re drinking and peeing fine, I wouldn’t worry too much. Any halfway decent doctor keeps an eye on your creatinine constantly.

by Anonymousreply 13December 6, 2019 8:00 PM

It’s fibromyalgia. Have you tried cradling a mug?

by Anonymousreply 14December 6, 2019 8:22 PM

That GFR is pretty low, OP. It doesn't sound like dehydration. Are you a super eldergay? Renal function normally goes down with age but not that much and a quick decrease means there's something going on. You haven't taken any medication apart from what you've mentioned? NSAIDs for exemple are nephrotoxic.

I'm not sure if I understood right, you've had high creatinine (1,8) since August? No additional check ups?

What is your detailed white cell count? If neutrophils are high you might have a bacterial infection. Your pulse is high too, which can happen during an infection. Have you checked it again?

Keep drinking a lot, check your temperature regularly, don't eat to much meat. When are you going to see your doctor?

by Anonymousreply 15December 6, 2019 9:48 PM

[quote]r12 I don’t sweat.

Are you Prince Andrew??

by Anonymousreply 16December 6, 2019 10:52 PM

I’m seeing a hematologist for my high WBC since April. It’s neutrophils, but he doesn’t believe it’s bacterial. I had a chest CT which was ok except for some atelectasis.

My creat was 1.8 in late August at the hematologist office. I saw my regular dr the first week in October and asked to have it redrawn because it had shot up so quickly. Her office called me & the little girl who works there said that my dr said my kidney numbers were “coming back down.”

I had a standing appointment with the heme guy in late November, but it got cancelled & was rescheduled this week. They called me late yesterday & left voicemail telling me to “follow up with your doctor about your kidney lab work.” I was able to get the lab results through the online care portal via the heme dr office. I called my dr office this morning & told the little girl who works there that my heme said my kidney lab work needs to be looked at. She said she only got the liver panel and would get the rest of the results and give them to my dr.

I haven’t heard from my dr.

I have many symptoms that have been getting increasingly worse. I actually told tge hene guy Wed that I felt sick for a month, I’m short of breath, have a cough, the muscles in my arms & legs feel weak, I’m tired, I wake up wheezing in the morning , I’m using my Pro Air inhaler & taking my antihistamine & singulair and it’s not helping & has been getting progressively worse. He blew it off, said it was probably a virus & he wouldnt give me antibiotics. I said fine, I don’t want antibiotics. He said goodbye, I coughed and he said “Oh, I’ll listen to your chest.” As soon as ge did ge said “Wow, there’s wheezing! You need a chest X-ray and I’ll give you antibiotics.” He sounded really surprised, so he definitely thought I was exaggerating or something,

I also have a metal taste in my mouth really frequently. I told my dr in summer, she said my tongue was bald & gave me anti yeast lozenges. I don’t think my tongue is any less bald after using them, but she thought it looked better, I get frequent headaches & sometimes found myself hyperventilating. I thought maybe it was psychological, so whenever I noticed I was breathing really loudly and deeply, I would consciously slow my breathing. But if my CO2 is 20, maybe my hyperventilation was my lungs trying to compensate for a metabolic acidosis?

by Anonymousreply 17December 7, 2019 1:32 AM

OP you are near death. Get your affairs in order.

by Anonymousreply 18December 7, 2019 1:36 AM

Bitch, you are a MESS!

by Anonymousreply 19December 7, 2019 1:39 AM

"...& the little girl who works there" Eldergay alert. The little girl who works there is 46.

by Anonymousreply 20December 7, 2019 1:50 AM

20 responses and no one said "can I have your stuff?" You guys are slipping.

by Anonymousreply 21December 7, 2019 2:10 AM

You in danger, Gurl !

by Anonymousreply 22December 7, 2019 2:15 AM

1.8 is way high for creatinine, no matter what age you are. Like take-action high, not wait-four-months-and-see.

Why didn't you ask for a referral to a nephrologist? Did neither your hematologist or primary care doctor suggest this?

I would have demanded one if my levels went above 1.4.

by Anonymousreply 23December 7, 2019 2:22 AM

Your GFR indicates you're in Stage 4 kidney disease. Stage 5 is failure and dialysis.

Get thee to a nephrologist on Monday.

[quote]A person with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) has advanced kidney damage with a severe decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to 15-30 ml/min. It is likely someone with stage 4 CKD will need dialysis or a kidney transplant in the near future.

[quote]As kidney function declines, waste products build up in the blood causing a condition known as uremia. In stage 4, a person is likely to develop complications of kidney disease such as high blood pressure, anemia (a shortage of red blood cells), bone disease, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 24December 7, 2019 2:25 AM

While you're waiting to be seen, OP, reduce your sodium intake, your protein intake (and keep these to lean sources, like white meat chicken, fish, etc) , your phosphorus intake and your potassium intake. All of these minerals can increase pressure on your kidney function. At this point, you want to preserve whatever function you have left. You should have already had a 24 hour urine collection test. That test is to see how much protein you are eliminating in your urine. If your urine is super foamy, that's a sign that your body is excreting protein, and that means your kidneys are not working very well. If you haven't had that test yet, they will surely order it now.

by Anonymousreply 25December 7, 2019 2:42 AM

This is not OP's job to ask for it, but yeah he should have seen a nephrologist. And what R25 said. Here is some advice for you diet. Beware of your potassium intake.

If your breathing problem was caused by an infection you should feel better soon with the antibiotics.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 26December 7, 2019 2:55 AM

Sometimes you can cure this at home by pressing a pillow over your face.

by Anonymousreply 27December 7, 2019 4:04 AM

Google "diets for kidney patients" and make those dietary changes now. You'll want to reduce consuming foods with certain nutrients, including potassium.

If your kidneys are struggling, that's why your potassium is elevated.

If your GP doesn't send you to a nephrologist, get a new GP. But get yourself to the nephrologist ASAP.

The good news is that depending on what's caused this, it can be improved. My mother was on the verge of dialysis, and after years of taking good care of herself she's no longer in kidney failure.

I would talk to your pharmacist and ask if any of your meds are known to be hard on the kidneys. Do you take ibuprofen?

I really hope they got back to you today. If not, they are asses. It's the weekend now, FFS.

Something is definitely going on. If you haven't already, start a journal recording your symptoms and who you talked to and when, etc.

Please keep us posted.

by Anonymousreply 28December 7, 2019 4:54 AM

When was the last time you had a hemoglobin A1C test?

OP, I'm rusty but will try to explain the BUN/creat ratio. The ratio itself is used to help differentiate between possible diagnoses.

For example, an increased ratio may indicate congestive heart failure vs an even ratio which is more common in chronic renal disease.

Let's say a person's BUN and creatinine are elevated. The doctor says "aw shit" and uses the ratio to help determine what is causing the problem. Going forward, monitoring the BUN and creatinine helps determine progression of disease.

Did they have you submit a urine sample at the same time?

A urine microalbumin test is a good screening tool for people at risk for kidney problems. This looks for small amounts of protein being secreted in the urine, which can be an early sign of kidney disease.

The level of microalbumin can fluctuate, however, based on the dilution of the urine.

Creatinine is secreted at a steady state, so it can act as a measurement of how dilute the urine is (loose explanation). To determine if there is a problem, both creatinine and microalbumin are tested and the ratio calculated.

For instance, I drink a lot of water, so my microalbumin level is really low until you factor in that my urinary creatinine level is also really low, thus my pee is diluted, the ratio is elevated, and my kidneys are starting to be problematic.

I know that was a long explanation, but I wonder if you've had that test in the past and that is why you are thinking your hydration level impacted your bloodwork or that the BUN/creat ratio could mean the elevated levels are OK, which they are not.

Usually people are told to drink a lot so that it's easier for the phlebotomist to get a good stick on you, unless you've been so dehydrated in the past that your hematocrit was elevated.

In your case, your abnormal blood values are not caused by dehydration. I'm sorry you are feeling poorly and now have this to contend with. I truly hope your doctors step it up.

by Anonymousreply 29December 7, 2019 5:49 AM

OP, I swear I'll stop posting long responses. When I get talking medical it's hard to shut up.

The metallic taste is not uncommon in patients with kidney issues. Kidney patients can also experience rashes, muscle aches and fatigue.

How do your hematocrit and hemoglobin levels compare to recent months?

Your respiratory distress could be caused by kidney issues as well, particularly if you are not clearing fluids well or your hemoglobin has decreased.

Here's another concern-some antibiotics can be very hard on the kidneys if you are in renal failure. Again, talk to your pharmacist and see what they say.

There are many studies looking at the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio in renal patients. Your high WBC and neutrophils may factor in to all of this.

Now I'll hush and hope you update. Remember there is great room for improvement, so take heart. Find doctors who will work hard and advocate for yourself.

by Anonymousreply 30December 7, 2019 6:37 AM

Secondarily, it sounds like you have a candida infection.

by Anonymousreply 31December 7, 2019 6:50 AM

They’ve never tested my urine except when I’ve asked because I’ve felt I had a UTI. Each time, I did have a UTI and they only dipsticked it for bacteria. They didn’t send it to a lab for culture. Every time I go to the dr I give a urine specimen because I was taking a muscle relaxant & medical marijuana (which I no longer use). So the urine was just for drug testing. The dr prescribed macrobid.

I’ve notice my hair falling out recently. Like, constantly. Lots of scalp & back itching.

Another thing - I had a spike in triglycerides in summer so my dr upped my Zocor to 40mg from 30 mg & put me on Vascepa. In the past 3 months I’ve had muscle aches, cramping & weakness. I asked my dr if I could cut back to 30 mg Zocor because I was afraid the increase in Zocor caused the muscle pain. It didn’t help, though, I still have the muscle pain (I guess I know why). I’m not taking Vascepa right now because I’m in the donut hole & will restart it after the new year when I’ve met my deductible. My lipid panel is ok right now.

I’m on aldosterone & don’t know if I should continue taking it since my potassium is high. I wish my dr had called back.

[quote] When was the last time you had a hemoglobin A1C test

Probably in April when I first saw the hematologist. He tested 8 million things. My glucose is always normal.

You know, the first time my creat spiked was when the heme did the lab test in late August & his office never notified me of the result. I checked the portal & saw it in September. Since I had an appointment w/my dr in first week of October I asked her to repeat it. Her office called me a few days later and said my “kidney numbers are coming down” so thats good.” I figured the August result must have been an anomaly.

Then the heme office called Thursday & left the voicemail telling me to call my dr about my kidney results.

Wtf am I even seeing a hematologist for if he never notified me of the first creat spike, then had his office drone leave a voicemail? He’s a fucking specialist, he should have caught it in August and he should’ve called me himself about the latest result.

Why are all these people blowing me off when I have terrible labs & an array of complaints? I’m 64. You’d think they’d see the lab numbers and at least say “Ah, deteriorating kidneys...old people problems” and go on autopilot, sending me to a nephrologist. “These old people ...gotta watch the kidneys.” Instead, they’re ignoring my labs as well as my symptoms.

Do I look so healthy? When I was having surgery 5 years ago I had a different dr and I told him I needed requisitions for preop labs & EKG. He said “Why did you have a preop ekg? You’re healthy.”

I said “I’m 59. It’s required.” He said “Holy shit I thought you were about 42!” It was a true Datalounge moment. Wish I’d recorded it.

But now I *know* I look my age. It’s been a rough 5 years.

by Anonymousreply 32December 7, 2019 6:57 AM

This entire fucking thread is a massive TL;DR. BLOCKED.

by Anonymousreply 33December 7, 2019 6:57 AM

I’ve been to the DOCTORS almost every single month. They’re not living up to their jobs. That’s why I’m asking nurses. I saw a DR 2 days ago. I called another DOCTOR today & got no response.

by Anonymousreply 34December 7, 2019 7:19 AM

Why is everyone wasting time with these replies?

OP is [italic]dying.

by Anonymousreply 35December 7, 2019 7:38 AM

Definitely a case of spaz fever.

by Anonymousreply 36December 7, 2019 8:35 AM

[QUOTE] replies 1Yesterday at 5:57 AM This is rabies. Please keep drinking water because rabies makes you thirsty.

—The Datalounge Rabies Nurse 5 reply 1Yesterday at 5:59 AM Oh, my RBC, HCT, HGB are all WNL.

—Anonymous 1 reply 2Yesterday at 6:00 AM It sounds like demonic possession to me.

—Anonymous 6 reply 3Yesterday at 6:02 AM Please don't listen to [R3]. It's rabies.

—Anonymous 5 reply 4Yesterday at 6:21 AM Your GFR is really low. It looks like kidney damage, and you should have been referred to a Nephrologist. What caused it, it could be anything but I've seen kidney damage from high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes. Or the high WBC, you could have a kidney infection....who knows. go see your doctor ASAP.

—RN 4 reply 5Yesterday at 6:35 AM Could be kidney failure due to alcoholism?

Offsite Image go to i.imgur.com i.imgur.com —Anne Welles, NYC 2 reply 6Yesterday at 6:48 AM I called my dr office & told them to get the lab results from hematologist. They said they will. Waiting to hear back.

—OP 2 reply 715 hours ago JFC, OP. I have Stage 4 cancer and am on an extremely harsh chemo regimen and my numbers are within normal limits in all of the above categories except WBC. Call an exorcist and let us know who can have your stuff.

—Anonymous 4 reply 815 hours ago How is your blood pressure OP?

—Anonymous 2 reply 913 hours ago What meds are you on, or have been on recently?

—Anonymous 2 reply 1013 hours ago Do you have a sizable life insurance policy?

Are you single?

—Anonymous 2 reply 1113 hours ago I’m on bp meds and my bp has been steady @ 110/60 for a year. My pulse is 90-110, my temp 97.8,

02 sat around 94 (I have cough & congestion), I’m peeing fine. My chol, ldl, hdl, triglycerides are wnl on Zocor. I take Zyrtec, singulair, ProAir, and cortisone nasal spray, except I stopped the cortisone spray in case it was keeping cough from clearing up & am taking antihistamine nasal spray instead.

I have lots of allergies to antibiotics, pollen, etc and had a very bad bout of poison ivy or wild carrot dermatitis on my property requiring medrol pack in August.

I have deer in my yard & found a tick on me after Halloween after trimming privet but tick was on my clothes, not burrowed into skin. I’ve had Lyme in the past that responded well to doxycycline. I have no rashes at this time.My dr keeps telling me to drink water before blood tests & I do. I mean, wouldn’t I have to be pretty dehydrated for such high BUN & creat, low GFR & high potassium? I don’t sweat.

Wow, you're a putrefying mush of ailments. Buy some Xanax online.

by Anonymousreply 37December 7, 2019 8:38 AM

You are developing kidney failure for an unknown reason.

You need to go to the Emergency Room and explain that your kidney function has gotten worse according to your labs, and now you are feeling ill and want to be checked out because your doctors have not returned your calls.

They will probably admit you and run tests and have a nephrologist see you.

Then after that, you need to find new doctors because yours are incompetent.

by Anonymousreply 38December 7, 2019 2:32 PM

Called my dr office & it’s closed today.

by Anonymousreply 39December 7, 2019 2:34 PM

You mean you're on aldactone/spironolactone? Because you shouldn't be taking that if your potassium is over 5mmol/l. It's also contraindicated in acute renal insufficiency.

Why was it prescribed? It can be used for hypertension, heart failure, edema... If it's just for hypertension and your tension is fine, it won't be too bad if you stop taking it for one or two days while checking your tension. Anything else you're taking? Like diuretics? Ibuprofen? Have you put on weight/do you have swelling in your legs?

by Anonymousreply 40December 7, 2019 4:07 PM

There have already been several threads on this OP. Would it have killed you to have done a search first before you posted this? I mean really? What’s wrong with having a little consideration for others and doing a search first? Would it really have been that hard? Would it? Are you going to be able to give us an honest answer to this? Are you?

by Anonymousreply 41December 7, 2019 4:28 PM

Would it have killed you to have at least posted a picture or link OP? Would it? I mean would that have really been so hard? Would it? Why don’t you try to think more of others next time before you post? What's your problem? I mean really, what's your damn problem?

by Anonymousreply 42December 7, 2019 4:32 PM

I take Voltaren for severe osteoarthritis. Two years ago when my creat was 1.06, I stopped taking Voltaren for 4 months to see if my creat improved. It didn’t. And I could barely move without the Voltaren. I went back on it and my creat held steady until this past August.

I was on losarten for years but when my creat went up in August my dr changed to Edarbi, thinking the losarten may have caused the increase in creat. But she repeated my creat and her office told me my creat was “on its way down.” I guess sh3 thought the losarten had caused it & now it was better.

by Anonymousreply 43December 7, 2019 7:05 PM

Just looking back at your comments, OP, your doctor said your kidney numbers are coming down. That's not a good thing, that's a bad thing, and should have required a very intense kidney work up immediately! Normal GFR would be about 75 for your age. Anything below 60 is considered to be chronic kidney disease. Stage 1 and stage 2 are close together (50-60 GFR) and not so serious. (That's where your doctor puts you on BP medicine and tells you to lose weight, exercise and change your diet). Stage 3 is 30-50. At 50, you've lost about 50% of your kidney function. Stage 4 is below 30. - that's where you're at. Medications can damage your kidneys, and it's possible that something like that has happened. Unfortunately, you can't usually undo kidney damage, at least all the way back to normal kidney function. But unless you get this solved quickly, you could reach the point of needing dialysis pretty soon and that would suck - huge diminishment of quality of life once you're on dialysis, and you don't want to go there if you can possibly avoid it..

by Anonymousreply 44December 7, 2019 8:06 PM

Voltaren is definitely not a good idea it can only damage you kidney further.

by Anonymousreply 45December 7, 2019 8:08 PM

OP are you dead yet? Please let us know if you've died. Thanks.

by Anonymousreply 46December 7, 2019 8:54 PM

I would get someone in a hotel room, STAT, and steal their kidney.

by Anonymousreply 47December 8, 2019 3:27 AM

It's no surprise that OP hasn't come back. Rabies is always fatal.

by Anonymousreply 48December 8, 2019 3:35 AM

Selena Gomez got a kidney transplant, and now she can’t sing AT ALL.

by Anonymousreply 49December 8, 2019 12:56 PM

[quote]Your respiratory distress could be caused by kidney issues as well, particularly if you are not clearing fluids well or your hemoglobin has decreased.

My elderly landlord thought he had pneumonia and collapsed on his way into the doctor's office. Turned out he was severely anemic, because his sketchy kidneys were shutting down and they actually contribute to making red blood cells. He needed 2 blood transfusions and hemoglobin, requiring him to stay in the hospital for 4 days. Six months later, the same thing happened again. Nobody ever tested his erythropoietin levels. They blamed his condition on "old age" and acted as if it was a great mystery as to how his back pain, lack of red blood cells, and shortness of breath could possibly be related to each other.

He has eaten carefully for years because he is "pre-diabetic" and his heart specialist had told him to avoid red meat, but not one of his 4 doctors has told him to eat carefully to protect his kidneys. I learned more about his condition from googling it than he has from his doctors. It was the receptionist at his heart specialist's office who recommended that he ask for a kidney doctor referral.

by Anonymousreply 50December 8, 2019 2:54 PM

Most doctors, especially primary care ones, are morons.

You need to self-refer to a specialist when problems arise.

by Anonymousreply 51December 8, 2019 7:54 PM

[quote]Most doctors, especially primary care ones, are morons.

Years ago, my little brother had a cough that wouldn't go away for months. He was tested for TB, pneumonia, etc. I am an RN and I know that as a child, he only received a tetanus shot without diphtheria vaccine (for whooping cough) because it caused a high fever. I read on the internet then about how the whooping cough disease was making a comeback and they recommended Erythromycin antibiotics. So when I finally brought him to the last pediatrician, the doctor only laughed when I insisted on the antibiotic. When I told him I was a nurse and I work in the same HMO, then he prescribed it anyway reluctantly and only then did my little brother got better. Five years past by and then the AMA insisted everyone gets vaccinated with the TdaP vaccine which includes Pertussis (whooping cough vaccine).

I work with doctors and manage a large amount of patients with diabetes. Whenever the patient gains weight while on insulin, the doctors blame the patient-- oh, she/he eats too much....which is right but insulin is also a fat storage hormone and does cause weight gain. The doctors don't listen to the patients, they just throw medications at them and say it's all in the patient's head. I don't know if it's because they're too busy (or lazy) and don't read the latest medical articles and/or they have to deal with a huge patient load but they don't seem to listen. It's better to be informed and be an advocate for yourself because you can slip through the cracks when it comes to the healthcare system.

by Anonymousreply 52December 8, 2019 9:34 PM

[quote]You need to self-refer to a specialist when problems arise.

Not every health plan lets you self-refer, and there is often a copay to see the primary doctor to get one. It took me almost 3 months to get a referral I needed ASAP, because my primary care doctor didn't understand why I needed it. The surgeon finally went behind her back and helped me out.

by Anonymousreply 53December 9, 2019 1:03 AM

So I sent an electronic message via health portal on Saturday to heme office asking if I need to see a nephrologist.

I'm fast asleep this morning when phone rings. By the time I wake up & get the phone there's voicemail of office worker sternly saying I need to call my dr & notify them of my SLIGHTLY ELEVATED kidney results.

by Anonymousreply 54December 9, 2019 4:58 PM

You still alive, OP?

by Anonymousreply 55December 10, 2019 4:02 PM

That's bullshit. A GFR of 28 is not "slightly elevated". That number is a car alarm going off all night long outside your bedroom window. You need to raise holy hell with your PCP

by Anonymousreply 56December 10, 2019 4:34 PM

What R56 said.

A GFR below 60 is chronic kidney disease.

28 is "see a specialist right now."

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 57December 10, 2019 4:43 PM

Called GP dr office earlier today & got message office will reopen Thursday.

Called again for the hell of it a few hours later & got someone on the line. Told her I want to talk to dr about labs, please have dr call me.

by Anonymousreply 58December 10, 2019 7:23 PM

OP: LISTEN > FUCK YOUR GP > Go to the ER now

by Anonymousreply 59December 10, 2019 7:45 PM

Ok now this is just bullshit. Can you get medical care quickly without going through your GP? Or to the ER if it isn't possible?

by Anonymousreply 60December 10, 2019 8:15 PM

I already told OP to go the ER back on Saturday in R38, which he has failed to do.

by Anonymousreply 61December 10, 2019 10:17 PM

Why would I go to an ER? I’m peeing, my BP is ok. I am short of breath when I go up & down stairs, so I’m avoiding doing that. I had a chest X-ray yesterday at local radiology because I told the heme I was coughing and short of breath. No results yet. I’m eating & drinking water. No vomiting.

I want someone medical to address my lab work. When I messaged the heme office I guess they thought I was hysterical or something & left a message (again) saying I needed to notify my dr of lab work. I did notify the dr office on Friday, no response. I notified again today and asked for a callback. I expect to hear tonight or tomorrow. If I don’t I guess I’ll go to a walk in place for a second opinion. I don’t want to go to ER because it doesn’t seem like an emergency. The local walk in is run by a dr who used to be an ER doc.

by Anonymousreply 62December 10, 2019 10:29 PM

You could potentially be anemic and/or suffering from kidney damage possibly caused by NSAIDs. Or if you were a heavy drinker back in your days, then you should have your liver function tests be done.

by Anonymousreply 63December 10, 2019 10:51 PM

I hope you're not using NSAIDs anymore. The walk in place sounds like a good idea.

by Anonymousreply 64December 10, 2019 11:57 PM

Go to urgent care (what I assume you're calling a walk-in) for a second opinion. Urgently.

by Anonymousreply 65December 11, 2019 12:00 AM

R63

I high BUN will drive down the hematocrit.

by Anonymousreply 66December 11, 2019 12:01 AM

Sounds like Ebola

by Anonymousreply 67December 11, 2019 12:03 AM

Or a mini-stroke

by Anonymousreply 68December 11, 2019 12:04 AM

Op, are you still alive??

by Anonymousreply 69December 11, 2019 12:24 AM

It could be the AIDS

by Anonymousreply 70December 11, 2019 12:24 AM

Op why are you asking for nurses’ advice? All they know how to do is clean bedpans

by Anonymousreply 71December 11, 2019 12:25 AM

[quote] Why would I go to an ER?

Because you could be going into kidney failure? Because they can't tell you they'll be out of the office 'til Thrusday? Because it's more productive than just wallowing in your ire about the substandard care you've received so far?

[quote] I want someone medical to address my lab work

Well, then by all means, avoid the ER, because you won't find anyone medical there.

by Anonymousreply 72December 11, 2019 12:29 AM

[quote] Op why are you asking for nurses’ advice? All they know how to do is clean bedpans

I assume you're just trolling but if not, you couldn't be more wrong. An RN and probably an LPN, too, would never even be assigned to do something as menial as changing bedpans. At my oncologist's office, for instance, the nurses need to know how to mix the chemo drugs (which requires both math and chemistry) and administer them. They also have to be prepared to respond to a variety of medical emergencies (e.g anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrest) that can occur during an chemo treatment. (Yes, when these things happen, someone gets the patient's doctor and/or calls the EMTs but the nurses have to deal with the situation in the meantime.)

by Anonymousreply 73December 11, 2019 12:37 AM

^ Oh, and a nurse will be aware of all the possible problems that could lead to out-of-range numbers in your bloodwork, not that I'd trust some anonymous DLer posing as a nurse or doctor to interpret my labs.

by Anonymousreply 74December 11, 2019 12:41 AM

Your GFR could be plummeting as we speak. Thus the need to go into an ER. Act in a timely manner.

by Anonymousreply 75December 11, 2019 1:03 AM

Why bother asking for advice here if you’re going to ignore what everyone is telling you?

by Anonymousreply 76December 11, 2019 1:04 AM

Your doctors office is closed a lot. I don’t think he gives a shit about his patients.

by Anonymousreply 77December 11, 2019 1:19 AM

R75 Exactly. Numbers were bad but we have no way of knowing if whatever is going on has stabilized or if it is something acute and he is actually getting worse. Potassium level was already high and if it keeps getting higher it can give heart problems.

by Anonymousreply 78December 11, 2019 1:36 AM

Hmm. Vasculitis? Specifically thinking of Churg-Strauss with the wheezing (unless you have a previous history of asthma) and kidney issues.

by Anonymousreply 79December 11, 2019 4:58 AM

To echo R73. Nurses are the ones to keep MD's on track, remind them to call folks back and point out potential and actual problems with the patients seen. Nurses often have a closer relationship as patients are more willing to tell us the truth-about what's really going on -especially when the MD's first round suggestions didn't work.

by Anonymousreply 80December 11, 2019 2:35 PM

[quote] Nurses are the ones to keep MD's on track, remind them to call folks back and point out potential and actual problems with the patients seen.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

That's what nurses have convinced themselves they do. Really, does someone need a degree to tell the doctor to call patients back?

Nurses came about because women got involved in a male-dominated field. (like cheerleaders are to football). Now that women are becoming doctors in high numbers, while you will need people in the nursing role, the job itself doesn't require years and years of learning. It's basically a tech job

by Anonymousreply 81December 11, 2019 3:29 PM

My RBCs are fine. I’m not anemic. My ferritin is ok, all my B vitamins are ok.

I talked to my dr who switched around my bp meds. In one week I will repeat my blood work & go from there.

I was very frightened by the deterioration of my kidney numbers & wanted a dr to actually speak to me and acknowledge there was a problem. My GFR went from 55 in May to 44 in July and 28 in December. I’m pissed that the heme wouldn’t speak to me & just kept having office girls turf to my GP. He’s a specialist in bloodwork, god dammit. It’s in his specialty name. HEMAtology.

And why do young women speak like babies nowadays? Especially if they’re in a medical office. You’re in a job dealing with life & death & people’s health. Would it kill you to try & sound like you’re over 12 years old? know I’m old, but when my friends & I spoke on the phone to clients at our first jobs out of high school, we’d clear our throats before picking up and assume the voice of an adult. I don’t expect people to wear uniforms or lab coats or even to trim their nails down to below 3.” Just try not to sound like you’re in kindergarten.

by Anonymousreply 82December 11, 2019 8:55 PM

MY gawd, we are so fucking smart!! This is why I love DL. OP, I hope you recover, but it doesn't look good. I don't want your stuff, but can you put me as a beneficiary on your insurance? That way we can bypass a will or lawyers, youknow? Easier for you, dearie.

by Anonymousreply 83December 11, 2019 9:10 PM

[quote]He’s a specialist in bloodwork, god dammit. It’s in his specialty name. HEMAtology.

No. A hematologist is a specialist in blood disorders.

A low GFR that showed up on your bloodwork indicates a kidney problem, which is why you should have been referred to a nephrologist.

by Anonymousreply 84December 12, 2019 12:42 AM

[quote]Why would I go to an ER?

Because you might need a transfusion, but more importantly, to keep up the illusion that you're not trolling us.

by Anonymousreply 85December 12, 2019 1:35 AM

[quote] Because you might need a transfusion

I said in R2 that my RBC was WNL.

by Anonymousreply 86December 12, 2019 2:43 AM

You also said you wanted our advice, yet you took none of it.

by Anonymousreply 87December 12, 2019 2:46 AM

[quote] while you will need people in the nursing role, the job itself doesn't require years and years of learning. It's basically a tech job

You fucking asshole, you have no clue. The best nurses are the most experienced ones.

by Anonymousreply 88December 12, 2019 6:19 AM

I didn't ask for advice about what I should do, R87, i asked why my BUN/creatinine ratio was normal if my creatinine kept rising. I also asked if I might be trying to compensate for a metabolic acidosis by unconsciously hyperventilating. I also asked if such kidney numbers could be from dehydration, which I have doubted all along.

There was never any reason to go to an ER, since my VS were normal, my RBCs were normal, which I said in my posts, and I was peeing fine. My questions were about the chemistry of it all. My dr kept saying I was dehydrated & I kept telling her I was drinking plenty of fluids.

I was chemically abnormal and wanted to know why and if anyone could explain it to me. Several people did explain things to me chemically & I thank them for it.

I think my drs are too blasé, automatically assuming I'm fine when my numbers are getting worse & worse. I feel it is their job to explain it, address it and not blow me off. I feel that just because I look healthy they think something's not going on when something could be going on. It makes patients doubt their dr's competence.

by Anonymousreply 89December 12, 2019 7:12 PM

It's so sad to see some of these responses especially when one of us is in need. I think there is a time and place for snarkiness but not at someone's expense.

I wish we would treat each other nicer and provide support in these cases....for a lot of older gays, this is it, this is their support system.

Be nicer people!!

by Anonymousreply 90December 12, 2019 7:37 PM

You sound like a slut

by Anonymousreply 91December 12, 2019 7:38 PM

You people would've sent a stable person to the ER. Do you know how much that costs? Telling someone they might need to be transfused? That's not funny.

Asking for the OP's stuff is ok, as is telling the OP he is a dead man walking & that you once had a friend who had the same thing ...and then she died. All of those are DL tropes.

by Anonymousreply 92December 12, 2019 8:26 PM

OP

#1 You need to voice your feelings to your doctors about their not promptly following up on your labs and your repeated calls/concerns If they are not properly empathetic then you need to find new doctors.

#2 You need to ask for an immediate referral to a nephrologist

#3 FTLOG quit calling women "girls". This is not the 1950s

by Anonymousreply 93December 12, 2019 8:57 PM

[quote]My questions were about the chemistry of it all. My dr kept saying I was dehydrated & I kept telling her I was drinking plenty of fluids.

And we’ve kept telling you that your doctor is a moron.

This isn’t rocket science. Find a new doctor.

by Anonymousreply 94December 12, 2019 10:07 PM

Talked to the hematologist today. He’s not concerned by my numbers, either. Thinks I’m dehydrated.

My GP has cut my aldactone dose in half & hematologist thinks that will help. If my numbers come down but are still high, I guess we’ll replace aldactone with non-diuretic. My bp is good, it’s been @110/60 -120/70 for months.

by Anonymousreply 95December 13, 2019 2:46 AM

[quote] You people would've sent a stable person to the ER.

The people telling OP to go to the ER were serious, not trying to be funny. Their advice may have been poor, but guess what? This is an anonymous gossip board, not a medical hotline. You have no business expecting sound, accurate medical advice here, nor acting like some random DLer should be held accountable for offering a well-meaning but shitty suggestion.

by Anonymousreply 96December 13, 2019 6:09 AM

I am utterly confused.

What is your GFR now? Still 28? That indicates your kidneys are operating at 28% of their function, which is a major problem. Anything under 60 is cause for concern. A GFR doesn't just bounce back from 28 to normal (ideal is 100; acceptable is 60+). It progressively declines.

Why can't your primary care doc just give you a referral to a nephrologist and see what they say? Why haven't you done that?

by Anonymousreply 97December 14, 2019 4:54 AM

I looked this up. The GFR is calculated by the ratio of BUN to creatinine, and these numbers CAN be affected by dehydration. However, I was not able to find any example of such an extreme loss of kidney function totally caused by dehydration. In other words, even if your GFR were actually 40 instead of 28, because of some level of dehydration affecting your blood draws, that's still a serious loss of kidney function, meaning you'd still be facing chronic kidney disease and should be seeing a specialist.

by Anonymousreply 98December 14, 2019 8:17 AM

Kidney infection or stones. See a nephrologist.

by Anonymousreply 99December 14, 2019 8:20 AM

Convinced that OP isn’t giving us all the information and is just looking for attention.

by Anonymousreply 100December 14, 2019 11:32 AM

^^ Yes. Agreed. OP is leaving out significant information.

No one suddenly develops a creatinine of 1.8 for no obvious reason, and their doctors just tell them they’re dehydrated.

by Anonymousreply 101December 14, 2019 1:17 PM

Well, I’ve been told I have emphysema from years of smoking. I quit 18 years ago. It’s not horribly bad. So far I don’t need oxygen. I’m going to try CPAP again. I had sleep apnea diagnosed a few years back but couldn’t tolerate the pressure of the air in my sinuses or my stomach from the CPAP.

But still, nobody cares about my kidney numbers. I talked to the hematologist about them a few days ago on the phone, and he says he’s not concerned.

Problem is, the medication for my lungs is about $600. I’m in the donut hole, once I’m out I& the donut hole. I bet the cost of medication will still be very high.

by Anonymousreply 102December 18, 2019 6:01 PM

Emphysema doesn't appear overnight and if it progresses it's very slow. It's definitely a less pressing matter that whatever is going with your kidneys. Or has your GFR gotten better since last week?

Is the $600 for the bronchodilators or the CPAP? Anyway it seems like a lot.

by Anonymousreply 103December 18, 2019 7:02 PM
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