Hound Dog - kidney issues/question

flutterby

Fly away!
Long story, short daughter in law has been referred to a Nephrologist who she sees on the 24th. Some of the results that got her that referral are protein, blood, and keytones in the urine, high specific gravity (she is not dehydrated) and high urine creatinine. There were other findings, but I can't remember them all. She has had no symptoms of kidney issues - this was found when she gave urine and blood samples for life insurance and was then sent to the doctor for it who then referred her to the Nephrologist after more tests.

Anyway, she sent me a text tonight. Her abdomen is distended and hard. She had a hard time explaining how much, but said she looks 3 months pregnant - she is a stick thin girl. She has been peeing the normal amount, but her urine is very concentrated and cloudy, and she's having symptoms of bladder spasms. Her ankles, feet, and fingers are not swollen. No fever, no pain with urination.

I told her to go to the student clinic at OSU tomorrow to get checked for a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) because that's all we can do until we get into the Nephrologist. My question is, can she have distention from fluid build up even though she's peeing normally? And if she's peeing normally and drinking plenty of fluids how is it still so concentrated?
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I'm not Lisa...
But lots of experience with bladder infections when younger, and... the 'cloudy/concentrated' factor? Definitely comes into play with a serious bladder infection, as one option... you still need to drink and drink and have lots going through you, but the 'gunk' in the bladder really clouds up the urine.
If there's possibility of kidney problems as well, it just makes it that much more urgent to be looked at.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Answer to your question YES. And yes, docs who are not urologist or nephrologist will say differently. Heck even some of them blow it off until they see it. (typical good/bad docs thing)

I tend to have my excess fluid show up in the abdomen first, always have. I can look 9 months gone quickly. If my hands, ankles, feet start swelling I'm in big trouble, in other words get me to an ER. But that is me and how my symptoms go. Know what I mean?? But I've found many who present the exact same way. So it's more common than many docs seem to realize.

Her labs show renal insufficiency at best or (depending on the values) acute renal failure at worst. Unusual for her age with no other presenting symptoms. But Nichole didn't have a symptom until her stone dropped and got stuck in a ureter. (she was in acute renal failure by then) But I don't recall her having protein in her urine either.

She should honestly go to an ER if her abdomen is distended enough to be hard. If it were me, I'd be headed to ER and limiting my fluid intake (when you're in failure you have to be careful not to overload the system with fluid making it worse) I have no clue the skill level of a campus nurse/doctor. It sounds as if her condition has taken a turn for the worst.

I hope this makes sense I just woke up and not had coffee in my system yet to be fully awake. I hope it is a stone or other easily treatable cause and nothing serious.

Hugs
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Thank you, Lisa.

The campus doctor was a total flake. When her specific gravity was high, she told daughter in law to drink more water. It's not possible. I rarely see her without a bottle of water in her hand - she's always thirsty. Then with the keytones, the doctor told her to not go so long without eating. This girl has no trouble putting food away an doesn't miss a meal. I think she made assumptions based on her size and her age, but referred her to the Nephrologist anyway - thank goodness.

I will talk to her again this morning. I doubt I'll get her to go to the ER. I had a hard enough time convincing her to get checked for a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) as a just in case. She wanted to buy OTC test strips for that. I told her with her numbers that those probably wouldn't be accurate. I think part of it is that she just doesn't want to deal with the campus clinic doctor.

She's very worried, but also in a bit of denial. When I told her that the Nephrologist might want to do a 24 hour urine catch, she was a bit put out by that. She is hoping that the Nephrologist doesn't find anything. Of course we are hoping that there is nothing serious, but with the numbers and all of the different findings, I'll be surprised and suspicious if nothing is found. Her mom has Lupus and my first thought was Lupus Nephritis, but I know there are many, many types of kidney diseases/disorders. At least the Nephrologist is with OSU, but not part of the campus clinic. She can't go to another regular doctor at OSU - she has to use the campus clinic since she is a student even though she has insurance through OSU.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
She should be very worried. In fact, should most likely be admitted, and watched carefully. Acute renal failure is nothing to take chances with as it can cost you your life quickly and sometimes with no symptoms depending on the cause. I knocked on deaths door at least twice while in hospital being monitored. Toxins build up in the blood stream because the kidney's aren't filtering the way they should. It can cause organ failure and not just of the kidneys but the other major organs as well. Not to mention the longer she waits the more damage is being done to her kidney's themselves to cause her future issues.

That worried feeling she's having is telling her she's in danger and needs to be seen asap. She should listen to it.

Travis had some issues while at Wright State with the clinic. Thankfully nothing major was wrong with him......but on a campus where a wide variety of disabled students is common, you'd think his dxes wouldn't have thrown them like they did. sheesh

Please keep me updated. I'm worried about her.

Hugs
 

flutterby

Fly away!
I just got off the phone with daughter in law. She got up 4 times during the night to pee, and though it was still very dark and concentrated looking, the distention is gone - the discomfort, the feeling of fullness from the distention is gone. I told her if it comes back, or if it spreads to other areas, or if she starts to feel sick or fatigued that she's going to the ER.

Thanks again, Lisa. I will probably be back with more questions at some point.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
She has mild CP that effects the left side of her body. She had years of Occupational Therapist (OT) as a child and I knew her for 6 months before I even knew about it. She has worked very hard to overcome that - and still does. She was more upset that the insurance company automatically put her in the disabled category (for life insurance) because of that then she was about the initial test results. I don't know if the CP can have effect on the kidneys or not, or if this is just something else. Her mother has a slew of health issues.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
daughter in law went to the campus clinic and she does have a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and is on antibiotics. No protein in her urine this time.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
That would have to be a mighty serious infection to have caused her blood work like that before. But glad her labs are better this time around and that she has been checked. I hope this won't continue to be an issue for her as it blows wind major.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
They are only doing 3 days of Cipro. She still sees the Nephrologist on the 24th. This was also a dipstick test and I've had many false positives on them. I'll be interested to see the results of the urinalysis which should be back tomorrow.
 
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