Kidney function tests

[lgnorant]

Hi All,

Around mid 2022 i had routine bloods - everything was fine - all within range

I started a mild blast in october and got bloods in Nov (blast being 200mg test 300mg primo) - i also ramped up my training and diet quite a bit, usually 6 days a week with 10k+ steps a day

everything on my BW was fine however my kidneys noted;

1.29 Creatinine
BUN of 23
AST and ALT slightly raised (43 and 47 i believe) - not much of a concern

I got urine sample done and showed no protein in my urine also kidney ultrasound showed no issues and kidneys of normal size with no abnormalities

My question is, are the numbers above worrying? Also i plan to follow up bloods in the next week, ive taken this week off training and lowered protein to <200g a day - how many days off training would be sufficient to reflect an accurate creatinine level?

My blood pressure is fine as it sits between 105-110/60-70 with RHR around 60 and am only on 150mg test now

Thank you all

[almostgone]

What are the reference ranges for BUN and creatinine? It may simply be from hard training.

[lgnorant]

What are the reference ranges for BUN and creatinine? It may simply be from hard training.

Creatinine range is 0.68 - 1.24
BUN is 9.8 - 22.4

[Fresh2death]

Do you have any symptoms? Side or back pain? Dark urine? Excessive urination? I'd say your A-Ok.

[lgnorant]

Do you have any symptoms? Side or back pain? Dark urine? Excessive urination? I'd say your A-Ok.

I do pee often however i drink probably 1.5 galloons + of water a day

[almostgone]

Creatinine range is 0.68 - 1.24
BUN is 9.8 - 22.4

If your eGFR is in range, it is probably due to hard work. Stick with your hydration and periodically monitor.

[< <Samson> >]

If your eGFR is in range, it is probably due to hard work. Stick with your hydration and periodically monitor.

Egfr is a waste of space - I just did my research on this

It’s calculated nonsense

And, they went away gfr


Your bun, ast & alt are pretty much the only tests that indicate anything now

Gfr was a good one


It’s just a part of a nationwide scam for us to die prematurely

If you can, hydrate to shit - and retest again

[almostgone]

Egfr is a waste of space - I just did my research on this

It’s calculated nonsense

And, they went away gfr


Your bun, ast & alt are pretty much the only tests that indicate anything now

Gfr was a good one


It’s just a part of a nationwide scam for us to die prematurely

If you can, hydrate to shit - and retest again

Actually, I've found the eGFR to be useful. It led me to find out I had cysts on my kidneys that were hindering function. It's called PKD, polycystic kidney disease. It's just another part of my body going to shit, although it is inherited. The low eGFR led to me getting an ultrasound of kidneys and bladder

As of now, my eGFR is back above 70. I was at CKD level 3a; almost CKD 3b. I credit my improvement to 8g of astragalus daily. I found out about astragalus when I was reading onr of Dante's ( Doggcrapp) posts on BB, AAS, and kidney disease.

[Cuz]

Actually, I've found the eGFR to be useful. It led me to find out I had cysts on my kidneys that were hindering function. It's called PKD, polycystic kidney disease. It's just another part of my body going to shit, although it is inherited. The low eGFR led to me getting an ultrasound of kidneys and bladder

As of now, my eGFR is back above 70. I was at CKD level 3a; almost CKD 3b. I credit my improvement to 8g of astragalus daily. I found out about astragalus when I was reading onr of Dante's ( Doggcrapp) posts on BB, AAS, and kidney disease.

Where do u get ur astragalus?

[almostgone]

Where do u get ur astragalus?

Vitamin Shoppe.but I bought it on Amazon. Dante specifically mentioned that brand because he has seen that brand work.

I'm going to shoot you a link to something you might want to read.

[< <Samson> >]

Goin off the straight google MD here

GFR is Glomerular Filtration Rate and it is a key indicator of renal function. eGFR is estimated GFR and is a mathematically derived entity based on a patient's serum creatinine level, age, sex and race.

GFR actually shows functionality

eGFR is something similar to a BMI calculation - which is just nonsense

[Cuz]

Goin off the straight google MD here

GFR is Glomerular Filtration Rate and it is a key indicator of renal function. eGFR is estimated GFR and is a mathematically derived entity based on a patient's serum creatinine level, age, sex and race.

GFR actually shows functionality

eGFR is something similar to a BMI calculation - which is just nonsense

Seems like my labs say eGFR which is some estimation or something I believe i have researched it some and high muscle mass can throw it off for sure

But the problem arises bodybuilders are having renal failure and ending up on dialysis you’re pretty well all but dead then.

The main thing is we must keep a check on our health especially kidney and heart which AAS effect most of and I believe guys let blood pressure go in my opinion that lead to all these problems. Offseason your blood pressure rises estrogen is higher and everything is working harder . Just a keep a check on yourselves fellas

[almostgone]

Goin off the straight google MD here

GFR is Glomerular Filtration Rate and it is a key indicator of renal function. eGFR is estimated GFR and is a mathematically derived entity based on a patient's serum creatinine level, age, sex and race.

GFR actually shows functionality

eGFR is something similar to a BMI calculation - which is just nonsense

It's an estimate, but valuable as an indicator for issues.

Edit: Yes, if a PCP or nephrologist is digging, they likely will hit you with a 24 hour creatinine clearance (piss in the jug and carry it around for 24 hours)and glomular filtration rate. A GFR is a more lengthy than a quick eGFR.

However, eliminating eGFR would cause many people to slip under the radar. With eGFR, issues are quickly spotted and it can be addressed quickly with more lengthy testing. On the other hand if it isn't addressed, many more people would likely end up in ESRD and on their way to a dialysis center 3 times a week or performing peritoneal dialysis.

[almostgone]

Here's a good reference that lays out the value of eGFR and why it is used in basic blood work. It says it better than I can state it.

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr

[< <Samson> >]

Yeah, exactly - they don’t have to pay for a quality test - and, rather have you go undiagnosed longer. There already too many patients on the organ wait list.

I liked GFR - it seemed way more accurate, than some thrown together calculation

BMI - man, I’m fucking obese - shit

[almostgone]

Yeah, exactly - they don’t have to pay for a quality test - and, rather have you go undiagnosed longer. There already too many patients on the organ wait list.

I liked GFR - it seemed way more accurate, than some thrown together calculation

BMI - man, I’m fucking obese - shit

LOL, BMI is a never ending battle here...plus heart failure, pain from the C spine rebuild, etc....ad nauseum, ad infinitum. Then there's all the other ailments that I posted over the decades. : lol:. Shit, I'll be 59 later this year.

Seriously though, GFR is a more accurate measurement, but it is more complex. More complex = more time for the test results.
I'd much rather see the eGFR in place to catch struggling kidneys and be sent for more extensive testing than if no eGFR was in place. Think of it as a cheap and dirty method of keeping people from running around with impaired renal function.

You know how many guys freak out when their piss is bubbly, yet they take in massive amounts of protein. Then they freak out and head to a Dr or make a specialist appointment. That ties up valuable time for people that need evaluation. My nephrologist taught me a rule of thumb that has served me well regarding urine. If it's bubbly and flushes, it's highly likely you're taking in more protein than your body can process OR you're pissing into water that has Tidy Bowl or something in it. On the other hand, if you piss and it's crazy amounts of foam piling up (like badly drawn draft beer) then there's a problem.

For the guys that don't know the difference between bubbles and foam, foam doesn't flush well. You can hit the flush handle, but if it's foam, it won't all be removed from the toilet/urinal.

[Quester]

I do pee often however i drink probably 1.5 galloons + of water a day

-
WHY? My background being psych I'd wanna find out if you gotta reason to wanna be in the bathroom that much.
-
That much water -perhaps ()- is gonna negatively affect your BP. The glomerul filter needs no extra resistance.

If you have no other s/s, not in a compromised group, and not of an age or other related health concern specific to this pathology then get it tested in another few months.

[almostgone]

-
WHY? My background being psych I'd wanna find out if you gotta reason to wanna be in the bathroom that much.
-
That much water -perhaps ()- is gonna negatively affect your BP. The glomerul filter needs no extra resistance.

If you have no other s/s, not in a compromised group, and not of an age or other related health concern specific to this pathology then get it tested in another few months.

Quester!!!!! Long time, no see. Glad you dropped in, man.

[Honkey_Kong]

Where do u get ur astragalus?

I get it at Sprouts, but they sell it on Amazon too.

[Honkey_Kong]

Yeah, exactly - they don’t have to pay for a quality test - and, rather have you go undiagnosed longer. There already too many patients on the organ wait list.

I liked GFR - it seemed way more accurate, than some thrown together calculation

BMI - man, I’m fucking obese - shit

For most people, the eGFR test is just fine and it's a lot less expensive. I wouldn't even bother worrying about a GFR test or any type of ultrasound/MRI of the kidney unless the eGFR starts progressively dropping and is well below 90.

But the other thing too is aside from eating a low-protein diet (which I'm betting none of us are willing to do) and controlling your blood pressure, until the end stages where you need to get on dialysis or a transplant list, there really isn't too much that can be done.

Astralagus is a good option that has a lot of promise and it's cheap and there really isn't much chance of sides with it.

[< <Samson> >]

GFR was replaced with eGFR

My only point here

Better than nothing - sure


I rather wait for a more conclusive test. But, it’s not an option anymore.


I remember when I noticed they switched years back. I’m like wtf is “e”GFR - I remember GFR, so I looked it up

I even have the BMI, wait - eGFR calculator app. Seems so spot on

The Kidney Foundation new method - yeah, of having more people not b aware of shit

[Cylon357]

Yeah, exactly - they don’t have to pay for a quality test - and, rather have you go undiagnosed longer. There already too many patients on the organ wait list.

I liked GFR - it seemed way more accurate, than some thrown together calculation

BMI - man, I’m fucking obese - shit

Aren't we all man...

[Honkey_Kong]

GFR was replaced with eGFR

My only point here

Better than nothing - sure


I rather wait for a more conclusive test. But, it’s not an option anymore.


I remember when I noticed they switched years back. I’m like wtf is “e”GFR - I remember GFR, so I looked it up

I even have the BMI, wait - eGFR calculator app. Seems so spot on

The Kidney Foundation new method - yeah, of having more people not b aware of shit

There are adjustments for weight that can be applied to the eGFR to make them closer to accurate, but yeah, it's still pretty flawed. I mean if I go by the eGFR, I've got stage 3b CKD. However my urine collection test and ultrasound (with contrast) show that my kidney is functioning fine.

I've got more of a gripe with trying to get an appointment with a nephrologist than I do with the eGFR test. It takes between 3-6 months just to get an appointment at the ones I've seen. And then they set their follow ups 6 months later. And if you have to reschedule, you could go a year before you see one.

[almostgone]

There are adjustments for weight that can be applied to the eGFR to make them closer to accurate, but yeah, it's still pretty flawed. I mean if I go by the eGFR, I've got stage 3b CKD. However my urine collection test and ultrasound (with contrast) show that my kidney is functioning fine.

I've got more of a gripe with trying to get an appointment with a nephrologist than I do with the eGFR test. It takes between 3-6 months just to get an appointment at the ones I've seen. And then they set their follow ups 6 months later. And if you have to reschedule, you could go a year before you see one.

Nephrologists always seem to be overloaded. By the time they deal with ESRD patients on dialysis, patients in the hospital, and people that are established patients, they seem to have no time left for new patients. You either have to be lucky or a friend/family of the staff to get "expedited" treatment.

[lgnorant]

got bloods back after week off training and looser diet

BUN of 17.6 and creatinine of 1.16

both within range - doctors here dont understand Cystatin C - i asked for it but was very hard to get done

should i get it done privately or the above should suffice?

[lgnorant]

bump for above

[Honkey_Kong]

got bloods back after week off training and looser diet

BUN of 17.6 and creatinine of 1.16

both within range - doctors here dont understand Cystatin C - i asked for it but was very hard to get done

should i get it done privately or the above should suffice?

Your creatinine and bun are normal. I wouldn't bother taking on the expense of getting your cystatin c checked.

Truth be told, aside from dialysis or transplant, there isn't much they can do aside from treating diabetes (which you probably don't have), treating high blood pressure (which you said you don't have), changing your diet (less protein and salt) and exercising more (which if you're here, I assume you do already).

Most of us here are not going to lower our protein intake and we all train pretty hard, so that pretty much just leaves keeping the blood pressure under control (which for most of us can be a problem on gear) and restricting salt intake (which you probably should do for your blood pressure's sake).

[lgnorant]

Cystatin C results back

0.7mg/l

Within range - in the middle

happy days