Kidney Damage?

1

I realize the topic has probably been discussed 1000's of times, but, I am new to the group and to the DOC in general. I am a Type 1 and have been for almost 37 years, but I am not sure that I have ever had a thorough and complete Kidney Function analysis. Since learning a bit more-on this site and others-I realize I could have damage and not know it and I am worried.

I have been having some lower back pain and I am very tired all the time-so my GP has worked me in on Thurs. Aug 25. What do I need to ask for? I don't want to just know if I have an infection-I want to know about how well they are functioning over all. Any help will be appreciated-I am trying to come back to a healthier life with yourall's help. My last A1c was 8.6 and I am definitely not at all happy with that.

Thanx

2

For sure ask to have the level of creatinine in your blood checked and also if you have any microalbumin in your urine.

3

Lower back pain is also a sign of a UTI - it could be something as simple as that.

4

Thanks Kelly-I Know it in my head, but my emotional side always just knows it is the worst.

5

Thank you Kathy-Is the creatinine in the blood standard procedure with a CBC?

6

If you tell them you’ve been T1 for that long and note that you have concerns about your kidneys, they should order a bloodwork and urinalysis that look at things like BUN, creatine, and whether you are spilling protein in your urine. Also, keep in mind that an infection could skew any of these tests, so they will want to rule that out too.

Kidney damage in the early stages can be reversed. I was at one point spilling protein in my urine, but once I got my numbers down, that went away, and thus far I’ve had fine kidney function with no sign of damage (it gets tested once ever 6 months). Like a lot of D-related things, catching it early and dealing with it is the key (oh, and my A1C was WAY worse than yours at one point).

7

My endo does a “creatinine - urine”, “microalbumin, urine”, and "microalbumin/creatinine ratio"
to check for renal involvement yearly.

8

I see this Doctor about every 3 months or so-He definitely knows my history. I live in a small town in SW Virginia and I hear so many horror stories about basic tests not being done-I just get worried. Everytime I have lab work done, I always ask-"are my kidneys okay?’ Since being on several Diabetic sites, that seems woefully inadequate and I guess I am a little freaky. It’s like the medical student that gets every disease they study. LOL



I have neglected things for a while and I do want to know where I am at the moment-I really appreciate everyone’s quick responses. I feel better already.

9

You should always ask for copies of your lab tests so you know what was done and where you fall. Legally, you have a right to get those copies. I had both an culture & MRI say I still had an infection in my bone and the doctor told me the infection was gone - that almost cost me my leg because I didn’t ask for copies until I decided I better get a new doctor. I had a doctor tell me my thyroid was fine when I was sitting with labs on my lap showing that my FT4 was so low it wasn’t registering a number. I had another doctor tell me my Vit B was at the low end of the lab and I should start taking Vit B - she even wrote that on the list of things that she wanted me to do do. When I got my copy in the mail, my B was flagged as high because it was over the top of the lab range.

10

Thanks Kelly-Those are the types of things that concern me-I just want to be sure. I will definitely ask for a copy of those tests. If they argue-I’ll tell them you SAID it’s my right. LOL-thanks again.