Got my a1c done today 10.6… way better than it was three months ago. My Last Gfr was 163 and my on the spot urine check showed no proteins…but a trace of blood.
The doctor just told me they will check it again... at my next a1c. They weren't even going to tell me but I looked at my chart when they left the room.
Given no protein and a good gfr...is it possible there is another cause for the trace of blood other than kidney damage? I'm young, Had Diabetes 20 Years and scared.
UTI or Kidney infection can cause blood, as can something like kidney stones. Blood is not necessarily a sign of kidney disease, but definitely worth getting checked out… because if it’s an infection you’d want to treat that with antibiotics, and a culture would need to be done to see which would be most effective Some doctors also like to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics for stones, since it’s pretty common to develop an infection as those are passing.
So try not to freak out… if your spot check was free of protein you’re probably fine as far as general kidney function goes.
Please don’t worry, though it’s hard not to. To put your mind at ease, ask your doctor. Know we’re not supposed to sneak peaks at our charts, but we all do & important to know if antibiotics are possibly needed. Do you have any symptoms of a urinary tract infection?
I don’t have anything to add other than what’s already been said here, but just please be firm with your doctor. Sometimes doctors will push something off as nothing, not realizing how serious it is to have a minor infection as a type 1.
Try not to worry. If it was anything major, the doctor has to tell you. Just want to get it checked out before it turns INTO something major, you know?
Thanks for all your kind responses. I called and made it pretty clear I wanted answers. My doctor said it is not a concern and its pretty common. However he is going to order some blood work. Just for piece of mind. I myself have thought possibly a UTI Or Kidney infection…
We will see how the blood work comes out…and I guess if it were directly related to kidneys there would have been protein present as well.
Ok to any medically educated doctors or nurses. I’ve read about false positives before.
If I dont have a uti or infection.
Could ketones cause a false positive? I have a small build and hadnt taken insulin yet so was probably spilling moderate.
I also take vitamins…I read that excessive amounts of vit c can false positive…
Am I thinking this to much?
My doctor said we will do my gfr monday and if its fine consider it benign for now.
When I was younger I once had blood in my urine. The Dr. told me it can happen if you get a bump on your side, you may have not even felt it. LOL Don’t Worry Be Happy. sorry couldn’t help myself.
Trace blood in the urine is very common. It likely means absolutely nothing. A few RBCs could hop into the urine anywhere along the urinary tract, I wouldn’t worry about it now. As far as UTI or infection, there are several other indicators on the urinalysis that would be more specific for that, and I’m sure your doc wouldn’t have overlooked them. Ketones are detected by a completely different method than blood, so that’s not the issue either. Plus, ketones are included on a standard urinalysis and would have shown there.
Trace blood in the urine, in the absence of other findings, it really quite normal. Try not to worry!
I had trace blood in the urine when first diagnosed. My BS was really high and I had lg amt ketones. The blood was gone the next time they checked. Sounds like you don’t have a UTI and your GFR is o.k. so I’m thinking your outcome will be good.
Ok Guys, I’ve gotten through the weekend worrying as little as possible.
The last gfr of 163 was done last year this time.
So I got in tomorrow for another one.
If you’ve had type 1 for 20 years and not-so-good A1Cs (hey, that was me in my 20s and 30s, too), please talk to your doc about going on an ARB or ACE-inhibitor for some protection against kidney damage. These are high blood pressure medications. You can read several discussion about them on this site. And many people choose not to take them as a prophylactic because they are worried about side effects or cost. But you should be aware they are an option.
PS: One tenth of a percentage point at a time–I’m cheering for your lower A1C.
I agree with this… I started on a low dose ACE inhibitor last fall because I just felt like after 9 years with D it was just the right thing to do… my doctor agreed.
So far I haven’t had any side-effects (coughing?) and I’m on a cheap one ($10 every 3 months) so I can’t complain
Ok SO I just went in and had blood drawn. I didnt realize our new IHC Hospital has an on site lab. So rather than three days wait…I will find out this after-noone …
There are many things that can cause blood in a sample. In order to stay sane and not worry yourself about it, talk to your doc and tell him/her that you are concerned about something you saw in your chart, yes you are going to have to come clean about this sneak peek at your own chart. But ask him/her if you should be concerned, ask him/her why not? If you are completely worried, ask them to redo the test now, rather than wait, just to calm you down. Being upset is going to make your numbers go up.
ON the other hand, if the doc wasn’t worried, and he’s the one who will catch hell, if it is something he/she should have done right away, then I say, don’t panic. It can wait. I always figure if it’s something to be concerned about they will tell you to do this right now…if they say wait, then it can’t be too bad.
But it’s your life, if you re worried ask for it now.
Some doctors also like to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics for stones, since it’s pretty common to develop an infection as those are passing.