NetWellness Kidney Diseases

Kidney Pain at 3am for Ten Days

Mildred Lam MD — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:12:00 EST

Question: Female, 52 yrs, hospitalized ten days 30 yrs ago severe kidney infection, approx 15 UTI`s since then, none in the last 5 yrs.

Mid October had cystitus and did 3 days (Nuproxin?) which cured but since then had odor and cloudiness in urine.

Had annual physical and asked to check was told no . . .

Answer: I cannot give you definitive answers to your questions without knowing more about you (would have to see you, examine you, and review your labs and imaging studies). But here are some thoughts that may help, and that may give you ideas of questions to ask your doctor:

1) When you sa . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Coincidence of Nervous Tics and Proteinuria

Mildred Lam MD — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:11:00 EST

Question: Odd question, I know, but both of my teens (boys) developed proteinuria and nervous (motor) tics at the same time that they were going thru BIG teen growth spurts. Do you know of any conditions at all that might link these things? Nothing jumps out at the docs, but I`m still racking my brain for an . . .

Answer:

I did check with our pediatric renal consultant, and neither he nor I can think of any disorders that tie the two problems together.
If you could provide a little more info, we might be able to look into this more.

For instance:

How much proteinuria do t . . .
Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

ACE Inhibitor and Proteinuria

Mildred Lam MD — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:11:00 EST

Question: My teenager just developed proteinuria. We don't know yet if it`s persistent or transient, BUT, my oldest son - whom I`ve written to Dr. Lam about here in the past - also has both proteinuria and hypertension. His hypertension is under control on Lisinopril 20mg/daily and his proteinuria is currentl . . .

Answer: Hi, I assume that you are the one who wrote the letters in 2009 and 2010 about your son who reportedly had TBM on biopsy, but no hematuria? It certainly is interesting that his brother now also has proteinuria. Even though orthostatic proteinuria is not a genetic disorder, I think t . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

What does it mean to have kidney disease?

Mildred Lam MD — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:11:00 EST

Question: Is that different from loss of kidney function? What`s the most % of loss of kidney function that I can have, and still lead a normal life without drugs and monitoring?

Answer: It's hard to say how much kidney function a person can lose without needing special treatment, because it depends largely on the underlying disease that causes the kidney problem. With diabetes, for instance, it's very important for a person to take meds and be closely monitored, because that' . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Non-Functional Kidney

Mildred Lam MD — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:10:00 EST

Question: I m a 54 yr old male. I underwent right nephrolithotomy 25 yrs back. 10 yrs after the surgery the routine investigations revealed non functioning of operated kidney. Now, the size of said kidney has also shrunk. However, the left kidney is perfectely normal in function. Is it necessary to get the no . . .

Answer:

The nonfunctioning kidney may potentially cause problems in two ways: 1) by getting infected (with infection spreading to the bloodstream or possibly to the other kidney), or 2) by producing a substance called renin that contributes to high blood pressure. Infection can easily be detected b . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Elevated Microalbumin in Urine

Mildred Lam MD — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:09:00 EST

Question: I am a healthy 23yold female. Had a check up because of abdominal pain. Blood test was normal, but urine test showed a microalbumin level of 1742 (told normal 0-17) and microalbumin/creatinine ratio 1119.5 (normal 0-30) told to consult a nephrologist. I am not diabetic, don`t have HTN, don`t having . . .

Answer:

This is unlikely to be a false result. It indicates that you have protein leaking from your kidneys, which can happen in several disorders (of which diabetes is only one). You should definitely see a nephrologist as soon as possible, and you'll need to undergo a number of tests (blood . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Reflux as a Child - Outlook/Prognosis

Jack Elder MD, FACS, FAAP — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:09:00 EST

Question:

I`m a 26yr old male. I had bi-lateral reflux on `double kidneys` when I was a baby. I had anti-reflux surgery when I was 5 years old I think to correct the reflux.

As a result of the reflux my left kidney is damaged and shrunken and a renogram shows good drainage on both kidneys, but that th . . .

Answer: The main long-term concerns in your case would be high blood pressure and kidney infection. The damaged kidney significantly increases your risk of elevated blood pressure, because the kidneys produce a hormone, renin, that regulates blood pressure. You should have your blood pressure checked once o . . .

Ask an Expert: Jack Elder MD, FACS, FAAP, Kidney Diseases

Kidney Question

Mildred Lam MD — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:09:00 EST

Question: How can I increase kidney function? I only have 30 percent right now. Can I stop it from decreasing?

Answer:

This depends on what the cause is of your decreased kidney function. If it's diabetes or high blood pressure, the best you can hope to do is probably to keep your kidney function from getting any worse. But be aware that 30% is plenty of function for most people -- you can live comfor . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Bloodwork

Mildred Lam MD — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:09:00 EST

Question: If my creatinine is 1.62H is that a problem? And if it shows eGFR non-afr american 52 L is that a problem?

Answer: This is definitely a higher level of creatinine, and a lower level of kidney function, than expected. There are many possible causes of decreased kidney function, some temporary, some treatable, and some not.

Please see the links below; note that you fall into "stage 3" . . .

Ask an Expert: Mildred Lam MD, Kidney Diseases

Is Polycystic Cysts vs. PKD

Thomas Zipp MD — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:08:00 EST

Question: I had a CT scan that stated that I have numerous cysts on each of my kidneys. Also calcification on the kidneys. Does this represent polycystic kidney disease or that I just thatI have a lot of cysts on my kidneys. I know there is a difference between a simple cyst and PKD, but how do you know the d . . .

Answer: Renal cysts: would need to review the CT scan to decide if this is PKD. The radiologist should be able to comment on this. If there is a family history of PKD, this would need to be considered in reviewing the CT scan.

Ask an Expert: Thomas Zipp MD, Kidney Diseases