Kidneys acting up :-/, low carb responsible?
 

Hi, I am seeing a liver specialist for intermittent elevated liver enzymes (5 - 7 times elevated, but cyclical) and he just ran a ton of blood work.

My kidneys are now out BUN/CREAT is 28.3 and should be 21 at the highest. I've been having twinges in my kidneys too but thought it was my imagination.

Could this WOE be causing it? Any ideas about what I should do? They were fine before I did this steadily for 9 months. My friend a RD is thinking I should be eating grains etc.

Also in the in CBC 4 of the categories are out, 2 are out 2 points and 2 are out 1 point, does anyone know if that matters?

Thanks!

You are seeing a specialist, so hopefully they can answer your questions. But I have heard that high protein diets, along with lack of hydration and electrolyte balancing, can lead to kidney problems. I wonder if you changed the amount of protein or started a new medication, or anything else that might have led to this problem?

Before you add grains, you may consider lowering the protein, and if you need to add carbs, how about some more starchy vegetables or beans -- not sure anyone needs grain when they have inflammation to deal with.

Just a few thoughts, but I really don't know for sure and you should get more expert advice.

Hi. First off, don't assume anything about your kidneys. A liver issue can cause those BUN results, too. "Twinges" in one's back are common, and people often blame their kidneys incorrectly. This is going to have to be something your doctor sorts out for you.


Oh, the vampire myths that still won't die.
- High protein diets, at worst, make the kidneys work a bit. They do not cause kidney disease any more than cardio exercise causes heart disease.
- LC diets are not high protein, anyway, so it's moot point.

OTOH, grains cause all kinds of other forms of stress on the organs such as high blood sugars, inflammation, and auto-immune reactions. Bad idea.


It might matter, but it entirely depends on which tests are out, and how much "2 points" and "1 point" are worth. You have to look at the statistical significance, ie the size of the reference range. For example, I was flagged for three oddities on my last CBC, but they're not significant because in one example, the reference range is 27.5-33.0 pg, and my result was 33.1. So obviously, that's not a big deal, and if they tested me again the next day, it would probably be different.

If your WBCs are high, I'd take a wild guess at an infection. But of course, IANAD.

HTH.

Thanks...of course I will speak to my doctor but who knows how long that will take, we are still waiting for the "smooth muscle" test to come back.

The other 4 that are out all have to do with red blood cells, not white - the results are all on the opposite side of anemia so maybe they will show too much iron or something as they suspect. I have all the symptoms of hemacromatosis however I test negative for it.

Tanks for you help - wondering if I am really eating enough veggies. We will see. I can favor protein sometimes.

There are so many things that can cause kidney issues, drugs, NSAIDs, diabetes, etc. Low carb won't damage your kidneys, but if your kidneys start out damaged, they don't process protein well. Let us know what you uncover, and I'm pulling for you! :wave:

Thanks Nancy, my thought is that it's to do with my liver. Wish my body would just be normal, whatever that is!!!

Good news / bad news
 

My kidneys are fine all around, it was just the ratio that's off and the doc said that was fine.

The bad news is that once again all of my liver tests are normal so now they want to do a liver biopsy :-(.

I recently just heard that one out of three of us have fatty liver disease.
The culprit is flour and sugar! The best thing you can do for yourself is to have a moderate protein, high fat diet to help heal your liver. I am pulling for you too. :)

I'm not familiar with liver and kidney tests. But it is really hard to reflect on your fundamental questions without knowing in more detail what you're eating.

How many carbs are you eating per day?

How many grams of protein? Are you really eating a "high protein" diet? Or just sufficient protein which is way higher than SAD, but not "high"?

How much water are you drinking every day?

In general, if you're eating some form of low carb, eating around .7 g to 1 g of protein per pound of LBM, and drinking at least 64 ounces of water, I'd find it unlikely that your WOE is negatively affecting your kidneys unless they are otherwise compromised. If you're eating double that protein and not drinking any water, then your kidneys are probably going to be a little over-worked, so you might want to help them out and adjust your intake.

I don't have it, it shows up on ultrasounds and CT scans and I've had both.

I am already on the diet you mention....