Creatinine

[Caroline]

Can anyone explain what it means to have high Creatinine Levels in the blood? I know that you shouldn’t have any creatinine in the blood. It is a poison which the kidneys get rid of through urine. What I would like to know is whether there is a medication that they give to fix this or is dialysis the only help?

Would this be considered the beginning of kidney failure? Dad has high Creatinine Levels and his Coagulation Factors are not working either.

Thanks,
Caroline

[uno grasshopper]

Hi Caroline:

As I understand it, a creatinine clearance that’s higher OR lower than the normal reference range can indicate possible kidney impairment. Specifically problems with the kidney’s filtration ability. I don’t know of any drug that can fix that. Usually there are drugs that “cause” it. Is your dad on any medications that might need dosage adjustments? Is his blood pressure controlled? Does he drink enough fluids each day? He may need more fluids to help flush out his kidneys. Dehydration can sometimes cause problems with creatinine clearance especially if he is on medication, so sometimes docs give patients IV saline solutions. If he does increase his fluid intake, just monitor to make sure that he’s eliminating approx the same amt he’s taking in. Don’t want to “flood” him with fluid if his kidneys aren’t able to keep up.

As far as coagulation factors, I “think” the liver is more involved with producing those proteins.

Take care,

Marla

[Caroline]

Hi Marla,

Thank you for your answer.

Dad is on lots of medications. He has had Angina for 16 years and has all of the medications which accompany that illness. He has never been much of a drinker. In fact, it was only a month ago in hospital for Kidney Stones that he really started drinking water. Now he drinks 4-6 bottles of water a day plus some juice and a cup of coffee with breakfast. Before, he used to never drink water. His kidney stones are about 20 years old but have never given him trouble until recently. He has had stents insterted in both ureters but the stones still remain in there. He was supposed to have them lasered this past Monday but when he had the Pre-Op blood tests done 2 weeks ago, they found the Creatinine problem and the Coagulation Factor problem and won’t do any operations at all. He has acquired 2 more Specialists who are doing tests but nothing has been done to treat him. He has gone straight downhill in the past 2 weeks. Since he started drinking lots and got the stents inserted, he goes to the washroom every hour or so 24 hours a day. The problem now is that he has blood in his urine. He is on weekly Procrit injections…so the good red blood cells are being urinated out and he is getting more and more tired. It is kind of a vicious cycle. The advantage with the Procrit now is that at least his hemoglobin is stablized at 102. Without the shots, Dr. said his hemoglobin would be at 70 by now and then Dad would be at risk of a heart attack.

Caroline

[Terri]

What is the Creatinine level, Bobs always runs high about 1.6 or 1.8 He drinks tons of liquid and Is not on any type of meds that would cause it. The nutritionist indicated Muscle loss could cause it as well. Doc checks bobs each time he starts a Chemo round . The Nutritionist also had him on a supplement to help with the kidneys which did bring it down some.

[Caroline]

Thanks Terri.

I don’t know the Creatinine Level. I will be able to ask on Wednesday when we meet the new Internist unless the Oncologist intercepts and finds another Kidney Specialist. We are still waiting for instructions. But I have been assured that someone is going to address this problem SOON.

Dad has gone from 185 lbs to 166 lbs in only a few months so I assume his muscle mass is disappearing. He looks so skinny. I give him his Procrit injections every week. 6 weeks ago when I started giving them, I had something to hold onto when I gave him the shot in his arm. Some muscle popped up when I held the back of his arm. This past Thursday his skin kept slipping out of my fingers. I couldn’t get a good hold. It was the first time I felt uncomfortable giving him his shot…kind of like he was so delicate that I was going to hurt him. He prefers the injections in his arms so we alternate every week.

Terri, if you don’t mind my asking what supplements did the Nutritionist have Bob on for his kidneys?

Thanks again,
Caroline

[Terri]

Caroline, Bob drinks a Lot of water,and the nutritionist suggested Renagen from Metagenics. He said for Bob to use it for three bottles worth, don’t remember how many in a bottle, will see this time how is Level is. I do know Bob urinates a lot with all the water and with the Renagen even more so I guess he flushing out a lot of waste.
Bob gets his procrit at the doctors.

[Caroline]

Terri,

Thanks again.

Dad urinates alot as well, even overnight he gets up almost every hour. In fact, he even has accidents but that is from the stents which they inserted to bypass his kidney stones. I figure that they stretched the ureters so far that it leaks out. That only happens when he gets out of bed in the morning though.

Can I buy Renagen and Metagenics at a Health Food Store?

Caroline

[PAG2005]

Caroline,

My mom has secondary MDS and her creatinine level has slowly increased over the normal range during the last few months. She has fluctuated between 1.4 and 1.6. Her Cardiologist changed her blood pressure medication to see if the creatinine level would go down but unfortunately it didn’t. He suggested we see a Kidney specialist. I’m a little concerned, I hope it is not a serious problem. What is your dad’s creatinine level? How do you know his Coagulation Factors are not working? Is it listed on a blood test? We have an appt. on Friday with the kidney specialist. Pat

[Caroline]

Hi All,

We just got home from the Kidney Specialist. Dad’s Cretinine levels have been consistent at 240. One test was as high as 480 but it came down. The Doctor did a blood test today and will do anther one in a week. He is also going to contact the family doctor to get all blood test results from as far back as 5 years. He thinks that Dad has had such high creatinine for a long time and that his is very deep into Kidney Failure and didn’t even know it.

Yes Pat, Coagulations Factor Levels are taken in special blood tests.

Also, does anyone know what INR is on a blood test? He is VERY concerned about that. When I asked him to explain, I was just as confused after he was finished as I was before I asked.

Caroline

[Caroline]

Oh Yes,

Dad also needs to go on Vitamin K.

Caroline

[bhanson]

Hi, There is a pretty good description of the INR @ http://medicine.ucsf.edu/htc/clinicians/clin.inr.html It seems greek to me, but it has to do with the clotting. Thanks for all of your help. My husband li

[Terri]

Caroline, Metagenics is the maker of the Renagen and I get it from Metagenics Directly.

Bob also takes Vitamin K.

I hope things get better for your dad

[Luke and Margaret]

Hi Caroline
The INR is the measure of how quicky or slowly the blood clots. Too quickly, and there is risk for blood clots in the veins. Too slowly, and there is a risk of bleeding away. I can’t off the top of my head remember the normal range, perhaps it is in the web site posted earlier.

Vitamin K tends to thin the blood.

“Thinning” means that the viscosity is reduced so that the blood flows more easily and bypasses any clots.

Luke is on Warfarin, a blood thinner (you may recognize its other function as a rodent killer!). He developed a small blood clot in his leg as one of his early symptoms that there was something wrong.

Hope this helps,
M

[Terri]

Margaret, When I read on Vitamin K it indicates that it helps with Blood Clotting. People deficient in Vitamin K usually bleed or Bruise.
They also advise that People on Warfarin should consult with the doctor before taking vitamin K since Warfarin is for Blood clots to thin the blood and the Vitamin K helps to make the blood clot.
I read this on MEDLINE PLUS MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.

[eve]

according to my dad’s hemodoc vitamin k does help the blood to clot BUT he does not recommend it for people with low platelets to help with their clotting

i had asked him last visit why dad can’t take vit k to help him with his bleeds and he said that it would not help bleeds caused by low platelets

go figure

eve

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