Lab results help ..........

[zachdank]

Been on about 150 trt every week for the last 4 years. i keep having the same results with elevated creatinine levels. I went and got my kidneys examined a couple years ago with blood work and an ultra sound that came back normal.
Any thoughts on why my levels could keep coming back high?
I have a problem staying hydrated. I drink a ton of water but still piss darker yellow a lot. I drink tons of water. Could i be pushing protein levels too high? I eat about a pound of chicken/fish/steak a day. usually one whey protein shake a day as well.
Im 41 years old 180 pounds and about 10-12% body fat. I push heavy weights 6 days a week.
Test was taken 2 days after a shot of test cap this go around. I usually get blood work in my trough but not this time.





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[Megatron28]

How much water do you drink per day? Can you be more exact than "a lot"? Is it actual water or is it something like Gatorade?

Do you take any other medications? I used to have a similar issue and I discovered it was caused by Lisinopril by process of elimination. When I stopped taking it kidney blood work retuned to normal.

How much salt are you consuming?

Finally, what were your kidney labs prior to starting TRT?

 

[zachdank]

Im not measuring exact water intake. Ive just known its a struggle so i drink about 16 oz right when i wake up then i keep pounding every couple hours till sleep. i have to be taking down at least 5 - 16 oz cups minimum everyday. I take 50mg seroquel for sleep at night and thats it. I don't think i got labs before trt that measured kidney function. Just testosterone levels.
Is this creatinine level usually high or just slightly? Is there a specific kind of doctor i should see if my levels are too high?
Also I've never seen my Insulin-like growth factor that high before. Can you give me any insight on what that could indicate?
Appreciate the feedback Megatron. Thanks

 

[daleb]

Have you had a urine analysis done?

 

[zachdank]

Also I'm just drinking water. No gatorade or anything like it. I eat and drink really clean.

 

[zachdank]

Have you had a urine analysis done?

I haven't in a couple years

 

[Megatron28]

Im not measuring exact water intake. Ive just known its a struggle so i drink about 16 oz right when i wake up then i keep pounding every couple hours till sleep. i have to be taking down at least 5 - 16 oz cups minimum everyday. I take 50mg seroquel for sleep at night and thats it. I don't think i got labs before trt that measured kidney function. Just testosterone levels.
Is this creatinine level usually high or just slightly? Is there a specific kind of doctor i should see if my levels are too high?
Also I've never seen my Insulin-like growth factor that high before. Can you give me any insight on what that could indicate?
Appreciate the feedback Megatron. Thanks

Go back and check old blood work. Surely you have had a CMP before. It is commonly ordered . Call your doc if you need to for old records.

The creatinine and eGFR numbers themselves are not an issue right now. But what is important is the trend. If they continue to get worse you would be trending towards kidney failure.

Kidney specialists are called Nephrologists . You could consult with one if you are worried.

It is normal for your IGF-1 to be high when your TT is high.

 

[Megatron28]

Have you had a urine analysis done?

Good call. Get one. For example, it could check for protein in your urine.

 

[zachdank]

Thanks brother. Appreciate the input.

Go back and check old blood work. Surely you have had a CMP before. It is commonly ordered . Call your doc if you need to for old records.

The creatinine and eGFR numbers themselves are not an issue right now. But what is important is the trend. If they continue to get worse you would be trending towards kidney failure.

Kidney specialists are called Nephrologists . You could consult with one if you are worried.

It is normal for your IGF-1 to be high when your TT is high.

 

[zachdank]

just checked my previous 4 years.
1.2 creatinine in 2013
1.19 creatinine in 2014 but bun/creatinine ratio was 24
1.31 creatinine in 2015
1.42 creatinine today

Go back and check old blood work. Surely you have had a CMP before. It is commonly ordered . Call your doc if you need to for old records.

The creatinine and eGFR numbers themselves are not an issue right now. But what is important is the trend. If they continue to get worse you would be trending towards kidney failure.

Kidney specialists are called Nephrologists . You could consult with one if you are worried.

It is normal for your IGF-1 to be high when your TT is high.

 

[daleb]

I noticed OP's fasting glucose was elevated(assuming OP fasted...maybe he didnt). The Creatinine can indicate muscle damage. Are you on underground testosterone or is it dr prescribed from a pharmacy? Also, can indicate rhabdomyolysis. Did you have an intense workout the night or day before you did the labwork.

Ive had all sorts of dehydration issues. I know a little bit about it. You need at least 1 liter right as soon as you wake up. Cold or warm it doesnt matter. Nothing with Caffeine, even pre-workout concoctions. Dont drink more than a few mouthfulls of water with any meal, wait till an hour or so after eating to pound water. Try to get another Liter in before you goto sleep.

If your kidneys are acting up you will have trouble getting water into your soft tissues. So working out might not be in your best interest until you know exactly what the creatinine issue is from.

 

[Megatron28]

What is your blood pressure? Are you monitoring that?

 

[Megatron28]

just checked my previous 4 years.
1.2 creatinine in 2013
1.19 creatinine in 2014 but bun/creatinine ratio was 24
1.31 creatinine in 2015
1.42 creatinine today

Have you added significant muscle mass since going on TRT -- which covers the timeframe of these labs?

 

[halfwit]

Great advice all around, but I personally wouldn't stress too much as creatinine is one of the easiest assays to pull a false high value on as daleb pointed out.

Keeping water down is only a struggle for awhile. Your body will adjust over time and before you know it, you'll be at the recommended one gallon per day easily.

The one thing that I did notice that wasn't mentioned however was your TSH being fairly high combined with a pretty low T4 and FT4. Are you getting enough iodine in your diet? The thyroid also regulates hydration, so I'd investigate that route too.

My .02c

 

[Megatron28]

Great advice all around, but I personally wouldn't stress too much as creatinine is one of the easiest assays to pull a false high value on as daleb pointed out.

Keeping water down is only a struggle for awhile. Your bodybody will adjust over time and before you know it, you'll be at the recommended one gallon per day easily.

The one thing that I did notice that wasn't mentioned however was your TSH being fairly high combined with a pretty low T4 and FT4. Are you getting enough iodine in your diet? The thyroid also regulates hydration, so I'd investigate that route too.

My .02c

TSH of 2 seems normal. That has you worried?

BTW: I forgot to mention that you should donate blood. Your HCT is getting up there.

 

[halfwit]

TSH of 2 seems normal. That has you worried?

BTW: I forgot to mention that you should donate blood. Your HCT is getting up there.

3.0 is the new clinical cut off for hypothyroidism once it's approved. I'm not worried per se, but it's something that caught my eye given the rest of the blood work.

 

[Mprtz]

Last year my creatinine (and calculated eGFR) indicated stage 3 kidney disease. When I backed off my protein intake and cut out the creatine my values returned to normal...

 

[zachdank]

Have you added significant muscle mass since going on TRT -- which covers the timeframe of these labs?

Ive prob added 15 pounds of muscle over the past 4 years. A good amount but nothing insane.
I do check my blood pressure every couple months. It's 3/4 of the time normal and 1/4 a tiny bit high. I dont remember exact number but I'm talking just a couple [points high.

 

[zachdank]

Im on doc prescribed test. and i get a pretty moderate to heavy work out everyday.
Im drinking a pre work out once a day. Ill stop with that now hearing this.

I noticed OP's fasting glucose was elevated(assuming OP fasted...maybe he didnt). The Creatinine can indicate muscle damage. Are you on underground testosterone or is it dr prescribed from a pharmacy? Also, can indicate rhabdomyolysis. Did you have an intense workout the night or day before you did the labwork.

Ive had all sorts of dehydration issues. I know a little bit about it. You need at least 1 liter right as soon as you wake up. Cold or warm it doesnt matter. Nothing with Caffeine, even pre-workout concoctions. Dont drink more than a few mouthfulls of water with any meal, wait till an hour or so after eating to pound water. Try to get another Liter in before you goto sleep.

If your kidneys are acting up you will have trouble getting water into your soft tissues. So working out might not be in your best interest until you know exactly what the creatinine issue is from.

 

[zachdank]

How do you investigate your thyroid? Im not sure on iodine intake. What contains iodine?

Great advice all around, but I personally wouldn't stress too much as creatinine is one of the easiest assays to pull a false high value on as daleb pointed out.

Keeping water down is only a struggle for awhile. Your body will adjust over time and before you know it, you'll be at the recommended one gallon per day easily.

The one thing that I did notice that wasn't mentioned however was your TSH being fairly high combined with a pretty low T4 and FT4. Are you getting enough iodine in your diet? The thyroid also regulates hydration, so I'd investigate that route too.

My .02c