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Creatinine

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,675
Location
South of England
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
this is measured in the usual battery of tests both plasma and urine, along with its ratio to albumin.

Can anyone shed any light on its relevance to diabetes please. I know high levels can be a problem but my plasma has been below normal and steadily falling since being tested over the last 15months and the ratio to albumin rising within normal from bottom to near top. No nurse or dr has commented on it. The only thing I can find is that very low carb/weight loss might have resulted in significant muscle loss despite maintaining a good level of protein. (I eat a lot of meat).
 
My wife has Stage 4 CKD so Creatinine is frequently mentioned. Her kidney disease was found almost by accident as another consultant saw that it was high and suggested a referral to the Nephrology Dept. It is used as a useful 'marker' for failing kidney function and in itself is not of much importance other than indicating what else is going on. I don't believe being diabetic in itself affects creatinine level unless the diabetes is causing kidney damage. My creatinine level is normal for my age despite diabetes but wife who is not diabetic has a very bad creatinine level (BTW keep away from long-term use of NSAIDs if you value your kidneys)
 
HSSS said:
@vic hill @Daibell are these high creatinine levels or low? I’m aware of issues with high levels but find little information on low and falling levels.
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HSSS, I too have low levels I found all sorts on high levels being related to kidney damage, but very little on low levels. Except low levels in the elderly and fail is down to lost muscle mass. I just put it down to my disability and atrophied muscles (even though I have been improving for the past few years) was thinking about starting gentle exercise to improve muscle strength.
 
I’m sorry you have it too but glad I’m not the only only struggling to find the implications. I’m neither elderly nor have disabilities, though not especially strong or active beyond daily life activities. I don’t feel like I’ve lost muscle or strength. Why have a lower limit if there’s not some relevance to it?
 
I was told by my DN that it is used for checking that medications are not having an adverse effect on the kidneys.
 
JohnEGreen said:
@HSSS Wouldn't happen to be pregnant would you?
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Good god no. Definitely passed that stage. Also it’s been dropping for over a year now so although I started elephant sized I don’t share their gestation period.

My liver tests also look ok (as another potential reason for being low) so I doubt that’s the cause hence my bafflement.
 

Oh OK just thought to ask as it is a possible cause of low levels.
 
Aging is the only factor that applies, as it does to us all over 30, yet it’s noticeable each test that its dropped. I guess I didn’t expect it to be so acute before 50 and before menopause. It appeared to be more relevant to older people from my reading but perhaps not.

It doesn’t seem a cause for worry (and I’m not worried) but I like to know stuff and I don’t understand this and find the lack of information frustrating. Why have a lower limit if low isn’t a problem. If it is then where’s the info.
 
I’ve checked everything google has to offer
 
As it is a waste product from the break down of muscle maybe the lower the better hence no information on the draw backs of low levels as there are none.

The only thing I could find a hint of is that higher levels may slow bacterial action down and inhibit bacterial infections a bit so you may not get it's antibacterial effect at lower levels.

As to why have low and high limits it could be that they just denote the range of normal levels.
 
Possibly. I’ve decided to ask again next time I’m there for other stuff but in the meantime as the big red “abnormal” is being ignored by drs each time it occurs I will too.
 
I'm ancient and certainly not an excercise bunny, but my creatinine levels have always been stable in the middle of the range. That is until my last test in July. It dropped (plasma - I didn't have the urine test) to one point above the low range level. As it is still normal, I am looking at it as a blip. No way can I have had a lot of muscle loss in the 6 months since the previous test. I will have another look if this continues as a trend.
 
My creatinine levels have been high for some while and eGFR has been dropping steadily over several tests that I know indicates kidney damage.

If my creatinine levels were to start dropping I would be quite pleased.
 
Mine been dropping a little every test for the last 15 months, always below range so not a blip. I lost weight in the first 4 months but that’s been stable since then and don’t feel I’ve lost muscle either initially or since weight loss. Increasing exercise seem my only sensible option to increase it but that still doesn’t explain why it’s falling. It’s obviously the less worry end of the range to be outside of though.
 
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