Protein & Leukocytes in Urine! Help!!

[victry77]

Hi, I started a thread here couple of weeks ago about issues I was having with carb counting (sincere aplogies to those who replied to me further in that thread for not responding & thanking you for your input. I did read your comments, so thank you).

Anyway, the carb counting (which was working brilliantly at first) has just gone out of the window as I keep running high sugars (approx between 9-16mmol). Prolonged higher readings are very unusual for me. Tried adjusting my ratios, just keep getting stupid random numbers.

Anyway my annual review was a couple of weeks ago. I got a letter from my DSN on Monday saying that my urine sample had come back showing a small amount of protein and that she would like me to bring in another sample so the test could be repeated. Handy that I do voluntary work at the hospital on Tuesdays so was able to get a sample down there. Asked if DSN was free to chat with as I needed to tell her about my crazy BGs (when she saw me the couple of weeks previous, everything was just dandy). She wasn't in but was able to chat DSN who worked with me on carb counting (not that fussed on this DSN). She had no answer about the crazy BGs & was really surprised. I mentioned to her about the protein. She kindly informed me this could be kidney damage (Really? Thanks for that. Would never have guessed). She gave me 2wks worth of diary sheets to fill & said to bring them back, well, in, 2wks (she's on hols next week).

Now, in regards to the protein. Obviously I'm in a panic. I've only been diabetic 4.5yrs. In that time I've had great control. My BP is (and has always been) perfect. My cholesterol is perfect (I'm very high in good fats & low in the bad). Kidney damage already??!! What was weird, though, was about early April, I noticed a slight bubbly effect to my urine that seemed to happen intermittently. I know this is a sign of protein. Never mentioned it at my review as it had seemed to have stopped.

So, in the meantime of waiting for the sample results to come back I bought some urine analysis test strips. They came today. I've done the test 3 times so far. It's not showing protein, but it is showing quite a large amount of white blood cells.

Eek! What should I do? Should I get hold of my DSN asap? I know crazy Bg's, protein & WBCs can all be sign of infection, esp urinary, but I'm not symptomatic. No problems with my pee at all. Just been reading how WBC's can indicate kidney issues. I know kidney infections can be terrible, but I have no signs/symptoms of infection of that nature. I'm just thinking something is going wrong with my kidneys here.

I have had a bad cold over the past few days which I caught from my mum, but the protein & crazy BG issue was way before that. I don't feel ill (other than getting over this cold), but I'm concerned about these WBCs. I'm either going to call my DSN or get GP appt.

Anyone have any advice/ideas about this? Thank you.

 

[CarbsRok]

Don't panic
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/liverand ... 03415.html have a read. Sounds as if a Drs apt is needed for infection.
As infection there that is prob the cause of your blood sugar upset.

 

[victry77]

Hi CarbsRock, thank you.

Why don't I have symptoms, though? No painful or burning pee. No kidney pain. After nearly 3wks of crazy Bgs & then protein showing up 2wks ago, surely I would have got something. It also mentions, though, about inflammation somewhere in the urinary tract, which could be kidneys again. Don't your kidneys get inflamed when damaged?

Pooh. I'm not happy :thumbdown:

 

[jopar]

You don't always get symptoms with infections,

It would explain your crazy bg's..

The only other things that might effect BG, an off insulin cartridge or your pen's taken a knock so isn't dosing correctly if you look at the instruction booklet for your pen it will give you instruction how to check it's dosing correctly...

Your doc asked for a second sample, to double check and perhaps to check for an infections..

If you levels have been good, and it's only lately that your BG's went crazy, I wouldn't worry too much about kidney damage, it's unlikely to damaged them so quickly, but if it has then it's likely to be minimal and reversible with bringing control back into line! So wait and see what comes up with the sample you've given, and just concentrate on working on your control..

 

[victry77]

Thanks Jopar

Well the WBCs seemed to have slowly vanisehd & now I'm testing negative. However just did the dipstick about half an hur ago, and whereas I'd been testing neg for protein, I'm now moderate-high :roll:

I wonder if the WBCs were due to me fighting off this cold? Doesn't explain the protein, though.

Oh, I agee, I don't think my crazy BGs would have hurt my kidneys that much thus causing the protein. My BGs had only started to go wacky a few days prior to handing in that sample. I'm just a bit worried I might have already had some damage. Like I say, I noticed that bubbly urine, and that was back in April.

Did the insulin function test & it appears to be doing fine. Don't know what's happening with my levels

 

[BaliRob]

I feel that you would have some other symptoms, especially swelling (oedema) of the lower legs, ankles and feet as in my case. If you do have damage it can be arrested with Ace Inhibitors, etc., so try not to panic.

 

[victry77]

Thanks for taking the time to reassure me, Rob :thumbup:

I think what would upset me really, though, is that if it is early kidney damage, how quickly & easily it happened. It's like I would be one of the "exceptions".

Did yours happen quickly?

Hope I didn't muff up my second sample by doing it while I had this cold. If they find WBCs they might just write it off as infection. But, I actually think I was getting one of those ACR tests, so not sure how they work, but hopefully me being under the weather won't have affected it.

 

[BaliRob]

Dear victry,

Have had the oedema for over two years in one leg which my specialist is 95% certain was caused by continuous use of Quinine Sulphate and my readings confirm the kidney damage. As I had perfect heart condition, that left only the kidneys as the culprit. The damage can be shown by scan as well as biopsy - the necrosis reveals itself as a shrinkage of either or both and, in my case, one kidney is clearly smaller than it should be. I am told that kidney damage on average takes ten years to develop if bg's and bp are not controlled. I cannot really say to you that mine happened quickly. If you do not have persistent oedema as described and you have not been a diabetic very long - then I would feel you should be optimistic.

Good luck,

Rob

 

[victry77]

Hi Rob, thanks again for the info.

I'm really confused about this. It seems that I have protein in my urine during menstruation. I came on my period the other day. I did the dipstick twice & protein showed up. When I did that first sample (the protein positive one) last month, it was on the last day of my period.

I just popped into the diabetes clinic this morning, so the nurse could look at my carb ratios. My blood sugars have calmed down this past week so she told me to stick to a 1:8 ratio. I'd still not had the results of my last sample so she looked it up for me. She said they were normal, and that it would seem the ratio (ACR) calculation wasn't done on the first sample but it was done on the second & it's within normal ranges.

I said that I wondered due to me doing that first sample on the last day of my period, could that have caused the protein, but she said definitely not. Protein is either kidney damage or infection. I asked her what does it mean if you get protein during your period, she said she had no idea.

I didn't actually tell her that this appears to be what's happening to me (not my regualr DSN & I don't like her that much). So, I dunno, I'm really confused now.

:?

 

[catza]

Just a thought but with the problem tests coinciding with your Menstruation is it possible that your Urine sample was contaminated as Blood contains protein. Guess I am just looking for an innocent explanation.

 

[victry77]

Hi, thanks, that's exactly what I was suggesting to the nurse. From what I read online, as you say, blood contains protein therefore can affect a urine sample, but she said that being on my period, etc, should not have cause protein to show. She said something about a calculation not being done. But yet, I've twice now test my pee since being on my period, and it's showing for protein.

I'm wondering if I should contact my regular DSN tomorrow to tell her.

EDIT - just did the dipstick again and while I'm obviously positive for blood, I'm now neg for protein :?

 

[catza]

I would certainly be asking for a second opinion victry.

It seems wrong that your kidneys should be causing this seemingly predictable negative/positive test result. Either you have a problem with your kidneys or you don't and it seems a bit too much of a coincidence that the 'problem' only appears on set days of the month.