12th January 2007
I'm 5'8", approx. 215 lbs. (down from a high of 270), very muscular and have had high blood pressure for a number of years. My creatinine levels were sufficiently high nine years ago to have a needle biopsy (kidney) which revealed scarring of mysterious origin. The people at UNC Hospitals, several visiting experts and others to whom samples were sent have no idea what caused this problem. There is nothing in my background in terms of environmental chemicals or drug use that would point to a cause (although I was a heavy pot smoker for thirty years - - no more).
When I started to lose weight three years ago I slowly weaned myself from blood pressure med., b.p. was good, then I regained a lot of weight without returning to med. When I went back to see my doctor in August, 2005 my b.p. was very high, I went back on med. and immediately began to feel better (and to get back to losing wt.).
My problem is that during that return visit to my doctor, my creatinine level was 3.3 . She sent me back to my specialist, he adjusted my med. (now I'm on 100 mg. Cozaar and 8 mg. Cardura) and I redoubled efforts at losing wt. In October the reading was 3.1 and I was optimisic about improvement. Then in February 2006 it was 3.5, I was bummed, and then in last October it was 4 and I'm freaking out.
My essential question (PLEASE forgive my wordiness) is this: in Feb., prior to giving blood, I slept only a couple of hours per night for three nights AND had eaten much very salty food (a large bag of heavily salted pretzels). In Oct., as in Feb., I was continuing a long-time habit of taking 4000 mg. of vitamin C per day. Googling has led me to think that all three of these factors (lack of sleep, heavy salt intake, megadoses of C)might skew the creatinine reading. I'm hoping that when I go in next month, having eliminated all three of these things, the blood work will yield very different results.
I also ingest a fair amount of caffeine, lots and lots of diet soda. Is this a bad idea ? Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to read this and/or respond. I sincerely wish perfect health and peace to all of you and all of your loved ones. Thanks again. Peter
When I started to lose weight three years ago I slowly weaned myself from blood pressure med., b.p. was good, then I regained a lot of weight without returning to med. When I went back to see my doctor in August, 2005 my b.p. was very high, I went back on med. and immediately began to feel better (and to get back to losing wt.).
My problem is that during that return visit to my doctor, my creatinine level was 3.3 . She sent me back to my specialist, he adjusted my med. (now I'm on 100 mg. Cozaar and 8 mg. Cardura) and I redoubled efforts at losing wt. In October the reading was 3.1 and I was optimisic about improvement. Then in February 2006 it was 3.5, I was bummed, and then in last October it was 4 and I'm freaking out.
My essential question (PLEASE forgive my wordiness) is this: in Feb., prior to giving blood, I slept only a couple of hours per night for three nights AND had eaten much very salty food (a large bag of heavily salted pretzels). In Oct., as in Feb., I was continuing a long-time habit of taking 4000 mg. of vitamin C per day. Googling has led me to think that all three of these factors (lack of sleep, heavy salt intake, megadoses of C)might skew the creatinine reading. I'm hoping that when I go in next month, having eliminated all three of these things, the blood work will yield very different results.
I also ingest a fair amount of caffeine, lots and lots of diet soda. Is this a bad idea ? Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to read this and/or respond. I sincerely wish perfect health and peace to all of you and all of your loved ones. Thanks again. Peter