Question:
i had ryn in may 2008 and have lost 125lbs so far. My question is after doing blood
work ordered by my pcp my bun/creatinine ration is high anyone know what this is? the ratio is 27.1 — debra S. (posted on February 19, 2009)
February 19, 2009
I found this on Web MD, hope it helps some.
Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance
Creatinine and creatinine clearance tests measure the level of the waste
product creatinine in your blood and urine. These tests tell how well your
kidneys are working. The substance creatine is formed when food is changed
into energy through a process called metabolism. Creatine is broken down
into another substance called creatinine, which is taken out of your blood
by the kidneys and then passed out of your body in urine. See a picture of
the kidneys.
Creatinine is made at a steady rate and is not affected by diet or by
normal physical activities. If your kidneys are damaged and cannot work
normally, the amount of creatinine in your urine goes down while its level
in your blood goes up.
Three types of tests on creatinine can be done:
Blood creatinine level
The blood creatinine level shows how well your kidneys are working. A high
creatinine level may mean your kidneys are not working properly. The amount
of creatinine in the blood depends partly on the amount of muscle tissue
you have; men generally have higher creatinine levels than women.
Creatinine clearance test
A creatinine clearance test measures how well creatinine is removed from
your blood by your kidneys. A creatinine clearance test gives better
information than a blood creatinine test on how well your kidneys are
working. A creatinine clearance test is done on both a blood sample and on
a sample of urine collected over 24 hours (24-hour urine sample).
Blood urea nitrogen-to-creatinine ratio (BUN:creatinine)
The levels of blood creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) can be used to
find the BUN-to-creatinine ratio. A BUN-to-creatinine ratio can help your
doctor check for problems, such as dehydration, that may cause abnormal BUN
and creatinine levels.
Urea is a waste product made when protein is broken down in your body. Urea
is made in the liver and passed out of your body in the urine. A blood urea
nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of urea in your blood. Like
creatinine, it can help your doctor see how well your kidneys are working.
Why It Is Done
A blood creatinine level or a creatinine clearance test is done to:
See if your kidneys are working normally.
See if your kidney disease is changing.
See how well the kidneys work in people who take medicines that can cause
kidney damage.
See if severe dehydration is present. Dehydration generally causes BUN
levels to rise more than creatinine levels. This causes a high
BUN-to-creatinine ratio. Kidney disease or blockage of the flow of urine
from your kidney causes both BUN and creatinine levels to rise.
— [Deactivated Member]
February 19, 2009
Check out labs on line...I love this place to get an idea of what's going
on...But ultimately your doc has all your labs and can look at the WHOLE
picture! You just have to get him/her to do it if they don't automatically!
http://www.labtestsonline.org/
Hopefully you are just dehydrated and need to drink water!
Good luck!
— .Anita R.
February 19, 2009
I was told by my surgeon that basically a high BUN/Creatinine level
indicates that you are taking in a high level of protein, which is what you
would expect on a gastric bypass diet. Mine is 30 something right now, and
he is as happy as a clam....because it indicates to him that I am following
his instructions....
Erica
— Erica Alikchihoo
February 19, 2009
Your primary care physician may not work with the labs for people with this
surgery often. Check with your bypass doctor to see if this is a problem or
just normal.
— trible
February 19, 2009
See number 4 below:
Question:
I have a high bun/creatinine ratio of 32. What could this mean? I have a
urea nitrogen (bun) count of 16 and a creatinine count of 0.5; however, the
bun/creatinine ratio is 32, which is high. Could you give me any idea of
what questions to ask my doctor? Thank you.
Answer:
BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine are waste products that are
produced by normal metabolic processes in the body and by the breakdown of
foods, especially those high in protein. The normal value for BUN is
approximately 10-20, and for creatinine 0.7-1.2. BUN and creatinine are
excreted by the kidneys and accumulate in the bloodstream when a person has
kidney failure. Therefore, with renal disease, the BUN and creatinine
usually both rise together. However, there are some conditions in which
one rises more than the other, and some (as in yours) where one is normal
while the other is low. Here are some possible explanations:
1) Lab error: unless you are a very small woman (with hardly any muscle),
or pregnant, or both, a creatinine of 0.5 is unusually low. Could it be
incorrect? Could the lab have been having a bad day, or did someone
miscopy an 0.8 as an 0.5?
2) Dehydration: if you were dehydrated at the time the lab test was done
(for example, were having a GI viral illness), the BUN may have increased
just due to dehydration (resulting in a high ratio), and should have come
back down as soon as you had enough water in your body.
3) Heart failure or liver cirrhosis: both of these conditions can cause a
high BUN/creat ratio in the absence of kidney problems.
4) Very high protein diet: a very high protein diet may increase the BUN
without affecting creatinine, so that the ratio may become elevated. (Did
you eat a giant steak the night before your blood test?)
5) GI bleeding: if there is a bleeding ulcer or bleeding of any type
anywhere in the stomach or intestines, the BUN will rise disproportionately
from the creatinine.
6) Steroids: in people taking high doses of steroid medications such as
prednisone, the BUN can be elevated, causing a high calculated
BUN/creatinine ratio.
In any case, it does not sound like you have kidney disease of any kind.
I'm sure that your doctor will want to repeat this test before doing
anything else about it.
For more information:
Go to the Kidney Diseases health topic, where you can:
Read articles on this topic
Browse the previously asked questions
Ask your own question.
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Response by:
Mildred Lam, MD
Associate Professor
Nephrology Division
MetroHealth Medical Center
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
— Erica Alikchihoo
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