Creatinine lab result high!

[hotdog]

Here is a dialog I had three weeks ago with my PCP (not my Defy doc!).

Doctor: "Your creatinine level is 1.2, that is high."

Me: "I track my labs and my creatinine went from 1.09 to 1.14 to 1.16 to 1.06 during 2016."

Doctor: "You said you eat a lot of protein. That can damage your kidneys, you need to cut back. You could be at stage 2 kidney failure soon if you're not careful."


As far as my research of this has gone the doctor's belief about protein damaging kidneys was based on a study done on people with existing loss of kidney function.
Defy told me that dehydration, shakes, tylenol and weight lifting can all raise creatinine.
Also I was able to tie my drop in creatinine during 2016 with a month that I didn't go to the gym.
Regardless I figured I'd investigate further.

I knew that the Cystatin-C test is another biomarker that many believe to not be as influenced as much by muscle mass. I had a previous Cystatin-C test in April 2015 that came back as:

0.79 mg/L (range 0.53 - 0.95).

So to set my mind at rest I thought I'd have another done and I got the result this morning:

0.79 mg/L (range 0.53 - 0.95).

I am intrigued that the two results are identical which would suggest no change in kidney function in the last two years AND it would suggest the doctor was missing knowledge in this area.
I'm pretty happy about the result.
Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Are you taking creatine? Are you hydrating yourself well? Any supplements?

Creatinine is misleading. What you should know is your eGFR (over 60 you are OK)


https://ukidney.com/nephrology-resources/egfr-calculator

Kidney Function 101

 

[hotdog]

No creatine. Good hydration.
Your thread has some comments on Cystatin-C that I think are very applicable to those of us working out a lot.

 

[Vince Carter]

GP's only read numbers on the sheet and that's what I run into with my NP who get's touchy about Creatinine. I explain a few things not taken in to account, heavy weighlifiting, my (obvious) increased muscle mass (I'm 5'9" 220), Creatine use, heavy Protein diet, as prime things that can manipulate that test, but she keeps pushing a nephrologist on me which I decline. So I have this strategy with a CMP: I only do those on Mondays. This gives me 72hrs off the gym and off Creatine and I make sure that I'm well hydrated and fasted 10-12hours. With that strategy my tests come back @ 1.2 which is well under 1.35. I mean, one test she gave me, not fasted and in the middle of heavy training, of course it came back @ 1.5 something, I protested at the time that I wasn't fasted, had just eaten etc etc etc...she didn't have a clue so I just don't let her do CMPs anymore.