How to lower creatinine

[rugbyfan]

(MODS: I am posting here because I don't have permission to post in the lab work forum. Please move this thread if necessary. Thanks.)

Long time lurker here, really appreciate all the information and things I have learned. Now I have a question I hope you can help with.

I recently had blood work done in order to get supplemental life insurance. It was denied because my creatinine was slightly high.

1.7 on scale of 0.7 to 1.5 mg/dL

I had been lifting the couple days prior to the test, and I also supplement with creatine, among other things. Am following the "anabolic diet" to do a recomp.

My doctor is willing to appeal this for me, but wants me to redo the labs and get creatinine in range.

Question: What can I do, if anything, to lower my creatinine levels the next couple days to get "in range"?

I'm bummed to think that I have to stop lifting, stop the supps, lower the protein mid-program here, since Christmas and travel already goofed up my routine.

Any other suggestions to lower this in the next couple days? It's Friday, and I'm supposed to get labs redone on Monday.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mborch]

Don't train for 2-3 days, drink a lot of water (1-1.5) gallons per day, eat little protein (80-120 grams) each day. This should help lower your creatinine levels. Also, what was your BUN level? If creatinine is up, some of your other levels should be a little off or close to being off.

 

[Stewie]

No Exercise, No red meats,No Creatine supplements, stay very hydrated, minimize your Vitamin C intake (if you have healthy kidney function, Serum Creatinine levels will be Elevated, people with impaired Kidney function it's believed to lower Serum Creatinine levels) Avoid taking NASIDS and Aspirin. Eat like a vegan.

 

[rugbyfan]

Don't train for 2-3 days, drink a lot of water (1-1.5) gallons per day, eat little protein (80-120 grams) each day. This should help lower your creatinine levels. Also, what was your BUN level? If creatinine is up, some of your other levels should be a little off or close to being off.

Thanks for the tips, mborch. Here's more of the panel:

BUN 25 (9-25 mg/dL)
CREATININE 1.7 (0.7-1.5 mg/dL)
ALK PHOS. 105 (30-125 U/L)
BILI TOT. 0.5 (0.2-1.5 mg/dL)
AST 29 (0-33 U/L)
ALT 23 (0-45 U/L)
GGT 32 (0-65 U/L)
TOT. PROTEIN 7.9 (6.1-8.2 g/dL)

HDL and LDL were normal, but triglycerides were at 184 (0-150 mg/dL)

Urinalysis Creatinine was normal:
CREATININE 90.2 (27.0 - 260.0 mg/dL)

Also was happy about:
HbA1C 5.2 (3.0-6.0 %)

 

[rugbyfan]

No Exercise, No red meats,No Creatine supplements, stay very hydrated, minimize your Vitamin C intake (if you have healthy kidney function, Serum Creatinine levels will be Elevated, people with impaired Kidney function it's believed to lower Serum Creatinine levels) Avoid taking NASIDS and Aspirin. Eat like a vegan.

Thanks, Stewie. Will be sure to cut out the Vit C (have been taking 1g daily since it's cold/flu season and others around me have been sick). I take a daily 81mg Aspirin. Guess I have to stop that too.

At least on Monday after the labs I can "go back to normal". Might have to do 2 workouts on New Years Day!

 

[buresu]

I've read that people with large muscle tissues (like bodybuilders) may have elevated creatinine levels, true?

 

[befitwithme]

I've read that people with large muscle tissues (like bodybuilders) may have elevated creatinine levels, true?

yes this is true,

the thing is your doc should know creatinine levels are just one factor.
what they need to do is a 24 hr urine and drink lots of water

 

[rugbyfan]

I got retested in January and March. creatinine and BUN were still a hair above the high end of normal, and eGFR was 50, so I will be seeing a nephrologist next week to get this checked out.

 

[Kaladryn]

What Stewie said. The fact that you BUN is high shows a lot of that creatinine is from protein metabolism. You could also request a 24 hour creatinine clearance test. The fact that your urine creatinine was normal is slightly troubling, kidney function might not be 100%, only 24 creatinine clearance can tell.

 

[Kaladryn]

I got retested in January and March. creatinine and BUN were still a hair above the high end of normal, and eGFR was 50, so I will be seeing a nephrologist next week to get this checked out.

Did you lower protein intake before the test and drink shitloads of water for days before the test? High BUN almost always means not enough water and too much protein.

Good you are getting checked out.

 

[buck1973]

Thanks for the tips, mborch. Here's more of the panel:

BUN 25 (9-25 mg/dL)
CREATININE 1.7 (0.7-1.5 mg/dL)
ALK PHOS. 105 (30-125 U/L)
BILI TOT. 0.5 (0.2-1.5 mg/dL)
AST 29 (0-33 U/L)
ALT 23 (0-45 U/L)
GGT 32 (0-65 U/L)
TOT. PROTEIN 7.9 (6.1-8.2 g/dL)

HDL and LDL were normal, but triglycerides were at 184 (0-150 mg/dL)

Urinalysis Creatinine was normal:
CREATININE 90.2 (27.0 - 260.0 mg/dL)

Also was happy about:
HbA1C 5.2 (3.0-6.0 %)

I just got done with my Nephologist last week. My creatinine is always high. egfr low so my Dr. refered me to the Nephy did a Ultra sound all was good there and ordered a Creatinine Clearance test (u piss in a jug for 24 hours)and they do a blood draw the day you turn it in. .76 - 1.27 is the range and I am always 1.51 or above. Dr. said levels that high are normal for me and kidney function is exellent despite Egfr and creatinine.

 

[matt1164]

my creatinine was always high until I switched from whey to humapro. now its always in normal range.

 

[SlimyToodleTot]

Energy comes from 2 sources, ATP and glucose. Glucose is used for endurance sports. ATP is used for fast bursts of energy, like lifting weights and sprints. ATP is produced from creatine. So, when you train with weights, you're training your body to always be ready to use ATP hence the high creatine. Essentially, you're more ready for flight or fight than say a marathon runner who's body is used to drawing on glucose for energy. Your body has adapted to the resistance exercise, which it should. This is simple science. Most on this board will have high creatine since we hit the weights many days a week. The only way to test within level would be to stop working out for 3-4 days and then take your test, like the first response stated. You could stop all the protein supplementation, and the gear, and it will still come out high if you're still working out the days up to the test.

 

[Wesley Inman]

Good responses so far...

Dehydration is a common culprit as well...so try drinking more water..

And any intelligent doctor will realize that creatinine levels are much higher in weightlifters...The number takes into effect muscle breakdown. So for your normal couch potato the number would be troubling..any doctor with a brain in his head would understand that your number is high because of consistent resistance training.

 

[rugbyfan]

Thanks for all the replies. Appointment is next Wednesday. I admit I don't hydrate as well as I should. That might be part of it.

I will ask for a 24-hour clearance test and ultrasound.

Thanks again.

 

[Reno911]

my creatinine was always high until I switched from whey to humapro. now its always in normal range.

I would agree with this. My levels were very high for years until I quit using a lot of whey isolate. Now I use solid food or 1/2 whey 1/2 casein if I do protein. Now my levels are always in range.

 

[Baxo]

in general, creatinine is used as a serum marker for the renal function, but we need to know that it isnt accurate and we are "special" beings, since we live a non-conventional lifestyle

high muscle mass - enhance creatinine
high protein intake - also
taking exogenous creatine - same here

as our friends told you, the better test for you would be the creatinine clearance, which is much more accurate (thought thd more accurate is inulin clearance)

if your MD doesnt knows that, i suggest you to search a nephrologist or simply change the MD.

 

[rugbyfan]

All clear

Finally got more thorough tests from a nephrologist, who happens to be a bodybuilder.

As soon as he saw me he said "do you lift weights?" Answering "yes", he felt my bicep (no homo?) and said "I'm sure you're fine, your tests are like that because you're not a skinny fat lazy computer guy like so many are. But, let's be thorough anyway".

Kidneys are great, and he's fine with me continuing my high protein, creatine-using, heavy lifting way of life.

Thank God!

Thank you all for your responses and support during this nervous-making time.

 

[ManoftheWorld]

Finally got more thorough tests from a nephrologist, who happens to be a bodybuilder.

As soon as he saw me he said "do you lift weights?" Answering "yes", he felt my bicep (no homo?) and said "I'm sure you're fine, your tests are like that because you're not a skinny fat lazy computer guy like so many are. But, let's be thorough anyway".

Kidneys are great, and he's fine with me continuing my high protein, creatine-using, heavy lifting way of life.

Thank God!

Thank you all for your responses and support during this nervous-making time.

no homo? was a nice touch lol nust consider it a muscle tone and density assessment.`lol Glad to hear you have a sensible doc current with the times and evolution of health and medicine... I know my dr is a huge advocate for quality of life and promotes ED meds and HRT either just test or even including hgh in the mix as well... for being an older guy he is definitely hip and open minded to how science and medicine are evolving and I could only wish more docs were like that