r/kidney

Hi. A friend suggested I come on Reddit for some advice. I am a 38/f and since I was 9 I’ve had off and on uti’s / kidney infections. Due to all the infections I have lost some function in both kidneys , become resistant to a lot of antibiotics and need iv meds just to get better. I am so tired of being sick I need help. I have seen dozens of specialists and no one can figure out the triggers. It’s all kinds of bacteria not just one. Sometimes I have a year long break sometimes it’s back to back . Right now it is back to back and the kidney pain will not go away. My creatine levels are normal and ct/ ultrasounds just show that my right kidney is larger then the left which it always has been. For some reason it is also always my left kidney but my right it taken a hit to as it tried to make up for what the left one lacks. Any advice would be helpful!! Thank you

Hello everyone,

I’m 21, and since June I’ve been having extreme pain on my left kidney that radiates towards my back and shoulder blade. The pain is like a cramping, stabbing pain and it’s always on the left side of my body. It also has a tendency to radiate towards my ribs, it’s been getting worse, and I went to the ER and seen a doctor and she thinks at first it was a kidney stone. However, it scans came back clear and there’s no indication of what’s starting this. She thinks it’s probably acid reflex, but I’ve had acid reflex and it was never like this, I don’t know what to do. It’s getting pretty bad and I can’t afford another doctor appointment. Please help.
age: 21 female.

Any recommendations for a good Urologist or urology clinic in Cebu? Preferably maayo mo-handle ug kidney stones or urinary problems.

Salamat! 🙏

Been having abdominal pain for a couple of weeks, mainly in the upper mid section. Went to urgent care and got some labs done all which came back in range. Asked Dr. for an ultrasound referral. I got one yesterday, everything else came back normal, except this: "The majority of the right kidney is difficult to visualize due to shadowing from bowel gas. There does appear to be hydronephrosis within the visualized upper portion of the right kidney. The left kidney measures 11.3 cm. And is normal in appearance." and "IMPRESSION: 1. Incomplete visualization of the right kidney with hydronephrosis in the visualized upper portion of the right kidney. Recommend further assessment with CT of the abdomen or pelvis.

Dr. called me to come back in later that afternoon for urinalysis which showed no blood in urine. Which he thinks somewhat rules out a stone. I am going to schedule a CT scan first thing next week, but looking for another opinion on possible causes.

Hi everyone, I am a 30M from India with intermittent microscopic hematuria (trace RBCs on Urine Analysis under Microscope).

My contrast CT KUB, ultrasound (both normal size, intact corticomedullary differentiation, no stones/masses), serum creatinine, and urine cytology have all been clean.

For those who had isolated, intermittent microscopic hematuria over the 2 years:

1. Did it simply remain benign/unexplained?

2. For those who later had a renal diagnosis (like IgA or Thin Basement Membrane Disease), what additional markers (e.g., persistent proteinuria, blood pressure changes) triggered that evaluation?

Please give me some advice, it has been killing my mental peace and unable to focus on anything.

I have GERD, Cholesterol, Vit B and D deficiencies and taking medicines.

TIA!

hi i’m kinda just looking for some advice. i’ve had about 5 episodes of kidney stones (in 1.5 years) with typically 2 or more stones (calcium oxalalate ones i think) they’re always small enough where my drs haven’t been worried about obstruction. i’ve had a lot of symptoms the past year like utis, regular burning when i pee, need to pee but little to nothing comes out, only peeing 2-3 times a day regardless of how much fluid i’m drinking, some urinary incontinence, blood in my pee, dark brown pee, foamy pee, pain, and obviously kidney stones.
although my current one has supposedly passed since they can’t find it on ultrasound or x ray but im still in pain/ other symptoms and they didn’t see a stone pass when they kept collecting my urine but nonetheless back to my point.
i had met with a nephrologist a couple months back and when my mom mentioned her history with kidney stones (same type and had hers for 20+ years and had well over 60 stones passed with needing surgery 2 or 3 times) he immediately was like i wanna get genetic testing done for this rate kidney disease primary hyperoxaluria 1.

does anyone have experience with this?
i have quite a couple symptoms and so does my mom along with other family history of kidney stones etc but like how scared should i be? i know it causes kidney failure eventually and that terrifies me i have a lot of medical problems and this was the last thing on my radar.
how is living with ph and what has your experience been?
how do you manage it? (i’m already in extra fluids and potassium citrate)
what were your first symptoms?
any advice you have for me?

Consider becoming a live kidney donor. For more info: It's World Organ Donation Day. #TransplantFirst Curious about donating a kidney, check this out: https://kidney.ca/en/get-involved/be-an-organ-donor

https://preview.redd.it/wpkcgp2ai5jh1.jpg?width=1178&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca7984f9d76146aa30a7e1cef95c17c2f2b44b98

Had a drug test for work at concentra it’s a pre hire test. I was just called by the dr who asked question like did I alter it in anyway. Then at the end he said my pee had a high acidity. So they are canceling the test. I said wait so you’re gonna call and tell them I altered it or something. He said no we’re just canceling the test. He said high acidity can be caused by a couple things like heat. I’m scared to say anything to my company. They not gonna hire me now and how did qf mess up. Now I’m scared to borrow pee also cuz I hear it has to be used fast. I’d love actual knowledgable feedback I know a call is coming

hey everyone! i'm a student passionate about health equity and recently learned about the horrors rampant in the dialysis industry (from market manipulation to the prioritization of profit over patients). it's become abundantly clear to me that in many cases, patients in dialysis facilities feel like they're treated as objects on an assembly line rather than people who deserve dignity.

to dialysis patients and/or caregivers, i was wondering:

1. i heard some patients say that sitting on the dialysis chair for multiple hours every week can feel like prison and be psychologically challenging, despite the necessity of the procedure. do any of you relate? what are the most exhausting aspects?
2. how do you navigate meals and diet? how about meals during family gatherings/holidays/cultural events?
3. what is the relationship dynamic like with your care team? are you treated as an equal partner or do you feel like your voice is limited?
4. what moments make you feel supported during dialysis treatment and outside the dialysis facility?
5. what effect, if any, do interactions with patients sitting next to you in the dialysis facilities have on your experience?
6. what inconveniences, if solved, would enhance your quality of life? what positive experiences, if amplified, would enhance your quality of life?

i'm deeply grateful for any and all reflections that you all would be willing to share.

36 yrs old, 2 months post partum, been on lithium for 10yrs today. Had blood work done and my creanine level was high according to my doctor. Got it tested again after lots of water, down a bit (1.02). She said it was high for someone my age.

Question: I heard lithium use this long can affect your kidney function. Anyone had this issue yet? If so, what happened and what can I expect when I meet with a nephrologist? What steps can I take to mitigate the damage? I’ve always drank a lot of water. My Lithium dose will go down from 900mg to 750mg and I have an appointment with the kidney specialist in a month. Thanks in advance!

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Female 35, 5’5, 130lbs. So two years ago I had an incidental finding on ultrasound for a kidney. It was a 1.5 cm cyst in the center of the kidney with “slight partial peripheral calcification, Bosniak 2. There was no follow up recommended by the radiologist. About a month later I had an abdominal MRI without contrast for a separate issue and the result was “The liver, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, adrenal glands, and kidneys are unremarkable. No abdominal ascites.” Does this mean the radiologist didn’t see the cyst that they saw on ultrasound or just didn’t feel the need to mention it? I guess I’m just worried that this thing is sitting in there growing and not being monitored, is it worth bringing up 2 years later to see if they want to check on it?

Hi i have a uti and i’m on day 2 of antibiotics my doctor prescribed me nitrofurantoin so i’ve been trying to drink a lot of water aswell. I started feeling pain on my middle back where people say your kidneys are. I’m not sure if it’s from back pain or if my uti turned into a kidney infection. It don’t have excruciating pain just discomfort. My uti symptoms also have stopped. Can someone give me thoughts on this? it’s currently friday. Should i wait to go on monday if it doesn’t stop to go to my clinic since i will be busy and my clinic is closed on sundays?

I am a 35-year-old male, and I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.
About a year ago, I noticed changes in my urination—it became less frequent than it used to be. Since then, I have been seeing a nephrology consultant almost every month. I have undergone every kidney test they recommended, and each time the doctor has reassured me that all my results are normal and that there is nothing to worry about.
My eGFR has consistently been around 120, 115, and most recently 100. I also had urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR) tests multiple times, and they were always within the normal range.
More recently, I have started experiencing a feeling of pressure in my chest.
I am mentally exhausted and no longer able to live my life normally.
My questions are:
Am I actually sick, and is there no hope of getting better?
Is there anything I can do?
If there really is something wrong with me, is there still a way to catch it early and prevent it from getting worse?
Please, I would really appreciate your help.