Post: #1

My blood work shows the BUN (blood urea) level of 27 while the upper normal limit is 18. But my creatinine level is normal at 0.75. The latter means that my kidneys are probably OK but I don't know why the former is so high. I searched and the common reasons are dehydration and high protein consumption. I do eat meat every day and take one or two protein shakes a day but I don't think it's too much. I was feeling dehydrated when they took my blood sample (because I was told to fast) but generally I drink lots of water everyday.

I have some of the symptoms of uremea such as somnolence, insomnia and fatigue. So I don't know what to make of this. My doctor said we should repeat the test when the weather gets cooler.

Post: #2

We are not doctors.

Post: #3

The causes of high urea with normal creatinine are very limited:
- High protein intake
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Muscle breakdown
- Drug side effects (eg steroids)

You might be just taking into too much protein for your particular genetic makeup. You need to give us the exact amount of proteins you intake before we can tell you more.

When taking fasting blood samples, you are allowed to drink some water. A cup or two of water isn't going to affect your blood results. Being thirsty can affect your results. So maybe it was just a biochemical marker of thirst/dehydration.

Post: #4

Since this is posted in the weight lifting forums i'm going to assume you high BUN levels are due to a high protein diet. Happens to us all on a high protein diet. You just actually payed attention to your blood work. Theres been TONS of conflicting research on the subject but what I do personally to lower mines is to eat berries. Strawberries, rasberries etc. A lot of foods will lower BUN levels but I find nerries to be the most effective.

With that said, most of the research suggest high BUN levels due to a high protein intake is OK.

Post: #5

I don't know the exact numbers, especially for the day before the test. The high BUN may also explain why I get sleepy after I take a protein shake.
Interesting you mentioned berries. I'd read that vitamin C is good for reducing BUN.
Seems I should give keto diet a try.

Post: #6

I suspect that this young lady has a high BUN to creatinine ratio.



Thoughts?

Post: #7

^ further tests are needed.

At my place.

With wine and some Marvin Gaye.

Post: #8

(07-31-2017 09:16 PM)duedue Wrote:  I don't know the exact numbers, especially for the day before the test. The high BUN may also explain why I get sleepy after I take a protein shake.
Interesting you mentioned berries. I'd read that vitamin C is good for reducing BUN.
Seems I should give keto diet a try.

How much water are you really consuming daily?

When I take creatine, I drink enough water that my piss is clear. Is yours clear?

Post: #9

Hi you all. New member. I am into Vegan and holistic fitness along with tail-hunting and soccer.

Please note that you should always consult with physician or fitness trainer if you have concrete concerns about your health. My comments are about BUN and Creatinine in general.

BUN (blood urea nitrogen) as waste from degraded proteins will tend to be higher in people who work out (more muscle wear); eat higher diet of proteins (more turnover of amino acids) and can be elevated in a relative fashion if your fluid balance is less than optimum. The higher part of your protein sources that come from animals, the more likely is your blood to also become more acidic, which in itself loads kidneys more.

Creatinine is breakdown product from muscles that are injured and from diet (in case of non-vegetarians). The most important thing with Creatinine is that it is a perfect marker for kidney function as it clears very well from Kidneys without any modifications. It is somewhat of an over-simplification, but in short, the Creatinine level can be used to follow kidney function when everything else is unchanged.

Creatinine WILL be elevated if you supplement and do lab work around the time you take it. Drinking well with water is important as the Creatinine tends to pull water into the muscles as it is absorbed and therefore can deplete water other places.

BUN, if you are in a "growth phase", I don't know if it is possible to have consistently low BUN. This is more of a philosophical point, but I would assume the constant protein turnover, remodeling of muscles after injury (work outs) and nutrition would keep your BUN high. Has anyone been working out heavily, had lab work and had a LOW BUN? The latter is most common with Cachexia or starvation.


The BUN/Creatinine ratio is often used to assess current state of kidneys, with a ratio above 20 being indicative of some degree of dehydration.

Please don't look at labs isolated.

Apologize in advance for the messy verbiage, but I don't speak English the best. I will improve as I get used to this pack.

-Stronger, Bigger, better, faster and heavier-