Need help on test I had ran today!

I finished my 24 hour urine test and took it back to the clinic this morning.  The lady in the lab asked me if that was a full 24 hours.  I said, yes, and she said that is not very good for a full days worth.  It was a tall brown jug and the urine came up to the line that said 500.  I haven't got to talk to my doctor yet.  He is supposed to call me to give me my potassium level results so I'll ask him then.  In the mean time I was wondering if anyone might know something about it.

Thank you,
Carol

[Quixotic1]

You need to do a 24 hour count on the liquid (all types) that you take in.  500cc is very little for a full 24 hr period.  I do that in 1 pee alone and then do it 8 times more!

I wonder if you are running chronically dehydrated.  Yes, you and your doctor need to figure out what all this is about.  It may be related to your low potassium.  Is your doctor an internist (an MD or DO)?

Keep me posted on this!  Quix

[grannyhotwheels]

My doctor is a MD.  He said if my test was bad he was sending me to a kidney specialist.  That's one thing about him, he always sends me where I need to go even if they turn out to be quacks.lol  (he was surprised about her too.)  

I don't sit around and drink all day but I drink 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning, then I drink water or tea the rest of the day.  I would say as normal amount as I've always drank.  My doc. also said that if the test was bad then we probably found the potassium culprit.

So, apparently I'm not emptying my bladder each time so where is it going?

Thanks,
Carol

[grannyhotwheels]

I'm so sorry for being rude.  How are you feeling?  Are your eyes better?  I have been so concerned about you for the last couple of weeks.  You just haven't been yourself.  Please forgive my (I'm thinking of a word that means only thinking of myself.  Please fill in the blank)hahaheehee_______________.

I'll be praying for you,
Carol

[Jazzyfizzle]

Hey Carol,  

Mine is constantly coming back low also (the potassium) and they tell me it is from malabsorbtion. That is a good question, wonder where it is going?

Hugs to you!

Jazzy

[floridamom2]

How was your blood pressure when you saw the doctor last? in the ER?  

Kristin

[monotreme]

Hi Carol,  When i have 24 hr urines done the jug has about 2000 to 2500 cc.  I have had about 100 24 hour urines done in the last nine months because the doctors were looking for Cushings disease.  When my testosterone dropped in 2004, the doctors thought I may have a pituitary tumor and were always looking for Cushings...long story.  Anyway, maybe next time you should have less caffeinated beverages and instead drink more water and juices.  Maybe the caffeine from the coffee or tea is causing your kidneys to act funny???  Just a thought.  Prayers are with you...Craig.

[Super_sally888]

Hi Carol,

Hope you are feeling ok today.  Normal amount of urine is about 2000 - 2500 cc.  
So your production is very low.  

Some scenarios:
1. Your kidneys are not excreting the fluids and it is building up in your system.  Are you bloated.  When you stand for periods of time or having your feeting hanging down, do they get swollen.  If you press over your shin bone with your thumb for about 10 seconds, do you get a dent?

How is your weight?  Can it change very dramatically overnight or within a day?  Sometimes this can indicate fluid issues.

2. You are not drinking enough.  Normal fluid intake should be in the range of at least 2 Liters/day.  This is about 8 cups. But requirements can very a lot between people - ie. some people need more. Ie. when i am in training (exercising a lot) my fluid intake can go up to 5 - 6 litres a day or even more.

What color is your urine?  If it dark colored (though it is normal that it is darker colored in the morning or if you take some vitamins (particularly b vits) - which can discolour your urine, this can be a sign of dehydration.  If it smells strongly of ammonia, this can also be a sign that you are dehydrated...

Maybe you need to keep a log of the exact amount you are drinking, what you are drinking, and when?  If you are sent to a specialist they will also want to know this and so you might as well get a head start.  You might also want to monitor how much you pee.... without keeping the sample this time (of course)..... if you are interested in the exercise....

Is the weather very hot or very dry (sorry I don't know what US conditions are like)?  Do you sweat a lot?  If yes to any of these, you might be losing a lot of fluids through your skin and breath and there isn't so much left to go out via your kidneys.  

Please take note for a few days and give us some more feedback on this.  Actually, important for everyone to be aware of their toilet habits as they are a good indication of health issues and whether we are eating /drinking enough / correctly.

Hope this helps.

Sally

[grannyhotwheels]

Kristin, my BP was 120/80, that's  just a little high on the bottom because of pain.  It's usually 120/65.

Sally, thank you for all the good information.  I will try to keep a log for the rest of the week on my fluid input and output.  That sounds like a really good idea.  Also, I do sweat a whole lot.  The weather is very humid in Oklahoma.  I forgot to ask my doctor how long it takes to get the urine test results back.  It should'nt be very long I hope.

Quix, my doctor did say I seemed a bit dehydrated and to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water a day for the next few days and see if that changes things.

Thank all of you for your concern and help.

I'll be praying,
Carol

[LLWB]

Well, you did say your were pis_ed off at your husband didn't you? Maybe that's where it went!!! Hope this gives you a chuckle. Feel better soon. Hugs & prayers, Maggie

[Super_sally888]

Hi Carol,

Sounds like dehydration could be the first thing to consider and address.  That's good.  Far better than having kidney problems to also contend with.  Though of course everything should be checked properly.

I'm interested in all this stuff because of my medical science background / and it's relevance to sports - though I am no expert. Someone will surely jump in if anything I say is incorrect.

If the weather is hot and humid AND you sweat a lot, you would need to be drinking more than 2 litres a day.  A person can easily sweat more than 2 litres a day under hot conditions.

Start off by making sure that you are actually drinking your 2 litres a day.... maybe you're not.  

It could help to fill some litre bottles of water and make sure you finish them every day, in addition to coffee or tea that you drink.  Then if your urine output is still low, you could increase how much you drink... keeping track.

You should be aiming to go to the toilet about once every 3 - 4 hours (at least) and each time you go you should be emptying your bladder because it is full (of course drink less in the evenings so that you don't have to spend the night getting up to pee - but you should have a full bladder when you do get up in the morning.)...

I just checked and a full bladder should hold about 600mL of urine (give or take a little, I guess).

When you pee, your urine should be light colored and clear.

Of course if you "Pis_"  it all off at your husband - no wonder there's none left to come out!  LOL!  Take care Dear and let us know how you go.

An aside: your electrolyte problems (you mentioned something about sodium?) could be affected by sweating a lot.... do you have regular salt diet? Just asking, in case....

Oh, and if you really haven't been drinking enough increase your fluid intake gradually over a few days / week else you will find you do nothing else but go to the toilet 'cause you're not used to having the sensation of a full bladder.  

S