Re: creatinine levels

Posted By HFHS M.D.-MS on July 27, 1998 at 16:04:55:

In Reply to: creatinine levels posted by j.smith on July 17, 1998 at 09:55:11:






Our child has been ill for over a year now. What began as a flu-like illness has manifested in a wide variety of symptoms, with experts tagging her with IBS, migraine, horner's syndrome, and last but not least, fibromyalgia/ chronic fatigue syndrome. All of her lab work over this past year and 3 mo. has consistently been low white blood cells and low (.4) creatine level. We have been assuming these are acceptable, now we look further. Is this level average for her age, which is six? One of her many symptoms is a recurring problem of "urgent" bladder. She has been seen by many specialists. One recently asked if this problem had been looked at by someone, the answer is no, and we would avoid further dr.'s visits if possible. Does she need to be seen for a problem described as not voiding completely and needing to return to urinate repeatedly? The rheum. dr. says 'irritable bladder' is common with CFS. We are happy to leave it at that unless informed otherwise. We are curious about the low level, though.  Thank You.
    


Dear J. Smith
Thank you for your questions
Creatinine is a waste product from muscle breakdown.  The normal daily excretion of creatinine is constant and thus the creatinine level can be used as a measure of renal function.  ( The higher the creatinine level, the poorer the renal function.)  This is a general assumption and does not apply to dehydrated patients and also can be falsely elevated with certain medications.  
As you know muscle mass varies from person to person, that is why the very young and elderly frail can have lower creatinine levels than the normal range.    
An urgent bladder is very common, even in childhood.  A work-up should be sought if the symptoms become bothersome ( like incontinence after toilet training), or if  she experiences a urinary tract infection.   Decreasing fluid intake and caffiene consumption can help with an urgent bladder.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its urban campuses by calling  (1 800 653 6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is your need. Please bring any physicians notes and lab test results that you  may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.  Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely;
HFHS-M.D. MS
* Keyword: creatinine levels,  bladder instability