Kidney function (Creatinine) keeps lowering

[chwhyoche]

It was at 80 last year, then around 63 in June, and this past week, the creatinine is at 50.   
Not sure what to do.  Doc wants me to retest in January, but I'd really like to know how to address this through diet.   My potassium levels are fine, so she said do not worry about eating too many bananas or avocados , which I had been eating daily.
I'm going to start concentrating on blending up cranberries and blueberries in my drinks, and I bought a big bag of dried shiitake mushrooms which I will eat daily until my next lab tests.   My Tcells went down to 290 from 350.    I had been in a depression this past year and not eating well.  Though I was eating well by the time I took my labs earlier this month.   
Anyone have experience with lowering kidney function?   

[Jim Allen]

I had a high blood creatinine levels a while back.

So i increased my daily fluid intake and it lowered to normal low levels in my blood tests since than. This of course is just a snapshot result I mean if I really wanted to know more I could have always had creatinine clearance test done over 24 hours sampling but i saw no need as the low creatinine levels in my case indicate my kidneys are fine.

From your post I'm not sure if it's blood or urine levels your talking about and if you doctor is concerned at all ? I mean TBH is she's saying to take another snapshot test again in Jan than does not sound like she is overly concerned at the moment.

[sphinxcat]

from what I read, higher creatinine number indicates a renal problem instead of lower....

[chwhyoche]

It was a blood test.   I've been reading about what low creatinine indicates and from what I've read, it is an indicator of decreased muscle mass, a low protein diet (I eat meat and beans), advanced liver disease (my liver is fine), medications, or a couple neurological conditions, of which I have no symptoms.

So either I'm thinking it is the Triumeq, the cod liver oil?, or I'm just becoming a blobbier fatty skinny person.

[Jim Allen]

It was a blood test.   I've been reading about what low creatinine indicates and from what I've read, it is an indicator of decreased muscle mass, a low protein diet (I eat meat and beans), advanced liver disease (my liver is fine), medications, or a couple neurological conditions, of which I have no symptoms.

So either I'm thinking it is the Triumeq, the cod liver oil?, or I'm just becoming a blobbier fatty skinny person.

Increased muscle mass, or a high protein diet can increase blood creatinine levels.
Men generally have higher levels than women and as example athletes can have higher levels.

I would have a talk to your doctor next time your in to address the concerns you have as you seem to think the low level you have is abnormal or a concern for you. I think you have other concerns and are linking it to this test result as being an indicator when the results you have are only very basic and in themselves are just a snapshot moment and basic results.  If you thinking it's something other than normal or think you having underlining issues and you Doctor agrees than more testing and different additional testing may/can be done.

Generally speaking however normal range low blood creatinine level just means that your kidneys are working well, nothing more nothing less.

Men: 0.6–1.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 53–106 micromoles per liter (mcmol/L)
Women: 0.5–1.1 mg/dL or 44–97 mcmol/L
(http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=129732)

[chwhyoche]

Thanks.   I hope so.   Its just steadily gotten lower.  About a year and a half ago, it was at 80, but then again I was taking a different med.   I first was on Atripla for 3 years, went off that because of the drunk feeling at night, then I went on two others, but then settled on Triumeq.  I forget the two other combos I tried.  I went off the last due to the decreased creatinine level.   My doctor didn't seem to know what would cause this decrease.   Sometimes this doctor is more of a feel good doctor rather than knowledgeable.  Perhaps my kidneys were working harder with the other drugs, and Triumeq is easier on them.   
She is ordering another test in January.    For the most part, physically health wise, I feel awesome.   Just this lab is a wee bit of a downer. 

[phenethylamine]

Creatine is an essential nutrient, (mostly found in meat) that helps supply energy to all cells in the body, (primarily muscle).

Creatine breaks down into Creatinine (waste product) and is normally filtered out of the blood through kidneys and excreted in urine.. This process is called "creatine clearance" When kidney function is impaired, Creatinine blood levels can rise and accumulate.

Elevated blood Creatinine can be a symptom of kidney impairement, it can also be a result of a high protein diet. Bodybuilders who supplement with Creatine for energy would likely have high Creatinine blood levels but no kidney impairment.

Kidney function is more accurately measured via "Creatinine Clearance" in this case higher is better, don't confuse it with basic Creatinine blood levels. I'm not entirely sure, but I think they test this by comparing blood levels to urine levels. Ex. high blood levels and low urine levels could indicate a lack of clearance, but equal blood, urine levels might suggest everything is working fine.

Kinetics is the study of movement through the body. Jim described this perfectly as a "snapshot", just one still frame of a video that is in constant motion and could completely change hour to hour. It could be a timing fluke.