Urine and home testing, anyone???

Hi Karol,
I do not home test , but each time I have test done at Doctors it shows blood that I cannot see. I was sent to Uro., and told because of Lupus my filtration system does not work properly. Sorry I cannot be of anymore help, but I'm sure someone will have the answer.
Under a winter storm watch here. Yuck, thought winter was over.
Take care and you have a great weekend,also. Rosie

HIiKarol - I have kidney involvement. I don't home test, but I do go in regularly for kidney function tests, both blood and urine. My nephrologist said that the sticks test for protein, but the bloods provide additional information about kidney function that help him understand the whole picture, so he doesn't recommend home testing, at least for me.

Besides, I tend to worry, and I suspect home testing would give me more to stress about with every blip in my results!

Lisa

You often hear people say they did not know that the kidneys were involved. No pain, no problems, just something that showed up in their blood work. This is a scary thought that you could have major issues and not even know it.

Anyhoo, thanks for the replies here.

Hi Karol,

I do urine home testing at the request of my rheumatologist and nephrologist. Before getting the medication mix right, I often had protein in my urine, seen on the dipsticks as anything between trace and 4+. On 24 hour urine collections though, it was never above 500mg/24hours, so for me at least the dipsticks tended to overextimate the amount of protien loss. But, that's not a huge problem - better to be overcautious than to miss something important.

I've not had any issues with protienuria for quite some time now, but still test of and on (2-3 times per month). At the time it was a concern I also had elevated blood pressure, but no other kidney symptoms. So, the tests are important. If you don't do them at home, your rheumatologist should at least do it everytime you visit, and probably inbetween times at the GP/PCP.

My experience is that the cheapest way to buy dipsticks is online, but they are also available to buy at pharmacies.

All the best,

X C X

HI Karol, I am supposed to do weekly dip test at home. The urinalysis strips aren't available on the NHS so have to buy them. I don't tend to stick to weekly..probably once a fortnight or so. Since having my ureters scraped of endometriosis I sometimes think I might have a wee infection when I don't or vice versa, so it is a helpful tool. My kidneys haven't been involved so far but I have had more urine infections since diagnosis. My rheumy requested that I did the tests to safeguard my kidneys etc. Wednesdays is my weight, wees and BP check all at home!! its like being back on the wards!!
Claire X

Thanks ladies. It is good to know some of us do check at home.

I guess better safe then sorry huh.

I do it once a month or so. Initially I did test more often and this is how I discovered that it was largely the NSAID medication that caused my protein to increase to +1 or +2. When I am off NSAID medication the protein level is negative to trace, only occasionally +1.

Hey Karol,

Yep, I home test around once a week per my docs instructions. I think there's test strips that only have blood and protein "boxes" on them, but since I was on high doses of steroids when I got mine I was given the strips that have about 7-8 different boxes including a slightly blue one for glucose in order to monitor that too. Having said that I did have to monitor my glucose generally around that time (was given one of those little meters too) as I had steroid induced diabetes for a while there.

Hope you're well

Zoi

Steriod induced diabetes???????

Did not even know there was such a thing.

One cure causes another issue.

Thanks Maia and Zoi for your reply here.

Hope your having a peaceful Sunday.:wink2:

karol,
I have not had to do this and I hope that I don't have to as I would not be able to read it right that I am sure of and would not trust my eyes. I do hope that someone on here can help you better than me. Hope you are feeling well.

Hi Tammy,

I hope you do not have to do this either. My eyes are one of the big things that gives me trouble but these dip sticks are pretty easy to read.

You compare colors from the dip stick to colors on the side of the bottle.

It really is a no brainer....................and that works for me.:lol::lol::lol: