For a new insurance policy my wife and I had to have blood and urine samples drawn first to see if we could get the "preferred" rate. Well, my results came back normal, while my wife's on the other hand came back way off on two specific tests. Everything from creatinine, WBCs, RBCs, hemoglobin to glucose came back normal, or within normal range. But, protein and microalbumin were extremely high. The normal range for protein in the urinalysis was 0-30, and it came back 58, and for microalbumin the normal range was 0-3, and came back 42.9!!! She also had blood drawn and everything there came back normal as well (globulin, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglicerides, BUN, Bili. TOT. and so on).

She takes a multivitamin and extra C, fish oil, and Aviane (birth control). Just 1 month prior she had labs drawn as well and everything was normal.

The difference between the two tests is that she was taking DCP during this abnormal lab test.

Anyone have an idea of what would have caused these results? She's discontinued DCP and will retake the blood/urine labs in about two weeks.

I've looked up high protein and high microalbumin in the urine and found that it would deal with kidney damage or something of the sort, but wouldn't creatinine levels be messed up as well?

Thanks in advance!

Might want to post this in the RPN subforum

Could a mod move it there?

60 views and no responses?

Done

Thank you sir.

I have to go for blood tests every month due to my arthritis. When I was on a TTA product, my creatinine levels were elevated as were several other markers - I can't recal exactly which ones. When i stopped taking TTA, everything went back to normal. During this time, I was taking a lot of medication though, so my results could have been a combination of TTA and meds.

Does you wife periodically take anti inflammatories such as advil or aspirin?

Very infrequently she takes ibuprofen, for "that" time of the month, but even then, not much.

She needs to get the labs repeated to sort this out. Urine protein and microalbumin can be indicators of kidney damage, though it could easily be a false positive...particularly so if this was done with a dipstick as is likely in this kind of screening.

I don't have time to sort through it, but you can call the lab and ask them what kinds of things produce fasle positive with that test.

Since albumin acts as a transport vehicle for FFA's, and since many things in DCP have an effect on FFA's (salvia, RK's, TTA), wouldn't it make sense that this has something to do with it?

Thanks for the input gentz. She is going to have the tests redone soon.

Does she have foam in her urine? Many bubbles? Is her urine cloudy at all?

Nope. All clear!

Well, normal looking, not exactly clear.

What about taste?

I do notice that my urine is cloudy when on tta products.

Hey man, microalbuminuria (albumin in urine) is Diabetes until proven otherwise. If she got this test at a PCP, he would attempt to rule out DM ASAP. The first sign of adult onset diabetes DM type II is NOT glucosuria, but microalbuminuria (this is due to damage to the efferent arteriole by arteriolosclerosis - which happens before hypertension, causing a pathological increase in glomerular filtration rate).

Regardless of what product you are on, loss of Albumin in the urine is caused by loss of negative charge on the glomerular basement membrane (so it stops repelling other negatively charged anions like albumin). I cannot fathom which ingredient in DCP could have done this - if it is a result of DCP, then it s kidney killer. You NEVER want your glomerular basement membrane jacked with - EVER.

Protein in urine can be a few sources (esp if using dipsticks - hemoglobin, myoglobin, immunoglobulins, etc). Protein + microalbuminuria is DM until proven otherwise. Protein on its own is not. That is more suspicious of UTI (hemoglobin), hypertension, or immunoglobins (among a few differentials). Not sure if you what methodology they used to acquire test results...

So, IMO, drop the DCP (to ensure it is not interfering - only God knows how), repeat labs, get fasting serum glucose, glucose tolerance test, HbA1c. Additionally if a diagnosis of DM is made then go see an opthamologist immediately! DM is an insidious disease and massive osmotic damage can occur to the lens. It is rarely noticed until the disease is diagnosed because it has such a slow gradual degradation in vision quality that many people do not notice it (esp those who have had type II DM for 10-20 years, but just recently get it diagnosed. They usually have cataracts at that point).

Remember the first sign of Type II DM is microalbuminuria NOT Glucosuria. Not trying to harm or scare you, but this disease goes undiagnosed all the time, and it is really simple to catch and treat. Proper treatment in a Type II DM results in NO progression of the disease (as opposed to Type I). Now, compliance is another issue. OK, Best of wishes to you and your wife - regardless of what new insurance test results show, go to a clinic and have them RULE OUT DM. Microalbuminuria is NEVER normal.

I am a student doctor if that helps you appreciate my input more

I've been reading more on TTA, since I too take DCP daily. As suggested try to rule out diabetes, it is important. However, turns out TTA is beneficial for insulin sensitivity:



Also:



Since TTA metabolites are excreted in urine, it may be possible that this could lead to a false positive. What in those metabolites could act like it. Don't know. I'll keep poking around.

Again, thanks for the input gentlemen. She's making the follow up appt. today, hopefully to have the labs done later this week.

Will look into diabetes as well, thanks SwollOnIron.

So, my wife went to her doctor today, and found out she has a bladder infection. She starts antibiotics today and in two weeks will get all the labs redone including the diabetes/glucose testing. Will update then...

I had a checkup today and took a closer look at my blood test results (In Canada, the doctors dont actually let you see them, at least my doctor doesnt so I snuck a peak at my file while she was out of the exam room).

My creatinine, ALB and ALK levels were high when I was on TTA. I believe ALB refers to micro albumin,

Well, if TTA was causing me to have microalbuminemia, I would avoid it except on rare occasions (similar to PH use).

I hope you wife is well,

Best wishes.

Yea, she'll never use it again, regardless of the cause.

if DCP shuts down PPAR Gamma ..I believe that could lead to insulin resistance...its an alpha agonist correct?

Bump for his question?

Its order of affinity is Alpha>Delta>gamma