Hi there everyone ,
I was just wondering how many of you have kidney involvement with this disease? I just saw a nephrologist ( kidney doctor) for the first time and my urine has been showing blood and according to my doctor, I have protein in my urine…
So she may or may not do a kidney Biopsy. Im glad that she said "i possibly will be getting one because I think I would feel more relieved if it was done, for my own sanity. So I wanted to know how common is it with our diease, to have a kidney biopsy done after being sent to nephrology and being told i do have some protein and blood present in my urine ? Any and all input from my lupus friends would be great… Help!
I had that when i was 13-18. Had a biopsy, had to have my urine checked monthly. Was on a lot of prednisone. My kidneys have been in remission since. Long scary experience, and i am very blessed that they are in remission. I pray for your kidneys to be good when you have your biopsy!
Hi it is common. I too had kidney problems and was diagnosed stage 3 Kidney failure. A biopsy was done and with the right meds and regular visits to the kidney dr., things got better. Good luck and i hope all goes well with u.
I have kidney involvement as well. I have developed high blood pressure and recent tests show that I am losing protein in my urine. My nephrologist has yet to suggest a biopsy to me. Best of luck to you...it is difficult to deal with this even when it is so out of control.
I have lupus nephritis and I had a biopsy done. It is a common simple procedure it is nothing to worry about. My kidneys actually failed causing me to have a stroke but with a steady diet of Cellcept, prednisone and plaquenil it is under control.
Hi,
I have kidney and brain involvement. I had a TIA (transient ischemic stroke) last year. Thank God I recovered 99.9%. I stayed in the hospital nearly one month. And my doctors could not diagnose me. And they said they have no idea why I had TIA at the age of 26. Then I decided to go to a swimming pool to begin some sport. Swimming is one of the best ways to recover after stroke. The pool wanted me some tests: sort of Hepatit B, C and urine tests. The tests results were clean but there were some protein in my single cup urine sample. The doctors wanted me to do 24 hour urine collection a after I told my story (TIA) to her and the single cup urine test results. And the results were positive. There was protein in my 24 hour urine collection. Anyway my doc wanted to examine further tests by kidney biopsy. They did. And some Lupus blood tests were done at hat time. So they diagnosed me LUPUS. My TIA's reason was LUPUS related to antiphopolipid antibodies. And I was very lucky firstly I had no permanant damages after TIA secondly I was diagnosed LUPUS by chance with no other indicating symptoms except TIA.
You can make your biopsy done by this way your mind will be more comfortable. Detection of kidney involment in early years of LUPUS is very important and blessing. Because kidney involvement in LUPUS is very sneaky. Thus you can start your requried other medications soon.
Best wishes to all LUPUS sufferers. May God help you..
I was removed from IMuran when my kidneys started to be effected, (via regular mthly blood tests). Was started on CellCept & have improvement in Liver & Kidney results. I have also been on Prednisilone for 3 yrs from 85mg to now 9mg (many up & downs in the interim) Best Wishes to you.
I frequently have PAINFUL, Unbearing (at times) kidney stones add a result of this disease…its so unfair at times (i know), which is why my physician regularly (or permanently i should say) prescribes Tylenol#3 or Norco (10/325) month-to-month.
I had one sometime in the beginning of july, I was diagnosed with the help of said biopsy - in fact. From what I’ve understood, the kidneys are some of the most commonly involved organs in SLE, especially among younger people - I’m 16, for example.
The biospy itself isnmt intrusive at all, and I recovered completely in just about a week - walking etc I was able to do pretty much as soon as they let me. Of course, I live in Sweden where the healthcare is quite different, but the procedure itslef shouldn’t differ!
It's common to have a kidney biopsy when you have protein and blood in your urine. The sooner the diagnosis the better. They put a needle in my lower left side going toward my lower back. It did not hurt, no bruising or open sores.. In about a week or next doctor's visit , they new I had stage III kidney disease. There are different stages. you can Google the stages and there severities. My Rheumatologist needed to known what stage I was in also. My diagnosis was Lupus Nephritis level III (Lupus with kidney disease). I hope everything works out for you. Keep up the fight!
My daughter had a major flare up during her junior year at high school and her kidneys were affected losing protein. The Rhemy started her on cellcept which she has been taking for more than 3 years now. Since she was not consistent with her meds at college her kidneys were not showing significant improvement. So he scheduled a kidney biopsy and the results showed she is in Lupus Nephritis level III. She is still one cellcept. The Rhemy suggested there is this new treatment where they do an Orencia infusion along with cellcept intake and most of the people with protein in their urine respond to it. He is going to start her on that soon and I am hoping that will get her kidneys straight. Orencia is a drug given for Rheumatoid Arthritis and they have done studies showing if you combine cellcept and Orencia(through infusion) for about 4 to 6 months (monthly once infusion), it completely reverses kidney damage. I am waiting for that to happen so my daughter can be off all the drugs she is on (plaqunil, enalapril and cellcept). She definitely needs to take plaquenil for the rest of her life. But I know that is the least harmful drug out there. You just need to check your eyes every year.
Kidney biopsy, the whole procedure is only about 5 minutes but the prep work takes about an hour--from the time you reach the hospital, insurance etc etc and once done, they monitor you for about 3 to 4 hours and then release you--it is a one whole day affair. My daughter said it was not painful but she did have pain after for a week so she had to walk slowly and not run and not do strenuous stuff.
I hope this helps.
Good luck with your fight against this disease.
Take care.
The biopsy is very to the point it is either yes or no i had mine in 09 and have been on medication and its under control
My lupus was confirmed by biopsy. It’s an easy procedure and it gave the doc’s a good idea of the meds I need. Happy to say from a protein of over 14 + it’s now around 3. Still above normal but not deadly. Take care of your organs though because once organ involvement occurs it may indicate an increase in lupus activity.
I was diagnosed at 18 and I'm now 30. I've had 2 kidney biopsies over the last 12 years. It's normal to get biopsies if you have kidney involvement... It can be scary and a bit painful but it's the best way to see how your disease is going.
I would have the biopsy done to rule out or confirm what is going on. Luckily the only kidney/bladder involvement I have is, is frequent kidney/bladder/UTI infections. When this happens I get protein in my urine. My latest creatinine level was 0.9 which is the highest level of normal. I am due for a check up but without insurance I am stuck wondering how bad everything is :(.
After being diagnosed at Christmas 2007, I was referred to a nephrologist a month later for elevated blood pressure. I had the same symptoms for 4 years, but the doctor never seemed too concerned about it until my kidneys failed and I was rushed to the hospital with uremia and end stage renal disease. So, my suggestion is to make sure you get the kidney biopsy for your own peace of mind so that you know what's going on with your situation. And if you notice any unusual symptoms, like the ammonia taste in your mouth, nausea and vomiting, pain with the area your kidneys would be, decreased urine output, etc you should notify your doctor immediately.
I hope the information helps you out! I know it's not east having to deal with this. I hate everyday of it, but I'm on the transplant list and I'm hoping for good news! Keep your head up!
Lupus can and will attack any organ it can. I had one done 20 years ago and it saved my kidneys! Between a 1 and a 5 they were a 4. So I was imiedietly starting memo and put on 120 mg of prednisone a day and very sick! I know all of this can be Scarry but the doctors really know when its time to do one. In my case I fought it as long as I could and went threw a lot that I wouldn’t have had I listened to my doctor. Please becareful when lupus gets this serious. Nottrying to scare you at all but ddon’t want to sugar coat things either! Do what you feel in your heart is rite! Good luck!