Anyone have tips to help kidney function?

[Swivils42]

This is kind of a long story

I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant and at my last appointment this past Monday my doctor was extremely concerned with the amount of protein in my urine. My other doctor said the same thing the last time I was there, but forgot to order the appropriate tests on the urine sample I gave.
I've been told I have a lot of protein in my urine before, usually when it coincides with getting a uti or recovering from one. The last time I had an alarming amount was when I went into renal failure in August due to an antibiotic I was given after surgery. So it looks like there's a chance that I'm having major problems again.

I've been drinking a lot of water, taking cranberry pills and drinking cranberry juice, and I'm considering starting a potassium supplement because thats one of the things I was given in the hospital to help normalize my kidney function.

Does anyone else have any ideas of what else I may be able to do? Or has anyone gone through this?

P.S. I do have one kidney that is attached to my liver, so I can't do anything that might shock my system, also because of the baby.

[1-800-OMG-STFU]

Magnesium may be useful here. It is another mineral (electrolyte really) that is lost a lot in our urine. Also, due to the degradation of our soil quality, most people are quite deficient in it. It is also necessary for proper protein synthesis as magnesium is a key component of the enzyme processes that control protein absorption and utilization.

I recommend you get some magnesium "oil" which is just a brine of magnesium chloride and water. Spray about ten sprays on each foot in the morning and rub it in thoroughly. Do the same in the evening before bed. It will absorb readily through the skin and will get into the blood stream as it is supposed to.

You'll sleep better too. Bonus!

For potassium, you need a 4:1 potassium:sodium ratio. So forget about those useless pills and get some "NoSalt" (http://www.amazon.com/No-Salt-Substitute-11-Ounce-Can/dp/B000H185N6) and sprinkle on your food every time you cook.

Also, good ol' ascorbic acid is great for the kidneys. Don't believe the kidney stone hype. 3nodding That's only an issue if you have a LONG history of them.

Get some high quality ascorbic powder and take two grams every three hours or so. emotion_yatta

[MegaTurkey]

I can't stress how important it is that you just talk to your GP (family doctor). Self medicating is a really dangerous game, always remember your understanding, no matter how good you think it may be, and the resources available to you are nowhere near that of a professional's. Don't bother with any of the advice given here or elsewhere online either. Also chronic disease and pregnancy add a whole new level of complexity to this situation and taking medical care into your own hands could well spell disaster for both you and your baby.

[Swivils42]

1-800-OMG-STFU

Magnesium may be useful here. It is another mineral (electrolyte really) that is lost a lot in our urine. Also, due to the degradation of our soil quality, most people are quite deficient in it. It is also necessary for proper protein synthesis as magnesium is a key component of the enzyme processes that control protein absorption and utilization.

I recommend you get some magnesium "oil" which is just a brine of magnesium chloride and water. Spray about ten sprays on each foot in the morning and rub it in thoroughly. Do the same in the evening before bed. It will absorb readily through the skin and will get into the blood stream as it is supposed to.

You'll sleep better too. Bonus!

For potassium, you need a 4:1 potassium:sodium ratio. So forget about those useless pills and get some "NoSalt" (http://www.amazon.com/No-Salt-Substitute-11-Ounce-Can/dp/B000H185N6) and sprinkle on your food every time you cook.

Also, good ol' ascorbic acid is great for the kidneys. Don't believe the kidney stone hype. 3nodding That's only an issue if you have a LONG history of them.

Get some high quality ascorbic powder and take two grams every three hours or so. emotion_yatta

Thank you. I have another doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks. I'll run this by my doctor and see what she thinks. The magnesium thing sounds good alone for helping me sleep, I have bad insomnia.

[Swivils42]

MegaTurkey

I can't stress how important it is that you just talk to your GP (family doctor). Self medicating is a really dangerous game, always remember your understanding, no matter how good you think it may be, and the resources available to you are nowhere near that of a professional's. Don't bother with any of the advice given here or elsewhere online either. Also chronic disease and pregnancy add a whole new level of complexity to this situation and taking medical care into your own hands could well spell disaster for both you and your baby.

Yeah, I bought the potassium, but I haven't taken it yet.
I just really hope my problem can be fixed, or at least managed enough to carry to term. As long as my baby is born safe and healthy, nothing else matters to me.

[1-800-OMG-STFU]

Iye Macilvana

1-800-OMG-STFU

Magnesium may be useful here. It is another mineral (electrolyte really) that is lost a lot in our urine. Also, due to the degradation of our soil quality, most people are quite deficient in it. It is also necessary for proper protein synthesis as magnesium is a key component of the enzyme processes that control protein absorption and utilization.

I recommend you get some magnesium "oil" which is just a brine of magnesium chloride and water. Spray about ten sprays on each foot in the morning and rub it in thoroughly. Do the same in the evening before bed. It will absorb readily through the skin and will get into the blood stream as it is supposed to.

You'll sleep better too. Bonus!

For potassium, you need a 4:1 potassium:sodium ratio. So forget about those useless pills and get some "NoSalt" (http://www.amazon.com/No-Salt-Substitute-11-Ounce-Can/dp/B000H185N6) and sprinkle on your food every time you cook.

Also, good ol' ascorbic acid is great for the kidneys. Don't believe the kidney stone hype. 3nodding That's only an issue if you have a LONG history of them.

Get some high quality ascorbic powder and take two grams every three hours or so. emotion_yatta

Thank you. I have another doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks. I'll run this by my doctor and see what she thinks. The magnesium thing sounds good alone for helping me sleep, I have bad insomnia.

If your doc is anything like most of the conventional medicine world, you will hear:

a) Magnesium oil? What is that? Such a thing exists?!?

b) Potassium? Screw up your electrolyte levels and cause an ulcer if you're not careful!

c) Ascobic acid?!? Kidney stones, kidney stones, kidney stones.

Counters to each point above:

Magnesium - Watch this handy video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN1CvC-38k4 Maybe even show your doc! 3nodding

Potassium - The amount to cause an ulcer is so high, you'd have to literally drink from a "NoSalt" bottle and I hope you know better. 3nodding Sprinkling on your food won't mess up ANYTHING. Why do you think it's sold at most grocery stores as a salt alternative? And unless you're on a severely sodium restricted diet, your electrolyte levels will not go whacky. Magnesium helps here too since it is also an essential electrolyte.

c) Look up the research of two-time Nobel Prize winning biochemist Linus Pauling. Conventional medicine has been trying to put him down for years now. And now they're actually starting to research some of the things he said about ascorbic acid YEARS ago. But of course, they refuse to say the ideas originally came from him. So they can take credit when they realize he was right. Also, he took twenty grams a day for most of his life and NEVER had a kidney stone.

[Revana_Blay]

Nobody here can take precedence over professional advice. See your GP and get a recommendation to a renal specialist. My housemate is waiting on a kidney transplant this year and her specialist has given her some advice to get through with her kidney function just above levels where she would have to go on dialysis. This is not something you can mess with like creatine supplementation or a paleo diet.

You're in the wrong place for this.