Unfortunately I am now :(
I am going to my endo in August.
My Hemoglobin A1C was 9.2
Creatinine 144.6 normal .8-1.5 (this number translates roughly to 1.76)
Microalbumin 732.9 (normal 0.0-17.0)
Cholesterol 219
I am also anemic 9.2 (despite 6 months of 325 Ferrous Gluconate it is getting lower)

I also have Hypothyroidism with goiter that has never been biopsied and precancerous polyps removed Sept 01.
I am 36 yrs old. Female.
My doctor seems to think I am notsogood in the health department right now and I have to say I agree.
I have so many symptoms I don't even know where they are coming from anymore or if they are in my head. He said they weren't in my head that the lab results proved it.
I am hoping that relief is on the way. I may be going on insulin. I am already on Lisinopril for my kidneys and have also been on 2 oral diabetic meds for 7 years. We have changed only a few times because I had fair control with them but no more. I also take Synthroid for my thyroid, which is controlled thank God.
Anyone else here have experience with these numbers? :confused:
I have also posted on the kidney board in hopes I can get it from both sides. I am mainly interested in diabetics with kidney disease at this point (naturally) ;)

I have T2 and Nephrotic Syndrome. My kidney function tests are normal, but I am spilling 4 grams of protein/24 hours. They still are not sure if my kidney disorder is related to the diabetes, because I am controlling my diabetes well. My nephrologist wants me to have a kidney biopsy, but I am resisting... I just started lisinopril last week and will have a renal ultrasound next week. I have a full renal panel and urine analysis done monthly (the lab keeps it on file) because they do not know how quickly this will progress. I also am HypoT - been on synthroid for 14 years.

What is your diet like? Have you made any diet modifications for the diabetes? Your Ha1C is quite high.

What are some of your other symptoms? You are on a lot of meds - some of them could be from the meds. It happened to me.

I follow the same diet I have for 7 years for my diabetes and despite this and even upping my dosage and finally a med change my blood sugar is staying high. My RN said that the kidney problem could be causing this.
What meds bothered you and what were your symptoms?
I have been on these pills (some of them for 7 years) and never had any problems until lately. I am currently on:
Glucovance 4 pills a day 2.5/500mg this equals 10 mg of glyburide and 2000 mg of Metformin per day (diabetes)
Lisinopril 5 mg once a day (high blood pressure for kidney protection)
Ferrous Gluconate-325 mg once a day (anemia)
Actos 5 mg a day once a day (diabetes)
Tricor-160 mg once a day (cholesterol)
Levoxyl-50 mcg once a day (thyroid controlled)
Effexor XR 75 mg per day (depression)
My symptoms are
frequent diaherrea
numbness/tingling in hands and feet
occasional swelling of feet and hands and face
lethargy
depression
I get tired very easily now
Trouble swallowing ( this may be due to the goiter enlarging it has went from the size of a walnut to the size of a lemon in 3 years and no biopsy can you believe it?)
Urine output not the same as intake
lower back pain

There is more but I cannot think of everything right now.
I feel like such a mess.

I follow the same diet I have for 7 years for my diabetes and despite this and even upping my dosage and finally a med change my blood sugar is staying high. My RN said that the kidney problem could be causing this.
What meds bothered you and what were your symptoms?
I have been on these pills (some of them for 7 years) and never had any problems until lately. I am currently on:
Glucovance 4 pills a day 2.5/500mg this equals 10 mg of glyburide and 2000 mg of Metformin per day (diabetes)
Lisinopril 5 mg once a day (high blood pressure for kidney protection)
Ferrous Gluconate-325 mg once a day (anemia)
Actos 5 mg a day once a day (diabetes)
Tricor-160 mg once a day (cholesterol)
Levoxyl-50 mcg once a day (thyroid controlled)
Effexor XR 75 mg per day (depression)
My symptoms are
frequent diaherrea
numbness/tingling in hands and feet
occasional swelling of feet and hands and face
lethargy
depression
I get tired very easily now
Trouble swallowing ( this may be due to the goiter enlarging it has went from the size of a walnut to the size of a lemon in 3 years and no biopsy can you believe it?)
Urine output not the same as intake
lower back pain

There is more but I cannot think of everything right now.
I feel like such a mess.
:wave: I take levothroid for my thyroid. I also had a goiter but no surgery. I too the iodine/radiation treatment. I also have high cholesterol, bp, and diabetes. I used to take lisinopril until this yr. I had bad side effects. I don't think I've ever had a kidney problem thank god. I am on 2 insulins humalog and lantus. Lantus is very good. I now control my glucose very well. I'm working on the cholesterol, was on liptor, but too many side effects. Hoping to lower it naturally. Did your dr say what caused the precancerous thyroid? A couple of my friends were diagnosed at the same time i was. One of them said hyper thyroid was cancer, but my endo said not necessarily. I just wondered becuz even though i have alot of medical problems, i can't seem to stop smoking.

Chaos, The reason I asked about diet is because eating too much protein can wreak havok on the kidneys. I have been researching this. On the kidney side they want you to so little protein that your glucose would be out of control... on the diabetes side they want you to eat so little carbs that the kidneys are out of control. Its imperative to find a balance in the middle.

hi i too have problems with my kidneys and i am typeII diabetic i watch my diet also i take 15 prescriptions aday because i also have heart disease. its hard to balance your diet whaen you have to do differnt things for each ailment.i too wish i could help you out but im in the same position as you. good luck to you and hope we all find something that will help

I am not diabetic, but my mother is, but I am Hypothyroid and if you are having all those symptoms your thyroid is not under control at all. A properly treated thyroid will not have lethargy and depression or swelling. And it will definitely contribute to blood sugar issues. My mother's hypothyroidism has been left untreated for many years (by her choice) and she is now in very bad shape with her diabetes, heart, and now, kidney disease.

Yes my thyroid is under control. I am tested every 3 months and I am now down to 1.5 which is the perfect levels. I have been hypothyroid for 8 years and I am very familiar with numbers and what the disease can cause.
Diabetes causes kidney disease and it has been out of control. I have already been diagnosed with kidney disease but will have further testing to see where it originated from.
The kidney disease causes the facial swelling and ankle swelling. This has come on in the past year. Depression is par for the course with diabetes also as well as thyroid.
There are many diseases that can cause these symptoms, not just thyroid.

i have type II diabeties and have kidney disease its rough i know i have more then 2 disease in my kidneys know 1 but still going through tests to find out what the other is

ok I have been switching back and forth between meds because I have no insurance... when we can't get samples of glucovance which i take 1000mg bid, i end up taking metformin and glipizide... i also take 30mg of actos once a day and today the doc threw a new one at me... my a1c was 6.4 which is good i am told and definitely a change from the 9 it was 7 years ago but now doc says i need to take aspirin once a day for the heart (preventative maintenance she calls it)and 2.5mg of lisinopril to protect the kidneys... yet my kidneys are fine... i do not have a prob w/ my thyroid i can't lose weight and i think i may suffer from some chemical imbalance, which i believe is due to over medicating... now i was reading up on lisinopril and it seems to be for high blood pressure... my bp is usuall 90/70 will this med make it too low... i just started taking lisinopril today and i'm feeling odd... does anyone know what i should do?

Hi. I didn't see you post on the kidney board so I'll answer here. I am a type 1 but at this point what type is neither here nor there. To let you know about where I am coming from, I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1966 (age 2 1/2), was pre-dialysis for over 20 years (from about 1979 on), went on dialysis in 2001 (age 38) and my cousin gave me one of her kidneys in 2002.

So, I don't' have to lecture you about the A1c, do I. That needs to be worked on. The insulin will help. I am not sure I agree with your RN who said that the kidney problems will cause high glucose. In people on insulin, they have to be careful not to go low. They need less insulin because the kidneys don't remove the old insulin as well. You get a lot more mileage for every unit. Try the insulin. Better control will make you feel better and will keep the kidney happier too.

Things like diarrea, swelling, lethargy, depression and tiredness are all from the kidney problems. You are most likely anemic because your kidney is not putting out enough erythropoietin (a kidney hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells). Also the uptake of iron is often impaired and you may need a venofer IV. This IV will often last for months and months. Your doc may put you on eprex (you've probably seen ads on TV). These 2 things will help with the anemia. Once that is better you will feel less tired, lethargic, and depressed. The anemia can cause all this.

You didn't mention what your electrolytes were (potassium, phosphorus and calcium). You need to know these numbers because they will affect what you can eat. If your potassium is too high, again, you will have things such as diarrea, depression and tiredness. When you are put on a low potassium diet, it is very important to follow it and you will feel much better.

As for the swelling, there are a couple of things you can try. I wasn't really sure what your creatinine was - the numbers don't seem to match very well. 144 is a Canadian style number while the .8 - 1.5 is more American style. Anyway, until told otherwise, try making sure that you are hydrated. I always found that caffeine and alcohol made the swelling much worse - as did salt intake. Try to restrict these things. Use decaf coffee/tea/soda and try to avoid alcohol. Again, you will feel much better.

I have both good and bad news for you. The kidney problems will continue to progress. The good news is that you will be able to handle it. Many things will seem scary along the way, but nothing is ever as bad as it seems to be when you are approaching. You will still be able to enjoy your life and do many things, just at a slower pace.

One more thing. It is very important to see a nephrologist (not a urologist) and a renal dietitician.

Good luck to you and keep us posted.

Cora