hi,

i've had increasingly frequent urination, with a pale color, plus a metallic taste in my mouth. also bouts of lower back pain. i drink the normal amount of 8-10 glasses of fluid per day, for most of my life. but the frequent urges have gotten more pronounced over the years, along with the back pain. the metallic taste is relatively new.

what kind of tests can my doctor do to determine if my kidneys are the issue or if it's just part of my neuromuscular condition (i.e. spasticity)?

what kind of environmental factors can increase our risk for kidney disease?

thanks for any insight, i'd just like to be informed before visiting with my doc in a few days.

PS I also have bouts of high blood pressure, but have a low sodium and fat intake. It could be from pain management issues, dunno.

Hi, nikelboi! I'd be asking my doc to run a renal panel and glucose tolerance test if I were you. I don't know a lot about what sorts of environmental factors can cause kidney disease, but certainly various medications can do it-- in fact, I had totally normal kidneys until taking Fleets prior to a colonoscopy. Since all meds are metabolized either in the kidney or liver, a lot of them have the potential to harm your kidneys (or liver) over time. I'd also review all your meds with your doc for possible long-term consequences. Good luck, and keep us posted with what you find out.

Hi, nickelboi! When is your visit with your doc? Let us know what he says.

tomorrow. we'll see, thanks for keeping tabs!

my doc ordered a pelvic cat scan. got it today. a couple of hrs later, got a call from the doc's office making an appt with a urologist for aug 2nd. i wonder what it could be? hmm, when i see the doc again on the 16th, she should tell me what the scan said. apparently it's not an emergency, otherwise i'd see a specialist sooner, probably. i'll see what happens.

meanwhile, i'm still peeing a lot. it sux. good to know a resolution is coming soon.

thanks for responding. come to think of it, i did do a renal panel a couple of menths ago with a previous doc before i moved to another state. thankfully, it came out fine.

the remaining thing i should test for as mentioned is glucose, for diabetes, but it doesn't run in my family (except for my grandmother's side). i'll mention that to my doc when i see her next week and see if she thinks it's warranted.