BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)

cclepew

My most recent lab work came back with an elevated BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen). A nurse from my doctor's office called to say the doctor wanted to see me soon to discuss my results. Didn't give any details on the phone, but I'm guessing it's mostly because of this number because everything else was pretty good (though I think we'll need to up my Metformin or add another med to the mix sooner or later).

I did some research on what exactly BUN is, and see that it can indicate kidney problems. But it can also become elevated when you eat a lot of protein or get dehydrated. I'm definitely eating a lot more protein than I was 3-6 months ago. It's possible I've been dehydrated too; since I've gotten my blood sugar under better control, I don't have that constant raging thirst that made me drink soooo much water before. I honestly forget to drink now!

Has anyone else had a high BUN and not had an actual kidney problem? Is this common? My appointment's on Thursday, and I have to admit I'm a little scared about it. Thanks in advance!

KeithF6250

I had the same result at my 90 day test (90 days after my diagnosis as T2). It's not an uncommon result, I look at it as one more thing to manage. One more tweak to my daily meal plan. Currently I'm controlling my blood glucose w/o medication mostly by restricting carbs. For the next 90 days in addition to the relatively low dose of a medication I will control my protein. I can't restrict it as much as I do carbs but I can limit it to 100 grams/day. Since I still have a body to power that means a higher fat content than the Standard American Diet but following that I ended up fat & diabetic.

I am down 50 pounds since September and my blood glucose (& A1C) are under control. If the albumen in my urine is a bit high but manageable, I figure 2 out of three ain't bad.

earlnabby

I just got my latest labs and my BUN was elevated a little too. My EGFR was really, really good so my doctor is not concerned about the BUN.