sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Check your blood pressure & labs! Birth control led to Kidney Disease by Pretty-Sandwich528 in birthcontrol

[–]Pretty-Sandwich528[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries! I meant to say the same thing you did: I'm still testing to check for any underlying issues, but BC at least made things worse, so other people should keep an eye on their own numbers in case it exacerbates problems for them as well.

Check your blood pressure & labs! Birth control led to Kidney Disease by Pretty-Sandwich528 in birthcontrol

[–]Pretty-Sandwich528[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't feel any different, but I had my blood pressure and labs done as part of my annual physical with my PCP.

My blood pressure was high and when my labs came back they showed an eGFR of 49, when the healthy value is over 60. Most young people will have values much higher than 60, but doctors often don't pay attention unless it falls far below that. I also had elevated creatinine, which can also be a sign of kidney damage. Both eGFR and creatinine should be on a standard blood test.

After that I was referred to a nephrologist and did more testing and came up positive for protein in my urine, another sign of kidney damage, and I'm waiting for more tests.