Login|Contact Us
Question and Answer

Medical

Ask a Medical Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

  • Ask A Question
  • Browse Answers
  • Meet The Experts
  • How JustAnswer Works

Testing low for Creatinine for Alcohol testing. I am a letter

 
Doctor Ellis's Avatar
  • Answered by:Doctor Ellis
  • Doctor
  • Positive Feedback: 98.8 %
  • Accepted Answers: 876
Verified Expert
in Medical

Recent Feedback

Positive
GREAT FEEDBACK THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Positive
Thank you. We already had a surgeon that we were not happy with, so I'm glad it...
Positive
Time will tell. I'm betting on you, Dr. Ellis.
Positive
Very informative, Thank you
Positive
Thank you for elaborating much better on the second reply. I understood it...
Positive
great thank you so much
Positive
Very Helpful
Positive
Thank you I will go back to my GP

Customer Question

Testing low for Creatinine for Alcohol testing. I am a letter carrier in FL need to drink liquids to stay hydrated, am a vegetarian - eat no meat, chicken or fish. The lab keeps saying it is diluted. Are there tests that can be taken which will show that my body will always produce a low creatinine level.

 

Optional Information:
Gender: F
Age: 46

Submitted: 1152 days and 17 hours ago.
Category: Medical
Value: $35
Status: CLOSED
Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 17 hours ago.

I am not sure what you mean by "Creatinine for Alcohol testing"??

Are you talking about the test for serum creatinine to look at kidney function?

What other medical problems do you have?

Customer replied 1152 days and 17 hours ago.

I am being tested to confirm that I am not drinking Alcohol. The tests are coming back diluted or with low creatinine levels. I am not drinking. I do drink a great deal of fluids to avoid dehydration for my job - the truck can get up to 110 degrees.

I am a vegetarian - eating no chicken or fish.

I am hoping that there is a medical test(s) I can take to confirm that my body processes creatinine differently to prove that I am not drinking.

Thanks for your help.

Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 17 hours ago.

Your body would not process creatinine differently, and there is no test to show this.

You can, however do a Urinalysis and look at the sodium level and the specific gravity to look for dilution.

 

I hope this is helpful.

If so, please click on the green ACCEPT button.

Good Luck

Customer replied 1152 days and 17 hours ago.

So I am not sure what you are saying. Are you saying there is only this one way to test for creatinine? And if it comes back low that is the result?

A Urinalysis is a particular type of lab test?

When they do this Urinalysis test they would look for sodium level?

Is it the specific gravity of my urine?

The sodium level and specific gravity would confirm urine dilution as a natural/biological result?

This would confirm that my urine is diluted compared to nornal urine?

How would this help me?

If you could explain a more fully, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,

Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 16 hours ago.

Sure, I will explain more.

Measuring serum creatinine is a useful and inexpensive method of evaluating renal dysfunction. Creatinine is a non-protein waste product of creatine phosphate metabolism by skeletal muscle tissue. Creatinine production is continuous and is proportional to muscle mass.

Creatinine is freely filtered and therefore the serum creatinine level depends on the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). Renal dysfunction diminishes the ability to filter creatinine and the serum creatinine rises. The GFR is a measure of your kidney's ability to work.

 

Decreased Creatinine levels may be seen in: the elderly, persons with small stature, decreased muscle mass, or inadequate dietary protein. Muscle atrophy can also result in decreased serum creatinine level.

 

Low creatinine may just mean that your kidneys are working well, not that your blood is diluted.

 

A Urinalysis is a lab test of your urine. The specific gravity will show how dilute the urine is.

 

Urine sodium is a separate test and it is also an indication of dilute urine.

 

Unfortunately, if you are drinking a lot of fluid at work, this test may show that your urine is dilute anyway.

 

 

Customer replied 1152 days and 16 hours ago.

 

How do I get documentation that I am in one of the categories below?

Decreased Creatinine levels may be seen in: the elderly, persons with small stature, decreased muscle mass, or inadequate dietary protein. Muscle atrophy can also result in decreased serum creatinine level.

 

It is not my blood - it is a urine test?

Low creatinine may just mean that your kidneys are working well, not that your blood is diluted.

Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 16 hours ago.

There is no "documentation" that you are in one of those categories. A doctor can say that this is what they suspect to be the cause of your low creatinine, but you would have to have a lot of muscle loss for this to be the case.

 

Creatinine levels are a blood test.

Customer replied 1152 days and 15 hours ago.

The test that I have been taking is a Urine Test.

Are you saying, I can take a blood test which will confirm my low creatinine levels?

What about testing for low dietary protein?

Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 15 hours ago.

There is a blood test for creatinine.

 

You can test Albumin and pre-albumin levels to look for malnutrition and low protein.

 

Customer replied 1152 days and 14 hours ago.

Is the Albumin test a blood test?

Accepted Answer

Picture
Expert:  Doctor Ellis replied 1152 days and 14 hours ago.

Yes it is, as is the pre-albumin.

Expert TypeDoctor
Category: Medical
Pos. Feedback: 98.8 %
Accepts: 876
Answered: 2/13/2010

Experience: Board Certified Family Medicine Doctor

Ask this Expert a Question >
 
Tweet

9 Doctors are Online Right Now

Ask Your Question Now
Ask A Doctor
Type Your Medical Question Here...
characters left:

Top Medical Experts

See More Doctors

In The News

Nbc
Washington Post
New York Times
Cnn
Learn More

How It Works

  • Ask an Expert
  • Get a Professional Answer
  • Ask Followup Questions
  • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Learn More
close
Find Expert answers related to your question.
Sign up using email
We will never post anything without your permission.
Already have an account? Sign in

Ask a Doctor

Get a Professional Answer. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
261 Doctors are Online Now
Type Your Medical Question Here...
characters left:
Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.
Truste
Contact Us | Terms of Service | Privacy & Security | About Us
© 2003-2013 JustAnswer LLC