HomeAnswersNephrologyfoamy urineI have had foamy urine despite taking medications. Why so?

Does foamy urine which persists even after taking medications indicate kidney disease?

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Published At March 1, 2023
Reviewed AtOctober 16, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I had COVID-19 before two months. I was prescribed Paxlovid but I was also taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I had been drinking alcohol quite profusely almost every night for quite sometime before that. Once prescribed, I started noticing that my urine was dark orange no matter how much water I was drinking, and was extremely foamy. Since then, I have stopped drinking alcohol, and my urine has gone back to a regular hay yellow, but it will still get extremely foamy. I also noticed that I was having some general pain in the center of my back on both sides where the kidneys are located. So I went to quite a few doctors and had blood tests done and one finally gave me a urine protein test. My CMP results are as follows: Glucose - 87 mg/dL, sodium - 140 mmol/L, potassium - 3.8 mmol/L, chloride - 104 mmol/L, CO2 - 30 mmol/L, anion gap - 6 mmol/L, BUN - 11 mg/dL, creatinine - 1.12 mg/dL, calcium - 9.4 mg/dL, total protein - 7.6 g/dL, albumin - 4.9 g/dL, alkaline phosphatase - 59 IU/L, AST - 26 IU/L, ALT (SGPT) - 45 IU/L, total bilirubin - 0.5 mg/dL eGFR >90.0 ml/min/1.73m*2. Specific protein urine test result is as follows: Protein Urine - 4 mg/dL, creatinine urine - 94.9 mg/dL, urine protein/creatinine ratio - 42.15 mg/g. On the day of the test, I drank 2 bottles of water (16oz) and urinated one or two times, and had also eaten a turkey sandwich before the test. That being said, is there a chance of me having kidney damage or possibly early CKD? And if not, what could be causing the foam every time I urinate? I know it is foamy because the bubbles are white and they do not go away no matter how long I leave them sitting. Also if I am suspected to have either CKD or proteinuria, what can I do to fix these issues to either make them get better or at least slow or stop further damage?

Answered by Dr. Yash Kathuria

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your query.

Your eGFR and creatinine levels are normal, and protein in urine is 4 mg which is also completely normal. It is not the protein in the urine that is causing frothy urine. Sometimes post-exercise, infections and rapid urination may cause frothing. And you need to have a very high amount of protein in the urine, say more than 1 gm to cause froth in urine. So according to me, you do not have kidney disease. You can an ultrasound KUB (kidney, ureter and bladder) to see kidney status.

To prevent kidney disease in the future, I suggest you to follow a few instructions mentioned below:

  1. Drink two and a half to three liters of water every day.
  2. Avoid non-veg diet and junk food.
  3. Avoid smoking and alcohol.
  4. Do not consume painkillers like Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aceclofenac, etc.
  5. Eat more amount of fruits and vegetables every day.

Monitor your UACR (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) after one month.

I hope this has helped you.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Yash Kathuria
Dr. Yash Kathuria

Family Physician

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