Urine Analysis

I don't have an appointment with my GP until sometime in January, but because I have been having cloudy urine I took a sample to the lab for analysis.

PH is on the high side of the range at 7.0 (reference values 5 - 7.5).
Sediment has traces of epithelial cells.
Sample also has traces of uric acid crystals.

I have been on Mg for a couple of months or a bit more, but switched to Mg Glycinate just a few weeks ago. Am using about 1000 mg per day. I expect this might be responsible for the pH result. Also, the epithelial cells have nothig to do with Mg. However, this is the first time I have had traces of uric acid crystals in my urine. Is Mg responsible for this? Do I need to cut back?

John S.

John:
Did you see any RBCs or bacteria? because perhaps you have a UTI

Pam

Pam,

There were no RBCs or WBCs. Didn't do a culture because it would have cost more.

After my post, I did do some research on the Internet and discovered that traces of uric acid crystals can form readily in urine that is allowed to sit at room temperature. In this particular case the sample probably sat for a few hours in sterile container before being analyzed. Also, I live in Mexico at an elevation of 5,000 feet and it is pretty chilly here at this time of year. Houses, labs, office buildings, etc. are unheated. I imagine a fews hours at temperatures close to 60ºF would be enough for traces of crystals to form. I am embarassed I didn't do my research before posting my note.

John S.

John - check out a google search - type in " uric acid crystals pH" - there are about 4500 hits on this topic....

Also - how long have you been at a level of 1000 mag. glycinate? Do you think you need this much? Has it helped your afib and related symptoms?
Do you have gout symptoms?

Jackie

Here are just a few of the search results....



kidney stone - Stone Center - anatomy
... When urine is less than pH 5.5, uric acid crystals develop and calcium crystals then begin layering around this crystal to form a calcium oxalate stone. ...
www.urostonecenter.com/anatomy.asp - 21k - Cached - Similar pages

kidney stones prevention - Stone Center
... K Citrate will also alkylinize the urine to keep urine pH between 6.5-7.5
so uric acid crystals remain in solution and are excreted. ...
www.urostonecenter.com/prevention.asp - 20k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.urostonecenter.com


Citrate is converted to bicarbonate, which increases urine pH. Occasionally ... stones.
One reason may be that small uric acid crystals form. ...
homepages.nyu.edu/~rabenr01/uric_acid.htm - 57k - Cached - Similar pages

Uric Acid Stones form from high concentrations of uric acid in acidic (low pH) urine. At low pH uric acid precipitates, while at normal pH it dissolves. In contrast to calcium, struvite, and cystine stones, this is the only type of stone which can be "dissolved" with medical treatment. The cause of the elevated urinary uric acid can be multifactorial including high protein diet and gout.

Treatment includes increasing the urine pH with potassium citrate (making the urine less acidic) in addition to increasing water intake. Citrate is converted to bicarbonate, which increases urine pH. Occasionally, allopurinol is used to decrease production of uric acid by the body.

High uric acid levels (Hyperuricosuria) in the urine can also lead to calcium stones. One reason may be that small uric acid crystals form. These crystals then form seeds on which calcium crystals can grow. Another possibility is that dissolved uric acid somehow causes calcium oxalate to precipitate into crystals and stones. Treatement can be with either allopurinol or occasionally potassium citrate.

John - I've been thinking more about your crystals. Most likely, the increase in pH of the urine is precipitating out the uric acid crystals...thereby elminating the possibility of future kidney stones.

Magnesium is known to prevent kidney stones. Could be that you've done yourself a big favor by stepping up the magnesium.

Jackie

Jackie,

Thanks so much for all of the research you have done on my behalf. I need to get better about using search engines.

I've been at the 1000 mg Mg level for only a few weeks and, no, I'm not sure I need this much. It is hard to say if it has helped my afib because other things were going on at the same time.

Actually, the frequency of episodes has increased from one every ten days to one every other day. This has coincided with intense stress in my life from a serious legal problem. Nonetheless, the consequences of the increased frequency are about zip because my episodes always come between about 2:00 am and 4:00 am. When afib strikes, I get up, take 150 - 300 mg of propafenone and go back to bed. I am in nsr in the morning. My days are not interrupted by afib.

This is a change from earlier in the year when I wasn't supplementing with Mg and was using propafenone for prevention. By about July my episodes were very severe. I had two daytime episodes where even in a prone position I felt I was suffocating and was on the verge of losing consciousness from lack of oxygen. There was a lot of thrashing around, like a man drowning. I went to a clinic for one of these episodes and the GP gave me a tranquilizer. I think he thought I was panicking because of the afib, when in fact I couldn't breathe. Eyesight was getting dim around the edges.

In hindsight I believe the propafenone had become proarrythmic. I went off daily use in August and began taking salmon oil and MgO, about 1000 mg per day. Episodes became farther apart, shorter in duration and completely nocturnal (vagal). Despite the increased frequency lately, I feel that the best thing I did was to switch to using propafenone on demand. I expect that the fish oil and Mg have helped in their own ways (my shipment of Mg glycinate came in about 2 - 3 wks ago). Insomnia, which was a long term problem disappeared, so too did inflamation from degenerative disk disease. My range of motion hasn't increased, but I can turn to the limit of my range without feeling muscle soreness. This, the disappearance of insomnia, and the absence of daytime episodes of afib represent a big improvement in quality of life. improvement in quality of life.

Thanks again so much for your help,

John s.