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A high BUN can also indicate dehydration or blood in the GI tract, Kathy. It can also accompany kidney disease. I'm sure your doctor is monitoring your urine protein and urine creatinine, as well as your urinalysis. If you're concerned and not already seeing a nephrologist, you can ask for a referral.
It’s a warning sign of kidney stress. No doubt your doctor will refer you appropriately for help.
What do high BUN levels mean in lupus?
High blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in lupus can indicate that your kidneys aren't working as well as they should. BUN is one of the blood tests doctors use to check kidney function in people with lupus.
When lupus affects the kidneys—a condition called lupus nephritis—it can damage Show Full Answer
This is a really important topic. My BUN was actually elevated during my recent hospital stay, so I’ve been learning about this as well.
For anyone new to this, BUN (blood urea nitrogen) is a lab that helps doctors see how well your kidneys are filtering waste from your blood. When the number is high, it can mean a few different things.
In lupus patients like us, doctors watch BUN closely because lupus can sometimes affect the kidneys (called lupus nephritis). But high BUN doesn’t automatically mean kidney damage. It can also go up from things like:
• Dehydration
• Infection or inflammation
• Certain medications
• Stress on the body during illness or hospitalization
During my hospital stay from Feb 26 – March 6, my doctors were monitoring several labs including kidney function markers like BUN and creatinine to make sure my organs were handling everything my body was going through.
So if anyone sees a high BUN result, it’s really important to look at it together with other labs like creatinine, eGFR, and urine tests. That gives the full picture of how the kidneys are actually functioning.
Lupus labs can look scary when we first see them, but context really matters.
Has anyone else here had their BUN fluctuate during a flare or hospital stay?
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