Elevated Creatine Kinase Levels

Lab test done on July 10 showed that I have increased levels of creatine kinase.  My reading was 224.  Normal range is 24-173. 

What causes elevated creatine kinase?
Elevated creatine kinase levels are present when there is destruction of cardiac or skeletal muscle. Creatine kinase levels can also be increased in brain injury, such as stroke. The elevation is detected through a simple blood test.

Causes of elevated creatine kinase
Elevated creatine kinase may be caused by conditions including:

• Brain injury
• Delirium tremens (severe alcohol withdrawal)
• Muscle diseases such as dermatomyositis, polymyositis or muscular dystrophy
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Myocarditis (infection of the middle layer of the heart wall)
• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle destruction)
• Stroke
• Trauma

What are the potential complications of elevated creatine kinase?
Because elevated creatine kinase can be due to serious underlying diseases or conditions, failure to seek treatment can result in significant complications and even permanent damage. Once your doctor has determined the underlying cause of your elevated creatine kinase, it is very important to carefully follow the recommended treatment plan in order to reduce the risk of potential complications including:

• Brain damage
• Disability
• Heart failure

Creatinine levels measure how well your kidneys are working. Creatinine can be measured in your blood or your urine. Low creatinine in the urine usually points to a decreased kidney function. So do high blood levels of creatinine. What do abnormal creatinine levels mean? They only mean that your kidneys are not working optimally. If this is the first time a doctor has ordered a creatinine test, you probably don’t experience any physical symptoms yet. However, it is important to restore normal kidney function quickly, because all kidney diseases, including CKD and renal failure are progressive in nature.

Creatinine is a waste product made by the muscles. While healthy kidneys remove creatinine from the blood, impaired kidneys are less able to perform this function. When the kidney function falls below approximately 50 percent because of chronic kidney disease, creatinine levels start to creep up, because the kidneys are less able to remove the creatinine from the blood. Creatinine is not necessarily bad in itself, but it is a good marker of advanced kidney disease.

 

Man, its bad enough that I'm having problems with my meds.  Now this too?  WTF...