Question: I have a terrible fear of water retention since I had a pvc-induced cardiomyopathy for which I had an ablation which cured the cardiomyopathy. One of my doctors said I would always be in danger of CHF and should be urinating every two hours or else I was in CHF.

I know there is a large anxiety component to my worries but I have been to the ER several times for fear I wasn't urinating enough and therefore retaining water. Every time, I have checked out fine through bloodwork, physical exam, and ultrasound.

However two things concern me about my bloodwork yesterday. My creatinine has fluctuated between .6 and .7 but yesterday was .8. Doctor explained that it was totally normal and not to worry. Also urinalysis with microscope analysis was totally normal and clean, no protein or casts. I also hadn't had a drink in 5-6 hours because of the long wait.

Also, BNP has always been between 12-19 but Pro-BNP higher. It was 67.5 a month ago 71 yesterday. Again, I was told it was a totally normal value and indicated nothing.

Are these tiny fluctuations insignificant? I worry so much. I was told creatinine wouldn't change unless I had serious damage and I'm totally normal. Lab reports are attached but I don't have yesterday's yet.

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much, doctor. Is it quite irrational for me to think that from such normal parameters, I could suddenly stop producing urine altogether and be in heart/kidney failiure? As much as my doctor reaasures me now that everything is back to normal, I was given that impression by a former doctor and it has frightened me so much and I constantly monitor my fluids and monitor urination obsessively. With normal kidney and heart function, can I trust that my body will just balance my fluids without me having to pay such attention? It has taken over my life. Thank you so much, doctor.

Thank you so much, doctor. I got my lab reports and it turns out creatinine had not gone up to .8, still .7, with BUN 10 and all urinalysis (with microscope analysis) was negative or normal. Is 71 ProBNP totally normal and ok? I know it's not identical to BNP but I thought values were pretty close and BNP has never been over 19. My ER echo was good and last routine echo showed EF 66-70. Would there be something amiss in all these tests if anything was wrong with kidneys and/or heart? Can I truly just forget about fluid retention? I was so traumatized by my hospital fluid restriction that water just truly frightens me.

Thank you again, doctor. So it is completely irrational to think that I could have pathological water retention suddenly when my tests and labs all look normal? Today, after drinking my normal 16 oz green juice, I barely had to urinate a couple of hours later, and yet some days after my juice, I have to go urgently less than an hour later. This sort of variation in urination worries me greatly. Is this just what all normal bodies do? I never gave drinking or urination a thought until I was sick and my doctor was so concerned about water intake and output. Would there be signs of problems in blood/urine if anything was amiss? I do know about "insensible losses" but it seems like often I experience the varied urine output under identical conditions so I don't understand how it can often differ so much. Thank you so much.