Medullary Kidney Disease

Mucin-1 Kidney Disease Symptoms

What are the symptoms of MKD?

For many years, there are no symptoms of MKD.  As one ages, the kidneys are less able to filter and waste products increase in the blood to the point that the patient begins to feel tired, weak and develop anemia.  In most patients, these symptoms slowly worsen and they will require dialysis or a kidney transplant.  However, a few patients with MKD are mildly affected and may never require dialysis.

What are the signs of MKD?

  • Most patients have a parent and a number of other family members who have had kidney disease.
  • Patients have slowly increasing blood creatinine levels.  Creatinine is a substance that the kidneys remove.  When the kidneys do not work so well, the blood creatinine levels go up. 
  • Patients will get kidney failure over time. 
  • While in some kidney diseases, there is blood or a lot of protein in the urine, in this disease there is little protein and no blood in the urine. 

I get a lot of kidney and bladder infections.  Does that mean I have MKD?

Kidney and bladder infections (urinary tract infections) are not caused by MKD.  This is not a sign of MKD.  Patients with MKD get these infections at the same rate as other individuals without the disease.

I have back pain over my kidneys.  Is this a symptom of MKD?

MKD does not cause pain in the kidneys or back.  Any pain in the back is not related to having MKD1.

Are kidney stones related to MKD?

Kidney stones are not part of this disease.   

Does gout happen in MKD?

Gout is caused when the kidney is not able to filter out a waste product called uric acid.  Uric acid then increases in the blood and is deposited in joints, where it forms crystals.  These crystals are painful and lead to inflammation.  Typically gout is in the big toe, but it can affect many other joints, such as knee or elbow.

Gout can occur in MKD after patients have developed a certain degree of kidney failure.  It is much more common in UKD, which is a similar disease.

Does high blood pressure happen a lot in MKD?

Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure.  As kidney function worsens in patients with MKD, high blood pressure can develop.  Most doctors consider a blood pressure reading greater than about 135/90 to be high blood pressure.



Last Updated: 04-16-2015
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