Bubbles and maybe foam in urine

I am concerned about protein in my urine. I am scheduled to see my doc in 2 weeks for a urine test. When i urinate into the toilet, sometimes I get bubbles sometimes I don't. Sometimes the bubble disappear immediately sometimes they are there for a few minutes, or maybe even longer. Bubbles are only on surface and never really build or tower-up where I am urinating. I followed the guidance on a site I found (www.igasite.com/symptoms/252.html) and urinated into a glass cup (i don't have a testube) and the bubbles appeared but were gone in 50 seconds. I then covered and shook the glass and got bubble/foam that began to disappear, after 20 minutes all that remains is a very small ring of small bubbles around the edge (about 2mm wide) of the glass, the middle is free of bubbles. After 30 mins thin line of bubbles is almost gone. Maybe 1mm in spots, gone in others. After 40 mins only the tiniest bubbles remain either in single or double width line on the surface only at the edges. This was my second urination of the day, and I had a bowl of oatmeal, glasss of water and a cup of coffee.

I am an otherwise healthy person (male 41), with no known health problems and I am not sure when this may have started. I noticed it because I was researching protein in the urine for my wife, who is currently dealing with a sudden and serious health issue that is causing me a TON of stress for the past 3 weeks. I am eating less, but still drinking tons of water, no alcohol or drug use (prescription or otherwise.).

So I guess I am asking do the results of my rookie urologist point to something like proteinuria, or just maybe some trace proteins my urine due to stress, or maybe nothing to be worried about at all?

I am just looking for some educated informed feedback so I can rest a little easier regarding this issue.

Post Edited (NeoGeoH) : 1/13/2012 7:54:02 AM (GMT-7)

Thanks for posting this one. Your situation is almost identical to mine.

I did not really take note of my urine until I have read an article in the magazine about how kidney failures are linked with foamy urine. Since then I realised that most of the time when I go to toilet there are bubbles in the urine.

I got very concerned and was very stressed. My job is also very stressful so it doesn't help.

Finally went to the doctor and he got some urine sample of me. Ran a urine test with the strip and no protein was detected. He also asked me if I have done any blood test recently. I did one back then (around 2 months ago) and the report doesn't raise any concerns with my kidney functions.

I will of course, continue to monitor the situation. I found that it helps when I drink plenty of water.

I agree with the OP that, the moral of the story, don't always rely on doctor Google!

NeoGeoH said...
Moral of the story: The internet is great for finding information, but it can also cause you to almost give yourself a heart attack with incorrect self-diagnosis.

That's a good moral to follow. I learned a few years ago to read between the lines and not take anything posted at face value. Case in point, due to gout I had to be placed on a drug called Allopurinol. Before I filled the prescription I read everything I could and the first search results were from people that took it and had a bad experience. Most responders said "do not take this drug!!". I didn't listen and proceeded to take it daily. I had not one, not one single side effect and I've been on it now for five years.

Thanks for posting this. This has helped deal with some anxiety. I often get anxious about health issues when I observe a new or unexpected symptom and it triggers a chain reaction of fears.

I am a 6'4 and 220 LB male and I experienced symptoms almost identical to yours. I see soapy bubbles just about every time I urinate although they are more prevalent when I urinate directly in the toilet water or when my urine is more concentrated. I also decided to pay a visit to the doctor to get it checked and had a dipstick test done which came back negative for protein in urine. I have read a lot about this condition and it seems that it can often be a normal finding for some people. However, I have also read that dipstick tests can also show false negatives. They are usually only specific to one kind of protein (albumin) and there are diseases which can cause proteinuria with proteins of different types. As well, albumin may not show as elevated if the urine in the sample was particularly dilute.

That said, while I feel much better, I will continue to self monitor. If the condition worsens or I develop any other symptoms of kidney disease, I will get another test done. I do have another appointment scheduled soon so I may go ahead and see if I can get retested then just to make sure.