I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes about a year ago at age 28. On my last visit to my endocrinologist, he detected protein in my urine and said this may be the beginning of kidney disease. He asked for a 24 hour collection because sometimes women don’t get a “clean-catch”. How typical is this? Is there anything else that could cause protein in the urine? My doctor didn’t give me very much information and I’m wondering if this really can be true after having diabetes for such a short period.

It would be very unlikely for you to have any kidney problems after only 1 year of diabetes. I am assuming that you are not overweight, that your blood pressure is normal, and that there is no chance that you had undiagnosed diabetes for a much longer period.

Yes, many woman have normal vaginal secretions that can contain protein and cause false elevations of protein “in the urine”. Also many woman with diabetes are prone to yeast infections with secretions that can also “contaminate” the urine collection with protein. I usually suggest that if the woman has a yeast infection, she first clear it up with antifungal cream, and then collect a first morning urine after a bath. I have “cured” many females this way. If there is still protein in the urine, and you have truly only had diabetes for one year, than I would look for other causes of protein in the urine, including an undiagnosed urine infection or some other kidney problem unrelated to diabetes.

TGL