Nephrotic Syndrome 3 years ago,Protein levels have gone down to 2+, Swelling on the eyelids and groin area.

My son was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome 3 years ago. He has had a relapse 3 weeks ago and is still in hospital.I want to find ouut how can we prevent him from having a relapse as he was off medication for 1 year. Thanks. Regards Bronwyn. protein levels have gone down to 2+, swelling on the eyelids and groin area.
His latest test reports including urine test, blood test, renal function test and ultrasound:
15 (35 to 50), total protein, serum albumin 45 (60-80) cholesterol < 8.5 to 4.4
7.4 (1.8 6.4) creatinine urea 56 (27-62) 1.81 umol/l calcium (2.2 2.7)
Urine protein + + + + + urine occult blood protein 12.4 g/l for 24 hours urine protein 33.66 g
Kidney Doctor answer:
Nephrotic Syndrome is a kind of common disease for children. It can be well controlled.
Actually Nephrotic Syndrome is just a general name of a group of symptoms like large amount of protein leakage, high blood pressure, swelling, high blood lipid and low albumin. There are five kinds of pathological changes of Nephrotic Syndrome. The root cause of the protein leakage is damage to glomerular epithelial cells. We have to stop the inflammation in the kidneys, remove the immune complex and repair the damaged kidney cells so as to cure this disease fundamentally.
His protein leakage is really too serious and the Cholesterol is too high. It is easy to cause thrombus. Hope his serum albumin has been improved after the albumin drip. However, it is not permanent solution. If his kidney damage cannot be repaired, the protein leakage may become serious again after the reduction of the medicine.
Hope his protein leakage is reduced after the Methylprednisolne pluse therapy. If so, at least it means he is sensitive to the steroids
Your son has already had this disease since 3 years ago. It is long time. High serum creatinine suggests his kidney function has been damaged. If not well treated in time, the disease can develop to chronic kidney disease and even kidney failure.
He can do kidney biopsy for clearer diagnosis. In China, we can do some special tests like kidney damage series, 7 items of renal toxins, tubular damage test, circulating immune complex and subgroup lymphocytes so as to make the condition clear and use medicine scientifically based on the tests. Some tests cannot be done in comprehensive hospitals

If his 24 hours protein in urine is controlled at 0.07g/24hrs, it is very good. If it can be lowered to 0.05g or even 0.03g, that's better. Anyway, it means your son is sensitive to steroids, which suggests his pathological type of kidney damage is not too serious and there is hope of cure. Of course, if he just continues with the present treatment, it is not enough. The disease is easy to relapse. The keypoint is not to cure his disease, but to prevent the relapse in future. If treated in our hospital, we will also use steroids. It is scientific, but immunotherapy and micro-Chinese medicine have to be used to regulate the immune system, protect the kidney function and improve his immunity so as to prevent relapse in future. Prednisone can only suppress the immunity and make his immunity low. That's why when he stopped the medicine and had a cold, the disease will relapse.

Now Chinse medicine can help nephrotic syndrome paitent, If you have any question about nephrotic syndrome, I will analyze it and give you specific advice.