Question: Yes, my blood pressure is very high - avg 165/98 in the last week. I have had low back pain for 20 years. Left leg has collapsed on 2-3 different occasions, have not been able to sleep at night for 3-4 weeks with recurring left leg pain at night. I have had restless leg and ankle/calf for 2 years. Even while sitting, my feet hurt continually. I have loss of bladder function that has been going on for 2 years. I'm very concerned that this could be Stage 3 Renal Failure.

I have already been diagnosed with adrenal exhaustion 20 years ago. My doc says the adrenals have bottomed out now. I told my Endocrinologist and he says it probably isn't but this runs in my family. Family history on both sides is Diabetes with extremity amputations, Hypothyroidism, High Blood Pressure, Adrenal Failure, Heart Disease, Breast Cancer. In Dec my doc put me on 25 mg DHEA and all left ankle, left calf, left pelvic pain subsided completely. The left leg no longer collapsed. I can get up from a chair and walk without the severe pain I had in both feet. No more left ankle/calf pain throbbing throughout the night. All sleep problems resolved. I would go to bed at 10:30 and not be able to get to sleep until 3:00 am. In XXXXXXX I put on 20 lbs almost overnight and I did not know why. Then he tried cortisol. With the cortisol, I lost 10 lbs in 2 days due to edema in my legs, and the bladder problem resolved in 2 days. But there is a foul smell to my urine and low back pain. So I'm thinking there may still be a UTI and resulting kidney problem. If so, it has been going on for 2 years now all while the bladder was functioning poorly (1/4 cup at a time has been all I can urinate) yet I drink 2-3 liters a day. So output doesn't equal input and there is a problem. It could be a kidney problem as my doctor suspects or bladder cancer so not sure if I should see an oncologist or nephrologist. Tired of getting the run around when I already have the labs proving the kidney is the problem. If adrenals are malfunctioning, how likely is it that the kidneys are malfunctioning especially in light of right flank pain. I have been to 8 doctors already and no one but my doctor of 17 years can find the problem. They just have see another doctor so I stopped going to doctors and tried an accupuncturist. Without any tests whatsoever, within 2 month, she concluded kidney and spleen problems and told me to see a kidney specialist. However, the Endo doctor has not referred me. Instead he has done test after test with no idea of what the problem is. Without his referral, the Nephrologist says he cannot see me. I'm way ahead of the ball - not behind it as you would suggest. I have been 95% most of the time. My doctor just asks me what I think it is, and we go from there. He trusts my instincts that much. I have always been proactive and educated. The human body is similar to a car - any intelligent mechanically-inclined individual can figure it out. Obviously I am already ahead of the ball again. I don't think this website can help me. I will work with the Endocrinologist to see if I can convince him of a referral to the Nephrologist. That's probably the quickest way to resolve the problem.