36yrs old, recently waking up with puffy, swollen hands that go down eventually. what's happening? kidneys? recent urine test shows high creatinine.

See your doctor: Swelling of hands and feet/legs can be a sign of kidney problems, heart or liver problems or side effects of medications. You are still young. Is there a family history of kidney disease? If you have a high creatinine (how high?) that can be a sign of kidney problems and you may need referral to a nephrologist or do a 24 hour urine collection test to find out. Is your bloodpressure ok? See your gp.

Salt intake: This is almost always from salt intake. A high urine creatinine is meaningless by itself. A high blood or serum creatinine is a different story. Cut back on the salt and see what happens. If it continues, tell your doctor. Salt is everywhere. If it is in the first 4 ingredients on food, that's a high salt item.