Explore Over 11,000+ Conditions, Medications, and Symptoms.

Get a personalized feed by signing up for free.

Urea Cycle Disorder

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

In urea cycle disorder, the process that moves urea through your body isn't working properly. It’s usually the result of a missing protein or enzyme. Known as an inborn error in metabolism, urea cycle disorder causes your blood to accumulate too much ammonia, which is toxic. Symptoms of this condition target your brain and organ function.

3 people with Urea Cycle Disorder

Learn from others who are experiencing Urea Cycle Disorder.

statistic

Signs & symptoms

There are usually signs of urea cycle disorder soon after your baby is born, but it can happen at any age. Signs of urea cycle disorder include: Lethargy. Nausea or vomiting. Can’t eat or feed. Breathing too fast or too slow. Confusion.

Diagnosis

After reviewing your symptoms and taking a complete medical history, your doctor will diagnose urea cycle disorder. They might order a blood or urine test to confirm a diagnosis.

Treatment

Several treatments can be used to treat urea cycle disorder, including: Eating a diet low in protein. Dialysis. Remove ammonia from your blood by taking medicine containing sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate. You can encourage your body to complete the urea cycle by taking amino acid supplements. Severe cases of hyperammonemia could lead to a liver transplant.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Alike Wisdom

Instantly get answers to medical questions with our AI, built from the collective wisdom of our community facing similar experiences

pp-logo

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

appStoreBtngooglePlayBtn

© 2020-2024 Alike, Inc