Side and back pain

[KarenF]

Hi I am new here. I have CKD and am experiencing sharp pains in my side\back in certain positions. I did mention this to my gp just before covid19 lockdown who just took another blood test. Has anyone else experienced this?

[DaveThebe]

My experience is that once you become aware of ckd you start attributing every little pain in your side to ckd. I’ve experienced such pain in the last year or so since I became aware of my low egfr (71 currently) I’ve done all the scans and everything is clear. What I’ve learned from this forum is that mostly kidneys are never painful on their own unless there’s an infection or you have kidney stones. Perhaps ask your doctor to send you for some scans. Good luck.

[Netty321]

Yes I have this regularly egfr 38 & was sent to A&E on 1 occasion due to the pain & I had breathlessness, with a crackle at the back of my throat. They said I had blood in my urine , gave me morphine & sent me home to wait for a referral to renal medicine . . . which I'm still waiting for due to Covid 19 outbreak. They're hoping it will improve . . . so am I but egfr rate has been 38 since January, which was a sudden drop from last year. I had a scan & the kidneys aren't inflamed so Urologist said it may be nephrology I need but nothing is moving forward - haven't even had the follow up blood test yet to check levels! Hey ho!

[WYOAnne]

Yes, DaveThebe is right. Kidneys on there own do not cause pain unless there is an infection, a blockage or a kidney stone. Has your doctor done x-rays and scans to check it all out and make sure all is OK. Sometimes it can be your gall bladder and you just think it is your kidney. Have you been exercising? Sometimes it can be a muscle pull

I know it is hard during this time of "staying at home", but make sure you follow up with this if it persists.

Take care

[Sammi_n_Munk]

Hi KarenF! Welcome to the forum! Well, I do know that kidney issues and back pain can sometimes go hand-in-hand. Or, as DaveThebe has said, it can be kidney stones as well. This is something you would need to speak to your doctor about. This is really not something that we would be able to help you with until your doctor has had a chance to properly address this.

But if you’re concerned about it in the meantime, there are some things you could do as far as engaging in more kidney-friendly habits (if you haven’t yet already, that is) to see if this helps you. You could try:

1. Drinking more water daily to keep yourself properly hydrated and flush your system (don’t over do it either, though). This will also help with GFR levels.

2. Keep away from anti-inflammatory meds (even over-the-counter brands such as Advil, Motrin and Aleve). These are not kidney-friendly. Try Tylenol instead for pain relief, providing you have no liver issues or allergies to acetaminophen. If you ever need to take antibiotics or steroids for any medical reason, discuss this with your PCP first as these are not always good for kidney function.

3. Try lowering your daily protein intake. Eat a lot of low potassium fruits and veggies. You can find kidney-kind food lists and recipes online. I know a favourite in this forum is DaVita.com. Also, lower your intake of foods and beverages that are high in sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

4. Exercise daily (walking is best for the kidneys - about 30 or 40 minutes twice a day). Weight-lifting is something of a no-no for those with weakened kidney function. Your muscles can release protein into the bloodstream during that kind of strenuous exertion and this can raise blood creatinine levels. Not good.

I know it’s difficult right now with the crisis going on to get proper help from doctors, but perhaps you could schedule a telephone appointment to express some of your concerns and get some sound advice. This problem may not even be kidney-related, but you need to know for sure in order to address it properly. If it’s an infection, or stones, you will want to address this sooner rather than later.

I wish you all my best, dear. Take good care of yourself, and I hope these tips will be helpful to you. Please keep us posted on your results. God bless. 🙏😊👍

[SpaghettiBetty]

I frequently get colicky back and flank pain. In the absence of any other symptoms, for me, it can be caused by urine refluxing back into the kidneys. I have a Urostomy and reflux is normal with an ileal conduit. I also had reflux previous to my Urostomy due to severe scarring to my bladder (caused by radiotherapy treatment) which caused the same back and flank pain.

[Hidden]

I took care of mine by going to an acupuncturist that took care of my shingles when pharmaceuticals couldn't. Be sure that your chosen acupuncturist is fully qualified, not someone that just went to Mexico for a long vacation. I am 4th stage ADPKD and she has been very helpful.

[Hidden]

I forgot to mention: get some strips and check your pH a couple of times a week. I keep mine at neutral or a little alkaline with sodium bicarbonate tablets that my PCP okayed. PH is often overlooked and can vary from day to day and can make as much difference in your well being as the wrong fiber.