[jhkjurter]

first - I am new to this forum - Iposted a question about this yesterday and I can't find it - so any help with that would be great. Next - I LOVE this diet - I am doing great, down 13lbs - only 10 to go. But I am struggling with this lower back pain, its new and I think it could be my kidneys. I have seen that a few people have asked questions about this, but I haven't seen any responses. Not sure if I am not looking correctly. Any suggestions, comments - or information would be soo appreciated.

[Rupeviv]

I would worry if you have high fever and/or chills; an upset stomach; cloudy, bloody or really stinky pee; pain with urination; AND are peeing a lot. And you will pee often without much output - like a feeling of urgency with just a few drops of pee. If you are having those symptoms (those are of an ordinary UTI) along with really really high levels of pain, then you could have a kidney infection, and you should definitely call your doctor. (You should call your doctor anyway, if you do have the symptoms of just a UTI - some antibiotics will fix you right up!)

If you are only having some lower back pain with no other symptoms, then I would think it is more likely to be muscular or skeletal. You don't mention any other symptoms except back pain, so I wouldn't fret too much.

I've looked at the possible side effects from HCG, and I don't see any correlation to kidney issues (or pregnant women would have tons of kidney issues, from the massive amounts of HCG that are secreted by the placenta). There are a few people who think that the formation of actual kidney STONES may be worsened by a low-carb diet, but this would take more time than 40 days of eating reduced carbs, if that hypothesis is true. I have seen no correlation to bladder issues, at all.

The best way to treat a simple UTI is by drinking water - lots of it - to plus any bacteria out of your bladder and urethra before it enters your ureters and can travel to your kidneys. If you want to neutralize the acidity of your urine (gives bacteria a less hospitable place to live!), then dissolve a tsp of baking soda in your water (this should be ok on protocol, except it is HIGH in sodium). Also cut your caffeine.

[PIORARMADDERI]

Thanks sooo much for responding - I did an internet search and found someone who said that the hcg diet put her into kidney failure - but there were no specifics - and you don't know her history and if she is doing it right..yada yada...but it was has me a a bit worried.

My only symptom is lower back pain - but I have done nothing to warrant anything muscular - and it is not horrible - but - it is uncomfortable. I have been drinking at least 64 oz. of water - on most days about 80oz. I am eating everything I should on the protocol - except - a few days I have left out the melba - I had heard you do better, and it did seem to make a difference.

I am going to watch it for a few days - I am in day 13 - planning to go 40 - but if it doesn't improve, I guess I will just go to day 23 and go off onto P3 and see if it makes a difference.

I do appreciate you taking the time to respond - I am probably just paranoid!

[tomspoumn]

The internet can be a great place - or a dangerous one!! For all you know, that woman had a family history of kidney disease (seems to be a genetic link), and could also be a diabetic alcoholic who smoked and draink 1 glass of water a day.

People don't like to take personal responsibility for most things, and it is way easier to say that HCG caused my kidney failure than it is to say that her kidney failure was caused by a lifetime of poor lifestyle choices.

You could simply have slept funny on your back. You can take aspirin on protocol; that might help the discomfort. If it is still hurting you after a few days, then call your doc up; I would do that rather than go off the diet if it has been working well for you. I hate the thought of having to leave this diet early, and I surely wouldn't do on the basis of something that I was only worried about, rather than on something concrete. (And actually Grammy said somewhere else on here that conventional wisdom suggests a minimum of a 30 day regime, as it seems that the regular short trial doesn't seem to stop re-gaining as well. I am on a short trial, but at this point, am planning on extending as long as my HCG holds out (or until goal).

[moohassinny]

You are sooo right about the internet - you can find whatever kind of info you want - good or bad! I didn't take it to heart - but thought it was reason enough to ask some questions. I am still having the pain - I did take some potassium - as someone had suggested that I could just need some vitamins. We will see. Honestly - if I just had to live with it for the next few weeks - I would - the pain is not that bad, as much as the worry that it could be something worse. It could be that I am working on my own kidney stone - and that it has nothing to do with hcg. I have never had one before - but it could happen. If I plan to cut it short early - I will go the 30 days - that would only be 16 more days - and I am really hoping to go the whole 40. I think if I go the whole way - I could possibly not have to do another round - which was the original goal. Its not nearly as hard as I thought it would be - but it is soo hard to fit into life. I went to dinner with my family the other nite - its just easier for me not to eat at all - than to try to pick around, and figure out what is in things. but that is kinda like torture!

In any case - I am learning! I am down 13 - and really want at least 6 more before I stop. I have felt great until today - tired and just feeling lazy - which is not me - but could be attributed to many things! Sometimes we just need a lazy day!

thanks again for responding - I am much less worried!!

[joulseenjoync]

i had lower back pain when i first started hcg. it lasted almost two weeks. it reminded me very much of the pain i get right before my tmi AND i had it when i was pregnant. it went away and never came back after the first two weeks. just my two cents....i checked the internet and freaked out a bit too but i was fine.

[bettingonosports]

i had lower back pain when i first started hcg. it lasted almost two weeks. it reminded me very much of the pain i get right before my tmi AND i had it when i was pregnant. it went away and never came back after the first two weeks. just my two cents....i checked the internet and freaked out a bit too but i was fine.

THANK YOU for sharing that! I am still in pain - and it has gotten worse - if it was my kidneys, I didn't want to add to their overload by adding any pain killers like aspirin or ibuprofin - but I gave in this morning and it has helped a bit. I am really thinking it is not my kidneys, as it is low - and I have no other symptoms at all, and actually feel great - but much better sitting with my feet up...lol...can't work that way.

Anyway, hearing that you had it and it went away with no damage really makes me breathe a sigh of relief - thanks again for sharing!

[ringsarcle]

I had back pain around the 3rd week of my first round as well. It wasn't lower - more mid, like along my shoulder blade. I didn't have any 'knots' that I could find and the pain got worse with each day. I eventually went to the Dr. Useless... 4 sets of x-rays that showed nothing and she gave me Naproxin and a muscle relaxant, which I took like 3 times because it made me stupid and sleepy. I still had the pain. I didn't think it was caused by the hCG until I was almost done with the round.

So, all that being said, I went into P3 and STILL had the back pain 3 weeks later. Whatever it was eventually worked it's way out. I attribute it to 'having a cold' in my back, if that makes sense. I got a pretty good cold right before starting my first round and then it seemed to go away pretty fast. I wonder if it just 'settled' in my back for some reason. I'm sure I sound like a crackpot, but I have had this happen before, like in my neck or other odd places...

I am currently in P3 of my 2nd round and had no back problems at all.

Hope you're feeling better soon!!!
~Fatty

[fectsnanteemy]

you are not a crackpot at all - I have heard of that before! I didn't really have a cold - not sure what is going on. I have decided just to stick it out and hope it gets better. I took ibuprofin all day today- it dulled it, but comes right back. Tried to get in a little more water than usual, but wasn't real successful - still about 80oz...glad to know its happened before and it was nothing to worry about - but soo wish it would pass!

Thanks for sharing - good luck on this round!

[BostonDoctorTTT]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and HCG. This is my first round, and I'm on phase 2 (or 3 depending on who you read). I'm aiming a 43 day and am currently day 23. I take my shots, I prepare food carefully and am meticulously observant of ALL the rules including cosmetics. I've read and re-read Pounds and Inches. The HcG has good potency because I don't feel hungry, cravings are low, my skin is glowing, I have good energy, yada-yada-yada, all the good things that should happen when on good quality HcG.

I've lost weight, approximately 14 lbs. Sometimes it shows 17 lbs. And that's it! No more weightloss. I've been stalled for 2-1/2 weeks.
I've had the apple day, and when that didn't work; the diuretic. After the apple day and after the diuretic, I lost 4 pounds, hence the 17 lbs loss but shortly after, I was back to the same weight reflecting the 14 lbs. loss.

Six days ago, I started with pain in my ovarian area, similar to when its the time of the month. Took some aspirin and pain gone. Now, I have the most horrific 'kidney pain'. Took cranberry tablets, rest, reduced teas, reduced sweeteners (all the right ones), reduced water. I pee regularly and normal with good output. I'm not constipated. I researched and I found I had to increase carbs a bit. So I ate 2 breadsticks instead of 1 for 2 days. Still lots of pain.

I was so delighted on this program because of everything I've ever done, this is the only thing where I don't feel hungry all the time and where I have a lot of energy. I feel I can do it. But this pain is immobilizing to me.

I know it is not a UTI.

Can someone please tell me what it is?
Can someone please tell me why I'm not losing anymore weight?

I don't want to go to the doctor because I know exactly what will be the first thing he will ask me to do: get off the HcG.
I'm not Chinese (or Caucasian) nor a more common race here in Hong Kong, so most doctors here attribute anything wrong with me to my ethnicity. The first thing they will do is blame the HcG. I don't want to stop and want to break this never-ending plateau.

Apologies for the lengthy note.
So, please, any comments, suggestions, recommendations and most of all pain relief you can share, please let me know ASAP.

Many thanks!!!!

[DEMassteers]

I cannot find anything on the kidney issues with HCG. As a nurse I can tell you MOST people that present with acute kidney issues complain of flank pain, to the side. In sever cases it will literally take you down. A simple way to see if something is going on with them is have your MD draw a CMP ( comprehensive metabolic panel), in that panel is a BUN/creatnine, which shows kidney function. If your MD draws yearly labs on you, they draw either a BMP or a CMP (basic or comprhensive) but both have a BUN/creatnine in them.