Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Buffalo N.Y.
Lower Back Pain Noticed (spasms Or Lower Back "lock Ups Posted: 12-29-05 08:36am
This is the gist of my problem:
lower back pain noticed (spasms or lower
back "lock ups") brought on by taking high
amounts caffeine, diet pills, supplements
containg green tea extract, taurine,
ephedrine.
Here is a more detailed explanation:
recently I had begun working out again (2
months ago) after taking a couple years
off. I had developed a pretty good
routine 4-5 days a week that was a healthy
mixture of cardio and weight lifting.
My wife for christmas wanting to "help" my
work out routine, went to the local gnc
and talked to the clerk there. He
recommended I take two supplements that
would help my workout. These supplements
are heavy in taurine, green tea extract
and protein. One was a shake, the other
were pills (2 pills a day is the recommend
dose).
I took both supplements in the morning (i
do my workouts at night) and on the drive
home from work I noticed a dull ache in my
lower back and kidney region. This lower
back pain progessed until it was time for
my workout, which is right around 8pm at
night (i took the supplements almost 13
hours earlier at 7am). I began with a
mile jog, went to three sets of bench
press and began to run again. During my
second run my lower back spasmed heavily
and "locked" up on me. I could barely
walk. I ended my routine, went home and
noticed an hour later that the lower back
spasm tailed off to a dull ache. This was
two days ago and this dull ache in my
lower back kidney region has been with me
ever since.
My history:
this is not the first time this has
happened to me and I wonder if my abuse of
ephedrine pills when I was in my early 20s
(taking 10-16 pills a day off and on for a
month or two) has played a part in these
lower back kidney pain episodes. I
noticed after two months of this on and
off abuse of ephedrine I was starting to
get lower back pain - this bothered me
because my grandfather had passed away in
his 50s as a result of kidney disease. I
immediately stopped taking the pills. The
lower back pain went away.
When I was 27 I began working out pretty
heavily. I was a bit overweight (50
pounds heavier than I am currently) and I
mixed my workout with diet pills
(hydroxycut to be exact). I did not abuse
the diet pills, but in fact followed the
daily recommend dosage. While using the
stair climber during one of my workouts
my lower back spasmed exactly like it did
two days ago and I was out of operation
then (no workouts) for days, if not a week
or two if I remember correctly. The lower
back pain stayed with me for a week.
My questions:
is this lower back pain brought on by
heavy amounts of caffeine stimulants? If
so, why days after i've taken these
supplements do I still have a dull ache in
my lower back? Did the heavy spasm I
experienced during my workout pull the
muscles in my lower back?
-or-
is there truly something wrong with my
kidneys? I have no blood in my urine
(it's always been dark in color though)
my doctor's opinion:
i told my doctor about all of this a year
and a half ago because I was worried I may
have damaged my kidneys because whenever I
take high amounts of caffeine I would get
lower back pain. She was not concerned.
I have searched high and low on the
internet and I can't find any legitimate
connection between ephedrine abuse,
caffeine consumption, and diet supplements
that lead to lower back pain.
Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
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Tamadrummer
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 710 Location: Zephyrhills,Fl
Posted: 12-29-05 11:26am
Imho you have already done enough
research. There probably are not any
studies about the connection between back
pain and supplement use because the fda
does not regulate "supplements" and so
there is no use in there being studies for
derogotory effects from the junk being
sold.
If you know that this pain is coming only
when you started taking these meds and
when you do not take them you do not have
pain. Stop taking them, they are not
necessary for you to use and in may cases
can and will caue heart and other major
organ diesease. I am not an advocate of
the supplement market and I am totally
opposed to anything gnc has to offer.
They litterally sell all of the necessary
ingredients to make anabolic steroids and
even tell you how to mix the stuff. They
sell this stiff to anyone thats wants it
whether high school or even younger and
these kids get sick and some die.
Working out is a great way to be healthy
but taking medicines that are not
prescribed and in fact havent even been
studied in humans or animals because there
is no regulation on the stuff.
Hopefully you trash the stuff you have and
do not buy any more, just eat right and
live a healthy life not including a bunch
of supplements.
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GusW.
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Buffalo N.Y.
Posted: 12-29-05 12:14pm
Tammadrummer - I appreciate the feedback.
I am not a big advocate of supplements and
I was a bit dissappointed my wife did not
purchase the whey protein diet drink I
wanted (i gave her the links online). For
some reason she thought it would be better
to go to gnc and purchase the whey protein
version with extras. I know my
sensitivity limitations with high doses of
caffeine, diet pills and anything
ephedrine related - this going back to my
shortsighted abuse of ephedrine in my
early 20s and something I wished my wife
would have consulted about with me before
she purchased them.
My point is before I took the supplements,
this time around I read the ingredient
deck and the nutrition facts tables and
was a little bit alarmed to read some of
the ingredients mirrored the diet pills I
had taken. I took them anyway, one dose
of each and my fears came true those 13
hours later as painful spasms racked my
lower back!
I have definitely decided against the use
of the supplements my wife had gotten me,
although expensive, they are garbage for
me.
As I sit here writing this with that dull
ache in my lower back, I am just curious
how I became so sensitive and what is the
connection between my lower back pain and
these stimulants.
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Tamadrummer
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 710 Location: Zephyrhills,Fl
Posted: 12-29-05 12:38pm
My best recommendation for a cure all
remedy would have to be to:
1.) get in your car.
2.) drive to the closest anderson's
3.) order a big beef on weck and a root
beer float.
4.) eat and drink that
5.) order a banana split and eat that
6.) go home and take a nap.
If you dont like beef on weck then go over
to garden park and have some of buffalo's
finest wings. And then go over to la
bellas for an anti-pasto salad for the
rest of the ingredients that are needed
for a balanced meal.
Just kidding, my wife is from cheektowaga
and we go there once or more a year to
visit family and friends. I would move
there in a second but she hates the snow
and with my back injury, I would not be
able to shovel or snow blow the drive.
As far as needing added protien, you do
not need that in your diet either. I have
a lot of reference material from my
science 110 human nutrition class I took
last semiester. As long as you have a
well balance diet including good lean
meats and legumes such as peanuts, peas
like black eyed and pinto( mighty taco
bean burritos are a great source for pinto
beans) and many other types of beans/peas.
The added protien actually adds alot of
unecessay stress to your kidneys as they
try to process it out of your body.
As I said in the earlier post, many and
actually almost all of the supplements
sold are not only unnecessay for your diet
but in many cases very dangerous too. If
you would like, you can private message me
your address and I will burn my text book
from that nutrition class in pdf format
and send it up to you. You will find much
of the info in the text deters you from
using supplements other than a
multi-vitamin and they only recommend that
for someone that does not eat a well
balanced diet.
Good luck,
brian
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GusW.
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Buffalo N.Y.
Posted: 12-29-05 12:57pm
Lol! Well, well what a small world this
is. I'm actually at work right now in
cheektowaga n.Y. Typing this out. Shh
don't tell the boss.
I am huge beef on weck fan, will eat just
about any chicken wing (one of my main
vices), and spent many a lunch at mighty
taco.
I've changed my diet quite drastically in
the last year and a half and I appreciate
the offer of your nutrition class text
book. I went from eating all crap (as you
know the buffalo area has many vices if
you love food) and I was 50 pounds
overweight, a smoker, a snoring mess (i
began snoring as soon as I hit the 50
pound overweight mark), had lower back
pain from both carrying the extra weight
and drinking multiple cups of coffee a
day.
I am now pushing 31 now and never felt
better in my life - aside from this old
back pain that popped up again. I quit
smoking at 27, toned down the alcohol
consumption, started eating greens and
less hot pockets.
By changing my diet my lower back pain was
non-existent.
I eat tons better and keep the junk to
minimums and special occasions.
It's nice to meet someone that is familiar
with the area. Next time you are up
bocci's pizza and a cold labatt blue on
me. :)
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ADenverDC
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 4
Posted: 01-19-06 14:42pm
They litterally sell all of the necessary
ingredients to make anabolic steroids and
even tell you how to mix the stuff. They
sell this stiff to anyone thats wants it
whether high school or even younger and
these kids get sick and some die.
You dont know what your talking about.
They do not sell the ingredients to make
steroids. Trust me, this guy doesnt know
what he is talking about. Anyone that
knows anything about strength supplements,
and I know alot, knows that taking
pro-hormones like"andro" is not the same
thing as taking steroids. You should
learn a little bit about what you are
talking about before bashing something.
Sounds like you are taking too many
stimulants, which is not good, it trashes
your adrenals and saps your energy.
Could be a possible explanation for the
back pain.
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ADenverDC
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 4
Posted: 01-19-06 14:46pm
Recent studies have shown that extra
protein does not tax the kidneys. That
is an old wives tale, usually passed down
by some nutritionist who still thinks a
low fat high carb diet is a good diet.
