Anemia, kidney stones, and unable to take vitamins. Help?

[sunsaver]

FF, in our defense, we both said go to a real doctor, right? So we shouldn't get scolded too bad. Thought i was right about the bloated African kids. Isn't that from malnutrition? Or are they eating too much? I'm a little confused now, with everybody quoting me.
Everyone i've talked to that had kidney stones, had also (it just so happens) recently stopped drinking soda or coffee, to help them sleep better. Once they started drinking coffee or Coca-Cola again, the kidney pain and stones disappeared, just like me. I'm not saying that this is the only cause for stones or kidney pain, just that the Docs never cured me, were as my advice has cured everyone that i've given it to, all three of whom later thanked me. So, if you did not recently stop taking caffine, don't listen to any of my advice. Ive only cured my first three patients! And go see a real doctor. Know-it-alls like me would rather pull our own eye-teeth, if we still got 'em!

 

[Farmfresh]

Yes you are right it is from LACK of protein in the body.

That is what happens when you refuse to eat as well. :/

 

[savingdogs]

That is interesting sunsaver, I did not have kidney stones before I had to stop drinking caffeine (I'm actually allergic to caffeine).

 

[sunsaver]

Doesn't surprise me, SD. That makes five of us now who seem to have gotten kidney stones after quitting cafeine. There are other natural diuretics out there, i'm sure. I think a big dandelion salad twice a week might prevent stones. I'd love to see some hard science, but they don't want to cure us, just sell us drugs for our symptoms.

 

[Denim Deb]

I was never a big caffeine drinker, so maybe that's why I didn't have any problems when I had to stop drinking coffee and soda.

 

[Icu4dzs]

The bloated African kids have a condition called Kwashiorkor and it is a protein malnutrition problem; much like our friend is describing. She needs to know WHY she is losing protein or not absorbing it.

Sorry, we family doc's take a lot of abuse from "specialists" because they think we are all dumb or we'd have been "specialists." No ill will is intended here but I would recommend that our friend seek competent medical advice rather than suggestions from friends who mean well but really don't know her situation in depth.

I do not mean to offend any of you and appreciate your understanding.
//BT//
Trim sends

 

[Wifezilla]

No offense taken, but you do realize her original post mentioned she has a doctor.

 

[savingdogs]

Doesn't surprise me, SD. That makes five of us now who seem to have gotten kidney stones after quitting cafeine. There are other natural diuretics out there, i'm sure. I think a big dandelion salad twice a week might prevent stones. I'd love to see some hard science, but they don't want to cure us, just sell us drugs for our symptoms.

I need to politely disagree here with your bolded comments. I adore my doctor (my specialist for my meniere's disease) and I know 100 percent he would love to cure me instead of write me prescriptions, that it is his passion and his dream to find a cure for my disease. Doctors do not own pharmacies, they are two seperate industries. While I'd like to know what to use should TSHTF and my prescription medications were not available, I'm not ready to believe my doc is giving me these to just keep me returning.

I'm sure if he thought drinking nettle tea would help me more than my medications he would say so. He has instructed me to take honey every day and other things that might be considered alternative or natural. He said the level of dieuretic in a plant could differ from day to day and my dosages are very sensitive.

I had the rare situation of being one of the few people who develops kidney stones from a particular dieuretic (acetazolathiazide) so ended up having a little bit more complete discussion with my primary care guy about this topic and they said they often TREAT kidney stones with the same medication that gave me the menieres, I'm one of the rare individuals with that reaction. He said the kidneys "working hard" generally helped expel small stones before they were a problem. Perhaps ICU4dz has a better explanation of that but my layman's brain could get around that concept fairly easily. They found me to be the exception to the rule and just switched me to a different dieuretic.

So caffeine, which is a dieuretic, would probably make the kidneys "work harder" as well. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Farmfresh]

I think the best use of a forum like this is not to diagnose a medical condition, but to throw out some possibilities and ideas out there. Of course we ALL want her to go seek REAL trained medical care.

The problem that I have had with medical professionals lately is not really a doctor issue as much as it is a TIME/MONEY issue. At least each and every one of the 5 different doctors that I regularly visit seem to have only about 10 to 15 minutes of their time to devote to ME. Insurance providers are deciding how many patients a day the doctor must see to stay on the "preferred provider" list.

Example: My current arthritis doctor just inherited me from another doctor in the practice that has been seeing me (for my 15 minutes each time every 2 months for a couple of years), because the other doctor moved to a different group. The new doctor has seen me now one time in the last six months. My last visit was handled (capably I will add) by a nurse practitioner. When I need to talk to this doctor about my condition he has to try and quickly read the notes (good or bad - who knows) left in my chart from the other doctor. Then he is supposed to consider my whole physical condition and solve my problems - in my allotted 15 minutes. Not fair to ANYBODY. I am sure most doctors out there know their business and really try to CARE for the patient. Nobody can be expected to be that perfect in that amount of time and they can NOT afford to slow the pace.

I am Celiac and I have had my doctor's try to prescribe meds with a wheat starch base of several occasions. I have made it a point to educate myself .. for my own protection. I am LOUD about existing medications, allergies, other medical conditions (I have several) when I go to the doctor. I am always surprised how many times I tell them things (like my Celiac or my codeine allergy) and doctors that I have seen for years seem so surprised!

I think in this day, age and medical environment MUST educate ourselves as much as possible. I have discovered medical reactions that my meds were causing by doing research. Primary Source research. When I brought it to the doctor's attention they agreed with my findings. Meanwhile another doctor in the practice was aware of the SAME problem occurring several times in the practice since he was there. They don't even have time to share information with each other it seems. :/

So here were are. We all try to listen. Compare our own experiences and throw out possibilities and ideas. Possibilities and ideas to be researched further and SHARED with a trained professional.

Personally I am glad about some of the information I have learned from concerned friends. I never knew I was Celiac (or even what that was) until I learned about the condition from friends. I thought my horrible acid reflux was from drinking to much cola .. who knew the bread that I had been eating for the last 40 years was killing me.

 

[farmersdaughter83]

First, I want to apologize for my delayed absence since posting my original question. I've been super busy, and class has really been keeping me hopping.
Second, I want to personally thank each of you for your input and suggestions. I appreciate each and everyone one of you for taking the time to respond to my post, and I understand there are various opinions, approaches, and ideas.
Third, I'll answer some of the lingering questions. I had been seeing a regular urologist for several years for my kidney issues, she was great, however, she was a military doctor, and often opted to give me "trial" meds to try to "fix" an issue I was having. I think specialists are great, but when you have a bunch of separate or related issues, I don't want to go see 20 different doctors, I really want to see one person who knows my issues, and can provide the best advice, solution to the problem. I've changed family doctors a couple of times because the doctors seemed to either not care, or treat me as a drug seeker (a real problem in our area-drug abusers) even though I clearly told them that I would gladly accept a remedy that did not require prescription meds. While some people may have that closeness with their personal doctor, that is something I do not have. I am just another number on the board to them, especially the military doctors, which I no longer deal with, they may be good in the battle field but most of them suck with the general public. With my 4th miscarriage, I carried to 5 months, I went for my ultrasound and the technician couldn't find a heart beat, she called the doctor in (military) and she looked over the ultrasound, fiddled around, and looked at me and said "your baby is dead" and walked out. No follow up instructions, no sympathy, no nothing. Even the tech was left standing there with her mouth open, me, I was sobbing mess. I basically swore off military doctors after that unless I was dying, which a few large stones had me feeling a few times. I'm not here to discredit our military men and woman, I feel forever in debt to them for their selflessness giving their lives at a moments notice for the rest of us. I am just giving an example of the way doctors, doctors offices, often treat people more as cattle are treated rather than the personal touch we often need/seek in the care of our bodies and our health. Please understand I do not wish to put anyone down, that is not my goal, in any shape or form. Everyone is special in some shape or form, and serves a purpose of some sort, even the mean doctor above when dealing with my miscarriage. I don't know what she was dealing with that day, perhaps her situation was worse than mine, and that is the only way she could handle it. I don't agree with her treatment of my situation, but I don't personally blame her.
Fourth, (this is getting long huh? LOL!) I have found a doctor in my area, whom most write off as a "hippy" doctor, because she takes a different approach to medicine choosing natural methods over prescription methods. Her medical practice also happens to be a barter clinic, which most people turn their nose up to. She offers people a chance to work for her in exchange for medical care. I have talked with several of her patients, some I wouldn't suspect being a patient of hers, and all have raved of what wonderful care they have received from her and her staff. I'll be calling tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment to be seen within her practice for these issues.

Again I thank each of you for your advice, opinions, and ideas! I'll run these idea's by the doctor and see what happens. I'm also taking into consideration some of the dietary changes I can make to improve my health. In the last few days I have been way more conscious of my decisions and what I eat.
Thank you all! I'll post an update when I have some results from the doctor.