Is carbonated water bad?

Fruitylicious03
Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
in Food and Nutrition
I've been having lower back ache a few days. Now, I'm not aware of anything I could've done that could cause it in terms of exercise and such.

But lately I've been drinking carbonated water INSTEAD of normal water. My mouth likes the fizzyness.

My mom said that it's the carbonated water that's hurting my kidneys. Is there any truth to that?
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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Not that I know of. Did she explain what in the carbonated water is causing kidney distress?

    Also, why would kidney distress cause a lower back ache?
  • panda4153
    panda4153 Posts: 417 Member
    No, carbonated water will not hurt your Kidneys. Carbonated water is not bad.
  • Illini_Jim
    Illini_Jim Posts: 419 Member
    There are some common myths associated with drinking carbonated water — for instance, that it leaches calcium from the bones, causes kidney stones, and strips the enamel from your teeth — but these are not supported by clinical research.
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  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    dbmata wrote: »
    Not that I know of. Did she explain what in the carbonated water is causing kidney distress?

    Also, why would kidney distress cause a lower back ache?

    Not really, just something to do with the carbonation, but when I showed her where the pain is she said it's near where my kidneys are.

    I dunno. I'm a bit sceptic myself, because I know people who've been drinking it forever and they never had any problems. :confused:
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    dbmata wrote: »

    Also, why would kidney distress cause a lower back ache?

    Because your kidneys are located in that area.....and lower back pain is often associated with kidney infections/problems.



  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    Does it contain aspartame? I have heard some dialysis pts who say their nephrologists have told them no aspartame.

    I did a verrrry quick internet search (skimmed google), and apparently there is some controversy over the truth of that statement. I would do some more research yourself.

    At the very least, take a break from it, drink lots of water and see if that helps resolve it. Kidney pain is no joke, I wouldn't just ignore it.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    lepoissonrouge wrote: »
    Does it contain aspartame? I have heard some dialysis pts who say their nephrologists have told them no aspartame.

    I did a verrrry quick internet search (skimmed google), and apparently there is some controversy over the truth of that statement. I would do some more research yourself.

    At the very least, take a break from it, drink lots of water and see if that helps resolve it. Kidney pain is no joke, I wouldn't just ignore it.

    No it doesn't. I use a soda stream to make my own carbonated water. It's just normal tap water.
  • claraoswold
    claraoswold Posts: 89 Member
    No. Carbonated water is carbonated with CO2. Any water you get will have CO2 in it, and you swallow tons all the time. Your body will see no difference. You'll either burp or fart it out like all the rest of the time.
  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    Ah, I was thinking of the fizzy water that is flavored. In that case, not sure.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    JTick wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »

    Also, why would kidney distress cause a lower back ache?

    Because your kidneys are located in that area.....and lower back pain is often associated with kidney infections/problems.


    Yeah, located near there, but a common signal for potential kidney distress is lower back pain? Interesting. That's not something I knew.
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
    Yes Carbon & Oxygen are bad for you, hydrate yourself quick! Drink some Perrier, oh wait?!?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    OP - carbonated water is water with CO2 in it. It can cause some GI distress if too much of it, but there's nothing in it that we're going to absorb that's going to hurt our kidneys.
  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    Usually described as flank pain, it can be one sided or pain on both sides. Your kidneys are located near your back sort of below your natural waist. So it is not low low back pain. I can sort of comfortably place my hands on my natural waist (like you do when you put them on your hips) and then bring them towards my spine and that is where you would feel the pain.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    Markguns wrote: »
    Yes Carbon & Oxygen are bad for you, hydrate yourself quick! Drink some Perrier, oh wait?!?

    :sweat_smile:

  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Markguns wrote: »
    Yes Carbon & Oxygen are bad for you, hydrate yourself quick! Drink some Perrier, oh wait?!?

    So you're ok with carbon monoxide (CO) then?
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    lepoissonrouge wrote: »
    Usually described as flank pain, it can be one sided or pain on both sides. Your kidneys are located near your back sort of below your natural waist. So it is not low low back pain. I can sort of comfortably place my hands on my natural waist (like you do when you put them on your hips) and then bring them towards my spine and that is where you would feel the pain.

    If that's true then it's about 1-2cm above that on both sides.

  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    no.
  • jessilee119
    jessilee119 Posts: 444 Member
    Similar to another poster, I was going to suggest that maybe you just have trapped gas. I've had that happen before where I felt it in my back...made it feel like someone was taking a hammer to it until it passed.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    What would the differentiation be between trapped gas and a kidney problem? Sharpness of the pain?
  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    edited October 2014
    And it is not your spine? It is beside it on both sides?

    I dont know anything about carbonated water causing problems, like a PP stated I did find some info on the whole calcium leeching aspect, but I dont know how much truth there is in that.

    I stand by my previous statement to drink lots of regular water (flushes out your kidneys), see if that helps, dont ignore it. And I might be giving my docs office a call, see if they want to do anything else.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    I'll wait it out and see what happens. I'm going to keep drinking the soda water. If the pain goes away I'll know it wasn't that. :smile:
  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    Hope its nothing! Good luck :)
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    Maybe it was just me trying to do some acrobatic move in my sleep again. Negative of back pain - I can't tell wether it's from something internally wrong or just from a sore muscle.

    I mean for me there's a definite difference between a stomach ache, and overworked abs. I can't make that distinction with back pain and it sucks. :neutral_face:
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    lepoissonrouge wrote: »
    And it is not your spine? It is beside it on both sides?

    I don't know it's not two separate pains. It's not just on the sides it runs along my whole lower back. So I'd say my spine is included in the pain area.
  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    Hmm, still hard to say over the internet. Possible you just slept funny but I wouldnt rule it out entirely. How does your urine look?

    I am not one to rush off to the doctor, and am certainly not suggesting you do that. Just trying to give you one angle to look at it from (and since your mom mentioned your kidneys I am just assuming she looked atwhere your pain was, etc..) I would still revert back to drinking some regular water because we know 100% that that wont hurt you. Not forever and ever, just for the moment til you get yourself figured out.

    And I would be strolling the internet irresponsibly if again, I didn't add to always consider giving your doc a call and see what they think at his office if it is an ongoing problem.
  • claraoswold
    claraoswold Posts: 89 Member
    That doesn't sound like kidney pain, that sounds like muscle pain.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    lepoissonrouge wrote: »
    Hmm, still hard to say over the internet. Possible you just slept funny but I wouldnt rule it out entirely. How does your urine look?

    I am not one to rush off to the doctor, and am certainly not suggesting you do that. Just trying to give you one angle to look at it from (and since your mom mentioned your kidneys I am just assuming she looked atwhere your pain was, etc..) I would still revert back to drinking some regular water because we know 100% that that wont hurt you. Not forever and ever, just for the moment til you get yourself figured out.

    And I would be strolling the internet irresponsibly if again, I didn't add to always consider giving your doc a call and see what they think at his office if it is an ongoing problem.

    How does my urine look? In the morning when I wake up yellow and stinky. LOL. Because I don't drink any water during the night I sleep right through.

    When I start drinking water I'm pretty active running around to the bathroom and back. 2 glasses equals 3 trips mostly. So through the day it's either clear or light yellow. Sorry for tmi...but you did ask.. :neutral_face:

  • nuggetRN
    nuggetRN Posts: 9 Member
    I did ask. And that is a good answer. Thats a good sign your kidneys are doing fine! Hopefully it is just a muscle thing and it will pass :)
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    If the pain continues I would consult a doctor. I drink carbonated water sometimes but have not had any pain. I found a few articles that suggested that carbonated water makes the kidneys work harder and excessive carbonation could contribute to kidney stones but they did not cite sources so I can't say 100% if it's accurate or not. I do remember reading about one ingrediant in the Clear American (Walmart) carbonated waters causing problems for dialysis patients but I can't remember the specific ingrediant.

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