Man loses 50kg by drinking lemon water to prevent kidney stones

Don’t take waist pain lightly, be careful of kidney stones! A 44-year-old man named Zhang, who works as a diver, weighed as much as 130 kilograms. Unexpectedly, he lost 50 kilograms in 4 months. After various examinations, it was found that his kidney, which was originally only the size of a fist, had swelled to nearly 20 centimeters long, as big as a loofah. He was later diagnosed with the rare "yellow granulation pyelonephritis". Fortunately, he underwent surgery in time to remove a 1-centimeter kidney stone, and he has since recovered his health.

A 44-year-old man named Zhang weighed 130 kilograms and lost 50 kilograms in 4 months. (Photo by Zhang Shijie)

Liu Yingbo, attending physician of the urology department of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital who treated the patient, said that the man initially thought he had sprained his right waist and felt occasional pain, so he did not pay much attention to it. It was not until his appetite became worse and his weight dropped by 10 kilograms per month that he realized something was wrong.

Sudden weight loss, rare yellow granulation pyelonephritis

When seeking medical treatment, the patient initially thought he had a urinary tract infection. After taking medication for two weeks without improvement, he was referred to the metabolic department. He even thought he was under great mental stress and went to the psychosomatic medicine department to seek a solution, but his weight loss did not improve. Finally, an abdominal ultrasound revealed that the kidneys were significantly enlarged, and further examination by the urology department was immediately arranged.

After examination, the doctor confirmed that the man surnamed Zhang suffered from a rare "yellow granulation pyelonephritis", and the source of the disease was a 1-centimeter stone at the junction of the man's right kidney and ureter. Since the time from the onset of yellow granulation pyelonephritis to the diagnosis can be from 3 months to 9 years, people with kidney stones are reminded to follow up regularly and never take it lightly.

Kidney stones are one of the most common kidney diseases, and doctors recommend drinking more lemon water to prevent them. (Photo/File Photo)

Waist pain may indicate kidney stones

Dr. Liu Yingbo emphasized that xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a special type of bacterial pyelonephritis. Symptoms for most patients include kidney pain, repeated urinary tract infections, fever, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss and constipation. In particular, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis can easily cause the kidneys to lose their original function and even affect the patient's life.

The man's right kidney swelled to nearly 20 centimeters due to inflammation, which was much larger than the normal 8 to 12 centimeters. Although he underwent ureteral lithotripsy, double J catheter drainage, and percutaneous puncture drainage, the effects were limited. Finally, after discussion with the patient and his family, it was decided to remove the kidney to save his life.

Drinking more lemon water can reduce the risk of oxalate stones

In fact, kidney stones are one of the most common kidney diseases. Usually there are no obvious initial symptoms and they are often ignored. When the stones fall into the ureter and cause severe pain, it is already too late to be prepared. Therefore, we should take good care of our kidneys on a daily basis, control salt intake, drink plenty of water, eat less sweets and protein, or foods containing oxalate, such as beans, celery, spinach, etc., and eat more foods rich in vitamin A.

[Doctor's advice]:

In addition to consuming 2 liters of water every day, you should drink more lemon water or lemon juice on weekdays, because the citrate contained in lemons can inhibit the formation of kidney stones. Men over 40 years old especially need to drink more lemon water, because the risk of kidney stones in men is 4 times that of women, and the risk rises sharply after the age of 40. However, people with excessive stomach acid, gastric ulcers and gastrointestinal diseases should not drink lemon water often. They can drink citrus juice containing natural citrate instead, which can also prevent kidney stones.