“Worse Than Childbirth”: How a Mom’s Energy Drink Habit Led to Emergency Kidney Surgery
For many exhausted parents and early-morning commuters, cracking open an energy drink feels like a necessary survival tool. But for 25-year-old Alison Dunn, a seemingly moderate caffeine habit resulted in agonizing pain, emergency laser surgery, and a potentially life-threatening organ infection.
Dunn, a busy mother of two who worked 5:00 AM warehouse shifts, relied on a 12-ounce energy drink four times a week to get through her grueling schedule. Just seven months into this new routine, she found herself in the emergency room fighting a severe kidney crisis that her doctors explicitly linked to her beverage of choice.
Alison Dunn, 25, had been drinking one 12-ounce can of an energy drink four times a week for seven months before she experienced pain in her abdomen
The Breaking Point: A Normal Shift Turns Agonizing
Dunn’s ordeal began in March 2025 during what felt like a normal workday. Shortly after finishing her morning energy drink, she noticed a dull ache in her lower right side.
The discomfort quickly escalated into violent nausea. After leaving work and vomiting in her car, Dunn went home to shower, hoping to find relief. Instead, the pain peaked to a level she describes as completely unbearable—worse than the pain of giving birth.
Her partner rushed her to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed a dangerous trifecta of medical issues:
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A massive 6.5mm kidney stone blocking her ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder).
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An enlarged kidney due to the fluid backup.
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A severe kidney infection, which, if left untreated, can rapidly progress to irreversible kidney damage, organ failure, or deadly sepsis.
Dunn said the doctors told her the energy drinks were the likely cause of her kidney stones and infection
The Science: Why Energy Drinks Cause Kidney Stones
When Dunn’s urologist reviewed her charts, his first question was immediately: “Do you drink energy drinks?” Kidney stones are pebble-like clumps of crystallized minerals that form in the urinary system. They affect roughly 600,000 Americans annually. While Dunn drank water regularly and had no prior history of kidney issues, medical experts point out that energy drinks create the perfect storm for kidney stones to develop.
According to Dr. Veeraish Chauhan, a kidney specialist, the link comes down to a few core ingredients:
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Massive Sugar Content: A standard 12-ounce energy drink contains about 39 grams of sugar, rocketing past the recommended daily maximum of 30 grams. High sugar intake is heavily linked to stone formation.
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High Sodium and Caffeine: Both of these ingredients cause the kidneys to excrete more calcium into the urine, which then binds with oxalates to form jagged, hard stones.
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Dehydration: Energy drinks are diuretics. When people consume them, they often drink less water, leading to concentrated urine where mineral crystals can easily stick together and grow.
When a stone as large as Dunn’s (6.5mm) attempts to scrape its way through the narrow ureter, it triggers intense, wave-like pain radiating from the lower back to the groin.
The Aftermath and a Stern Warning
Dunn was immediately rushed into surgery, where doctors used a laser to break the massive 6.5mm stone into smaller, passable pieces. After a four-day hospital stay to treat the infection, she was finally discharged.
Today, she considers herself incredibly lucky that the infection did not spread to her bloodstream, but she must remain vigilant. Once a person develops kidney stones, their risk of recurring stones skyrockets.
Now, Dunn is sharing her story to urge other tired workers and parents to be deeply mindful of what they use for a quick energy boost. “I’ll never drink energy drinks again,” she vows. “It was the worst pain of my life… I don’t think a few hours of energy is worth the toll it takes on your body.”
