A tired mother was rushed into emergency surgery after doctors discovered a potentially dangerous kidney infection she attributes to her weekly energy drink consumption. Alison Dunn, 25, had been drinking one 12-ounce can of an energy drink four times a week for just seven months before she began experiencing excruciating pain in her right side.
Dunn started buying energy drinks to cope with early morning starts after securing a new warehouse job and to manage the exhaustion of being a busy mother of two. In March 2025, she arrived for her shift and felt a dull ache in her lower right side. The pain escalated to a level she described as 'worse than childbirth,' accompanied by vomiting.
As her symptoms worsened, Dunn was rushed to the hospital. Tests revealed a 6.5mm kidney stone—considered large—blocking her urethra, along with an enlarged, infected kidney. Such infections can lead to kidney disease, irreversible damage, kidney failure requiring a transplant, or sepsis if untreated.
Dunn stated that doctors suggested her kidney issues may have resulted from regular energy drink consumption and advised her to stop immediately. She explained, 'I work in the warehouse industry with very early hours. I would stop at the gas station on the way to work and get an energy drink. This was four days a week. It became a habit. I wouldn't say I was addicted, but I was reliant on it for long days.'
On the day of her hospital visit, Dunn described it as a regular day. She had her drink that morning, felt a dull ache at work, which worsened, and she became nauseous. After leaving work, she vomited in her car and over herself. Following a shower, the pain became unbearable. Her partner drove her to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed the kidney stone, enlarged kidney, and infection.
Kidney stones affect about 600,000 Americans annually. They form when minerals like calcium and oxalate crystallize in concentrated urine, often due to dehydration. The connection between energy drinks and kidney stones may involve high sugar content—a 12-ounce can contains about 39 grams of sugar, exceeding the daily recommendation of 30 grams. Caffeine and sodium in these drinks can also contribute, and replacing water with energy drinks increases dehydration risk.
Dunn underwent emergency surgery where a laser broke the stone into smaller pieces for natural passage. She was discharged after four days. Now, she urges others to be mindful of energy drink consumption and has vowed never to touch them again. 'I was super shocked. I drink water regularly and never had kidney issues before. The urologist asked if I drank energy drinks and was confident that was the cause. I'm lucky the infection didn't spread to my blood. Once you get kidney stones, it's easy to get them again. I'll never drink energy drinks again—it was the worst pain of my life, worse than childbirth. A few hours of energy isn't worth the toll on your body,' she said.
