View Full Version : Kidney Stone
Quiet-Matt
12-24-10, 14:50
I had my first ever kidney stone on Nov. 30th on the right side. Now I'm working on #2 right now, left side. I am bad about not drinking enough water in winter months, so I've increased my water consumption. I have also cut out caffeine.
I went to the emergency room for the first stone after I puked and writhed in pain. I need to follow up with a urologist, and I plan to do so after the first of the year.
My question is, do any of you who have seen a urologist or have been through this have any suggestions for me. I sthere something I should be taking or drinking that could help prevent this in the future?
Thanks, Matt
citizensoldier16
12-24-10, 15:40
Noticed you live in the South... sweet tea is a huge contributor to kidney stones.
Lots of water. You may need to be on a special diet, but they'll prefer to know what kind of kidney stone it is to make specific recommendations, so strain your urine if they don't already know the stone type (20% are other-than-calcium). In the meantime, lots of water. And more water.
As to your current acute stone, take the Flomax they prescribed, and drink plenty of water. If the stone doesn't pass in a few days, you may need another CT scan or an ultrasound to look for obstruction, in which case they'll need to go get the thing. Good luck.
I'm very afraid of a kidney stone. For the past 7-10 years I've only drank about a gallon or less of water per year. I drink nothing but pop and iced tea......as well as the occasional monster energy drink.
holy ****.:eek:
Are there any symptoms of stone buildup or does it just strike at any moment?
Strikes at any moment, and hurts like a bitch. Women who have delivered babies and also had a kidney stone would rather deliver another baby.
Noticed you live in the South... sweet tea is a huge contributor to kidney stones.
The big contributor is the underlying bedrock. Caffeine really doesn't have an impact on stone production, although there are other reasons to reduce caffeine consumption.
I've had bouts of stones every 2-3 years for last 10 years. It doesn't get any better. The intervals have increased, but I still get them. I only produce in my right for some reason. Get yourself a 1 or 2 quart bottle or canteen and empty it every day. Reduce your SALT consumption. Your urologist will tell you the same. This is of course assuming you are producing calcium stones. They will have to test it because you could be producing stones for other, far more serious, reasons.
They are a bitch. Painkillers and lots of water dude. You might ask for anti-nausea drugs because I had the same problem with vomiting , made only worse from opioid painkillers. I just passed 2 stones myself and had 2 more busted with lithotripsy. That was the most I've ever had, every other time it was only one, really big one (always requiring surgery).
Even worse news, once you are a producer, you'll always have them.
Lots of water mixed with fresh squeezed lemon.
NinjaMedic
12-24-10, 22:13
Request a prescription for zofran (anti-nausea/vomitting) and a prescription strength laxative as well. Make sure they dont try and give you phenergan for the nausea its a shit med with a bad side effect protocol. The laxative is taken as needed for narcotic induced constipation. A kidney stone is not the time to be stopped up and straining on the throne.
wedgehead30
12-25-10, 01:17
I'm a calcium stone guy. I've passed more stones and pissed more blood than I care to remember. My trigger is dehydration so I pound the water and OJ. My personal best is a 7.5 mm stone that took about 30 days to pass. I would move every so often and then settle for a few days. Cost me two trips to the ER, three office visits and seven days of sick time. Suffice to say it was an interesting summer.
Strict diet, low salt and plenty of water. You should be pissing damn near clear when you hit the head. I usually have a good supply of pain meds on hand and pass them at home. Hot baths help and a hot tub is even better.
Yikes! 7.5mm for 30 days! I would have had that thing blasted long before that. Hard to imagine that thing would pass the urethra let alone the ureter.
lethal dose
12-25-10, 08:13
Plenty of water and not too much of any one thing in your diet. Ad ninja medical said, zofran is good stuff for nausea if that's a problem... consult your doc.
I had a 6mm that needed to be blasted out because it was too big to come out naturally. It took about a month and I needed a stint and three trips to the ER with one requiring so much pain meds the doctors couldn't give me any more because they were worried my heart would stop!
Finally I was able to get in to have it blasted out and then had the stint removed (which is probably the worse part of the ordeal).
I hate those little bastards.
wedgehead30
12-25-10, 10:02
Yikes! 7.5mm for 30 days! I would have had that thing blasted long before that. Hard to imagine that thing would pass the urethra let alone the ureter.
ESWL or Ureteroscopy wasn't an option because of other issues. I can tell you I learned about a whole new level of pain. Especially when it finally passed. It was doing about 300 feet per second when it hit the strainer. Not to mention the other trailers behind it :(
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3189/stoner.png
I had a 6mm that needed to be blasted out because it was too big to come out naturally. It took about a month and I needed a stint and three trips to the ER with one requiring so much pain meds the doctors couldn't give me any more because they were worried my heart would stop!
Finally I was able to get in to have it blasted out and then had the stint removed (which is probably the worse part of the ordeal).
I hate those little bastards.
Typical way to do it these days would be a CT scan or an ultrasound of the kidney right away to look for signs of obstruction in the ureter. If there is, I wouldn't screw around with it, I'd just get them to go right to to OR to go get the thing.
Not to nitpick, but for the sake of accuracy I'd point out that too much narcotics for pain doesn't make your heart stop, it makes you stop breathing. THAT can make your heart stop, but it would require a significant level of medical incompetence for it to get that far.
Not to nitpick, but for the sake of accuracy I'd point out that too much narcotics for pain doesn't make your heart stop, it makes you stop breathing. THAT can make your heart stop, but it would require a significant level of medical incompetence for it to get that far.
Either way the result is the same :p
I just wanted more because what they gave me didn't seem to help. Of course at that point they wouldn't give me any more so I had to suffer.
Either way the result is the same :p
I just wanted more because what they gave me didn't seem to help. Of course at that point they wouldn't give me any more so I had to suffer.
;) The result would be the same only if the ER personnel were incompetent...not able to recognize that you had stopped breathing, couldn't read a pulse oximeter or know what the alarm meant, and how to deal with it (speaking of medical incompetence, insert Michael Jackson analogy here...). It's pretty fundamental. But, they may have told you your heart would stop just because they didn't think you'd understand the actual reason. I've long since given up trying to figure if ER personnel are actually telling people that kind of stuff, or the patients are hearing it wrong.
The pain from a kidney stone is hard to get on top of. That deep, colicky, visceral pain is notoriously resistant to narcotics. It's a frustrating problem for patients and doctors.
Robb Jensen
12-25-10, 10:56
I've had kidney stones 3 times and the very worst time they gave me Dilaudid which worked in the hospital and allowed it to pass w/o too much pain.
Quiet-Matt
12-25-10, 12:25
Thanks for the replies. Another member "groobash" has suggested lemon juice and olive oil. I may give that a try as well. I have the first stone in a container, and when I catch this little bastard in the strainer I'm headed to the urilogist. I've got zofran, oxycodone, and flo-max from the first bout. Not only do the help with the stone issue, but they do wonders for the in-laws :sarcastic:.
Thanks for the replies. Another member "groobash" has suggested lemon juice and olive oil. I may give that a try as well. I have the first stone in a container, and when I catch this little bastard in the strainer I'm headed to the urilogist. I've got zofran, oxycodone, and flo-max from the first bout. Not only do the help with the stone issue, but they do wonders for the in-laws :sarcastic:.
My urologist recommended water with a splash of lemon juice as well. I love the stuff now.
;) The result would be the same only if the ER personnel were incompetent...not able to recognize that you had stopped breathing, couldn't read a pulse oximeter or know what the alarm meant, and how to deal with it (speaking of medical incompetence, insert Michael Jackson analogy here...). It's pretty fundamental. But, they may have told you your heart would stop just because they didn't think you'd understand the actual reason. I've long since given up trying to figure if ER personnel are actually telling people that kind of stuff, or the patients are hearing it wrong.
The pain from a kidney stone is hard to get on top of. That deep, colicky, visceral pain is notoriously resistant to narcotics. It's a frustrating problem for patients and doctors.
Big Mama said it was breathing they were concerened about (I was out of it) but that I was in good hands. She works at that hospital (in L&D) and the nurses and doctors were looking out for me.
She said I was pumped full of Dilaudid but they had to stop giving it to me because they wanted to put a stent in and needed to put me under. She said I didn’t know what the hell was going on until I woke up afterwards. :alcoholic:
Sounds like you were in good hands. Kidney stones are a fairly common occurrence in the ER. I'm sure this wasn't their first day at the rodeo.
7.5mm? That hurts just thinking about it. :eek:
ghostman1960
12-25-10, 17:25
I begged for a lethal injection when I had my last kidney stone.
Noticed you live in the South... sweet tea is a huge contributor to kidney stones.
...Shiiiiit. :eek:
-B
Over the past 5 years, I have had about 6 kidney stones. One I had to have surgically removed because it was lodged and blocking the flow from my kidney to my bladder. The last one I had passed was 7mm and the smallest was 2.5mm. My urologist thinks i'm some kind of super hero for passing the last one :sarcastic:.
Kidney stones are a build up of uric acid in the kidneys. Much like gout in your joints. I drink a lot of water and try to avoid any dark colored liquids (i can't avoid them). I also take Folic Acid supplements and this is said to reduce the uric acid in your system.
Over the past 5 years, I have had about 6 kidney stones. One I had to have surgically removed because it was lodged and blocking the flow from my kidney to my bladder. The last one I had passed was 7mm and the smallest was 2.5mm. My urologist thinks i'm some kind of super hero for passing the last one :sarcastic:.
Kidney stones are a build up of uric acid in the kidneys. Much like gout in your joints. I drink a lot of water and try to avoid any dark colored liquids (i can't avoid them). I also take Folic Acid supplements and this is said to reduce the uric acid in your system.
Actually, uric acid stones are relatively rare. By far the most common are are calcium oxalate (80%). It's an important distinction because the causes and prevention are different. Uric acid stones in particular sort of mandate a rather involved workup to rule out serious causes of the elevated uric acid in the blood and a subsequent diet low in rich foods and low in alcohol, especially beer. If someone gets uric acid kidney stones, they're usually a shoe-in for gout at some point too. That's another total entertainment package when it comes to pain.
Actually, uric acid stones are relatively rare. By far the most common are are calcium oxalate (80%). It's an important distinction because the causes and prevention are different. Uric acid stones in particular sort of mandate a rather involved workup to rule out serious causes of the elevated uric acid in the blood and a subsequent diet low in rich foods and low in alcohol, especially beer. If someone gets uric acid kidney stones, they're usually a shoe-in for gout at some point too. That's another total entertainment package when it comes to pain.
I was told that kidney stones hurt worse than labor. I had a nurse that told me that she would give child birth over a kidney stone any day. I have the uric acid type stones. They can not be dissolved with lemon intake. I am not a drinker but gout and uric acid related ailments are well known in my family. I haven't had a stone since "the big one" 2 years ago and I still get pseudo kidney pains. My water intake is way up and I'd like to think that my coffee and dark tea intake is down. If I never get another stone, it will be fine for me!
ouch...
they say kidney stones are the worst pain that a human can experience. :eek:
good luck dude.
Crow Hunter
12-26-10, 17:57
Noticed you live in the South... sweet tea is a huge contributor to kidney stones.
100% absolutely true. I had kidney stones when I was a junior in high school, the weekend of my Junior prom too.:sarcastic:
They actually had to go and get mine.:cray:
Had to use an extension too.:cool:
The doc told me to cut out the sweet tea, I did, and I haven't had any since.
Drink plenty of water.
Quiet-Matt
06-05-11, 12:13
Well, I'm at it again. Been having dull pains off and on for about a month on the left side. Saturday the pain went full tilt boogie. After vomiting about 10 times and writhing in agony, ended up at the ER for IV drugs and a CT scan. Found out that I had a 11mm stone blocking and not going anywhere. They admitted me and kept me on the good drugs all night. The good Dr. went in this morning and broke the stone up with a lazer and inserted a stint. Life is much better now, but I think I'm thinking that I'm going to have to visit the herbal remedy shop to see if they have some witch Dr brew that can help. There's a guy at my work that swears that they helped his dad. At this point I'm willing to try just about anything.
Damn. Sorry to hear that buddy. I never want to have one of those agian. Hope everything goes smooth and you dont have too much pain. :(
Well, I'm at it again. Been having dull pains off and on for about a month on the left side. Saturday the pain went full tilt boogie. After vomiting about 10 times and writhing in agony, ended up at the ER for IV drugs and a CT scan. Found out that I had a 11mm stone blocking and not going anywhere. They admitted me and kept me on the good drugs all night. The good Dr. went in this morning and broke the stone up with a lazer and inserted a stint. Life is much better now, but I think I'm thinking that I'm going to have to visit the herbal remedy shop to see if they have some witch Dr brew that can help. There's a guy at my work that swears that they helped his dad. At this point I'm willing to try just about anything.
If for any reason you are cursed with this again, please be careful with the vomiting and especially fever. This is a sign if a serious blockage which can result in renal failure. Although there are many pseudo kidney pains (I still get them and I haven't had a stone for about 2 years) you should have taken that trip to the ER a bit sooner. I know that I am stubborn and probably wouldn't have gone either.
If for any reason you are cursed with this again, please be careful with the vomiting and especially fever. This is a sign if a serious blockage which can result in renal failure.
I'm a little puzzled about the mechanism you're proposing here.
I'm a little puzzled about the mechanism you're proposing here.
A kidney stone when it enters the uriter, can cause a blockage and shut down your kidney. Fever and vomiting are symptoms. The stone blocks fluid waste from exiting the kidney and entering the bladder.
This sounds like an extremely difficult ordeal to say the least. Very best of luck with this one and hope you don't get any more.
Army Chief
06-05-11, 17:21
I had the pleasure of passing a stone while on field manueuvers back in 1995. Worst pain I've ever felt. It hit me just ahead of a night mission, and once I realized what was happening (I could feel it making it's way though the plumbing), the only way that I could stay conscious was by laying on a cot in a fetal position and doing the Lamaze breathing I had learned with the wife a few years before. Since there was no quick way to get to a treatment facility, I downed about eight Extra-Strength Excedrin, and settled in for the wait. Perhaps an hour later I was able to pass it, and immediately thereafter, the pain disappeared entirely. Absolutely unreal.
The good news here is that passing a stone doesn't necessarily condemn you to frequent repeated episodes. There is always some risk of recurrence, but aside from this one vicious ordeal, I've never had another one.
AC
A kidney stone when it enters the uriter, can cause a blockage and shut down your kidney. Fever and vomiting are symptoms. The stone blocks fluid waste from exiting the kidney and entering the bladder.
Ah. Well, that's not exactly the way it works, but it is true that prolonged ureteral obstruction can destroy that particular kidney over time (days/weeks). And it's true that fever can indicate that a kidney stone is promoting an infection in that kidney. Otherwise, nausea, vomiting, fever are not uncommon side effects of any kidney stone. Reasons to go to the ER for sure, but one kidney shutting down, even if that were to happen, isn't going to lead to renal failure.
Interesting that you say fever and nausea is common. I have never experienced this in all 6 of the stones I had. My stones were also drastically different looking from the one posted in the picture on the other page. My stones were black and had spikes. Nasty looking things! I'm sure people are effected differently. I had a friend of the family go into renal failure when stones blocked both kidneys at the same time. That's where my point came from. She had other health problems and we thought this was going to be the end of her. We were relieved that they were stones and she made a full recovery. It appears that you work in the health industry so you would know more than me but I was just looking out for Quietmatt because I can relate to how he feels right now from my own experiences.
Pain and nausea - yes. Fever not so common unless the stone is associated with a concomitant urinary tract infection (UTI). These generally get admitted for a ureteral stent or other procedure unless the stone is very small and distal in the ureter (suggesting that it will pass in the very near future). Pus behind a stone can quickly lead to urosepsis, perinepheric abscess, etc.
For all you stone formers, first - my condolences. I wanted to pass a quick word of advice. CT scanning is the current gold standard diagnostic test for a suspected first stone to confirm the diagnosis and rule out mimics such as appendicitis, abdominal aneurysm, diverticulitis, etc. However, each subsequent episode of renal colic does not need a repeat CT unless complicated with a UTI, refractory pain, single kidney, etc. Most stones are small and will pass with analgesia and alpha blockers such as Flomax. I've seen young people in my practice who have had 8-10 scans for suspected renal colic which is a huge radiation burden. Ultrasound is a reasonable alternative for repeat stones if you are worried and the situation appears uncomplicated.
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