Anyone have experience with Kidney Stones?

[julieakc]

So it appears I have a kidney stone/s. Started in the wee hours of Wednesday morning....had trouble sleeping (couldn't get comfortable position wise or temperature wise), and then when I woke up I had a pain in my right kidney region... not severe, just annoying, but I did get a really quick sharp pain that made me grab my side. I felt sick and did throw up. Although I felt feverish my temp. was normal.

I had promised DS I'd take him to Legoland and kept my promise but was miserable all day long. Moderate constant pain in kidney area and extremely weak (visited many benches).

When I got home that night I went to urgent care and the doctor said his "educated opinion" (his words) was that it was kidney stone. By this time, BTW, I was running a slight fever, still in moderate pain, and feeling extremely weak (being out and about all day no doubt contributed to this). They did a quick urinalysis which revealed no infection (which I didn't suspect anyway since it doesn't hurt when I pee, etc.), but he did say there was some trace blood which would point toward kidney stone. He said they didn't have an ultrasound there which would be one way to be 100% sure.

Yesterday the pain level was down (didn't do much), but the weakness is was still present (as it is today).

So, does this all sound normal? And how long before I pass this thing/s? Will (and if so, how) will the pain change as it passes?

TIA,

[shilo]

hi julie,
so sorry you're in pain. there was just a thread about kidney stones last week that fairy started, it might have more info for you. i'm sure they probably told you that if it becomes worse or if your fever goes up, to head back in? i personally would want to seek a little more definitive diagnosis (either thru ultrasound, and/or at least straining you urine to look for actual stones) so that i could talk with my doctor about what to do in the future to keep them from coming back. once you have them, you are prone to get them again, so this would definitely be something i'd personally want to talk with my doc about.

anyway to try and answer your questions, based on my DH's experience, i think it took about 2 days for him to pass his 2 larger stones (they weren't so big that they couldn't pass on their own). he was really worried (naturally) about how much they would hurt 'passing' them. but for him, the painful part wasn't the bladder to the outside part, but rather the kidney to the bladder part. this is b/c the ureter (little tube that connects your kidney to your bladder) is really narrow and tiny, so when the 'stones' pass thru it, it spasms, causing all the pain. the stones themselves are actually little crystal structures with uneven/jagged edges, so you can imagine why they hurt so much passing thru the little tube of your ureter. so if yours follow his pattern, the pain got much better as the stones moved down (he needed narcotics for the kidney to bladder part but was fine on regular motrin once they were thru to the bladder).

anyway, hth, sorry your experiencing this. lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[julieakc]

Lori;

Thanks for your reply. I found the thread...I actually had read it before, but totally hadn't remembered otherwise I would have searched for it first.

The strange thing is that other than that one day, I haven't really been in pain. Yes, it was bad that day, but not as bad as what you're describing your DH went through or want Fairy went through. Maybe I actually already passed a smaller one/s and this weakness thing is unrelated and just happened to overlap with the kidney issue?

I really wish the urgent care had an ultrasound (still seems odd to me that they didn't) so that they could have confirmed for sure. The doctor offered to give me a strainer, but didn't act like it was any big deal to know for sure or to have them anaylzed. I just hate going to the doctor so much....I basically only go for my annual pap unless I'm really in acute pain (the way I was feeling the other night)...so I don't really have a desire to go back unless things get worse. x(

[megs4413]

Hi Julie! I'm so sorry you're in pain! Kidney stones SUCK!

my advice would be to go to a doc asap especially if the pain gets worse. mine passed rather quickly both times i had them...not longer than a day. the pain changes as it squeezes through certain areas. it wasn't as painful to actually pass it as i had anticipated and i did not use any pain medication either time i had stones (pregnant both times). stones can be caused by different things, so you need to know why you're having them. i would recommend getting with a urologist this week if you can. mine were caused by kidney infections both times and i did not have a fever and my UA was clear...so stay on top of your symptoms and follow up with your doc!

i hope these pass easily and quickly and you have no further issues...i'm sorry it's going on at all! feel better!

[Fairy]

Hi Julie. Yep, that was me. Still have the stone, and mine is quite large, 8mm. The only way to get mine out is thru surgery. I'm surprised that the doctor did not order a u/s or cat scan for you. It's the only way to be sure that it's a stone, and it does sound like that's what you have, tho it could be something else. In my opinion, it's best to be sure what you're facing and know if it's too large to pass or not. There is a treatment to break up smaller (yet still really painful) stones that mine is too big for, but you may be a candidate, and then you could avoid the passing of the stone whole thru the urethra. If I were you, I'd go to the ER of a hospital and let them know the other doctor's diagnosis, and then get the cat scan (it was no biggie) or u/s.

I am sorry you're going thru this, I totall feel your pain. I had the first surgery to put a stent into my ureter on Tuesday, and the pain has been on and off. When it's on, it's bad, and I take the pain pills, which put me in LaLa Land. When it's off, I'm totally fine. I'm also on a med for burning during urination that *kindof* helps, and it turns my pee neon orange. Fun! I also have my period. Joy! Surgery part deux comes this Monday when they'll go into my now widened ureter and grab the stone out if it can fit; if it can't fit, then they laser it into chunks and take 'em out one by one. I can't wait for this to be over. On the other hand, while I was in surgical prep, I was in alot of pain and kind of miserable. But then I heard the nurse prepping the guy in the curtain next to me, and he said he was going in for amputation of the right leg below the knee. Suddenly, I wasn't in that much pain anymore; I was just in tears for him. Puts things right into perspective, lemme tell ya.

Hope this all turns out ok for you!