At my wits end with kidney pain - don't know what to do anymore.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

I'm 13+5 weeks pregnant, I've had blood in my urine on and off for 6-7 weeks now. GP tested for infection and it was negative. A few weeks later I had a dull ache in my lower back on the right hand side which got increasingly worse until I couldn't stand. I was throwing up from the pain and went to a+e. Pain suddenly completely stopped. My urine and bloods came back fine. They suspected kidney stones but an ultrasound scan didn't pick any up. Same thing happened a week later and they sent me home and said everything was fine and to drink water and and take paracetamol.

Last week I started weeing blood again but this time there were small blood clots in my urine too. I also constantly felt like I needed a wee. I spoke to my GP who did another urine sample which again came back negative for infection. They called the urology department at my hospital and I was seen the next day. Blood and urine came back clear again. Had another US of kidneys which showed no stones and that my kidney was draining fine and looked fine. Told to drink water and take paracetamol and they'll do a CT scan in June after the baby has been born. They give me antiobiotics just incase it was an infection which I've been taking.


I've now had worsening pain for nearly 48 hours in the same area and again am at the point where I can hardly walk, I'm retching from the pain. Paracetamol and hot water bottle are doing nothing. I'm drinking about 3 litres or more of water a day. It's really unbearable and I don't know what to do, I keep just getting told I'm fine and to drink water. What would you do in this situation?

[WorkingItOutAsIGo]

Poor you and I hope they find the cause soon!

[crabb]

How are you doing, @ShalomToYouJackie? Hope you get a diagnosis and relief soon. Kidney colic (if that’s what it is) is no joke.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

@WorkingItOutAsIGo @crabb well I've just had an Ultrasound of my gallbladder which was fine, the sonographer scanned my kidney again anyway just to check it and it was v dilated and she scanned along my ureta and found a 8mm stone lodged!

She was pretty appalled that nobody had scanned there! Now I'm waiting to see a consultant

[crabb]

Ah, an answer finally! Hope they sort it soon, and that you have decent pain relief on board now.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

Unfortunately no pain relief yet as I'm still an outpatient I've been told they can't prescribe any but I'm about to be admitted and then I can have painkillers and hopefully surgery will be this afternoon 🤞🏻

[crabb]

Good luck with it all. Hope you’re pain free and on the mend soon.

[DrCoconut]

Hope you get sorted. I passed a small stone naturally a few years ago and would rather give birth again than do that, I know the pain is horrific. Take good care of yourself.

[WorkingItOutAsIGo]

Ouch. I hope by now you are the other side of an operation and out of pain. Get well hugs xxx

[bearlyactive]

Hope the op went okay OP!

[Boscoforever]

Golly! Poor you Shalom.
Hope everything went well and that’s the end of that.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

Thanks everyone! Op deemed a bit too high risk for pregnancy and the consultant thought it better to have a nephrostomy catheter in place until I give birth then an op after I've given birth. Dreading it


Does anybody know if this means I can still give birth vaginally or will I need a c-section? It'll be a catheter coming from my kidney through my back. None of the urology doctors can tell me!

[Gifgif]

I'm glad they've found out what it is.

[slavetothenhs]

See I don't know, but surely it's better for them to get rid of the stone which is a source of infection and pain, than give you a nephrostomy which can also be a source of infection and pain and is in itself an invasive surgical procedure?? The common sense part of me can't see how one is less risky than the other if that makes sense!

[slavetothenhs]

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5474387/

Here is a study on the issue that may help you.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

@slavetothenhs I believe it's because of the general anaesthetic used in the surgery, plus the surgery only has 50% chance of working apparently whereas the catheter is local anesthetic only. But the stone will stay there until May :(

I don't want either things done really but don't have a choice. I'll read that now, thank you

[slavetothenhs]

I'm pretty sure they can do that surgery under a spinal anaesthetic x

[DeadButDelicious]

Oh op I'm glad they're getting to the bottom of things for you. I had a similar experience late on in my pregnancy due to the position DD was in, she was pressing on my urethra causing a back flow of urine which caused my kidney to swell. It was bloody awful, the pain was horrific so I can very much sympathise. They put me on buscopan, paracetamol and if it escalated cocodomol. On the two or three occasions I ended up in over night I was out on a paracetamol drip which was like instant relief. Here's hoping that they find a good pain management plan for you.

[Greybeardy]

@slaverothenhs the paper you’ve linked to doesn’t seem particularly relevant. It’s a very small study on women at a much later stage in pregnancy than the OP is at. The authors’ conclusion is only that an operation under GA may be an option in women for whom conservative management doesn’t work. Nephrostomies can be sited under local anaesthetic and probably stimulate less of a stress response than surgery would and therefore they may be a more appropriate first option for both mother and baby early on in pregnancy. Sometimes surgery can’t wait until the baby’s out, but generally the longer you can wait before doing an operation the better it is.

[Weenurse]

Nephrostomy tube will drain the kidney and that will improve the pain.
Pain is because they kidney is blocked.
You will have a bag attached that will need to be changed weekly along with the nephrostomy dressing.
Should not interfere with a vaginal delivery.
Good luck

[ShalomToYouJackie]

I had the Nephrostomy yesterday morning, I'm in more pain than the stone was causing. Can't walk, can't sit up, in absolute agony. The procedure itself was horrific can't believe they do it when you're awake.


Within 2 mins of being brought back to my bed, a urologist came and said to do the operation. The operation I was told not to have until baby is born. Well now they're saying it's safer to have it now! Spoken to an anaesthesist to weigh up the risks to baby. Waiting to see a urologist this morning to see how soon it can he done and if it means I can have this bastard tube removed

[Haggisfish]

God you poor thing op.

[crabb]

So sorry for you, OP. Sounds like a nightmare!

[DonLewis]

Good god, you poor thing.

I'm sure they will talk you through the risks and benefits. Good luck

[Fittata]

How are you doing OP?

[grassisjeweled]

God you poor thing op, hope you're alright, what a nightmare 💐