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Original poster

Kidney stones

39 replies

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 00:54

Has anyone got any experience of these despicable things?

I started with flank pain almost 3 weeks ago. Dr said uti and gave my antibiotics. Flank pain didn’t settle and last week it ramped up and became insanely painful. Went to a&e and found out last Saturday via CT that I have a stone blocking one of the ureter tubes from the kidneys to the bladder. Apparently it’s nearer the bladder than the kidney. They prescribed me meds to dilate the tube to hope it’ll pass naturally and rescan at end of the month.
I’m so uncomfortable though. I’m not in the extreme climbing the walls pain I was, but I’m scared it’s going that way again, I have painful urgency to go constantly and I’m needing pain meds. They said the scan showed mild swelling of the kidney too and Im immunocompromised so I’m worried about infection.
Anyone had experience with kidney stones? Any advice in ways to get even slightly comfortable? 😩

OP posts:

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 18/04/2025 01:07

Dh had them 18 months ago. He got sent to hospital (with bag packed) but they said he’d passed it. He may have passed one but had various levels of pain and discomfort for months. He woke one morning and it was in his pants(sorry) like a small bullet. Been fine since, but lived off ibruprofen for months. Hope yours goes soon.

Middlemarch123 · 18/04/2025 05:12

Bless you OP, I was hospitalised, passing blood and passing out with pain when I had mine, horrendous. Passed it naturally in hospital, the morphine helped. Lots of bruising, which took a few weeks to heal, on prescribed meds at home.

Fresh lemon squeezed in cooled pre boiled water and lots of it. Consultant told me the lemon breaks down the stone, kind of dissolves it a bit, makes it easier to pass.

Hope you feel better soon

Icebreakhell · 18/04/2025 07:18

As they left you to pass it naturally, it must be quite small. The CT would have shown if there were more, so sounds like it’s a single stone. If the pain gets bad again do go back to A&E. Once it drops out of the tube, all should be well. I’ve had plenty and when I’ve passed them naturally the pain is immediately relieved. Codeine phosphate with paracetamol was helpful. You can get a shock wave treatment to break them up but I don’t think this is available on the NHS yet. For the rest of your life you should aim to drink 3 litres a day, a whole lemon squeezed is helpful. Never become dehydrated.

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Dairymilkisminging · 18/04/2025 08:46

I had them you have my sympathy. I had a hospital stay and had to get a stent and get them broken up as they was not coming them selves.

Mine was the size of a sugar cube.

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 11:03

@Icebreakhellits 5mm which the dr in a&e said was the cut off for allowing it to pass without further intervention. If it hasn’t moved after these two weeks then apparently they’re going to do something to remove it.

OP posts:

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 11:04

@Dairymilkismingingsize of a sugar cube?!?! Ouch!!!! 😩😩😩

OP posts:

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 18/04/2025 11:20

I find it helps to lie down on the flank that's hurting. The pressure seems to relieve the pain.

Are you drinking as much as you can?

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 11:36

@ArtTheClownIsNotAMimei am trying, I’m not someone who easily drinks what were meant to so it’s a struggle but I have a big water bottle and lots of ice, that helps.

OP posts:

ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 18/04/2025 11:40

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 11:36

@ArtTheClownIsNotAMimei am trying, I’m not someone who easily drinks what were meant to so it’s a struggle but I have a big water bottle and lots of ice, that helps.

I struggle too. Drinking when I'm not thirsty makes me feel ill. But the more we drink the faster they will pass... sigh

Dairymilkisminging · 18/04/2025 11:50

What painkillers have they got you on? I was on the highest dose of morphine to give someone without killing them. Also had to be cathetered as I couldnt pee.

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 18/04/2025 13:58

@Dairymilkismingingive got diclofenac suppositories , oral morphine. That’s what they prescribed for me. I’ve also got tramadol here from a previous injury. When they pain was at its worst I took tramadol and it didn’t touch it at all

OP posts:

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 20/04/2025 18:42

Now I feel like I’m not weeing as much as I’m drinking 😩😩 I can wee, but it seems slight and dribbly (sorry)

I’m not in extreme pain like I was but I’m not comfortable

OP posts:

Redmat · 20/04/2025 18:49

The pain is it excruciating isn't it. . I managed to pass one then had the others zapped . It's like having a rubber band pinging on your back to shatter them. That was on the NHS.

weegiemum · 20/04/2025 18:52

I had awful trouble with kidney stones in pregnancy. Even now (youngest is 21!) I get one now and again, my urologist says once a stone former always a stone former. I was passing small stones daily at one point!!
You need to bite the bullet and drink as much water as you can, the more urine you’re producing the quicker it will come through. You should be able to get strong painkillers but I find a high dose of ibuprofen quite good (800mg 3x day is what I was prescribed). The more you drink the less likely you are to get an infection, and sore as it is try to keep moving around.
Sending you lots of love. For me it was worse than childbirth.

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 20/04/2025 18:58

@Redmat I’m hoping if they need to do something, they’ll do that kind of treatment. I’ve got a chronic neurology condition that can make general anaesthetic tricky. Was the pain from it horrible?

@weegiemumthank you, I’m drinking loads today but I don’t feel like it’s coming out properly 😩 definitely getting twinges up my back and side. I just live in fear of the pain I had last week, it was indeed worse than labour!

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Redmat · 20/04/2025 19:29

FatAmy123 · 20/04/2025 18:58

They had to do it twice. First time it was uncomfortable but OK. Second time mostly ok until they turned it right up at the end and I thought I was going to be really sick. It was a very odd sensation. You can ask them to stop at any stage. They then give you antibiotics .

StMarie4me · 20/04/2025 22:54

Is definitely recommend a low oxalate diet too. Gets talked about more in America but is worth a try.

Member869894 · 20/04/2025 23:25

I ended up in intensve care last year with septic shock owing to an infection caused by stone blocking my ureter. It's good they scanned you and are keeping an eye in it. I kept being told I had a urine infection and the hospital wouldn't scan me in spite of me telling them what I had. I knew exactly what the problem was as I'd had kidney stones before and as you say the pain is horrendous. My consultant advised I drink water like it's my second job to prevent the same happening again x

fedup1212 · 21/04/2025 00:58

Horrid things. I ended up in hospital with them too! Whilst waiting for surgery it grew to nearly 5cm. Doc said it was a boulder rather than a stone! They said the reason I had to wait was because whilst they were there and NOT moving they don’t actually cause any emergency need for surgery? Was also prescribed tramadol. Had a PCNL and had to have a stent for a good few weeks. That was horrible too.

Hope you’re sorted soon OP! They are not pleasant

tobee · 21/04/2025 01:47

My dd had a kidney stone a couple of years ago and she's autistic and doesn't have the desire to drink much and therefore doesn't wee much,

Kidney stones often recur and not drinking much doesn't help preventing them. I'm always nagging at dd to drink more liquids. She remembers the pain of the stones so tries hard to drink.

When you're over this current misery op try to up your liquid intake.

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 21/04/2025 17:26

Thanks everyone, I really do have to up my liquid intake I know, I find I really want to drink when very thirsty or when eating so I need to change that.

im finding the pain really comes and goes- today if feels more settled so now I’m wondering if I passed it but I don’t think I have?
it’s like a really crap guessing game! 😂

OP posts:

560934P · 21/04/2025 18:06

Hi OP, I've had it twice but it has been 12 years since my last episode and it was the worse pain ever! I had a diclofenic injection in my bum that did nothing. The only thing that helped with the pain was morphine. Even after the stone passed I still felt sore...

Apparently tomatoes exacerbate them...and I love tomatoes. Will go a drink a big glass of water right now!

Dearover · 21/04/2025 18:13

I used to get them every 3 years, moved towards a low oxalate diet and taking co-amilazide each day. I think I've now only had 1 in about 15 years.

This might sound daft, but I controlled the pain in exactly the same way as when I had my baby. If a wave hits you, stand and push down on the back of a chair or similar, stretching your body as tall as possible by standing on your toes and pushing down on your arms.

If you do pass it naturally, the relief from the pain is instant.

tobee · 21/04/2025 19:00

Sympathy to op and anyone else who's had kidney stones; it's so miserable I know.

Dd got given Naproxen by GP as the pain relief A&E gave didn't really touch it

Original poster

FatAmy123 · 21/04/2025 19:38

Thanks everyone, sorry so many of you have suffered, it’s rubbish.

Did everyone find your pain came and went?

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