Kidney stones

[FatAmy123]

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? 😩

Never been to the Dr about mine as generally I'm able to manage them by myself, but I've had what I do suspect is kidney stones for years now - mine always gets worse during the summer/hot weather when it's easier to become dehydrated and when I haven't drunk enough, even when it's not that hot. I'll feel little twinges in my back and I know it means I need to up my intake of fluids quickly or things are going to get bad.

If I'm actively passing one from a kidney I can easily be on and off with pain for a few days at least, sometimes longer. I've found ibuprofen the most helpful things for the pain of them, though if it gets truly terrible then I'm usually too nauseous to eat or drink anything and I just try to ride it out....

Pretty much the same as @MoonlightMemories . When it hurts, it really hurts and when it doesn't you can forget about them. The ptoblem is you have no idea when it's about to hurt again.

I know I have several trapped in the bottom of my right kidney. Zapping them didn't work so we live in harmony together. I don't go to a doctor these days.

They are horribly painful. I get one every couple of years, and the pain has me vomiting. Drinking loads and loads to help flush things out and painkillers. Luckily I’ve been able to pass them at home and there’s instant relief. For me it’s generally intense pain of 2-4 hours, vomiting, sweating, waves of it. Then it moves and there’s fairly instant relief but residual pain for sometimes a few days.

Some people swear by chanca piedra. I have a bottle but keep forgetting to use it.

I had a fun week a couple of months ago where I had 4 nights in a row of gallstone attacks and then a kidney stone on the 5th night 🤒 Not a good week for me!

Oh my gosh @doodleschnoodlei had gallstones before I had my gallbladder removed in 2016 and that pain too is absolutely vile. Poor you experiencing them both together.
i remember actually that my gallstones used to not cause any pain for ages then I’d get a horrible attack.
Ive got a follow up CT scan on 28th to see where the kidney stone is. I feel like it might be lower but who the hell knows?!

@dearoverI’m guessing the week of strong pain I had ending with the 4/5 hours of horrendous pain that landed me in hospital was it moving down my tube and causing my kidney to swell (mildly) maybe it’s chilling in a less obstructive spot now. As you say though, not knowing when it’s going to hurt again is very unpleasant 😞

@FatAmy123It’s rotten! I’m on waiting list to get it out so at least then I’ll ‘only’ have the kidney stones to contend with! I joked with the locum GP about being ‘prone to the stone’ and got a stern lecture about how they are unconnected and very different types of stone!

I hope your stone passes out soon, it really is a miserable thing. I’ve always thought of myself as having quite a high pain threshold but kidney stones are a humbling experience.

I was told once the stone drops in to your bladder the pain should stop. The pain is from them travelling apparently

Mine only hurt when they move. Then it feels as though someone is stabbing my back or side with a knitting needle or 10

Yeah maybe mine moved and now is having a little rest. I was thinking, all this analysis of pain and examining everything when you go to the loo reminds me of waiting to go into labour! Except at the end of that you get a lovely baby and at the end of this I’ll just get a shitty little stone 😂

I have several conditions, all of which can be extremely painful at times, but for me a really bad kidney stone(s) flare-up is right up there at the top. For me it's like someone is attempting to squeeze my kidney from deep within my body (not too far from what's actually happening I guess eg. the kidney/ureter is trying to get it out). Does anyone else find it hard to breathe when the pain is particularly bad? It's like even breathing in makes the pain worse and I end up sorting of panting rapidly, a bit like a woman in labour! God these things are miserable to have!

In a lot of pain this morning 😞 guess the little bastard is still in there

They are horrible things, i ended up in A&E 6 weeks ago in excruciating pain, 8mm stone blocking my urinary tract causing swelling to the kidney. They put a stent in and I am back in this week for an op to remove the stone. Lots of water from now on to flush things along. Hope you feel better soon

Thank you @Ella1985im sorry to hear you’ve been suffering too and I hope your surgery goes well. They certain are horrid and I’m still playing the crap guessing game!
I thought I’d passed mine after feeling a weird sensation, having pain ease and then thinking I saw something in the toilet. But tonight I have pain again so who knows? I went on Monday for a CT to see and they wouldn’t do it as the Dr had put it needed to be done 3 weeks after the intial one, not two weeks. Unfortunately, no one told me that until I literally lying I. The scan machine ready to go 🤬
Back next week for the rebooked scan.

Oh no, I hope they get you scanned soon! I was told if the pain is unbearable get to A&E, I hope you don't get to that stage and things start to ease 🙏 Good luck x