If you thought you had a kidney stone would you bother with a doctor?

[kickassangel]

For various reasons (lot of pain and a CT back in November showed I have kidney stones) I think I may be passing a kidney stone.

I know there isn't much a doctor can do but tell me to drink water and take pain killers. So I'm inclined to do that and tough it out, or am I just being an idiot who should phone up for an appointment?

Sorry, wtf ?? … I don't know much about kidney stones but i thought they were agonizing and often require surgical intervention. No way would I tough out something like this. Especially as you don't know that the extreme pain you are in IS from a kidney stone. I worry about you self-diagnosing. A lot of other abdominal/back conditions can cause great pain. You can't, as a layperson, be expected to work out what this is on your own. If it turns out to be a kidney stone and there is nothing that can be done - well, at least you have ruled out appendix/ ruptured disc/whatever else goes in our mysterious bodies.

Hope you feel better soon OP. But please don't be too British about this. Seek help.

I had a kidney stone once, it was the middle of the night and went from a woke-up-niggle to a screaming-in-agony-thought-my-appendix-was-about-to-explode pain in about an hour.

Ended up in a and e, morphine didn't touch the sides.
Never been so pleased to have a massive pill shoved up my arse

I get a kidney stone every year, and they don't need medical intervention.
I take really strong prescription pain relief my GP gave me for this purpose. I'm an old hand at them.

BUT and this is a big BUT (no, not that kind :) ) if you can't pass it in 8 hours from start to blessed finish, and are vomiting a lot, DO go into A and E as you can permanently damage your kidney, and you may need a drip, and will definitely need an X-ray to make sure your kidney isn't fucked, and if you need sonics to break up the stone.

If this is your first one, go to A and E. I know what to do for mine as I've had about 6 now. First time I went to A and E.

If you're in agonising pain, you should seek help. The stone can sometimes block the ureter, you can get an infection….lots of things. Needs investigation and treatment

No. But I don't go to doctors unless it's so bad I truly feel I might die.

OK, couldn't get a gp appt for today but have one for tomorrow.

I know that I have some really small kidney stones and was told it wasn't a problem unless they started to cause pain.

So I shall drink loads, and will go straight to ER if I get any worse.

Pain is similar level to when I had appendicitis but no fever or vomiting.

I promise not to leave it more than 24 hours, even if it seems to get better. There is a fully qualified doctor where I work so I can get a quick triage if I need it.