Kidney Stone Advice?

[Gav]

Hi everyone,

I know a few of us here have had to suffer from kidney stones as complication of IBD.

I currently am suffering somewhat with a stone about 1cm diameter stuck low down in my left ureter (between kidney and bladder). It's not the first I have had, but it is by far the biggest and causing a lot more problems than the other little blighters I have had.

I've ended in in A and E (ER) about 4 times over the last few months as it has moved and caused severe pain and vomitting.

The problem is right now the pain won't shift. This week has been very painful and the doctors have agreed to go in and pull it out on Monday.

Question I have for anyone else is what else can I do while at home with this pain.

Currently I have a heating pad that I am placing behind my kidney and I am on tramadol. I am drinking as much as I can to stay hydrated as well. The moment I head towards dehydration the pain increases.

I've tried on two occasions to go into work but sitting down is OK to start with but within an hour or two I am in agony. Laying down and standing isn't much fun at the moment either.

So really is there anything else that some experienced with this can offer me for advice to help with the pain at home? It will be out on Monday, but with lack of sleep and difficulty getting into a position with less pain I wonder if there is anything anyone on here knows that might ease things a little!

Thanks for any help in advance!

Gav

 

[Manzyb]

Hi Gav,

I do have experience with kidney stones. Unfortunately though, I didn't have much luck stopping the pain other than calming it down with pain killers. Does Tramadol work for you? I would maybe ask for a narcotic or stronger pain killer. Monday cannot come soon enough for you!!!

I'm sorry I'm not much of help, but i just wanted to send my sympathies to you.

Are they going up with the basket thing to pull it out? i've had that done a few times, not the most comfortable thing afterwards, but it wasn't too bad!

 

[Gav]

Thanks Manzy

Tramadol barely takes the edge off, in fact the heating pad works really well in comparison! The hospital and docs didn't want to give me anything stronger and just suggested I keep visiting the Emergency Dept if tramadol doesn't work, which isn't exactly practical to do when my wife is at work.

Right now the heating pad is keeping it at bay, so I will probably just use that until Monday. They are going in with a scope which has a laser and a little basket on the end. I've had it before so yeah I agree...things are a little sore afterwards!

Gav

 

[Lisa]

oohhh....I've had stones too, and the ONLY thing that helped with the pain was GOOD DRUGS.....I can't have morphine or dilaudid (allergic to BOTH)....and I think I had tramadol last time which barely helped (ended up back in the ER a couple hours after the first visit!)...

I agree - you can't be running to the ER every few hours.....

Heating pad, keep hydrated, cranberry and/or REAL lemonade to maybe try to flush out anything else.....and hydrated, hydrated, hydrated.....

Hope Monday comes SOON for you!

 

[Gav]

Thanks Pasobuff!

I'm certainly very hydrated. I'm using the toilet every 10 mins after drinking pint after pint. It's easing the more I drink.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

Hi Gav!

Sorry to hear about this!! In my experience there's nothing you can do! Can't believe they've left it so long to get it out though!

Just try and keep drinking loads to try to flush it out.. although that may actually cause more pain!

Hope you get rid of it soon!

 

[lari]

I have had the same experience and I had the basket surgery procedure done. The only thing that helped my pain was painkillers of course. Also laying down flat on the floor somehow helped. I drank tons of water and took pyridium too. Good luck.

 

[Manzyb]

oh the heating pad is always my best friend, especially with stones!!
You cannot keep running to the ER, that really isn't practical at all!!!

I had that same surgery done a few times. It really is sore afterwards! I've had stent placements during them all, and thought wasn't fun either. That first pee after the surgery... YIKES!!

I wish you the best of luck on trying to keep the pain at bay. Kidney stones are so freaking painful.

For once... wishing for a speedy weekend for you!

 

[Manzyb]

I had a nurse once tell me to drink a beer and that might help! Of course, I was only 18 and my mom said yeah right As if a beer is really a good idea with CD anyway.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

I had mine when I was 12, so they were limited with what pain meds they could give me. I didn't think the ones they gave me did anything anyway. They said if they gave me anything stronger I'd be knocked out. I said 'yes please!!' to that but they said no

 

[cali]

Ugh! So sorry about the kidney stone. I know I have one in my right kidney, but so far it hasn't tried to go anywhere and is small, so no worries so far. Now my left kidney has a cyst that hates me and likes to kick me around some, but pain meds have kept it at bay for now. Good luck on your procedure.

 

[Norseman]

Sorry can't help you there, as Tramadol seems to take care of the pain. Especially if I combine it with 1mg of Paracetamol.

If that does not work, its straight for the hospital with me, and morphine (they will try other stuff first, wich is a pain in the behind as other stuf never work, but Morphine does the trick...

 

[Carolyn C]

I have had a few kidney stones over the years and the only thing that works is morphine (or something similar). It didn't take the pain away but at least it was bearable.
I have had many nurses tell me that women who have given birth and gone through natural labour say kidney stone pain is much worse. I guess that is why I scream like a woman in labour when having a kidney stone attack

 

[lari]

I had a stone for 4 months before they took it out. Most of tge time it didn't hurt. But sometimes it would move and block the urine flow. The pain was unbearable and off to the e.r. I would go. Ir is worse than labor pain and ranks right up there wirh a perforated colon. I would ask your doc to give you something stronger at home. Go to the e.r. if it gets real bad all of a sudden. It could be blocking you.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Sorry to hear about the kidney stones! I've had them in the past; PAIN! I've actually passed mine in the ER while waiting to be seen. (yep, they offer me the morphine AFTER the pain's subsided). I don't have any immediate pain relief suggestions for you, but for future reference...

I haven't had any kidney stone since...did some reading & tried organic apple cider vinegar - supposed to dissolve kidney stones & help prevent them in the future (among other benefits). I also take probiotics with cranberry extract (another ingredient that's supposed to help).

Good luck on Monday. I hope all goes smoothly for you and that they don't come back in the future! Take care.

 

[kateel]

Ugh! I'm so sorry to hear this. I have had frequent kidney stones for the past three years and my worst bout sounds like what you're going through. I was pregnant at the time, so they couldn't do a lithotripsy, so they did the basket procedure instead.

It sounds like today was the day you were getting it take care of. I hope all went well and you are no longer in pain. I have one right now, and I'm seeing the doc in the morning. Hoping they can break it up SOON!!

 

[Manzyb]

How are you doing, Gav?? I was thinking about you and hopefully you got that damn stone out of you!! I know even after the procedure you can be in a bit of discomfort, especially if you have a damn stent. Sometimes I think those are almost worse than the kidney stones themselves.

Anyway... I hope that you are feeling better and in less pain!! Let us know how you are doing.

 

[Gav]

Hi all. Thanks for all your posts and concerns. After what seemed like an eternal wait yesterday my procedure was last on the list and they blasted and dragged the stone out late last night. The doc was satisfied I needed no stent but had me in a catheter all night and blood clots decided to block it on and off, so I'm a bit sleep deprived.

Back home now, things flowing well with the odd bit of dry blood amongst the flow, but stone is gone!

Looks like this stone was an oxalate stone like my previous ones. I'm sticking clear of black tea and beetroot (things I enjoy too much) from now on!

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts and comments