Kidney stone

[Karel]

Disclaimer: I realize that most of you are not doctors (but may play one on television) and I should call my real life doctor but I'm just looking for advice.

What does it feel like to have a kidney stone? I have a sharp but not ongoing pain on my left side, very low. I know it's not my appendix (wrong side).

My husband says kidney stone. It hurts worse in the morning - wakes me up. I'm ok during the day though I feel it. I'm taking antibiotics for an ear infection and had a wicked cold for two weeks.

Thoughts??

 

[Beth76]

It could be. I would imagine it feels different for everyone though. When I had mine, it started as a very dull pain, well discomfort is more like it. It started in the morning and progressively got worse throughout the day. By late afternoon, I had to go to the hospital because the pain was unbearable--worse than labor.

 

[Karel]

I almost called my husband yesterday to take me to the ER, mostly because I was in a panic.

Now it's tolerable but achy. I'm trying to drink lots of water.

What did they do at the hospital for you? (if you don't mind me asking...)

 

[Kim&Chris]

I'm a kidney stone veteran, and it sure sounds like you've got one.

Chances are you'll need a cat scan to see exactly where the stone is. Then your doc may send you for lithotripsy, which basically pulverizes the stone so you can pass it.

 

[Kim&Chris]

PS....I just noticed you're from South Jersey. Therefore, if you need lithotripsy there's a good chance you'll go to the Mid-Atlantic Stone Center in Marlton. That's where I went and they were WONDERFUL. The employees were so nice, made me feel very comfortable, and really took care of everything. Good luck.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

It could be. I would imagine it feels different for everyone though. When I had mine, it started as a very dull pain, well discomfort is more like it. It started in the morning and progressively got worse throughout the day. By late afternoon, I had to go to the hospital because the pain was unbearable--worse than labor.

When I seen the post I figured I'd come look as I've had 2 experiences with KS--my first was I was 2 1/2 weeks late for giving birth to my 2nd son and when the pain started I thought I was in labor--I'd had stretchy pully kinda pain in my right side way down on my front for many weeks and the docs ran urine tests and said it was nothing and that if it was a KS it would be pain in the back--boy were they wrong---well we went to the hospital because the pain was getting so bad I couldn't breathe and my lips were turning blue when we got they they told me it wasn't labor and did an ultrasound and found it--because I was overdue with my son they brought me to an OR and put in a stent wich is a long thin wire to relieve the pressure that had built up and put me on antibiotics for the infection all the waste had caused by being backed up----36 hours later I gave birth to my son----they kept making me appts to go have the stone pulverized by way of a laser being passed thru a special chair but the chair kept breaking down before my turn---well one night about a month or so later I was walking thru the living room and bam the pain hit so fast and hard I couldn't stand up strait--my hubby brought me to the er and they kept me and sent me to surgery the next day where my urologist had to go in and remove it by hand---My urologist kept a big portion of it and sent the rest off for some kind of testing that has to be done on all KS----the part he kept he had put in this clear stuff so it became like a paperweight on his desk----the reason he did this was because he said that in his time as a urologist this was the absolute biggest KS he had ever seen-----mine looked like those underwater coral reef type trees----it had big center parts then lots of branches coming off it

My second was less eventful I complained of pain they did an ultrasound found it-then sent me in to boston to have it pulverized-all within a weeks time

They told me to help prevent new ones not to drink milk with iced tea or milk with any acid type drink and TO drink lots of cranberry juice

 

[Karel]

Wow! Sounds like a fun time. Sounds like a great way to spend my long weekend.

How long should I wait to see if it takes care of itself?

 

[Beth76]

How long should I wait to see if it takes care of itself?

If it's bothering you then you should go to the ER or at least call your doctor. It may not be a kidney stone, you never know. Mine actually stopped hurting about 10 minutes after I got to the hospital and the pain never came back. I went for an xray and they found the stone, but it was really small and would pass on it's own. I never actually found it. Good luck. Kidney stones are not fun.