My 17yr old has Kidney Stones!!

[wdwmom0f3]

She called me from school on Thursday in a lot of pain. I went up there to check her out and I could tell she was not faking it, she looked horrible. I called our Dr. & he got her right in and the first thing he said after checking her was Kindney stones. He sent her to the hospital for an IV & some test. Sure enough, she has several. The largest one is 3mm in size. She stayed in the hopital over night and has been in pain or sick to her stomach ever since.

She is going in on Friday to have the largest one crushed, but until then, what do I do? She is missing so much school. Is there anything to ease this pain besides lortab? Any advice?

 

[Kim&Chris]

I'm 46 years old, and have had Kidney Stones since I was 10 years old. I can tell you that it is absolutely horrible, and lots of hugs for your daughter.

The only way I can control my pain when I have an "attack" is by taking a percocet, which usually knocks me out.

I assume she's having lithotripsy on Friday. If so, she will feel SO much better afterwards. Is there anyway they can move her appointment up so that she doesn't have to wait a whole week?

 

[dawson5]

I feel for your daughter. I had my first (and only, hopefully) kidney stone last year. Doctor told me to drink plenty of water. Also gave me prescription painkillers, but told me to take Advil or Aleve, can't remember which. It was because it was an anti-inflammatory. I hope she passes it before she has to go in.

 

[iwrbnd]

I had my first kidney stone at 18 yrs old and to your daughter because it is the worst pain in the world! I had multiple on the x-ray, too, like your daughter. I didn't have another one for over 10 years so pass along that potential good news to your daughter! I was afraid I would chronically have them but it wasn't the case.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Yeah, I'm a chronic kidney stone manufacturer, although I didn't have my first one until I was 22.

My advice is to drink LOTS of water. It IS very possible to pass a 3mm stone on your own (I've done it ), and she might be able to flush it out herself before Friday.

 

[elgerber]

My husband has had them since he was 15, and my ds had his first last summer at 16. There isn't much you can do except drink lot's of water and pop pills. My son mostly just took advil, because the stronger stuff made him sick. My son took 2 months to pass his, mostly they just sat there and didn't hurt after the first couple of days, but they sure took their sweet time. He passed it pretty easily once he did.

 

[Frantasmic]

Unfortunately, kidney stones are one of those wait and see medical events. 3mm is a smaller stone and should be easily passed. But, since they are talking lithotripsy, she has something bigger than they think she can pass.

Stones are terrible, because you have them: you are in pain. To get rid of them: each event is more pain. They either shock it out of you: it hurts. They go and retrieve it: it hurts. They have to surgically remove it (not in your daughter's case as they are small): it hurts.

They will wait until they determine what kind of stone it is before providing preventive measures in the future. Since your daughter is high school age, she may have a hesitance about using the public school bathrooms and probably doesn't drink as much water as she should. She may also have dietary causes (too much tea, too much oxylate foods, etc.)

After she goes through this bout, the goal will be future prevention. Because, as stated, nothing about kidney stones or their treatment is easy.

Even after lithotripsy, which should break up the larger stone(s), she will still have to pass what was disintegrated.

Poor kid. If they didn't give her any pain meds, they should have. They only thing that totally makes me pain-free is some shot they gave me while I was in the hospital the last time I had a stone. Pills will dull the edge for me, but don't knock me out.

Also, ask the urologist about lemon juice. Drinking a couple ounces in your water daily is supposed to prevent formation of future stones. I don't remember the magic number though.

Good luck.

 

[elgerber]

Unfortunately, kidney stones are one of those wait and see medical events. 3mm is a smaller stone and should be easily passed. But, since they are talking lithotripsy, she has something bigger than they think she can pass.

Stones are terrible, because you have them: you are in pain. To get rid of them: each event is more pain. They either shock it out of you: it hurts. They go and retrieve it: it hurts. They have to surgically remove it (not in your daughter's case as they are small): it hurts.

They will wait until they determine what kind of stone it is before providing preventive measures in the future. Since your daughter is high school age, she may have a hesitance about using the public school bathrooms and probably doesn't drink as much water as she should. She may also have dietary causes (too much tea, too much oxylate foods, etc.)

After she goes through this bout, the goal will be future prevention. Because, as stated, nothing about kidney stones or their treatment is easy.

Even after lithotripsy, which should break up the larger stone(s), she will still have to pass what was disintegrated.

Poor kid. If they didn't give her any pain meds, they should have. They only thing that totally makes me pain-free is some shot they gave me while I was in the hospital the last time I had a stone. Pills will dull the edge for me, but don't knock me out.

Also, ask the urologist about lemon juice. Drinking a couple ounces in your water daily is supposed to prevent formation of future stones. I don't remember the magic number though.

Good luck.

Our urologist specifically suggested Crystal Light lemonade. He said there is something in the citric acid level of that particular product that can keep them from reforming as often.

 

[dislaney]

Poor thing. The pain is absolutely horrible. The others are right pain pills and lots of water. There really isn't much else you can do at home.

 

[ols386]

My dd27 has had a couple of bouts with kidney stones, and they are horrible. The last time she had them, they had to surgically remove it, and then placed a stent in the ureter, and it stayed in there for a week, and then they removed it. They had to place the stent in there because the stone had caused some swelling and inflamation.

She did say having the stent in there was uncomfortable, but certainly not like the pain from the stone.

This was more than a couple of years ago, and I think she's had some other smaller stones since then, but has been able to pass them on her own.

I hope your daughter is able to pass the stone on her own, and will feel better soon.

 

[bdoyledimou]

I have chronic reoccurring kidney stones, and had an OPEN Oxycontin prescription (meaning i could just go to the pharmacist and get 20 caps at a time every 5 days!!!). But the Oxy knocked me out within minutes of taking it...

We went to the World for Easter 2004, and within an hour of checking in, i felt the twinge and thought my vacation was over

I took my prescription to the CVS in Kissimmee, but because i am Canadian, they couldn't (or wouldn't) honor the prescription.. the pharmacist spent about 45 minutes calling around and asking people for advice as to how to treat me, when he offered me 2 400 mg Motrin..

Within 20 minutes the agonizing pain was gone.. I was fully functional. I thanked him, bought a bottle, and just took 800mgs every 6 to 8 hours or when i started feeling it again (passed the stone 3 days later at Epcot in the bathroom behind the Imagination Institute!!!)

 

[mamamary]

I've also had kidney stones since my early 20s. I currently have one now that would not disintegrate even after two lithotripsys. It got smaller but it's still there.

This pain is the worst I've ever suffered. I've ended up in the ER on many occassions.

Hope your daughter feels better soon.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I have had kidney stones twice. Once when I was in my late 20's. I had no idea what was going on. It was hell. I went to my family dr and they did a urine test and unbelievably they found a small kidney stone in the test. It was the size of a pencil dot. I could not believe how much pain it caused. I obviously did not pass the stone at the dr office, I must have passed it earlier and it ended up in the urine test.
The second time, I was at work, 30 min away from home. I broke out in a horrible sweat, realized what the pain was coming from, ran out the door after telling my supervisor it was a medical emergency, DROVE home and proceeded to vomit and run a fever before I passed it. I still don't know how I drove home in that pain. I have only had a kidney stone twice, but every once in a while I get the start of that pain and I get really scared. I have been lucky that it didn't turn out to be anything. But I have always been told to drink lots of water. And get a strainer and if she collects anything in the strainer, to put it in a baggie and take it to the dr on the next appt. I guess so they can get an idea of what type of stone it is and how large? So I would ask the dr about the strainer.

 

[minkydog]

Poor girl! I used to work in Labor & Delivery and we'd have moms come in who had passed kidney stones before. Every one of them said that labor was NOTHING compared to passing a kidney stone.

Definitely strain the urine. You can buy a wire kitchen strainer at Walmart, line it with a coffee filter. If she passes something, just put the whole filter into a baggie so you can take it to the doctor.

Hope she can get some pain relief soon.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Poor girl! I used to work in Labor & Delivery and we'd have moms come in who had passed kidney stones before. Every one of them said that labor was NOTHING compared to passing a kidney stone.

Agreed. I think maybe part of it has to do with knowing something good will come at the end of labor and you are monitored and you have some idea of when the pain will end. With kidney stones, you have no clue when it will be over, and there is nothing positive (making it worth the pain, like a baby) to come of it.

 

[kilee]

My dh has had several occasions of kidney stones over the last 10 yrs. His first ones not so bad, 800 mg of Motrin a few times and he passed it on his own within a few hours.

Not so lucky since the first one, he's had them surgically removed because they were lodged causing hydronephrosis. That time he was on a whole round of pain meds and had a stent for almost a month (he developed a secondary infection that made this round the worst by far).

His last time was May 2009 the pain ironically was the worst this round than any others. He ended up at the ER and doctors office several times over 4 days to get a pain shot to ease the pain. Ironically, they gave him flomax (a med used to for certain prostate conditions). I don't know if they can use it in women, but it's worth asking about. Let me tell you, after 4 days of passing that stone he took 2 pills at the doctors office, another one right before bed (as prescribed)--- he passed it just a few short hours after that. His doctor said he only recently begun using that med as a "quick short-term treatment" to assist in passing kidney stones. Supposedly it helps to "open everything up" and reduce the inflammation so the stone can pass. So, it might be worth looking into.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Your poor daughter. I was 18 and in college when I had my first kidney stone. It was absolutely awful.

No, there's nothing that will help the pain, except narcotics, unfortunately (well, and passing the stone/getting it removed).

 

[PrincesCJM]

I went to the ER two weeks ago with a kidney stone. I had no idea what was going on at the time but new something wasn't right. I feel her pain. I think at this point, I have passed it but I really have no idea. I haven't caught anything using the strainer - probably because I'm not really sure what I'm looking for. I haven't even used the strainer for the past couple of days because I feel like I have passed it. They are absolutely awful and hope to never have one again.

I work as a high school teacher and had to miss three days the week before vacation. I worked on Monday and Friday. Vacation couldn't have come at a better time for me though. I spent lots of time last week bonding with my couch. I wasn't fighting my body. I felt like I was constantly drinking fluids and napping. Can't complain about the naps though - they are the best part of the day.

Best of luck to her and hope she passes it soon

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Thank you for all of the replies. It looks like we are not alone with this, which is helpful for me. I had never heard of lemon juice, but it is now on my grocery list for tomorrow. At this point I will try anything.

Lauren is feeling a little better tonight. She has laughed some so that has been nice to hear again. I just DREAD Friday & this weekend. I know she will be in pain again after they bust it up, and I already feel so bad for her.

Someone was telling me to have them tested to see what type they are and what is causing them. Does anyone know about this? Should I do this?

 

[pepperw23]

I had a small stone when I was in my teens, I also had gallstones at 19 which required surgery...

One thing that helped me get through until the Kidney stones passed was to eat very light. It seemed when I ate too much it caused a lot of pressure and pain. Walking helped too. Hot baths will help while she is in them, but the pain is so intense even that brief rest from the pain is glorious. Remember, "This too shall pass"...sorry I could not resist.