Kidney Stone Anyone?

[luv2run]

I had the most intense pain of my life today. It's been five days since I had an endometrial ablation and the symptoms started out like a urinary tract infection but rapidly progressed to left flank pain which seemed to penetrate right through to my left lower abdomen. I remember horror stories that people have told me about kidney stones being almost as bad as labor and they really are true-- :eek: ! Three doses of Dilaudid IV later, a stone chaser CT scan, tons of IV fluids and IV nausea medicine, I'm home now. I'll follow up with a urologist tomorrow to determine if the stone will pass on its own or if intervention will be needed.

Has anyone here had experience with a kidney stone? I was a little disappointed to hear that the stone is only 3 mm in size (apparently on the small side) since it caused such intense pain and I always thought my pain tolerance was very high-- :( . I'd love to hear your experience; I guess misery loves company.

Debbie :cool:

[Natasha]

Hi Debbie,

I don't have anything helpful to add on point, but wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear about the pain, and that I hope you feel better SOON. Hang in there!

Natasha

[LoriAnnD]

I developed a kidney stone shortly after I moved to New Orleans - probably from the drastic change in my diet. It felt like a UTI would feel...so I assumed that was what it was and tried to cure myself with an OTC medicine. When that didn't help in a day or 2, I went to the doctor. Since I'd been going to the bathroom every 1/2 hour or so, I didn't really have to go when they asked for a urine sample. Since I worked at the hospital (in the business office - so don't go worrying about my healthcare abilities in not recognizing kidney stones :D ), they let me take the little plastic jar back to the office with me. When I next had to go to the restroom, I actually passed my stone right into the little cup. Yes, I was surprised that something about the size of a pencil lead could cause pain (I'm a high pain threshold person, too)...and it wasn't unbearable pain....but kind of a cramping feeling - sort of like ovulating, but worse. Anyway, I THINK what makes it painful - at least in my case - was that my little stone was pointy. Very pointy. Like a freshly sharpened pencil lead.

I was lucky....I hope you are, too!

Lori

[mbrogier]

I have never had a kidney stone, but my gallbladder kept acting like kidney stone pain for quite a while. (or so the ER people said) It was on the right side though.

If it makes you feel better, your insides are all tender from the surgery and the gas they put in to do the ablation. I'll bet that made you more sensitive to the pain.

Isn't Dilaudid the best stuff?? I hate the flushed feeling at first, but that is the only thing that keeps me from ripping my liver out right now. :eek:

[luv2run]

If it makes you feel better, your insides are all tender from the surgery and the gas they put in to do the ablation. I'll bet that made you more sensitive to the pain.

Yep, that does make me feel better; I just thought I was being a wimp-- :o !

Isn't Dilaudid the best stuff?? I hate the flushed feeling at first, but that is the only thing that keeps me from ripping my liver out right now. :eek:
Dilaudid is a wonderful drug! However, even with it, I didn't live up to my Wonder Woman image. I did make it through the night at home Monday night but had to end up back in the ER Tuesday morning. I had vomited nonstop and couldn't keep fluids or pain meds down so there was no chance of passing the stone.

Today, I had a cystoscopy with basket extraction of the stone. My doc also left a stent in place (I'll remove it Monday) because my kidney was completely obstructed-- :eek: --no wonder I felt so horribly! I got to come home today about 4 o'clock after having the procedure at 12 and I'm feeling 75% better already.

That's the good news; the bad news is that the stone is probably a side effect from my anti-seizure drug (Zonegran). I will have to either switch drugs or bite the bullet and discontinue anti-seizure therapy (my neurologist had suggested this before since I only had one seizure and it was felt secondary to a drug I was taking for migraine prevention).

Thanks for everyone's input!

Debbie :cool:

[JulieM]

Both my DH and DD have had kidney stones. As you likely know, the best thing to do is drink huge volumes of water and you will likely pass it. DD's stone was also 3mm I believe, but oddly it was actually two small stones attached to each other so it was wide and apparently lodged in her ureter causing a lot of pain. She tried not to take a lot of pain meds and "tough it out" but all that accomplished was to cause a lot of tension in her body. If they gave you pain relievers/relaxers use them because it seems to me it helps to relax the muscles, kidney and ureter to promote passing the stone.

We went to our DD's house one night as she was in pain and highly stressed. She was avoiding the meds and was only taking a small dose. (Having a 3 year old to take care of may have been a fractor.) We forced her to take a proper dose of vicadin resulting in a good night's sleep, and when she relieved herself the next morning she passed it.

[Grace]

Dilaudid is Today, I had a cystoscopy with basket extraction of the stone. My doc also left a stent in place (I'll remove it Monday) because my kidney was completely obstructed-- :eek: --no wonder I felt so horribly! I got to come home today about 4 o'clock after having the procedure at 12 and I'm feeling 75% better already.

Poor Debbie! I had an obstructed kidney too - not from a stone, but from a severed ureter (the tube that runs from your kidney to your bladder). The pain was so horrible I wanted to die. I was screaming and begging for help. Poor DH just stood there unable to do anything (I was in the ER). I was clutching the rails on the bed and screaming and it took three doses of something (no idea what they gave me) for the pain to finally subside. That was just the beginning of my ordeal though - there was no way to immediately fix the severed ureter, so I had to have a tube implanted through my back directly into my kidney to drain it into a bag that I strapped to my leg. I had that for 2-1/2 months. I won't even tell you the rest of the story - ugly (although I too had a stent for 6 weeks after my ureter repair). Suffice it to say though, I can totally empathize, and I'm SOOO sorry you have to deal with this!

I hope I never get a kidney stone - that is definitely the worst pain ever. Glad they were able to remover yours, and I hope you're back to normal SOON!! :)

[mbrogier]

Dilaudid is a wonderful drug! However, even with it, I didn't live up to my Wonder Woman image. I did make it through the night at home Monday night but had to end up back in the ER Tuesday morning. I had vomited nonstop and couldn't keep fluids or pain meds down so there was no chance of passing the stone.

Today, I had a cystoscopy with basket extraction of the stone. My doc also left a stent in place (I'll remove it Monday) because my kidney was completely obstructed-- :eek: --no wonder I felt so horribly! I got to come home today about 4 o'clock after having the procedure at 12 and I'm feeling 75% better already.

That's the good news; the bad news is that the stone is probably a side effect from my anti-seizure drug (Zonegran). I will have to either switch drugs or bite the bullet and discontinue anti-seizure therapy (my neurologist had suggested this before since I only had one seizure and it was felt secondary to a drug I was taking for migraine prevention).

Thanks for everyone's input!

Debbie :cool:


OOOHHH :eek: No wonder you were in pain!!! (you are wonder woman, no doubt about it!! :D :cool: ) I am on Topomax, an anti-seizure drug that is used as a migraine prevention drug (which is why I use it). If you haven't been drinking adequate fluids or were drinking too many soft drinks, try the water before you give up the drug. Migraines is a huge stroke risk for women. My stroke was caused because of a blood clot disorder and septal defect in the heart--which was fixed, but all 3 neurologists I have seen since have said that my recurring migraines increases my risk of another stroke. If you do drink enough water already, talk to your doctor about another med... Topomax does have a risk of kidney stones. I have been on it for almost 2 years and have been fine. (it also makes you lose weight. :D --or if you don't need to, you can eat like a horse and not gain weight :p It does have a nickname of Stupimax because it can cause brain fog if the dose isn't right... )