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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: MillCreek on June 13, 2018, 02:58:44 PM

Title: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: MillCreek on June 13, 2018, 02:58:44 PM
I was awoken at 0225 this morning by acute abdominal pain.  It was located in the right lower quadrant and radiated around to my right flank.  My abdomen was slightly tender to pressure and my temperature was normal.  I got up and walked around a bit and it did not improve.  I took a hot shower, felt nauseous but did not vomit, and had an episode of shaking chills in the shower.  The pain subsided at first and then increased to about a level five.  I woke up my wife at 0400, told her that I was concerned that I had developing appendicitis, renal colic or diverticulitis and it was time to go to the local ED. 

We arrived at about 0440, was triaged and then seen by the ED physician.  Although I did not know him, I worked with his group and we chatted a bit about risk management and then did the history and physical.  He thought I had a kidney stone and mentioned he had seen 'three old guys (including me) just that morning for kidney stones.  He said that being an old guy working outside in the summer and not drinking enough water was a dangerous combination.  A white count was normal, indicating no infection, and the urinalysis also showed no infection. We had a abdominal CT scan done; the good news was that the appendix and bowels were normal, ruling out appendicitis or diverticulitis; the bad news was that there was a 4.5 mm right kidney stone, about halfway from the kidney to the bladder.

So I am home with a bunch of meds, and a followup appointment with urology.  I wonder if they will recommend that nature take its course, or if they feel they should go after it.

Title: Re: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: Hawkmoon on June 13, 2018, 03:13:43 PM
I feel for you. Just about two years ago I had a sudden onset of acute pain and nausea. I thought it was "somethin' I et," so I left work about 1:30 p.m. and went home, thinking I'd sleep it off and feel better in the morning.

Morning arrived, and I didn't feel better. Called my primary physician's office, and they didn't even want to see me. They told me to go directly to an emergency room. The VA hospital was closer, plus the parking garage for the big hospital downtown is so far from the ER that I didn't think I could make the walk, so I went to the VA. The next thing I knew I was in the ICU, on morphine, with tubes sticking out of me. Gallstones.

Not fun. I hope your pain resolves itself quickly.
Title: Re: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: BobR on June 13, 2018, 03:28:14 PM
Hopefully they gave you some Flomax. 4.5mm is on the cusp of "will it pass or will it not?" But it is halfway there so it is doing all right so far. We always get patients trying to pass stones and they think it should just pass because they think of river stone smooth for the stone and then I say no, more like a cocklebur ripping its way to your bladder. Then they understand why the pain. ;)

bob
Title: Re: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: MillCreek on June 13, 2018, 03:33:40 PM
^^Flomax, Toradol and Vicodin.  I just took my first Toradol a couple of hours ago, and it seems to have worn off already.  Hmm.
Title: Re: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: BobR on June 13, 2018, 04:56:50 PM
^^Flomax, Toradol and Vicodin.  I just took my first Toradol a couple of hours ago, and it seems to have worn off already.  Hmm.

IV Toradaol is magic for stone pain, not too sure about oral. I just get Flomax and Vicodin when I have stones. Thankfully when mine decide to escape from my kidneys to begin their journey to the outside they are just babies and haven't gotten full grown yet.

Best of luck with passing it.

bob
Title: Re: Kidney stones hurt
Post by: HeroHog on June 13, 2018, 07:06:28 PM
My VA said 9 to 10mm is the cut off for lithotripsy/surgery and I passed an 8mm one "the old fashioned way."

Either way, I feel for ya! I've passed 18 and have 5 or more in the queue right now and have been having kidney pain on the right side for a few days now and that's the "good" side with "only" a golf ball size cyst/mass in it...

BTW: at 5mm, from the bladder to the toilet is nothing. Ya probably won't even feel it. At 8mm, when it hits the ol prostate, brother, ya know it!