Kidney stones: I felt like killing myself.

[Evoman]

I was at work the other day when I started having sharp pains on my back and side. The pain was so bad I had to leave work and get my mom to drive me to the ER. By the time I got to the ER, I was crying and screaming. Now...I'm not a cryer. In fact, I can count the number of times I've cried in the past 20 years on one hand.

But I was crying like a baby with that kidney stones. I was wheeled into emergency, while begging the nurses to either give me something or kill me. Finally, after was seemed like a lifetime, I was pumped full of morphine and the pain finally subsided. I spend about 6 hours in the hospital, getting a CT scan and blood tests and finally I was sent home with morphine tablets.

I still haven't passed the stone, but luckily I have drugs.

My god...I never ever thought anything could hurt so bad. I've been cut and broken and twisted, but never have I gone through as much agony as that damn kidney stone.

[MissMillie]

1. yep, I've had a baby and I've had a kidney stone

and I'd rather have another baby than other kidney stone.

[hippywife]

21. I've never had a baby

thank goodness but I've had many doctors and nurses tell me the kidney stone is worse. My SIL passed a stone and a baby at the same time on one of her deliveries. Eeek!

[yellowdogintexas]

51. I would have twins without drugs before I would go through another kidney stone

glad I had the stone first, made tolerating childbirth much easier.

them damn stones hurt like hell

[Eurobabe]

56. I had two babies natural childbirth no meds at all and I'd choose that

over a kidney stone any day of the year. I was so delirious in the ER I passed out from the pain, and I have a HIGH pain threshold.

[Arugula Latte]

70. I had two natural childbirths, too. One was stuck "sunny side up."

Ow.
Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

That was painful enough for me.

Note to self: Do NOT develop kidney stones. :scared:

[redqueen]

2. Yikes.

Glad you have something for the pain, at least... and God do I ever hope it doesn't get worse on the way out.

:pals:

[TZ]

3. Sympathies

I have a relative who has had MULTIPLE kidney stones so I have heard the horror stories.
Hopefully you will pass the stone quickly....:hug:

[Duer 157099]

4. Been there, done that!

Had a nearly identical situation, except I was at home, and was rolling on the floor in pain -- quite suddenly too. The pain had started as an ache, but man, when it ramped up into overdrive, I was on the floor and had to call a friend to drive me to the ER. Same deal, morphine, and then more morphine, and then more, until finally it subsided so I could go thru the CT/MRI or whatever the hell it was. They located it and said "drink lots of water" and it'll pass. Which it did, of course, some time in the next couple of days, at which point the pain left too.

Sorry to hear you're going thru it too! :(

[huskerlaw]

5. Yup.

I've passed more than 10 of the little bastards. I am not a fan. First time I had one, I thought I was dying. Thankfully (or not), now I know the pain and can get myself to the ER if necessary or just self-medicate until it passes.

Drink lots of water and keep taking the drugs. Good luck!

[hippywife]

6. I can relate.

I've done that about 20 times in the last 20 years and I can attest that it's very painful. Thank goodness for the pain meds.

Hope you pass it uneventfully very soon. :hug:

This is the last one I passed and the largest one ever! So big I just had to take a picture of it! Yikes! But the others looked like teeny tiny jagged grains of sand that hurt every bit as much.

[Phillycat]

37. HOLY HELL.

Jesus Christ, that thing is HUGE.

[hippywife]

43. And yet

it didn't hurt any worse or take any longer to pass it than one of the tiny ones. I think it might have already been in the ureter for awhile after my last lithotripsy when it dilated while I was passing all of the crushed matter from that procedure. Otherwise, I'm puzzled as to how it could have made it without invasive surgery.

[Pied Piper]

47. OMG! I took the same photo!

Here is the last stone that I passed. The little chunk broke off when the stone hit the porcelain.

[hippywife]

48. I can't see it.

I just get a broken link.

[Pied Piper]

49. Try again

I was fiddling with the Photobucket settings, which might have messed things up a bit. It looks good now.

[hippywife]

50. Whoa!

That's a huge one, too. Whew! :hug:

[Swede]

7. I was visiting a friend in the hospital when the pain hit him.

I thought he was gonna bend the iron bar above his bed,his eyes where wild. Yep,only morphine would bring relief. Oh,and the guy in the next bed,had TWO stones,one for each kidney.

[JVS]

8. this thread scares me

[Eurobabe]

58. as it should, the mere mention of kidney stone causes

terror in my brain. And I reach for the water!!!

[appal_jack]

9. any truth to the 'beer cure?'

I have heard several people say that they have successfully passed kidney stones by starting to drink beer the moment they felt pain, and continuing to do so until the stone passed several six-packs later. According to their stories, the alcohol not only dulls the pain, but also helps break-up the stone and gets it to pass rapidly.

All in all, this sounds like a relatively inexpensive option (even if one favors microbrews, a case is still cheaper than walking through the door of an ER) but I wonder if there is any truth to it?

-app

[TZ]

11. I doubt it

Alcohol and pain meds DO NOT MIX WELL. Water is cheap. And effective.
Science note: Alcohol is removed by the liver. Kidneys are a whole different organ.

[appal_jack]

12. both true, but the question remains

Before alcohol gets removed by the liver, it is acting as a solvent and intoxicant in all our tissues (including kidneys, blood, nervous system, etc.), which is one reason why the 'beer cure' strikes me as potentially plausible.

The stories I have heard about the 'beer cure' did NOT involve pain meds. I agree that the two should not be mixed.

But I'm still curious to hear from anyone who has tried this. I suppose if (FSM forbid) I ever start feeling kidney pain, I will try it first, and then ask someone to drive me to the ER if the pain gets too bad. The worst that would happen is that the nurses would make fun of me for being stupid once I got there I suppose...

-app

[hippywife]

16. I think the only reason it would

work is because of all the fluid flushing thru your system. One type of stones can actually be caused by beer.

[KatyaR]

17. I would think the biggest problem would be if the beer didn't cut the pain

and you ended up in the ER. I don't think they'd be able to give you much of anything for pain if you were drunk.

I'd stick with the painkillers if I were you--at least you know they'll do the trick.

[appal_jack]

19. hmm... good point

... app revises his emergency home kidney stone treatment plans. Saves the beer for better times... :silly: :dunce:



:hi:

-app

[huskerlaw]

15. That's crap

The stone is extremely solid. No liquid would "break it up."

If the "beer cure" works, it's because they drank enough that they pissed the stone out. This makes sense, as the only way to get rid of it (short of surgery) is to pee a lot. However, short of passing out, no amount of alcohol would be enough to numb the pain, so...ridiculous, in my opinion.

[MissMillie]

18. depending on what kind of kidney stones your body makes

that could make matters worse.

Some kidney stones are calcium... some are uric acid. If it's uric acid that is the culprit, beer is a big no-no!

[appal_jack]

22. also a good point.

I love y'all here at the DU Lounge.

Youse guyz gotz teh smartz!!!

-app

[hippywife]

25. Actually, I think

if it's oxalates beer can be the culprit. Uric acid stones are from too much protein.

[MissMillie]

34. ah... ok

I knew it was something like that.

[Eurobabe]

62. Mine were calcium oxalate, pass the beer hold the spinach, beets and chocolate.

[GoneOffShore]

33. REALLY BAD IDEA!!!

Kidney stones can be caused by drinking beer in the same way that gout can.

You will aggravate the condition. It's sort of like pouring water on a grease fire.

Water, water and more water. Plus as TnS said alcohol and pain meds aren't such a good idea.

[Mendocino]

40. I've had gout...

... bad bad bad gout. The pain was so terrible I would have cut my toes off if I thought it would ease the pain. Caused permanent joint damage in both feet. Made me give up meat and almost all alcohol. No more gout.

[Eurobabe]

57. I've felt twinges on occasion, reached for either a beer

or lemon in water. Those are supposedly the best things you can drink. Just make sure you don't drink the beer while on the pain meds, or you might pull a Heath Ledger. :shrug:

[dannofoot]

71. Coconut water...I swear!

Having been plagued with kidney stones for the last 30 years, I finally found something that really helps - pure coconut water. I order a brand called Zico and have a case delivered every month.

A Filipino friend told me about it...said that it's the #1 cure in Asia. In fact, doctors will actually infuse pure coconut water directly INTO a kidney to break up and flush out stones.

Since I started drinking it a year ago, i pass gravel occasionally, but not the 5mm stones I was used to.

[harmonicon]

73. not just kidney stones

also college, employment, marriage..... as soon as you start to feel pain, just start drinking and don't stop until what was causing the pain is over.

NEVER FAILS

[Mugu]

10. I've also done that.

A very unpleasant experience that I don't ever want to do again.

Regards, Mubu

[libnnc]

13. Been there.

Had them when I was 19. Hope I never have them again.

Worst pain I've ever experienced (and I've had 2 breast lumpectomies).
:hug:

[Lyric]

14. I'm going through this right now

I've had two of the bastards parked in my right kidney for about 2 years. They gave me a few sharp jabs of pain from time to time, but last week the smaller of the two decided to exit stage right. By the time I got to the hospital, I probably would have traded away my house, my dog, and ten years of my life for a shot of Dilaudid (I can't have morphine). They gave me Fentanyl. Definitely did the trick. They found that the stone was already 75% of the way down my right ureter--not blocking anything, thank God, but jagged and giving me hell on the way out. I got sent home with thirty Percocet pills and the admonition to drink lots of water.

I've been drinking the water, but if the stone passed, I missed it. I'm out of the pain medicine, which is unfortunate. If that teensy little 3 mm stone hurt THAT bad, I don't even want to think about how much more intensely the larger 5 mm stone is gonna hurt. :scared:

[hippywife]

20. Oh, and one small consolation...

as soon as it passes, the pain stops immediately. Just like that!

[Qanisqineq]

35. VERY TRUE!

I've had kidney stones probably between 10 and 12 times. I've lost count. Surgery (whatever that sound wave thing is called) twice and a different kind of surgery once. I get sick of being the only female at the urologist!

Sometimes I almost feel kind of dumb being in so much pain, nauseous, crying, sweating, and then it is gone. Just like that. :)

[hippywife]

41. Lithotripsy.

I've done that twice, too. The first time was back when it first came out and the second time was almost two years ago. Lithotripsy is great as a non-invasive procedure but if there is a large calculus, then there's a chance they won't get the entire stone dissolved. They can only blast it with the sonar wave so long before the fluid in the kidney becomes cloudy which reduces their ability to see it and also causes the sonar wave to be less effective on the target. That's what happened to me the last time. The stone I posted a pic of in reply #6 was a result of that happening. They blasted it as long as they could and I was still left with a stone that large to pass.

I can relate to being the only female at the urologist, too. Only one there on some visits without a prostate problem. ;)

[Eurobabe]

60. Oh poor you, stoneformer...

:hug: :hug: :hug:

My grandfather had this problem too. If it is recurring, it is a metabolic disorder. He spend his days at the endocrinologist trying to figure out what caused this chronic condition. May have been part of hyperparathyroidism, unfortunately I never thought to ask until after he passed away in 1994. My stone hit me like a brick in 2001.

[Eurobabe]

61. Like gving birth, but without the sleepless nights to come

:P

[Mike03]

23. Thanks for posting this. This is really important info. My friend, what

risk factors did you have, if you know, for getting them?

[Evoman]

30. I probably don't drink enough water.

Other than that, until they know what the stone is made of, I don't know. I have no family history. The only thing I can think of is that I let myself be dehydrated far too often. But you can bet your ass that I'm drinking shitloads of water from now on.

[Eurobabe]

64. Just be careful you don't swing the other way

drinking too much water can cause imbalance of electrolytes. Make sure you get a little salt, potassium. I drink about 64oz of water a day now after my attack in 2001, and that seems to be sufficient.

Of course, the German beer helps too. :rofl:

Feel better!

[LeftyFingerPop]

24. I've passed several of them.

Sucks. Bad.

My sympathies.

[mockmonkey]

26. They put a stent to my kidney

That helped a bit until they could blast the little buggers. I feel sorry for those who have the stones that are not quite large enough for downsizing. When a stone would come out it hurt but I kind of found the situation funny, holding the little strainer and all.

When they removed the stent....worse pain I have EVER had in my life...numbing jell indeed.

[LeftyFingerPop]

28. I hated my stent.

My urologist told me I would hate him for it, and I did, temporarily.

Couldn't pee standing up...had to sit down and bite on a magazine.

As urine was released from the bladder, the fucking thing moved and pushed against the inside of my kidney.

I had to get mine because my stones cut me up, and I wouldn't stop bleeding. Doctor was afraid I would clot up and get a blockage.

Jesus Christ...this is worse than naked mole rats.

[Qanisqineq]

36. ouch, stents suck

Hurt like hell every time I had to pee. Even though the pain didn't last long, I found it worse than the pain from the kidney stone initially. Makes me shudder thinking about it.

[hippywife]

45. I didn't find the stent more

painful but just irritating in a whole other area. And it felt like I had to go pee all the time. I would get to the bathroom and it would just be a couple of drips. I was ready to get adult diapers and forget about running to the bathroom constantly. And heaven forbid I should actually not feel like I had to go but see a bathroom in the store or something...then I had to go. It was like a Pavlov's dog response. LOL

[Qanisqineq]

54. I don't remember that part (the pressure on the bladder)

But that is one way I KNOW I am going to have an "attack". Before my kidney starts screaming in pain, it will feel like I have to pee constantly for a couple days and not be able to. I know exactly the feeling you are talking about.

[Eurobabe]

63. I had a stent in my ureter (left side) to allow the fragments

to pass from the lithotripsy. My doctor removed it in his office, yeah, numbing gel and Percoset my ass!! :cry:

[Pacifist Patriot]

27. I've heard its worse than childbirth.

I've delivered three children without so much as a tylenol or an aspirin, but I do NOT want a kidney stone. You have my total sympathy. I do hope you pass it soon and never experience that again.

[Deja Q]

29. I know people who had them -- a nightmarish experience.

:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:


:hug:

[joneschick]

31. I've had kidney stones, given birth thrice and ruptured my appendix

the appendix was probably the best of the lot, cuz I was misdiagnosed and left to rot for about 4 days. You get semi-comatose, you don't care so much. Childbirth you get epidural if you want and a great prize at the end. Kidney stones-are horrendous. I had them for years apparently before I was properly diagnosed when I finally went to the ER on the way to my brother's funeral. Try explaining to your Dr that you can't meet him at the ER of one hospital cuz it was too far from the funeral. Ghastly day. drugs good. water good. :hugs:

[Xipe Totec]

32. So do they know what caused the stones?

Is this a calcium stone?

Are they checking your bone density?

Parathyroid?

[FloridaJudy]

38. My mother was Iron Woman

She delivered me in a cab because she didn't want to go the the hospital until the pain got bad (besides, she was holding a royal flush). But when she got a kidney stone, she dropped to the floor and screamed like a banshee. You have my profound sympathies.

Gallstones are no fun whatsoever as well. These are the sort of things that make me think Intelligent Design must be a joke.

[hunter]

39. Yep. That was my #1.

I've suffered skin charring burns and broken bones that hurt less.

:hug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

42. oh my god i am sorry evoman

that must have been awful

[hippywife]

44. The other thing is

that it's not unusual for a person to have one stone episode in their life. When it becomes more frequent, a change in diet is called for to prevent them. It just depends on what the stone is made of Mine are uric acid stones and have become less frequent now with the reduction of meat in my diet. I still have one in my right kidney as off the last visit but it hadn't grown or moved...yet.

[Shine]

46. That sounds hellish!

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, but I'm glad you're doing better now, Evoman.

Thank gawd for drugs, that's what I say.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

52. Day after X-mas I ended up in the ER at 4:00 A.M.

9mm stone. I don't know how big a 9 mil stone is but I know how big a 9 mil bullet is and it doesn't belong in my Kidney. I don't remember ever being so miserable in my entire life. A month of eating Oxycodin like candy and I finally feel almost human again. I know the Y chromosome is a problem but could I just have a baby next time?

[Eurobabe]

59. HTF did you pass a 9mm stone?

You are a warrior. I had my 4mm bugger blasted out. (ESWL)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

66. Oh yeah, they blasted it to smithereens.

The physical pain is gone now but the financial pain is just beginning. I am a union sheet metal worker and we have some of the best health insurance you can get but even with that, the medical bills are killing me.

[Blue_In_AK]

53. They are the worst

I had one back in the early '80s -- it was 10 times worse than having a baby. REALLY awful. I feel for you.

[Eurobabe]

67. You've only had one in almost 30 years?

That is comforting. :) Seriously, those things scare the piss out of me. I never want another one.

[Blue_In_AK]

68. Yes, just one,

and I do feel very lucky because it was awful. They gave me a shot of something at the hospital for the pain and made me drink a ton of water. Then they took me for the x-rays or whatever and I had to pee so bad, but they kept saying, no, hold it, hold it, but I couldn't. I said if you don't get that bedpan under me, I'm going to pee all over your table here, so they did, and I passed the little sucker. It was huge, about 3/16 inch across, barbed, with chunks of bloody tissue hanging off it. It was really a horrible experience, but I've had no more trouble since. Thank God.

[Eurobabe]

72. Phew!

I had terrible fear when I did research after my stone. Recurrences are frequent. The statistics are not on your side once you've had a stone. It's all body ph, acid/base balance.

Water is extremely important to keep the beasts away. Many old KS diets advised people to cut out dairy, but new studies show that calcium intake is necessary to prevent stones. Everything in moderation. The water I drink (Vittel) is high in Ca and Bicarbonates and has a very base ph. This is what I needed because my tests indicated that my stone and body was very acidic.

Interesting chart here that shows the mineral content of popular waters
http://www.aquamaestro.com/truth.asp

[Eurobabe]

55. Had a 4mm stone in 2001, worse than natural childbirth with both kids!!

Oh man you have my sympathies!! I ended up not passing mine and having lithotripsy (ESWL). That was a breeze, got Versed IV, best drug known to mankind (puts you in twilight sleep, you don't give a shit about anything). Out-patient deal.

Doc thinks reason why I got it was: too much coffee (6 c. a day habit) not drinking enough water (now drink 1-2 liters per day), too many vitamin supplements, namely Cal-Mag. Once I changed my diet, added the water, well I am not going to say it because that jinxes the whole thing!!

Kidney stones cause the worst kind of pain because they are trying to migrate down the ureters, tubes the size of a human hair, each tube has muscles and nerves, and those puppies do NOT like jagged things interfering with their delicate work.

Getting enough water seems to be the key to avoiding these bastard things. :hug: :hug:

Pass it soon and get better!!!!

From one who knows how you feel -48percenter

[ThomCat]

65. My last stone was the size of a large chick pea. (12mm)

x(

They had to go in to break it up. I bled for 4 weeks, couldn't pee without crying, and screamed like a baby when they pulled the stent out. And this was with the morphine.

I've been in daily pain for 16 years so I'm pretty good at dealing with pain, and that last stone was the single most painful experience of my life. :(

I've had 2 so far, and I'm likely to keep having more.

[xchrom]

69. been there -- done that -- went to emergency --

they told me it would 5 HOURS before anyone could see me.

there was an incredibely cranky front desk person -- i crawled -- yes crawled right out of there and made my doctor take me.

THANK YOU JESUS, FOR MORPHINE.