Kidney Stones

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Discussion

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,166 posts

185 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
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Piginapoke said:
Jesus. Get well soon dr_gn.

Are you kidneys now working?
Thanks! Yes, everything back to normal now - in fact better than normal (thouch wood).

As I mentioned, I think the stones had been forming and causing problems for a long time, maybe even years.

I'll be having checks every few months for a while to make sure they catch any new stones before they get out of hand.

Vantagemech

5,728 posts

216 months

Thursday 20th July 2017
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The recurrence is unfortunately true - 20 years between for me. I remembered the pain from the first time (and a subsequent reaction to an eye medicine incorrectly prescribed - always tell medical staff youve had kidney stones as the junior doc didnt read my notes and gave me medication that caused such pain only 2 shots of morphine would sort it) and told the doctor which sped things up. Its bizzare that stones can be so difficult to diagnose.

My symptoms were
constant feeling to urinate, passing perhaps an egg cup of pee then relaxing, followed by the same 10 mins later.
throbbing pain from left side to groin area and tingling pins an needles down the inside of my legs.
Urine test showed blood in the urine but again I never noticed any change in colour.

I dont drink enough water by far, having been in motorsport 20 years you dont get to stop and think I need a drink! I now take a 1ltr bottle of cordial with me to work and drink a large glass of water with breakfast and 2 more with my evening meal. Sadly by the time Ive drank that water the urge for a cold beer disappears... smile

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,166 posts

185 months

Thursday 20th July 2017
quotequote all
Vantagemech said:
The recurrence is unfortunately true - 20 years between for me. I remembered the pain from the first time (and a subsequent reaction to an eye medicine incorrectly prescribed - always tell medical staff youve had kidney stones as the junior doc didnt read my notes and gave me medication that caused such pain only 2 shots of morphine would sort it) and told the doctor which sped things up. Its bizzare that stones can be so difficult to diagnose.

My symptoms were
constant feeling to urinate, passing perhaps an egg cup of pee then relaxing, followed by the same 10 mins later.
throbbing pain from left side to groin area and tingling pins an needles down the inside of my legs.
Urine test showed blood in the urine but again I never noticed any change in colour.

I dont drink enough water by far, having been in motorsport 20 years you dont get to stop and think I need a drink! I now take a 1ltr bottle of cordial with me to work and drink a large glass of water with breakfast and 2 more with my evening meal. Sadly by the time Ive drank that water the urge for a cold beer disappears... smile
I think the blood in urine not showing visually is because it could be white blood cells they found (or of course a very low concentration of red)?

M42L

43 posts

113 months

Saturday 18th November 2017
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Hi, I was in an earlier post some time about June. Well things have moved on. And the stones.
Eventually saw the urologist a day before I went on holiday at the end of September. Refered for lithotripsy (love that word) for Nov10th. Came home from hols that had been quite liquid infuenced and passed a decent sized stone with no bother. Thought that was done and dusted.
But no, x-ray showed stone still in situ. Bugger.
Lithotripsy wasn’t as bad as I had feared. Mild discomfort with intense pulses but nothing like the pain of passing a stonking stone. Interesting claret coloured urine for 12hrs and felt very cold for 12 hrs. Passed first stones 8 hrs in and still passing bits 2-3 weeks later. I have a decent collection;/
Had to drink 4 litres + of water so working normally wasn’t an option 4 days later as the urge to pee and pass was urgent.
So, been given a diet sheet and a list of foods to avoid....yay no greens!

kwaka jack

270 posts

173 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2018
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Well I've just found this thread and wished I hadn't now. I'm now a member of the stones club. I got sent in from offshore Friday morning after waking the medic up at 2am with the worst pain I have ever experienced. Entonox didn't touch the sides and after consulting the on shore doctor I got a shot of morphine. CT scan relieved 2 stones, one 3mm the other 5mm. The larger one was making its way down to my bladder while the smaller one was still in my right kidney. Got sent home with pain killers and I'm currently on day 5 getting VERY bored.

Same score of some of the other posts. Completely lost all appetite, constipated, feeling very uncomfortable, go from boiling hot to freezing cold in seconds then back the other way. I'm now getting a massive burning pain when I wee which from what I understand mean the stones are now in my bladder. This morning I inquired in to how much a private clinic would charge to zap the little fkers.....4 GRAND!!!!!

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,166 posts

185 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
quotequote all
kwaka jack said:
Well I've just found this thread and wished I hadn't now. I'm now a member of the stones club. I got sent in from offshore Friday morning after waking the medic up at 2am with the worst pain I have ever experienced. Entonox didn't touch the sides and after consulting the on shore doctor I got a shot of morphine. CT scan relieved 2 stones, one 3mm the other 5mm. The larger one was making its way down to my bladder while the smaller one was still in my right kidney. Got sent home with pain killers and I'm currently on day 5 getting VERY bored.

Same score of some of the other posts. Completely lost all appetite, constipated, feeling very uncomfortable, go from boiling hot to freezing cold in seconds then back the other way. I'm now getting a massive burning pain when I wee which from what I understand mean the stones are now in my bladder. This morning I inquired in to how much a private clinic would charge to zap the little fkers.....4 GRAND!!!!!
Haven't they put you on the NHS waiting list to get them sorted?

kwaka jack

270 posts

173 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
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No, I was told I’d be sent an appointment slip for a months time for another scan to see if I’d passed them by then. Not sure what they’ll do after that.

FiF

44,108 posts

252 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
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Besides the painkillers you should have been prescribed drugs to dilate the ureter to assist passage. These make you about 1.5 times more likely to pass the stone without further intervention.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,166 posts

185 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
quotequote all
FiF said:
Besides the painkillers you should have been prescribed drugs to dilate the ureter to assist passage. These make you about 1.5 times more likely to pass the stone without further intervention.
They didn't give me those until I'd been to have the first one removed, and was waiting for the second.

IIRC the side effects weren't nice - very light-headed, couldn't really drive.

ETA, after being given the all-clear (x-ray) in November, I passed two stones last month...previously I didn't pass any of the stones and had to have the op. They sent me for CT-scan and apparently this time there really are no stones left.

Not sure if the drugs (or the op) opened some tubes up making them easier to pass or what.



Edited by dr_gn on Wednesday 4th April 12:35

kwaka jack

270 posts

173 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
quotequote all
I’ve been perscribed co-codamol and Diclofenac sodium. Been instructed to only take them for when I’m in pain. The side effects of Diclofenac aren’t very nice. (Constipated, very strong drowsiness, increase risk of stroke, heart attack, hallucinations and about 50 other things) so I’m only taking them when I really need to.

MrChips

3,264 posts

211 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
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I've been described by the consultant as a "stone factory" and the CT scans show 5-6 stones in each kidney of varying sizes. However, i've had no symptoms, and they were only picked up after an ultrasound when investigating some acid reflux i had.

Thing is, i was told the stones were "inside the meat of the kidney", so not as per normal being formed between the kidney and bladder. That was 3yrs ago and nothing since so i'm thinking of getting another checkup and scan booked in so long as i can get my private medical to cover it.

Does the whole "it's inside the kidney rather than at the edge" make sense to anyone, and apart from trying to drink loads (which i'm failing at!) is there anything else i can do to try to prevent me going through what you've all described! cry

wobert

5,054 posts

223 months

Wednesday 4th April 2018
quotequote all
MrChips said:
I've been described by the consultant as a "stone factory" and the CT scans show 5-6 stones in each kidney of varying sizes. However, i've had no symptoms, and they were only picked up after an ultrasound when investigating some acid reflux i had.

Thing is, i was told the stones were "inside the meat of the kidney", so not as per normal being formed between the kidney and bladder. That was 3yrs ago and nothing since so i'm thinking of getting another checkup and scan booked in so long as i can get my private medical to cover it.

Does the whole "it's inside the kidney rather than at the edge" make sense to anyone, and apart from trying to drink loads (which i'm failing at!) is there anything else i can do to try to prevent me going through what you've all described! cry
When you’ve had stones previously, have you had them analysed for what they are composed from?

This will indicate if it’s dehydration, diet etc....

anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 5th April 2018
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Currently have seven of them in my left kidney with two of them being 8mm.

Started with them in September last year, locally the nhs struggled for an appointment so was offered private by them which was great, seen quickly, scan and consultant on the same day.

Went well until nhs refused to pay for treatment there even if they referred me. Had to go back around with the nhs and only just had a CT with them today. At their worst the pain is unbearable and codeine has helped but leaves me wasted.

Apparently whatever I’ve eaten/drank wouldn’t have helped as grandfather, dad and brother have had them and can run in family according to consultant.

kwaka jack

270 posts

173 months

Saturday 7th April 2018
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Well that’s that do with. Thursday night just after 9 I started passing the stones, exactly one week almost to the hour I started feeling pains. Luckily they had broken up inside me so I was just peeing loads of little flakey bits. All the pain has gone now and I’ve substituted a few things in my diet to hopefully stop them coming back in the future.

wobert

5,054 posts

223 months

Thursday 28th January 2021
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wobert said:
Sorry to hear of anyone suffering kidney stones, they are an absolute bugger, and as my consultant pointed out, once you've had them, you are predisposed to them recurring until you meet your maker.....

This is my account of kidney stones from 2015.....

"Up to the 23rd June I was cycling c75 miles a week.

On the 24th June I started getting kidney pain during the morning, by lunchtime I was vomiting and the pain was getting worse. My next door neighbour who is a practising nurse thought it was appendicitis, and ran me to A&E.

I was wheeled in, in a wheelchair as I was unable to walk. More vomiting, and I had a diagnosis of a water infection and was prescribed anti biotics and Co-codamol.

The pain never went away, constant 24/7, it affected my appetite and I didn't eat for 9 days. I lost 8 kg in this time.

After a week I revisited my GP who decided it was a kidney stone and arranged a CT scan.

The following week the pain disapated, and my appetite returned, fortunately as I was then away for a week after in Ibiza.

I had my CT scan on my return and the GP called me to inform me I had an 11mm stone lodged in my ureter (the tube that links the kidney to the bladder).

The consultant Urologist called me the following evening an stated it needed urgent treatment due to the risk to my kidney function. I was booked into his clinic the following Monday, where I was told I would need two operations to resolve the issue.

Two days later I went in to have a stent fitted under GA, and told not to lift anything heavy or do any exercise.

Six weeks later I returned to have the stone blasted with a laser and this time to have a temporary threaded stent fitted again under GA.

They access the kidney from the normal route out, there are some rather unpleasant side effects with the surgery, peeing rose wine is the least worst side effect!

Three days later the temporary stent was removed, a gentle pull on the thread by the nurse pulled a foot long length of tube from my gentlemen's sausage."

In December I had my follow up appointment to determine the stone composition. It was calcium based meaning I don't drink enough. Consultant advised drinking 3l of liquid a day, easier said than done when you spend your life travelling....

Once you've had them, your predisposition to them recurring is raised by 50%. The doctor mentioned it was likely he see me again at least twice before he retires......great!

Anyone who suffers them has my full sympathy."

I too suffered constipation from the co-codamol, utter bunged up and felt I was going to explode......As with other Ducolax was my friend, although the the toilet resembled the scene from a World War One mortar hit afterwards.....
Thread update.

Currently sat in A&E waiting to be admitted for another stone, this time only 8mm.

Surgery in the morning, oh joy.

I have the words of my consultant ringing in my ears regarding drinking 3 litres of water a day... smile

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,166 posts

185 months

Friday 29th January 2021
quotequote all
wobert said:
wobert said:
Sorry to hear of anyone suffering kidney stones, they are an absolute bugger, and as my consultant pointed out, once you've had them, you are predisposed to them recurring until you meet your maker.....

This is my account of kidney stones from 2015.....

"Up to the 23rd June I was cycling c75 miles a week.

On the 24th June I started getting kidney pain during the morning, by lunchtime I was vomiting and the pain was getting worse. My next door neighbour who is a practising nurse thought it was appendicitis, and ran me to A&E.

I was wheeled in, in a wheelchair as I was unable to walk. More vomiting, and I had a diagnosis of a water infection and was prescribed anti biotics and Co-codamol.

The pain never went away, constant 24/7, it affected my appetite and I didn't eat for 9 days. I lost 8 kg in this time.

After a week I revisited my GP who decided it was a kidney stone and arranged a CT scan.

The following week the pain disapated, and my appetite returned, fortunately as I was then away for a week after in Ibiza.

I had my CT scan on my return and the GP called me to inform me I had an 11mm stone lodged in my ureter (the tube that links the kidney to the bladder).

The consultant Urologist called me the following evening an stated it needed urgent treatment due to the risk to my kidney function. I was booked into his clinic the following Monday, where I was told I would need two operations to resolve the issue.

Two days later I went in to have a stent fitted under GA, and told not to lift anything heavy or do any exercise.

Six weeks later I returned to have the stone blasted with a laser and this time to have a temporary threaded stent fitted again under GA.

They access the kidney from the normal route out, there are some rather unpleasant side effects with the surgery, peeing rose wine is the least worst side effect!

Three days later the temporary stent was removed, a gentle pull on the thread by the nurse pulled a foot long length of tube from my gentlemen's sausage."

In December I had my follow up appointment to determine the stone composition. It was calcium based meaning I don't drink enough. Consultant advised drinking 3l of liquid a day, easier said than done when you spend your life travelling....

Once you've had them, your predisposition to them recurring is raised by 50%. The doctor mentioned it was likely he see me again at least twice before he retires......great!

Anyone who suffers them has my full sympathy."

I too suffered constipation from the co-codamol, utter bunged up and felt I was going to explode......As with other Ducolax was my friend, although the the toilet resembled the scene from a World War One mortar hit afterwards.....
Thread update.

Currently sat in A&E waiting to be admitted for another stone, this time only 8mm.

Surgery in the morning, oh joy.

I have the words of my consultant ringing in my ears regarding drinking 3 litres of water a day... smile
Since my episode with stones they send me for a scan every 12 months. They did want to discharge me, but I requested they continued with a check every year.

It's just Ultrasound, but better than nothing.