i feel a stone coming on

[DirtyDan]

hey all

well I never had one before but I'm pretty sure I got a kidney stone coming on. intermittent pain right kidney, can hurt bad. I think its going to get worse before it gets better.

im drinking all the water I can and looking for blood passing

another addition to my resume

i'll keep ya posted

dan

[Hooter]

I've had one each year for the past 2 years, no freakin fun. They have had to retrieve both of mine. I wouldn't wish that on only but a couple of people. Water, water, water and then some  more water.

[Serk]

IMHO either go see a doc for confirmation, or at least buy a kidney stone filter to pee through to see if you catch it so ya' know...

That pain was so bad, I wouldn't wish it on (Politician I don't like)...

...okay, maybe just once...

[Patrick]

OH boy, they ain't no fun.  I had the right kidney blasted a couple years ago and went thru 4 solid excruciating days getting rid of the pieces.  Refused to go back for the left side, I'll shoot myself first.

I'd recommend taking care of the problem, it won't fix itself unless it passes soon on its own. That ain't fun either.

I don't want to scare you, but, its the worst pain I've had. I have 29 broken bones and been shot. But, maybe I'm just becoming a wuss in my old age.

[Steve K (IA)]

What makes the pain so bad, (my opinion) is that you can't put your finger/hand on it.  There is nothing you can do, no position you can put yourself in that will make the pain any less.

If you could make the pain go away standing on your head, I would of done it.

...had 'em two times.   

[DirtyDan]

thanks guys

my mom has been in heathcare her whole life RN then hospital supervisor. my dad had two stones when he was a few years younger than I am now

he loaded up on water and they passed

mom agrees water water water

if I get blood or the pain gets REAL bad I will pursue additional treatment

BTW 29 broken bones AND shot......DAMM dude glad you are still with us

dan

[hubcapsc]

When mine first made itself known, I was sure I was dying, so I
got Carolyn to take me to the emergency room.

I was "glad" it was a kidney stone (I'm not ready for the other thing yet).

I think the hydrocodone/oxycodone thing the Dr. will give you for it
is awesome, but, as we talked about on a thread here recently,
they're trouble if you take them  indiscriminately ...

I might have a mild one (ones?)... I never felt it come out, so maybe it
is the same one that has made itself known several times. The pain
(so bad I threw up last time) comes on quick... and the pill does too 

Then I forget about until next time, which is usually a long time.

My old Dr. retired, I have a new young Dr., a health nut yogerty kind of guy,
he said the same thing about lots of water, and said to put lemon in it...
a half a lemon squeezed into a glass of water is pretty good, if you think
you might like unsweet lemonade 

-Mike

[Oss]

sent you a PM

[PAVALKER]

Passed over a dozen stones, and at one point I passed 4 in 8 days.  I agree with the hydration concept....and even a few beers during the hydration process.  The beer helps keep you relaxed, the fluid flowing and possibly even taking away some pain/discomfort.   Have your Dr call you in a script for some flowmax or the generic equivilent....it helps open up the pipes to help with the flow (as does the beer).  I've taken two 200mg Tylenol for pain when it gets to that point....

[PAVALKER]

IMHO either go see a doc for confirmation, or at least buy a kidney stone filter to pee through to see if you catch it so ya' know...

That pain was so bad, I wouldn't wish it on (Politician I don't like)...

...okay, maybe just once...

You don't need the strainer to confirm ya got it.  You will know when it passes....and most likely see it in the bottom of the bowl after you regain concessness.  And a very good reason to sit down when urinating during these times.  My sink corner was broken during a passing episode, and it could have been my head.  I epoxied it back in place since it's just in my Bath room...and it serves as a reminder to sit down when kidney stones are on the war path.

Strainer does serve to catch it so you can either start a rock collection, or turn it/them in to your Dr to evaluate them, and see what might be the cause.

[msb]

A friend I made several years ago  - and fellow Valkyrie brother (so you know it's not BS  ) from eastern WA spent years travelling around with a portable kidney stone blaster for work. With a couple of other Valk guys as his references, a temporary remedy he advised when acute pain comes on before stones can be passed, is to lay on your back and slide down a flight of stairs head first (I would think preferably carpeted stairs, and I would wear your helmet  ). Apparently this temporarilly moves the stones back out of the sensitive area, giving you more time to either guzzle more water and pass them normally, or get to a hospital/clinic if they require blasting. I know it sounds a little off the wall, and the visions one comes up with thinking about someone actually doing this can be hilarious...but it IS from a person of supossed authority, and he IS a member of this club, so it's just got to be factual, right?

[Kep]

I had passed stones on 2 separete occasions...never wanted them again so I did some research..found a Dr. study and also local health food store owner that proves Black Cherry Concentrate (not juice , but Concentrate) contains the only acid that will get through your system to the stones and break them down ( water and other juices just flush you out)Used it several times , as have several friends that I suggested it to , and have never had them since. You can buy it at GNC or any health food store and dilute several Tablespoons full in a glass of water 3 or 4 times a day...Works like a charm !!!!

[DirtyDan]

I got the marshmallow pills, will look into black cherry concentrate

lets hope I don't end up with

"blood from a stone"

dan

[Patrick]

I was just turned loose after the blasting with nothing and told to come back in 2 weeks. I thought I was going to shake myself apart and was soaking bath towels in sweat. The best position I could find was just laying on the stairs and trying to work/push the pieces from the ureter to the bladder. Since I wasn't given anything for pain I figured none was to be used. Once the pieces found their way to the bladder I thought I was in for bigger trouble, but, about 30 pieces just tinkled/rattled in the bowl as they came out without any pain. Some were sharp as razors and pretty big.

Cherry concentrate is supposed to help dissolve them as well as help with gout.

The main part of this [and the first part] is that I had no symptoms or problems at all. I had to go for a squirt test and was told there was blood in it. I said the samples were switched and 3 more tests showed no blood, but, the doctors convinced me to take a cat scan with ,of course, contrast. I must be allergic to contrast because it damn near killed me and will never ever use it again.

[BINOVC]

Been there as well almost a year ago.  And mine was considered a "small" stone.
Didn't know what was happening, ended up going to the ER.
They finally diagnosed me, then FINALLY gave me morphine.  They sent me home with a prescription for pain meds and nausea meds.
ER bill $10K, my initial out-of-pocket $4.5K, talked the insurance to reducing my out-of-pocket to $3.5K.
So the k.s. pain was bad, but my financial pain was worse.  Next time I have severe abdominal pain I guess I'll just deal with it at home.  Thanks obama-care.

[Challenger]

I've had five stones in the last 10 years and passed them all. The first one sent me to the ER because like stated above "I thought I was going to die". I.V. fluids for two days and when it came out I thought I had passed a school bus and all the kids had their arms out the windows. Now when one tries to escape, I have a vibrating heating pad which really helps, drink copious amounts of liquid and take a Vicodin. Keep moving and they eventually move on out. Kind of embarrassing after squealing like a cheerleader on helium and then seeing how tiny the offending rock was. Best of luck to you there Dan!

[The emperor has no clothes]

I've had five stones in the last 10 years and passed them all. The first one sent me to the ER because like stated above "I thought I was going to die". I.V. fluids for two days and when it came out I thought I had passed a school bus and all the kids had their arms out the windows. Now when one tries to escape, I have a vibrating heating pad which really helps, drink copious amounts of liquid and take a Vicodin. Keep moving and they eventually move on out. Kind of embarrassing after squealing like a cheerleader on helium and then seeing how tiny the offending rock was. Best of luck to you there Dan!

I wouldn't think there is anything embarrassing about it. I've seen some of the rocks that come out of my wife and if something like that came out of me I'd being screaming bloody murder. 

[John Schmidt]

My first one over 20 yrs. ago put me in the hospital for a couple days, they had to go in after. About 7 yrs. ago I had a doozy, about 5mm large and wouldn't pass. Got hung up in the pipeline about halfway down to the bladder. That was the Monday before Thanksgiving, the ER dr. said that size usually doesn't pass on its own. Then he sent me home with some pain meds hoping it would pass. I said I'll be back and will come looking for you. Thanksgiving afternoon, three days later, I'm back in the ER and asking for the same doctor. They told me he had just left, how convenient. I was admitted, was in for a week. It was lodged halfway down and had caused the kidney to swell so much they didn't dare try to blast it, so my urologist flushed it back into the kidney and put in a stent. I was full of infection from it and the ureter almost burst which would have been bad news....and painful beyond description. They left the stent in from the Sat. after Thanksgiving until mid-February, that alone was painful. Every move I made felt like I was getting poked with a hot nail in the gut. After it was removed, they blasted it and I peed out gravel for the next few hours....but what a relief. I was then put on Allopurinol, a med  used to control gout, but many stones are made of the same material....mine was. With that med, Allopurinol, I haven't had any indication of a stone for nearly 7 years now, even though I've had xrays and scans. It's 100 mg. twice a day, and I'm thankful for every one I take, it's not expensive. That, along with Alfuzonsin, keeps the prostate nice and small and lets me pee like a racehorse. And at nearly 78 yrs. old, I have yet to get up at night, been that way as long as I can remember. The meds just make sure that doesn't change. 

[J.Mencalice]

A simple urinalysis (with microscopic examination of centrifuged sediment) will give definitive information on the presence of blood or crystals to an examining physician.

[art]

Oh so much fun. Morphine was my best friend. The paramedics dragged me out of my bed after they said my blood pressure was 50 over something. I was about two weeks into my ordeal of almost four weeks and two blasting procedures  for one stupid 4 mm stone. After passing it another week with the stent. When the Dr. said put your feet into the stirrups in the exam room I knew I was in trouble. I think he used a tool for retrieving small parts you drop into your auto engine while working on it. You know the tool with the little prongs on the end that slide in and out of the flex tube. It was a pain in the d--k.  He recommended that I don't drink Coke or Pepsi any more. I've had maybe 5-6 in three years since. At 73 I don't think I could live through it again.

[Hooter]

My first one over 20 yrs. ago put me in the hospital for a couple days, they had to go in after. About 7 yrs. ago I had a doozy, about 5mm large and wouldn't pass. Got hung up in the pipeline about halfway down to the bladder. That was the Monday before Thanksgiving, the ER dr. said that size usually doesn't pass on its own. Then he sent me home with some pain meds hoping it would pass. I said I'll be back and will come looking for you. Thanksgiving afternoon, three days later, I'm back in the ER and asking for the same doctor. They told me he had just left, how convenient. I was admitted, was in for a week. It was lodged halfway down and had caused the kidney to swell so much they didn't dare try to blast it, so my urologist flushed it back into the kidney and put in a stent. I was full of infection from it and the ureter almost burst which would have been bad news....and painful beyond description. They left the stent in from the Sat. after Thanksgiving until mid-February, that alone was painful. Every move I made felt like I was getting poked with a hot nail in the gut. After it was removed, they blasted it and I peed out gravel for the next few hours....but what a relief. I was then put on Allopurinol, a med  used to control gout, but many stones are made of the same material....mine was. With that med, Allopurinol, I haven't had any indication of a stone for nearly 7 years now, even though I've had xrays and scans. It's 100 mg. twice a day, and I'm thankful for every one I take, it's not expensive. That, along with Alfuzonsin, keeps the prostate nice and small and lets me pee like a racehorse. And at nearly 78 yrs. old, I have yet to get up at night, been that way as long as I can remember. The meds just make sure that doesn't change. 

Well John, Your experience wasn't far from mine. My first was 5.5 mm. My second was 6 mm. I carried both for almost 4 weeks and it wasn't fun. They to (both) were stuck in the ureter and weren't going anywhere. But, my home ER sent me home with Norco and told me to drink, drink, drink, water. They knew this thing wasn't going to pass. I did and all I did was puke. I thought I was gonna die and wished I could at times. Couldn't do a thing until my brother made me an unknown appointment at his urologist, West Michigan Urological in Holland. My first urologist was a putz in my home town. He said he couldn't do anything cause he was going on vacation for a couple of weeks.    6 weeks carrying this thing around and sicker than a fifty cent chicken. NICE! I would refer anyone to WMU in Holland, these people are the best. Walked in on a Monday, sent me across the street for xrays, and back to the office again. These people didn't know me from Adam but took me in right away.

   The Dr. came in and showed me the xrays and said: "there she is". You have a choice, surgery Wednesday or Friday? We need to go get this thing you won't pass it! This was Monday and the 6mm  stone. I chose Wednesday. I already knew the stent thing I had had one previously. The stent is annoying but better than that stone. Doc said I should drink orange juice everyday. Control my salt intake and avoid calcium and bunch of sugar which both stones were made of (calcium). My son just had a 7 mm stone removed 2 weeks ago. All he drinks is Mountain Dew by the liter, no water and guess what the doc said his problem was caused from? For anyone that has never had the pleasure hope you don't!

[DirtyDan]

thank you all

ive been taking marshmallow root water and cranberry juice

its been behaving itself for now

keep ya all posted

dan

ps yeah I was a big mountain dew guy.....NOT ANYMORE

[Lyonardo]

I'll second this one!
I had my first kidney stone at 18 and probably average 1 per year (some years none, some years several), and have tried everything. I used to end up in the hospital from time to time, but now I have a routine worked out.

I keep a bottle of lemon juice in the fridge and when I feel a stone coming on I'll take a few swigs. I'll give that a few minutes to get to work, then drink a huge cup of water. Haven't had a really painful stone since I started that routine. Some folks also drink an ounce or so of Olive Oil to help ease it out. That does help, but I usually forget because the lemon juice tends to break it down for me.

When mine first made itself known, I was sure I was dying, so I
got Carolyn to take me to the emergency room.

I was "glad" it was a kidney stone (I'm not ready for the other thing yet).

I think the hydrocodone/oxycodone thing the Dr. will give you for it
is awesome, but, as we talked about on a thread here recently,
they're trouble if you take them  indiscriminately ...

I might have a mild one (ones?)... I never felt it come out, so maybe it
is the same one that has made itself known several times. The pain
(so bad I threw up last time) comes on quick... and the pill does too 

Then I forget about until next time, which is usually a long time.

My old Dr. retired, I have a new young Dr., a health nut yogerty kind of guy,
he said the same thing about lots of water, and said to put lemon in it...
a half a lemon squeezed into a glass of water is pretty good, if you think
you might like unsweet lemonade 

-Mike