Kidney stones

[Dawsie]

Recently had the unfortunate experience of passing a kidney stone, omg, I have had my fair share of medical procedures and nasty diseases in my time but never felt a pain like this, I can only assume it must be akin to child birth, I really don’t want to have to go through that again.
Anyone been through it?

 

[Stalker62]

Thankfully no.

You are absolutely right, the pain is often described as that of giving birth.

I have a friend who has given birth and passed a kidney stone (it was tiny!).

She said giving birth was easier.

 

[shakey jake]

ive got suspected kidney stones, feels like my kidney want to leave home! my brother had them 6 months of pain before he started to **** blood then fainted and pulled a sink of the wall as he collapsed, really doesnt sound like fun!

 

[McKenzie]

Yes. I spent 2 weeks in hospital with one earlier this year. As it had a diameter of 1cm it was considered too large to pass. It was positioned between my kidney & bladder so I had to have a stent fitted to bypass it and allow the kidney to drain until the stone was broken up by lithotripsy.
Fortunately I was spared the pain of the stone but having the camera examination and the stent removal was by far & away the worst medical experience I have had to endure (without anaesthetic). Having the 30cms stent removed which was encrusted in small broken up crystals from the stone was a particular low point.

 

[merlin]

I have had a few bouts of kidney stones....

It us easy to stray into melodramatic exaggeration, but I can quite confidently state they have been the most excruciatingly painful episodes I've ever experienced.

Mine start with chronic backache, progress to hurting so much I'm literally scrunched up - peeing blood as I go - and then the inexorable passage of the stones into the outside world. It is always something of an anticlimax when it feels like you are trying to pass something akin to a red hot pineapple wrapped in barbed wire strapped to a backwards umbrella... and out pops summat the size of a small pea......

On the upside, the relief once a stone DOES emerge is quite literally instant.

Without wanting to sound all gung-ho, I think k I've a reasonable pain threshold, but ***k me, kidney stones fair make me sag at the knees.....

They really are unpleasant.

 

[Robin]

I've had 3 one on Christmas eve at 3am , all I can say is thank god for morphine.
They were about 2 years apart, absolute agony, the doctors said to drink Cranberry juice every day, the acid helps dissolve the stones as they are forming.
Touch wood I haven't had any more for about 8 years.
Walking with a broken leg was easy compared to kidney stones

 

[Stalker62]

... the doctors said to drink Cranberry juice every day, the acid helps dissolve the stones as they are forming.

Anyone else adding to their shopping lists?

 

[merlin]

Anyone else adding to their shopping lists?

I drink a pint of lime cordial every day.... same theory, citric acid will help to mitigate stone development.

Don't overdo it though, too much has a laxative effect. Don't ask me how I know

 

[Stalker62]

It is easy to stray into melodramatic exaggeration...
.. trying to pass something akin to a red hot pineapple wrapped in barbed wire strapped to a backwards umbrella...

I drink a pint of lime cordial every day....
Don't overdo it though, too much has a laxative effect. Don't ask me how I know

First time I have found kidney stones funny. Well played.

 

[slider]

I have had 4 over the years. When I took the first I was out on the hill in te jeep and it really was a struggle to get home. After that the doc gave me an emergency supply of pethidine (don't thing they would do that now) that were brought into action while on holiday in Lanzarote. Thank goodness I pass it within 24 hours.

Been clear for a few years now but it's always at the back of my mind

 

[FISH BOY]

Maybe a wives tale, but someone once recommended drinking a ton of apple juice to help break them down.

 

[Drum123]

Ive had a couple of bouts.First time ultra sound found 7 , all under 6mm so i had to pee them out . Agony dosnt even come close.Thought i was snuffing it.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

My partner had a gallstone monster same pain and stents put in and out for two years every three months after her gallbladder removal. Tablets seem to keep her ok now.

 

[gixer1]

I have had a few bouts of kidney stones....

It us easy to stray into melodramatic exaggeration, but I can quite confidently state they have been the most excruciatingly painful episodes I've ever experienced.

Mine start with chronic backache, progress to hurting so much I'm literally scrunched up - peeing blood as I go - and then the inexorable passage of the stones into the outside world. It is always something of an anticlimax when it feels like you are trying to pass something akin to a red hot pineapple wrapped in barbed wire strapped to a backwards umbrella... and out pops summat the size of a small pea......

On the upside, the relief once a stone DOES emerge is quite literally instant.

Without wanting to sound all gung-ho, I think k I've a reasonable pain threshold, but ***k me, kidney stones fair make me sag at the knees.....

They really are unpleasant.

Your description of a kidney stone had my wife asking why I was crying with laughter while reading something…..brilliant!

 

[the_greenman]

Yep. My stone was 5.5mm (I showed the wife a .22 pellet and said the doc wants me to pee it out!)
The doc also advised me to drink coke cola. It rots everything and is particularly good at breaking stones down.
The pain? Worst I've ever experienced but oddly once it goes there's nothing to say it was ever there. No soreness etc.
7 year cycles apparently so keep hydrated as they'll build up over time.

 

[Dawsie]

Excellent replies, made me chuckle

 

[opticron1]

Without wishing to **** on the bonfire (geddit!)...... neat cranberry juice in large quantities isn't always the answer - there are conflicting pieces of research about this. Adding it to water and drinking lots of fluid seems to be the favoured guideline and sometimes cider vinegar added to water can be helpful.
However, and speaking as someone who has had the joyful job of filtering urine in the past through gauze to play hunt-the-stone, I can confirm that the relief on the faces of the sufferer can change from agony to ecstasy in the blink of an eye (or rather the splash of urine in a urinal, but you get the idea). Try some anti spasmodic (like buscopan) as well as painkillers and just pray the stone don't reappear!
Always tried to return the guilty stone(s) to the now relieved patient in a specimen jar as a "trophy"

 

[Ooops]

Anyone else adding to their shopping lists?

No idea where this was published but I used it as preventative maintenance.

"Apple cider vinegar
contains acetic acid. Acetic acid helps to dissolve kidney stones.

In addition to flushing out the kidneys, apple cider vinegar can help ease pain caused by the stones. There are numerous other health benefits of apple cider vinegar.

To reap these benefits, add 30 to 60ml / 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to 180 to 240ml / 6 to 8 ounces of purified water. Drink this mixture throughout the day.

You shouldn’t consume more than one 8-ounce glass of this mixture per day. You can also use it on salads straight or add it to your favorite salad dressing. If ingested in larger amounts, apple cider vinegar can lead to low levels of potassium and osteoporosis.

People with diabetes should exercise caution when drinking this mixture. Monitor your blood sugar levels carefully throughout the day.

You shouldn’t drink this mixture if you’re taking:
insulin
digoxin (Digox)
diuretics, such as spironolactone (Aldactone)"

 

[Dawsie]

My go to pain relief was jumping in the shower, turning it up to max and holding the shower head right on the kidney, it was almost instant relief, I was in the shower for an hour once, afraid to get out

 

[Ratmanwan3]

I have one at the minute. Constant back ache for 5 months, now moving round to my front. Eventually got in for a scan , when I rang for the results the receptionist said the doc has got them and will ring you in 3 weeks ! He has now referred me to urology so waiting again.