Bleeding from kidney stones

Posted , 21 users are following.

I went to the ER on 11/20/16 when I woke up and saw blood in my urine. They gave me a CT scan and saw multiple 4mm stones in the lower poles of both kidneys. They said that they didn't see any stones passing at the time. I did experience pain in my left side while I was there, but that only lasted around 15 minutes. They referred me to a Urologist and sent me home. Since then I've been bleeding on and off almost every other day. My urine becomes dark like cola when this happens. I'm also experiencing a dull pain on my left side in my lower back when I sit for too long. The almost daily bleeding is worrying me. I have an appointment with a Urologist in around a week, but does this seem normal? I don't think I'm passing any stones since I'm not experiencing any major pain. Can a stone just sit there in the kidney and make you bleed? If so, what's the treatment if it doesn't pass but keeps bleeding?

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  • Posted

    The blood is so scary!  I’m sorry.  :-(  Obviously I’m not a doc but I can offer my experience. 

    I had episodes of bleeding for 8 months and it eventually stopped.  I had a CT, cystoscopies, MRI, colonoscopy, and cytology evaluations and everything looks fine. But  I’m on warfarin and the doc thinks that the medicine + the trapped kidney stone caused the blood. My urethra was also narrow (stricture), which could have caused some minute blood as well. 

    Are you taking any medications or herbal supplements  (aspirin etc) that can thin your blood. Also, an infection (kidney, UTI) is the most likely cause of blood.   Did they give you meds?  Are you exercising strenuously?

    The CT scan result is good news. Obviously, it’s not 100% but most likely any larger tumors would have been seen then.   Please try not to be very afraid of the next steps.  As you can tell from all the posts, it’s often quite a long process to get thru all the testing.  

    As far as no blood in the urine sample — My urine tests were on and off fine.  Blood can be present and then flush out before the doc.  It takes a tiny bit of blood to dye urine reddish. 

    My urologist said that he will tell me when to worry.  So far, I’m in the clear. 

    I hope that this offers you comfort.  That fact that you went to the doc right away is a good thing.  Keep us updated!  

    —M

    PS to Ray— I’m so sorry about your diagnosis.  Thinking of you and wishing for positive outcome from your treatment. 

  • Posted

    Ive had some similar issues over the last month and a half.  Started with visible blood in urine, by the time i got to my dic later that week there wasnt blood in the urine sample, no bacteria found cultures good. The next week happened again this time with horrible pain in my right side groin area.  Went to urgent care and there was blood in my urine sample and they did an xray to see if they could see a stone but saw nothing, although he said its hard to see them with that type of xray. Was good for a while no issues. Then this morning the blood is back.  Cant get in at the urologist till next week. But im not in pain. This sounds so much like some of the descriptions i read here, maybe i just need some peace of mind.  What could this be?
  • Posted

    Another update.  I had ten sessions of palliative radiotherapy over a period of two weeks  (23rd October - 3rd November if I remember correctly).  My bleeding symptoms had eased considerably prior to the first session but the treatment aimed to reduce/stop the bleeding for a bit longer. I'm still more or less ok now, and a CT scan on 10th January showed the tumour to be reduced in size, bladder wall still intact and all organs and lymph glands normal. I'm hoping that this situation will continue for  many more months, though I accept that palliative radiotherapy is just that i.e. it is not a cure. My long term outlook is somewhat uncertain and living day to day is the way I cope with it mentally.  I'm 68 so, whatever happens, I have already had a reasonable innings and living day to day is no real hardship. I do of course hope that when the symptoms recur and/or the cancer spreads the medics will be able to offer some form of treatment to control things for a bit longer.  Incidentally, radiotherapy is an almost magical treatment.  It seems to work, does not hurt, takes only a few minutes per session as an out patient and the side effects for a palliative dose are easily bearable. When combined with chemotherapy, it can be very successful at forcing certain cancers in to remission.  My heart valve problem has up 'til now precluded chemo or surgery to attack the bladder tumour but my cardiologist, urologist and oncologist may offer something if the balance of risks shifts in the future.

    Thanks for the good vibes and wishes and I hope that all of you with similar symptoms are duly treated, enabling a return to normal life. Do keep your doctors informed if symptoms recur or you feel unwell or frightened.  They can help.

  • Posted

    In September 2014 I passed a couple drops of blood at the very end of my urine stream. I panicked and went right to the doctor. They treated me for a Uti even though I had no symptoms whatsoever. A couple months later I had blood again, went back to urgent care where I got more antibiotics. When that culture came back negative again I called the urologist. 

    All the while I passed visible blood randomly. It wasn’t until march (so 6 months after initial bleeding) that I finally passed a painful stone on the same morning I was due into the urologist for my ct scan results. So YES, blood can come from stones still sitting in the kidneys. I had not even a stitch of pain for those 6 months until the morning it started to actually pass. 

  • Posted

    I had blood in urine for months.  periodic stabbing pain.  symptoms of UTI took two tests both negative and started taking a shot of grapeseed oil every day and passed one large stone one small.  
  • Posted

    Hello, I was diagnosed with my first kidney stone this week. It started with blood in my urine. No back pain so I really didn't know what was going on. I went to the ED around 1am. About 3 hours into my visit the worst pain, comparable to child birth, started in my lower right side. CT scan showed a kidney stone. I'm not sure if I have passed the stone or not but the blood in urine continues. I've read the "red wine" comparison which is what I have everyday and and every trip to the bathroom. I do have an appointment with a urologist this monday but am very concerned about the amount of blood still in my urine for the past 6 days. I also have some menstrual like pain but don't have any parts to cause this. Any ideas would be helpful!

  • Posted

    Have had a 7mm kidney stone for over two years Numerous kidney and u.t.i infections. Blood in urine and high calcium levels .Also have smaller ones too. Went to an urologist who said we all have kidney stones and if it was really that bad I would have had sepsis and be in i.c.u. but saw tests showing stones but ordered no tests and just gave me prescription to not pee so much . Have been in so much pain and still working 40 plus a week . Don't know what to do . I really thought he was going to help me .

    • Posted

      "Not to pee so much"?  Odd to hear this. 

      I have three Lithotrypsies for Calcium Oxylate stones and have done ALOT of research on this.  If anything peeing MORE is the typical suggestion.  I am on various daily medications (Allopurinol, Potassium Citrate, Theralith, HCTZ) to prevent future stone formation and *knock on wood* have not had a stone in several years.

      Also, the probability of passing a stone is inversely proportion to it's size.  In other words a 2mm stone has an 80% chance of passing, a 5mm stone has a 50% chance of passing, and 8mm stone has a 20% chance of passing, etc.  Small stones under 3mm can pass without you even knowing it but can still cause extreme pain.

      But dehydration is a big problem.  I try to drink at least 3 liters of water per day, everyday in an effort to not allow my body to form stones.

      Suggest you go see a Nephrologist to discuss further.  Urologists address the acute problem.  Nephrologist address the chronic cause.  I am unfortunately well acquainted with both. 

    • Posted

      Thank you , I was thinking the same thing about not peeing so much . Went to my primary care on Friday and him on Tuesday

      My doc told me I had another UTI . He said he didn't see one . How is this ? It didnt clear up on its own . Told him kidney disease runs in my family . Several months ago they put me on Flomax to pass the stone which it didn't . I will take your advice . Thank you . Going to call the pharmacy to see the name of what he gave me and will let you know .

    • Posted

      Stones are typically detected/verified via ultrasounds (larger ones) or MRIs (just about any size). 

      I have also tried Flomax but frankly it did nothing that I desired.  Not sure you if you are male or female, but Flomax for males is well...lets just say "undesirable".

      Good luck.  My most basic recommendation, and that of many doctors I have seen or spoken to, is to drink a lot of water!  No matter what meds they prescribe that most important action is to increase fluid intake dramatically.  That may not address the existing stone but can address future ones.

    • Posted

      I am a 58 year old female . Called the pharmacy and the medicine is Tolterodine . Have you heard of this ? Have had two ultrasounds .2017 and 2018 thats how they found the 7mm and smaller stones . They just aren't moving . Don't understand why they don't do the procedure you had to get rid of it. I really appreciate all your advice .

    • Posted

      The approach is based on the location, size, and composition of the stones.  If in the kidney they may use shock wave therapy to pulverize them  But if in lower pole they may do nothing.  If a 7mm stone moves toward the bladder there is a high chance it won’t pass, although everyone is different.  In my three cases the stones had moved from kidney toward the bladder and got stuck.  This is a big problem. 

      Tolterodine is an incontinence drug.

      if I were you I’d go to a Nephrologist or Urologist.

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