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Kidney stone spanning over 3 months

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hullduck
Hullduck

Mid April I experienced pain equivalent to being kicked in the testis. The pain lasted several hours so I made a doctors appointment. He said it was a UTI and gave antibiotics. 

3 weeks later I have recurring symptoms so I go back. He gives a prostate exam and then schedules me for a CT and gives me more antibiotics for a possible bacteria infection. I go to the CT may 3rd, coincidentally the day I get fired from my job of 5 years. The CT comes back that I have a kidney stone.   The doctor says I probably already passed it (3 days after the CT scan) and to call back if symptoms reoccur. 

Three weeks later I have recurring symptoms. I now don’t have insurance so I do some research and find that kidney stones could last several months. The pain this time seems to move from primarily in my lower back to primarily in my bladder; after about an hour the pain goes away. 

Three weeks later I have mild pain for a couple of hours that goes away on its own. 

Last Friday I started getting diarrhea. This lasts for four days which worries me since I’ve never had it more than a day. Tuesday it becomes apparent that I don’t really have to go to the bathroom, I just feel like I do. Today (Thursday), my bladder is in intense pain, like a sharper version of what I felt several weeks ago. I google about four different diagnoses but fall back on it must still be that same slow moving kidney stone. The pain has definitely shifted over the last several months, so it makes sense. 

What I’m worried about is that this stone is too large to pass on its own. I have taken some aspirin and the pain is very mild currently. I still don’t have a job thus no insurance (nor Obama care obviously as it is gone).  Should I go to the doctor anyway or give it several more weeks?  The pain I’ve had so far has gone away within 24 hours, so I’m thinking of sticking it out til Friday and calling a doctor if needed. Suggestions appreciated. 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 Hullduck

    Posted

    Is there any blood in your urine? This is a sign that you have kidney stone.

    I would go back to the doctor and try and get them to refer you to a urologist.

    I feel for you. I suffered with several urinary tract infectionis and kidney stone all last year.

    Eventually a consultant urologist did operate and remove the stones.

    I am now fine.

    Drink plenty of water.

    Someone recommended Robinson's Lemon Barley Water to me.

    Hope you manage to sort this one sooner rather than later. 

    Take care and keep in touch

    Sarah

  • jane16431
    jane16431 Hullduck

    Posted

    You had a CT scan, what size stone did it show?  Stone size does not necessarily equate to greater pain.  Smaller stones can cause the same amount of pain when stuck.

     

    • Hullduck
      Hullduck jane16431

      Posted

      My doctor did not even tell me that. I could call and ask, but not sure what that would accomplish; they’d likely want me to come in for a follow up and each visit was 150$ even just to give me info that they could’ve given me over the phone.   And you’re right, the size shouldn’t matter. I worded that poorly. I suppose I’m okay not going back to the doctor as long as I don’t get a fever and nausea; that seems to be my consensus from what I’ve read online. 
  • Assassin1999
    Assassin1999 Hullduck

    Posted

    You need to know the size(and don't be ashamed, mine was only 5mm). If it's too large to pass naturally, then you need a urologist to create a plan of action(schedule to blast it) before the pain becomes too intense. If it's small enough to pass(up to about 7mm), then you need to go on a water bender! In the meantime, you should request some pain meds as well as Zofran for nausea(have you had any nausea?). Also ask for Flomax. It can make the passage easier. Can't speak to the diarrhea. I didn't experience that. If you get meds, though you will likely have the opposite problem. Also, once they know where the stone is, they can do regular KUB x-rays every 12-24 hours to keep track of it(if you end up needing it blasted). They are much less expensive. That's what my urologist did. But they need to already have an idea of where it is(so you may need one more CT) because spotting a stone with an x ray is difficult without knowing where to look. CTs are much clearer, but way more costly. That sucks about the insurance. No COBRA? I hope it resolves on it's own for you. Hit the water hard! Also, if you can find your way into a jetted tub, it seems to help jostle stuff loose.

  • hope21883
    hope21883 Hullduck

    Posted

    I also had a kidney stone I was dealing with for 3+ months. My first appt they told me it was a uti and sent me home even though I could barely walk and was peeing a lot of blood.  They called a couple days later and said the culture came back negative and it was probably a kidney stone. At that point I wasn’t having very much pain anymore so I opted out of getting tests done...plus like you I do not have insurance. A month later it came back and I was in bed all weekend in tons of pain and peeing blood again so I figure it must be another kidney stone so I didn’t go to the dr. 2 weeks after that the same thing. This time I stopped peeing visible blood but the pain didn’t go away and it was spreading to other areas. My husband made me go to the dr and it turned out I had a 1+ cm stone that was stuck and I had to get it blasted. I don’t have insurance but I have applied to see if I qualify for financial assistance. I wouldn’t wait until you get a fever or worse symptoms because that can lead to more problems and bigger bills if you have to be hospitalized for infection. 
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