Kidney stones

I haven't heard of certain foods causing pain with kidney stones, but I know it causes pain with gallstones. Has the pain from food started recently or always been like this?

Also, were the second stones passable? You didn't say if they did anything to treat them other than Flomax? Did he give you pain meds to ease the passing? Did you like the urologist? Did he offer you a 24 hour urine collection to figure out why you are forming them? Did he do blood work? I was just a number to my first urologist, so I changed to a different one and he is much more thorough. I have already gone through three bouts of stones in the last year and a half. With the new urologist, I now know it's because I have at least one oddly shaped kidney that likes to collect sediment and that I don't drink nearly enough water to flush them out. Those are all answers you need and if the urologist you have seen is not actively looking into the "why" part, I think you should find a better one via recommendations from other stone sufferers.

Dear mayra72333,

I'm a fellow stone carrier, I have a 1.5cm stone in my lower right kidney. I understand where you are coming from about eating food, however I find that it's not about the certain foods but more about actually eating as a whole. My appetite greatly diminishes when I am in pain, and I end up only eating the things I feel I really need, or else I feel worse. When it's reaaally bad, I find myself eating almost nothing at all. I think what affects it more are the kinds of drinks you have. I find high sugar content drinks, even things like apple juice, can have a negative affect. The issue is, drinking something ok (like water) on an empty stomach can also make you feel pretty horrible too. So, if you can eat something, find something nutritious and easy, and then have sips of water in-between. It could even be a high fiber smoothie, something drinkable (I've even found drinkable oats!), or certain easy slip down foods, even tinned peaches. I too went to hospital because I was urinating blood (repetitive infections), and I've had: digestive issues; major dehydration (needed to stay in hospital overnight to be rehydrated); no appetite; nausea; and of course abdominal pain. It would be interesting to hear what foods you think are an issue. Maybe with how upset your system is, those foods could be harder to digest. 

To be honest I also have been worried about chronic pain after the stone/stones have left. When you have something for so long I do think it changes your body, and like any injury that causes repetitive trauma, it will take a while to feel completely normal again. If I were you, I'd listen to what your body is telling you. What you can sort out on your own, try and sort out, such as diet/fluids. But with stuff you cannot, go and tell them your issues before they control your life. In terms of medication, make sure you also have decent pain relief; not just things you can get over the counter, but specific prescribed medication from your doctor. Keep believing that you will eventually get better, keep hoping, and be kind to yourself. I hope you stay as happy and hopeful as possible.

Wow, I am really sorry for what you are going through! So, are you saying that you were stone free, then 3 weeks later you had new stones? If so, that is incredibly rare and you need to be under the care of someone (urologist or nephrologist) that specializes in kidney stones. There are those rare people in the world that make stones very quickly. Flomax didn't help me either. In fact, I haven't really heard of many success stories with it. It only helps after the stone leaves the bladder and enters the urethra, which is only about 10-20% of the whole journey from kidney to toilet. My uncle has been dealing with kidney stones for a few years now(he's 68) and even though he is stone free right now, he continues to get phantom pains. They are almost as bad as the real thing. I am sorry for the lack of advice. It sounds like you need some important answers from a stone specialist to me. During my 5 week ordeal, I didn't get a tract infection, but I am male, and it seems to happen more to females. But I do remember the excruciating pain! Strangely, about 2 weeks ago(7 weeks after my operation) I woke up with a mild to moderate pain in the exact spot where the stone was in my kidney before it started moving. It was like my body was warning me....so I too worry about recurrences in the future. There's a certain anxiety that will never go away after a person has been though this. I hope you get answers and relief soon!