Potential kidney stone; pain increasing
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi. I'm not new to the torture of kidney stones but I'm starting to feel like it's all in my head this round.
A little over a month ago I went to urgent care after the classic onset of excruciating back pain, lower rt abdominal pain and vomiting. Due to my crappy insurance and the large number of CTs and X-rays I've had over last several years, the docs were cool with diagnosing a stone with my history, lots of blood in my urine (50+/hpf) and the symptoms. Followed up with my urologist about a week later after I did KUB he ordered. No stone showed in my ureter on X-ray, though I have 2mm stone in each kidney; and my urine sample looked a bit bloody at office. He understood my concern with getting CT due to $$$ and agreed it's a stone with symptoms and continued blood in urine. He gave me a few pain meds and good old flomax. We both hoped I'd just pass on my own but I have never actually passed any stones on my own. They all end up getting caught up right before entering my bladder so I've endured multiple uretoscopy procedures with the dreaded stent after. I don't handle the stent well and had hoped maybe this time, it would be different. Now it's been over a month after urgent care visit and I'm miserable. I'm scheduled to get CT tomorrow because I finally broke down and need confirmation. The pain has increased over the last few days and my rt flank/side feels like it's on fire and the shooting pains from around bladder area to groin increasing and getting seriously annoying.
I guess I'm just looking for feedback as to this seeming legit. Has anyone had a stone not show on KUB but then showed on CT? I know the pain can change from previous experience but maybe I've forgotten how crappy it can get after the initial OMFG-take your breath away feeling of stone starting descent from kidney. I have no pain meds left but don't even want to ask my urologist until after CT. He's a cool guy but I don't want to push it and look like a seeker to him. I just keep thinking that it's not a stone after the KUB. But then what? The waves of pain are not in my head and seem very familiar but what if it's something else?
Sorry for the length of this. Thanks for hanging in.
0 likes, 3 replies
FaithInHim Meepersmonkey
Posted
Hi Meepersmonkey
You sure do have my sympathy as I just had the worst 48 hrs of pain passing my stones. I am relieved to hear you will have a CT tomorrow. You said you have 2mm
stone in each kidney. So it makes sense that if they are moving, you will have that familiar agonizing pain. Plus the fact that you have some blood visible in your urine
could possible mean an infection and inflammation caused by the stone. Those 3 factors, stones moving, blood in urine, inflammation, will certainly cause pain.
I too hate the stent, oh man it is so uncomfortable. I've been dealing with this crap
for a year and a half now. My stones keep coming back, so I do relate to what you're going through. I hope they can get you scheduled to get those stones removed so that you can get some relief soon. My best wishes for you. Take Care
Keep us posted.
Meepersmonkey FaithInHim
Posted
Thanks for the response FaithInHim.
I've never had serious pain from stones in my kidneys, just from them coming down the canal. I've read that stones in kidneys, especially small ones, don't generally cause pain.
I had some stones in one or both kidneys at my last CT in 2015 but can't remember specifics.
Have you ever had a stone in ureter not show up on KUB but show on CT? Thanks
FaithInHim Meepersmonkey
Posted
My thoughts are that when the KUB was taken the stone/stones were still in
the kidney and had not traveled down into the ureter yet.
As far as the pain, it depends on the size of the stone and if it is jagged or smooth.
There are times when the kidney goes into spasm and it is called renal colic.
Hope everything works out for you and the CT scan will be productive in getting you
in for treatment sooner. Take Care