Kidney stones

Posted by Gary, Alumni Mentor @gman007, Mar 9, 2018

I am usually trying to help folks understand their symptoms, but need some myself now. I have chronic pancreatitis and have had it long enough that the way that pain manifests itself is pretty familiar. I have been experiencing a pain that is about an 8 on the typical 1-10 scale, but is more in my flank and lower than where my pancreas pain is. It is also very tender to the touch and if I move in any way that involves my torso the pain screams at me. I take pretty stri=ong opiates for my pancreatitis, so the pain is not being affected by those meds or if it is, I would be crying without them. Anyone have any thoughts? I already have had a urinalysis and it is not an infection in kidneys, bladder, or urinary tract. I am thinking kidney stone, but have never had the pleasure, so that is simply a guess.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.

@waterboy

I had adominal surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, on Halloween 2016 for a dumbell shaped stone.... one end in my bladder the other in my prostate.... BOTH ENDS WERE ALMOST 1 IN DIA. I also had a 1 in bladder stone remove during my TURP in 7 5015

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did it work? i have stents in now. my body creates to much calcium. I've had stones since the age of 10. now I'm 42 and they keep coming. biggest stone yet. i just want to feel better

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Both surgeries went fine, however the surgery on 7/2015 was NOT cleaned out properly (in both my opinion and the urologist at Mayo)... he stated if I would have had the first surgery there I wouldn't be having the second.... first one with the TURP was done at UW Madison.

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@stoney64

HI, I am Celeste, this summer at the age of 53 i started a journey, sudden, accute flank pain/ radiating to the groin, ER visit #1, ct scan, you have a kidney stone, go home, pass it, it will be painful. OK.. and yes it was, i remember labor, c section, migraine headaches.... but Kidney stone pain...ohhhh my. So we get 70 characters.. first emergency surgery 6 days later, 2 days later, more pain, found two more stones, tried passing one of them it got stuck, 2nd surgery, went 1 month had first lithotripsy, blasted the one left in kidney, 6 wk post op..ct another one, had 2nd lithotripsy yesterday! Had 24 uranalysis done, no results yet.....looked up many possible reasons, preventions, etc, i have started drinking more water only, lowered sodium intake, chocolate, I have a urologist here locally. I am apprehensively trying to stay positive! My faith helps! anyone out there a stoned mess? thanks for viewing

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@stoney64, Good Morning Celeste, and Welcome to Mayo Connect. With my little bit of experience with a kidney stone, I can verify the importance of drinking lots of water. My own stone is gone, and I do not know when it happened. I had no symptoms and it was only noticed because it showed up in a discovered in a CT scan. Since I have a kidney transplant, my doctor had a stone analysis ordered to diagnose the make-up of the stone and to decide if/what kind of treatment might be suggested. In my case, only lots of water (3 L ) daily is my goal.

Here is a discussion where others have talked about their kidney stones - you are welcome to add your comments and questions.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/kidney-stones-1/?pg=1#chv4-comment-stream-header
What questions do you have?

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HI, I am Celeste, this summer at the age of 53 i started a journey, sudden, accute flank pain/ radiating to the groin, ER visit #1, ct scan, you have a kidney stone, go home, pass it, it will be painful. OK.. and yes it was, i remember labor, c section, migraine headaches.... but Kidney stone pain...ohhhh my. So we get 70 characters.. first emergency surgery 6 days later, 2 days later, more pain, found two more stones, tried passing one of them it got stuck, 2nd surgery, went 1 month had first lithotripsy, blasted the one left in kidney, 6 wk post op..ct another one, had 2nd lithotripsy yesterday! Had 24 uranalysis done, no results yet.....looked up many possible reasons, preventions, etc, i have started drinking more water only, lowered sodium intake, chocolate, I have a urologist here locally. I am apprehensively trying to stay positive! My faith helps! anyone out there a stoned mess? thanks for viewing

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@stoney64

HI, I am Celeste, this summer at the age of 53 i started a journey, sudden, accute flank pain/ radiating to the groin, ER visit #1, ct scan, you have a kidney stone, go home, pass it, it will be painful. OK.. and yes it was, i remember labor, c section, migraine headaches.... but Kidney stone pain...ohhhh my. So we get 70 characters.. first emergency surgery 6 days later, 2 days later, more pain, found two more stones, tried passing one of them it got stuck, 2nd surgery, went 1 month had first lithotripsy, blasted the one left in kidney, 6 wk post op..ct another one, had 2nd lithotripsy yesterday! Had 24 uranalysis done, no results yet.....looked up many possible reasons, preventions, etc, i have started drinking more water only, lowered sodium intake, chocolate, I have a urologist here locally. I am apprehensively trying to stay positive! My faith helps! anyone out there a stoned mess? thanks for viewing

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Hi @stoney64, I add my welcome to Rosemary's. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion about kidney stones where you can meet others like @waterboy @caont10 @wendyw @ella2000 and others.

This video explains how you can get blood and urine analysis to discover what food may be contributing to your kidney stone production.


More advice from Harvard medicine "5 steps for preventing kidney stones" https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-steps-for-preventing-kidney-stones-201310046721

I, unfortunately, have to avoid things I love like tea, chocolate, beets and spinach. I really miss tea. I also put reminders on my phone to get up and move. I work long hours in front of a computer. While I exercise regularly, it is also important to get up from my desk at least once an hour and move. I also started using a standing desk. Like @rosemarya, I aim to drink 3 liters a day, which isn't easy.

What tricks do you do to drink more?

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@dlarryd

I have two stones ready to come out and torment me ... how do I get to a point of not having these problems? Experienced two bouts of stones so far. want to prevent any more. How do I do it? Are there any Mayo people who are experienced with this condition? Where are they located?

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My husband had 2 stones. His Doctor recommended either surgery which has a 100% chance of getting rid of them or a less invasive procedure that breaks them up so you can pass them. It has 50-75% chance. He is trying to decide what to do. Has anyone else had either of these procedures?

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@nancye3

My husband had 2 stones. His Doctor recommended either surgery which has a 100% chance of getting rid of them or a less invasive procedure that breaks them up so you can pass them. It has 50-75% chance. He is trying to decide what to do. Has anyone else had either of these procedures?

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I have talked to a few who have done both of those choices with success. My own take is surgery has more chances of problems than the break m up procedure.

You still have the issue that I posed, what causes them and how do you prevent more from re-occurring? From my reading and talking the first need is to stay hydrated all the time. I also am including 3 Fl oz of lemon juice in my water each day.

Please keep me in the loop if you have any success finding a health care person savy and up to speed on stones. We use Wisc and Minnesota services.

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I have two stones ready to come out and torment me ... how do I get to a point of not having these problems? Experienced two bouts of stones so far. want to prevent any more. How do I do it? Are there any Mayo people who are experienced with this condition? Where are they located?

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@dlarryd and @nancye3, I merged your discussion with this existing discussion about kidney stones in the Kidney & Bladder group. I did this so you can read previous messages and meet others who have dealt with kidney stones like @gman007 @charlena @ella2000 @wendyw @caont10 @waterboy @rosemarya and others. Click VIEW & REPLY to see all the messages.

DLarry, you'll find Mayo experts who treat kidney stones listed here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-stones/doctors-departments/ddc-20355760

Nancy, you might find this video helpful.


Hydration is key. I strive to drink 3+ liters of water daily and often add lemon juice. I don't want to have to go through that again. So far so good.

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My husband has been diagnosed with 2 kidney stones. The one on top is a 4 in size and the one on the bottom a 6. He had an appointment with a urologist a few days ago. He thought my husband should have a ureterscopy surgery with a stint inserted to get rid of the stones. He also mentioned lithotripsy. He said the second procedure had a 50-75% chance of getting rid of them and was less invasive than the ureteroscophy which has a 100% chance to remove them. Has anyone had either procedure and what was your recuperation like?
Thank You,
Nancy

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