Kidney stones

@redcat2109 I never had a stent.
Ginger

@redcat2109
I had a stent that was in approximately 3 months. It was put in during surgery under general anesthesia and I don’t remember why it was there for so long. Had no problem with it at all. Just make sure your physician has a a clear understanding of your your pain tolerability.

Thank you for the information.

My Urologist has never given me any suggestions to avoid getting more stones, even though my CT scans have showed for years that I've had many. The doctors in Nevada are not the best. I'm going to try to made an appointment to talk to my Urologist before having the procedure to see if there's anything I could do to prevent it.

@redcat2109 That is a good plan, to speak with your doctor! Ask them if they have ever dissected to see what the type of stones they are, which will help you figure out what to do to help avoid them. My dad lived in Reno for quite a while, and used the medical center at the university near Carson City.
Ginger

@redcat2109
My urologist told me one half cup lemon juice daily or lemonade was the gold stardard for helping prevent kidney stones. Citrate binds to calcium and helps block stone formation. Also told me to eat an orange every day. I also took potassium citrate and increased my water consumption and my gripping. How much water can a person drink.
Don’t be bashful about asking questions. My stones are calcium (most common) so he limited my intake of oxolates like spinach, sweet potatoes, chocolate (a recommendation I completely ignore.) Your doctor probably has an oxolate list. You should ask him if you should limit yours intake of them.
Take care,
Jake

Thanks for the info.

Is Flomax known to actually help a large stone pass that's in the kidney? Mine is about 2 cm in the lower pole of my left kidney. I was told large stones won't pass on their own and would need treatment to remove it via ESL, ureteroscopy, or PCNL.

I'll ask my urologist but would like to know if anyone has or had a stone IN his/her kidney and is/was being treated with Flomax, and ther results. Thank you!

Good point. My understanding is that Flomax (tamsulosin) and other alpha-1 blockers can help widen the tube that connects the kidney with the bladder (ureter).

- How Flomax Works for Kidney Stones: Dosage, Time to Pass, and More https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/kidney-stones/flomax-for-kidney-stones

I think that you're right, Gregg. Kidney stones in the kidney are not helped by medication. Kidney stones that are too large to pass on their own or cause bleeding, kidney damage or ongoing urinary tract infections may require more-extensive treatment. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-stones/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355759

Yes, that's consistent with what my urologist told me last. In my case, my large stone is asymptomatic and in the lower pole so one option (because it's asymptomatic and where it's at) is to leave it as is and monitor it through observation and periodic imaging and continued kidney stone mitigation, e.g., drinking 2+L water/day, eating the right foods for "you," etc. My nephrologist ordered a 24 hour urine test to analyze my diet and recommended changes, like reducing salt in the diet, etc. But the urologist is the one to explain the treatment options and risks for removing a stone "in" the kidney. What may work for one may not be the right treatment option for another. The key is to have a conversation with the urologist to reach a decision as to the best path to take "for you." I will say that I got a second opinion from my nephrologist (who has a specialty in kidney stones; I see him primarily due to my kidney disease IgAN-glomerulonephritis, in remission for years, thanks to the wonderful care I got from the Mayo Clinic after my renal biopsy and diagnosis, and he also talked with me at length about my diet. He also confirmed it's the urologist to discuss treatment options for the stone, including removal.