Comment from: Sycamore Gal, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
I felt a sharp pain in my lower left back, usually after eating. I assumed it was due to fecal matter as I have had problems with constipation for years. Milk of Magnesia and elimination worked for about a week, and then nothing worked. The pain not only stabbed me in the back at intervals, but my entire waistline area, front and back, became extremely painful to any pressure. I also had some chest pains, which really scared me.
A CT scan and labs at the doctor office showed nothing. My doctor advised I go to the local emergency hospital. Finally, on a ultrasound, the stones showed up. Apparently I have a bunch of small stones that are still in the kidney. I was told to "flood" them out with water and cranberry juice, as much as I could handle. I have had not nausea and 600 mg of Advil seems to help the pain somewhat. At night I am also took a pain pill with codeine so I could sleep. So far, no stones, but it is just one day. Will keep urinating into the strainer and hope this is over soon.
Comment from: 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: August 21
I was an avid cyclist. Several 100 Mile rides per month with lots of sweating etc. Common scenario for athletic people, whether cycling, running, etc. Typically summer months so heat and sweating is a major element. Anyhow, began developing uric acid stones. Typically 2-4mm. Like most people, excruciating pain, vomiting, ER trips with IV's, etc. All passed "naturally.” Finally, went to University of Chicago and enrolled in their kidney stone program to evaluate my urinary system conditions. After analysis, they prescribed Polycitra-K. Mix it in my water bottle. The problem has diminished substantially! Hope this helps someone out there. I was ready to quit all activities after my second stone, but this supplement has allowed me to keep working out. I believe Urocit is a pill form of one of these supplements.
Comment from: ca, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: September 25
Two and a half years ago I had sudden cramping pain in left lower abdomen. Within a half- hour was extreme pain requiring pain relief injection and a kidney stone was suspected. It took three months, three trips to accident and emergency, including two hospital admissions before the stone was found to be stuck and causing back pressure on my kidney. It was broken under anesthetic and a stent put in. The stent had to be removed a week later as it was too long and only irritated bladder more. I was really ill for about four months in total and lost around 20 pounds as I could not eat and was very weak. You are advised to drink loads, but that is not possible when you are constantly vomiting because of the pain. Child birth is easier (and faster). I now have another stone and have suffered recurring urinary tract and kidney infections every few months since the first stone.
Comment from: Greg, 19-24 Male (Patient)Published: September 25
I have had a kidney stone on my left side for two years now. On night about a month ago I went to the emergency room in pain, yet again. I had a CT scan to see where my stone was. Three weeks later I had an appointment with a doctor to get a ureteroscopy. Turns out I had passed my kidney stone in between visit. Now I just have to deal with the pain from the procedure and the pain of peeing.
Comment from: Cheryl, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: August 12
To make my long story short, I had a kidney stone about four years ago, and I passed it. I had another one about two months ago and had to have ESWL done as well as a stent put in. The urologist did not prepare me well for the after affects. I had to go to my doctor for that. He told me it would take six to eight weeks to feel better. It has been eight weeks and I still have fragments to pass, and I still feel awful.
Published: July 25
My kidney stones happened in 1979 when I was 19 (male). I was scared to death when the stabbing pain hit. I was at work and thought somebody had stabbed me, and ironically I had just been in a major argument with a co-worker. (I had pain in my lower right side.) I was in the hospital for a week. I finally passed it hours before they were to insert a tube into the penis: Nothing like the fear of surgery! I was very weak and exhausted for days afterward. In 2002, this time it was the left side, but the emergency room doctor prescribed Oxycontin with other narcotics, told me it was small and to drink gallons of fluids, which I did. After four trips to the ER (the narcotics never worked; I had to have IVs), a week at home and this time running a low grade fever, I finally passed it. I had an instant recovery this time and went to work that evening.
I have passed over a dozen stones many were not terribly painful throbbing back ache for a few hours a day over a few days or so, followed by bladder "fullness" a few days later then the stone finally passed. Some, on the other hand, were excruciating pain like I have NEVER felt before resulting in vomiting and on one occasion I even passed out. I gave birth to twins, naturally, and kidney stones take the cake! In my opinion...they are more painful than childbirth!
Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on MedicineNet. The opinions expressed in the comments section are of the author and the author alone. MedicineNet does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to
urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Gout is a condition that results from crystals of uric acid depositing in tissues of the body. Gout is a condition that can lead to abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the
blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of
hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney
function and kidney stones.
Dehydration is the excessive loss of body water. There are a number of causes of dehydration including heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise, and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The best way to treat dehydration is to prevent it from occurring.
Kidney infection (pyelonephritis) usually is caused from bacteria that have spread from the bladder from a UTI (urinary tract infection), poor hygiene, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, catheter, cystoscope exam, surgery, kidney stones, or prostate enlargement. Symptoms of kidney infection include: back pain, frequent urination, pain during urination, fever, and or pus or blood in the urine. Kidney infection is usually treated with antibiotics.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
Blood in semen is also known as hematospermia. Blood in semen can be caused by many conditions affecting the tubes that distribute semen from the testicles (seminal vesicles) or the prostate gland. Symptoms that may accompany blood in semen include blood in the urine, fever, painful urination, pain with ejaculation, tenderness, and swelling in the testes or groin area. Urinalysis, ultrasound, and MRI may be used to diagnose blood in the semen. Treatment depends upon the underlying cause of blood in the semen.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two diseases.
Testicular pain, or pain in the testicle or testicles are caused by a variety of diseases or conditions such as testicular trauma, testicular torsion, testicular cancer, epididymitis, and orchitis. Common symptoms of pain in the testicle or testicles are abdominal pain, urinary pain or incontinence, fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the scrotum or testicle. Treatment depends on the cause of the testicular pain or pain in the testicles.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Hyperparathyroidism is a disorder of the parathyroid glands. There are two types of hyperparathyroidism, primary and secondary. When the parathyroid glands produce too much hormone, hyperparathyroidism is the resulting condition. Most cases of hyperparathyroidism have no evident cause. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, depression, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or confusion. Increased calcium and phosphorous excretion may cause kidney stones. The main treatment of hyperparathyroidism is parathyroidectomy.
Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones, to name a few. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.
The kidneys have a variety of important functions in the body. These include
filtering the waste products from the blood as it circulates through capillaries
within the kidneys, regulating blood pressure,
maintaining steady levels of electrolytes (for example, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium,
and chloride),
and contributing to the production of red blood cells.
Where are the kidneys located?
The kidneys are located on either side of the body
underneath the diaphragm
near the lower back. Each kidney is connected to the bladder in the pelvis by ureters (long
tube-like structures) that drain the urine from the kidneys to the
bladder. Urine stored in the bladder is excreted from the body through the
urethra.
What is a kidney infection?
The main components of the urinary tract are kidneys, ureters, bladder, and
urethra. Any part of the urinary sy...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the
I felt a sharp pain in my lower left back, usually after eating. I assumed it was due to fecal matter as I have had problems with constipation for years. Milk of Magnesia and elimination worked for about a week, and then nothing worked. The pain not only stabbed me in the back at intervals, but my entire waistline area, front and back, became extremely painful to any pressure. I also had some chest pains, which really scared me. A CT scan and labs at the doctor office showed nothing. My doctor advised I go to the local emergency hospital. Finally, on a ultrasound, the stones showed up. Apparently I have a bunch of small stones that are still in the kidney. I was told to "flood" them out with water and cranberry juice, as much as I could handle. I have had not nausea and 600 mg of Advil seems to help the pain somewhat. At night I am also took a pain pill with codeine so I could sleep. So far, no stones, but it is just one day. Will keep urinating into the strainer and hope this is over soon.
Related Reading: constipation | CT scan | ultrasound