I have been passing stones for about 8 months now. My doctor says I have a lot. I am just curious what the typical size is. I have only had extreme pain with one stone, and have passed dozens and dozens without pain. Most are small, 1mm or less, a few have been sizable, at least compared with the others 4-9mm (about 8 of these. The 9mm barely hurt, only stung with passing. I had mild back pain for a day or 2 before it passed.) Why did only one cause extreme pain (and hospitalization. I had back pain for months.)? This pain was not with passing, it happened about 5 days before I passed a 4mm stone. Do most people with stones also pass so much grit along with the big ones? Thanks for any help.
C

I have passed a number of stones on my own and had a few broken up with lithotripsy or removed via ureteroscopy. I too have had varying degrees of pain. My most painful was a large stone that was in the kidney but too large to pass out of the kidney into the ureter. This stone caused severe pain, nausea, sweating, etc. Many of my smaller and lower stones have only caused moderate pain and urinary symptoms and pass with little discomfort. I guess I'm not really answering your question but in my case each episode has had varying amounts of pain, not always correlating to the size of the stone but more the location.

I would agree with AM. Size doesn't seem to correlate with pain. Shape seems to be a bigger factor. Smooth ones pass easier. I have passed a 5X7mm stone that I didn't even know was comming until it shot out (that instant wasn't fun). It was made up of a bunch of 'dust' that had re-solidified after lithotrypsy and was almost as smooth as a river rock. On the other hand, I had one stone that was only about 0.5mm that felt like it was tearing me apart all the way from the kidney out. When I looked at it under a microscope (I'm weird like that), it looked like a tiny, razor sharo arrowhead. Others that have really hurt looked like bundles or razorblades (crystaline structures). So, I think shape has more to do with pain than size.

does anyone know when it passes or enters the bladder? I have a 4mm and I keep having the normal need to urniate when my bladder is full...however today I CANT HOLD ANYTHING!! It tickles and Iam also having episodes that last about 10 seconds of sharp pain through my urethra?!?
Any guesses on were my stone might be??!?!
Its driving me mad and my doctors say it will pass one day...but when!?!? Its hard to go anywere with all this happening for a week. I would think it was about done. I think I will name it "spike" when it comes out! HA!