question for anyone who had side or back pain...need answers, please! - Kidney Disorders Message Board

wideawakeinaz · 09-26-2004, 10:48 PM

When ever anyone had their side or back pain that was afflicated with the stones, how was that pain? did it come and go or was it constant? was it severe or was it mild?

i went to my doctor on thursday and i'm going for an IVR in 2 weeks...only time i can get off work and as of right now, the pain isn't that severe, but if it gets worst, i will up that date of the test.

anyways, i went to see her because i am having side and back pains. because that was how my stone symptoms started last year, i wanted to see her and do whatever i needed to do. except, this time, it's my left side and last year it was my right. last year's pain was horrible, lasted a week and nothing worked to help the pain, not even tylenol. the pains i was feeling was similiar to my monthly cycle cramps, except, to a higher degree. at first i just thought it was going to be a bad cycle with horrible cramps, but did find out it was stones.

now, 11 months later, i'm dealing with side pains and back pains. but it's completely different. this time, i can go hours without feeling anything or even go a full day without feeling any pain in my back or side. it's mostly my side that hurts, but then it shifts and feels like it's my back, near my kidneys and then it can shift back to my side and i even had it shift where it felt like the pain was underneath my breast. that happened once. i can take either tylenol or ibuprofen and within an hour of the pain, it's gone. then, i'll feel fine, but i've noticed, if i eat or drink certain things, it seems the pain acts up. or if i bend down to pick something up, it acts up. if i sit on my sofa, i'm fine, but if i sit on my sofa and lean on my left side arm rest, it acts up.

i can't really sleep on my side, because after a few minutes, i'm sore. if i sleep on my right side, i'll feel the soreness on my left side. if i sleep on my stomach or even on my back, i can sleep normally.

i don't really feel nausea, though this weekend i have been, but i am sure that is due to all the food i've been eating. i admit, i wasn't very healthy in terms of eating this weekend and i'm pretty sure, the nausatic feeling was due to overeating junk food, because once i used the bathroom, i was fine or once i let out a good gas bubble, i was fine. i don't have a fever at all.

so, my doctor is torn, because there is white blood cells in my urine, there is some kind of infection, so i'm on 7 days worth of antibotics, macrobid. there was also some red blood, but she can't determine the cause, since i had just started my cycle. my doctor is torn that it's either kidney stones starting up again, but for some reason, they aren't moving from my side and back. or she's also thinking it could be a really back pulled muscle. i'm overweight, i'm 5'4, 315lbs, female....i guess it's possible that it's a muscle issue.

just not sure why there is white blood cells in my urine though. maybe the muscle is causing an infection?

she is almost ruling out an actual kidney infection, simply because, i had been dealing with this pain for 2 weeks before seeing her and i never felt sick or had a fever, just the pain that comes and goes. she said, that if it was an infection, after that amount of time, i'd be at least feeling sick or at least have a fever.

anyways....now that i rambled on and on....does anyone have any ideas what this could be? is it possible this is another stone forming? is it possible it could be something completely minor? could it be anything else more serious?

i just would like to know what could be going on...so that i'm prepared. i'm really hoping its not stones again, because last year, it took me 3 months to pass 2 stones, had to have surgery to remove the last one. i dont' want to go through that again and i'm drinking all the water i can, thinking it would help.

i even stayed home from work on friday, literally drank 4 liters of water, thinking if it was a stone, that amount of water would make it move, but no such luck.

anyways...any ideas or advice would be really appreciated.

thanks
char

SpeisFamily · 09-27-2004, 07:51 AM

My daughter, who is 9 had several kidney stones all about 3 months apart for over 2 years. She is now on medication that controls them and hasn't had one in almost a year. Her pain would start in her back. The pain would come and go. Then it would move to right under her ribs. Again not constant but a little more intense. Then it would move to her abdomen and she would be playing and then bend over in pain and start crying. That is usually when we would go to the ER and then she would pee blood a couple of times and the stone would pass and she would be fine until the next "episode".

My daughter's "episodes", as I call them, would only last for about 3 or 4 days and then the stone would pass. If it has been over 2 weeks then I would assume that the white blood cells and red blood cells are caused by a stone that is stuck in the area where your pain is. Or maybe it is just a pulled muscle. If the pain gets worse, not better, or you get a fever I suggest an ER visit.

Are you seeing a Nephrologist or just a family Dr? Have they put you on a low oxalate or protein diet? Do they have you on a water intake regiment? Have they given you any medication to prevent stones? My daughter is on a low oxalate diet, no salt, pepper, or chocolate. And she has to drink at least 60 oz. of water a day along with taking chlorthalidone and potassium citrate. If this is another kidney stone I would suggest asking your Dr about a treatment plan to prevent stones.
Christina

cooki · 09-27-2004, 08:35 AM

Hello,

Although I don't have any advice I would like to say that I am having a very similar problem. I have been having kidney stones off and on for about 10 years now. My first set was at 19yrs and required stents and lithotripsy. That was the worst set, since then I have had them about once a year or so and have had 2 lithotripsy's now. I thought I knew the signs but now I am having the same kind of pain (like you explained) but it doesn't seem like a stone. I feel the pain almost daily but not all day long off and on all day. Like you said it comes and goes. I would like to ask if you happen to find out what is going on outside of the boards that you might post the answers here anyway and I certianly do the same. Good luck!

Take Care,
Cooki

SpeisFamily · 09-27-2004, 12:10 PM

Cooki,
Are you on any meds to prevent stones?

wideawakeinaz · 09-27-2004, 08:28 PM

I'm not on any diet or medication to prevent future stones, because from what i was told by both my family doctor and urologist, the stones i passed were too small and too sandy to do any tests. tests came back saying, yup, stones, but as to what kind, no one knows, so i'm eating like normal, except i need to drink more water.

which is such a problem for me. i just can't get the urge to drink water and during the day at work, i may drink 16 or 24 ounces and that's it. i'm so tired of water that when i do try to drink it, it almost makes me gag. i know, thats not good, so right now, my water intake is not nearly what it should be. my urine normally is dark yellow, orangy in color. plus, because of my job, i can't just get up and go. if i do, after awhile, i get a lecture saying that i'm not meeting my objectives and therefore, i need to use my personal time during my breaks. well, since i can't just get up and go, that is preventing me from drinking more water during the day. plus, my office is freezing and that doesn't make me want water, makes me want hot chocolate instead.

but the pain...it's pretty much in the same area. even though it moves from side to back to side to front to side...the location is still the same area. it doesn't move up, doesn't move down. seems to really hurt once i bend over or once something is pushing against that side. if i'm sitting at my desk at work, i need to sit in a different chair, because my normal chair was pushing my side and making it hurt.

doesn't hurt at all to urinate, doesn't burn, doesn't do anything. and today, the pain wasn't that bad and yesterday, it wasn't as bad. in fact, i was able to lay on my side for a few minutes, but then rolled on my stomach as not to irrate that area.

so, whatever it is...i don't know. i hope it's not stones, but i just don't know. i'm having my IVP done in 2 weeks, so hopefully after that, i'll have other answers other than,...i don't know.