Dull Kidney Ache...PLEASE HELP.

[madejade]

Hey Everyone...
Last Monday I started having a dull ache in my right kidney (or so it feels like my kidney). Tuesday I starting feeling like I had a UTI. I went to the doctor (primary care doc) and she gave me Cipro for seven days. The pain and burning in my bladder continued and on Thursday she called and said it wasn't a UTI and later that night I passed a small whitish colored stone (it broke in half very easy). I have continued with the right sided dull ache. It is starting to get on my nerves. I have a urology appt on monday the 13th but I don't know if I should call and talk to my doctor. I feel tired and just achey on my right side. I know I have bilateral stones with the largest being 5mm. No fever or chills or anything else to indicate infection.

Could this be a stone growing larger or something. Maybe one getting ready to pass. Is this normal for kidney stone passage??? I have passed stones before and many of them but never really with an ache that stayed dull and just kind of there. I thought I knew pretty much all there was to know about stones but I am kind of stumped and getting tired of this ache. I am very sure this is in my kidney and not muscular.

Anyone who can help would so be appreciated.....thanks...madejade

[Robb]

Hi Madejade...I am dealing with a 5 mm stone in my ureter and have a dull ache for the most part. I was told this stone will likely take 2-3 weeks to pass given how high up it is. I have found some relief by taking hot baths and its helped to relieve the pain significantly. So much so that I have not needed the pain killers the past 4 days. Also I have been getting some exercise which seems to help with the pain. The first few days after diagnosis I just rested and it seemed doing that allowed the pain to get worse not better.

I am also taking some potassium citrate for a possible uric acid stone as my stone won't showup on x-rays. Any idea how long its ok to have a stone sit in the ureter before surgery is required? I have no fever/chills and the blood test did not indicate any infection.

Hope you feel better soon.

Robb

[madejade]

I think that after a couple of weeks they will normally go and get the stones if they are in your ureter. I have had a couple ureterscopies for that reason. The stones got stuck and just wouldn't pass. Have you ever had that done before? It's pretty simple.

Funny enough, if you read some of my previous posts...None of my stones are showing up on x-ray either. My old urologist told me after a failed lithotripsy attempt that all my stones were gone. I knew that they weren't so I insisted on a ct scan. They are very visible on CT Scan. I switched to a new urologist who is new and young and right now we are doing x--rays every few weeks in the hopes that they will show up on x-ray and I can have lithotripsy....finally.

Thanks for the post!

[friendly_one]

Hi Christina...stones in the kidney can cause intermittent pain/acheness. So, that's probably what you are experiencing. Don't ever let a doc tell you that stones in the kidney cannot hurt! That's BS!! These stones just don't sit there. They move around tearing stuff up. That hurts!! If you are having pain that's intolerable then talk to your doc about some pain meds to have on hand, since the pain is usually intermittent. I'm sorry you are going through this right now, but you are not alone. I'm right there with you going through the same thing with my remaining kidney. Please take care and keep me updated, ok??