Kidney stones.... Roooouuggghhhh

After much deliberation I'm hoping to avoid people on this site whom have nothing but negativity to bring to light...

On another note, I just had my first kidney stone. I'm 33 years old and my kidney stone is 3 mm in size.

I was at work around 4:30 pm when I started to feel sick to my stomach. I didn't really think anything of it so I continued on and finished my work. I went home still feeling Ill, had dinner and decided to go to bed afterwards.

I woke up around 11 that night with the most excrutiating pain I have ever felt in my life. I'm usually against going to the hospital for personal reasons, however I knew this was something different. I asked my girlfriend almost immediately when the pain started to take me to the nearest hospital. As soon as I got into the emergency room I grabbed a trash can and hurled up my dinner. Mind you still in excrutiating pain. Fortunately I was second in line.

They knew right away what it was and I was taken into a room where the emergency staff administered an IV and toradol. Thank god almighty that it helped.

After my ct scan had identified my stone and size I was taken to a room. By this time the toradol had worn off and I was writhing in pain again. E nurse came in and administered 4 mgs of morphine. Did absolutely nothing. I couldn't believe that morphine couldn't squelch this pain. So toradol it was again.

The next day after bouts with pain through out the night, they wanted to take me off of injected and start giving me oral meds. Since I had told them that I was on Suboxone at home because I am a recovering addict, they didn't want to give me vicodines or OxyContin. So they gave me 800 mg ibuprofen. Again didn't do anything. So they gave me 6 mg of morphine this time. Still did nothing. Toradol again.

Was able to sleep through the night and the pain didn't return. So now I'm at home still the stone had not passed however it is out of my kidney now.

It was by far the worst pain I have ever been through. You cannot possibly know this pain unless you yourself have had one.

wow. That sounds like a whole lotta fun!..

At least you got in quick. Good to hear that.

A site to check out (since it sounds like your not big on the big medicine ind.?)

healthwyze.org

A lot of helpful information for healing yourself at home. The guy an gal runnin it seem pretty anti-B.S.

Check it out and weigh the site's credibility for yourself.

Best one i've found this far.

Been there myself.
I thought I was dying.

Pain at that level is hard to describe.
Although I cringe at even my own memories, my thoughts are with you!

You are gonna make it bro!

Been there; done that more than once. Managed to pass them. Women who have given birth and also had stones equate the two pains. I used to drink a big glass of milk at dinner. They gave me a funnel type of affair to catch it. Doc told me the stone was pure calcium and suggested shying away from milk products. So that turned me into a wino.

Apparently there is an ultrasound treatment that can 'jiggle' the stone into smaller pieces. Or there is surgery. Pray to pass it. Pray never to have another one. I would have welcomed death. It is that bad.

I've heard that passing a kidney stone is as painful as giving birth. Glad you made it through.

A doc once told me that avoiding certain types of food and drink would lessen the formation of the stones. Mabe this can help you avoid them in the future.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

reply to post by Enemyc0mbatant


I, too, woke up in the middle of the night with one. Living alone, I drove myself to the hospital, and I thought of pulling over several times from fear of passing out. I was lucky enough to pass it within minutes of arriving. I've had a smaller one since then, but I will never forget the pain of the first one.

Welcome to the club brother. I had a few stones already and always went thru the unspeakable process of pee it out. Get that thing out one way or another asap, even if you start feeling better.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
I've heard that passing a kidney stone is as painful as giving birth.

After my fisrt one, they told me it actually can reach 2.5 times more painful. I don't know how the hell they mesure that.

reply to post by Enemyc0mbatant


yep hurt like hell but the pain relief was goodchange your diet

Originally posted by Trueman

Originally posted by smyleegrl
I've heard that passing a kidney stone is as painful as giving birth.

After my fisrt one, they told me it actually can reach 2.5 times more painful. I don't know how the hell they mesure that.

They can measure that by the size. They can tell how big it is by doing an X-Ray. And they can probably gauge how bad the pain is by the size.

I had one on January the 2'nd, and I was only 24. Apparently I was drinking too much grapefruit juice. Who knew that could cause one? Jesus Christ that was the worst pain I had ever felt. It was like somebody sticking a searing hot knife into my back. I did get 5 shots of Morphine over the span of 4 hours though, so no complaints there lol. And I got a prescription for Dilaudid too (Morphine pills). Still, I wouldn't wish pain like that on anybody.

My Bro in law had to have the ultrasound jobbie and still he was in agony.
The tiny one I experienced wasn't what I would call fun neither.

I've had 2 pass my first was nearly 5mm. It was the worst thing ever, no position what so ever eased the pain...it felt like like my testicles were being jumped on like one of those bouncy castles full of kids, I was running hot and cold flashes every 5 seconds, vomiting but feeling dehydrated, and feeling like I was going to urinate all over myself but couldn't go. Every woman I've talked to said they would take natural child birth over a kidney stone any day that have had/done both. I also had a large bladder stone that feels like a stun gun/lightning bolt of electricity right on your butt sphincter out of no where.

My college professor at the time said the pain killers didn't work for him either; he said the only thing that works for him is some type of injection they give for some MRI's.

So after the first one; I swore off soft drinks the urologist suggested sweet tea and sports drinks. 6 months later I was about to graduate, we had a week before exams off. I had another one show up 4 days from exams, checked myself in the hospital, iv after iv of fluids and pain killers for 3 days no stone. I said I know I didn't pass it but I can't stay in here I have exams and right after exams...I'm already packed to move out of state. So I got checked out; oxycontin and flomax scrip in hand. Do exams and now have to drive 12 hours with my packed stuff to my home state. I only had a scrip for 8 oxycontins so after 1 day tied loose ends and exam prep 2 days of exams and 3 hours into my drive no more pain meds it all came back...only 9 more hours drive through the night into early morning writhing in pain. If I had a revolver it would have been a welcomed option for a pain killer.

First thing I do is drive to the emergency room when I got into town, the RN whispered to me "next time go buy a case of beer and keep pounding them til falling down drunk; it'll be gone before you know it." I took my new pain script by all this time the stone was too far and too wedged to do anything but wait and pass it. I got a gallon of water and a 12 pack and went to my parents house sat and started pounding one beer one glass of water...5 cans in I passed it 9.5mm.

Went to the new urologist, and told him the history of my stones; he said well you have 4 more waiting and a smaller one that might build or just pass...Shocked I was like no no no how can this be? I quit drinking soda over 6 months ago and drank nothing but sports drinks and tea like my last urologist suggested. He got a concerned look on his face, and he said your urologist told you to drink this stuff? I said yes sir; he said sports drinks, and tea are the leading causes of kidney stones. It struck me later the first urologist only makes money if he has patients...so maybe he wanted a new boat and my stone haul was going to carry him there.

I asked the new urologist if there was anything at all I could do; he said pure LEMON JUICE, get some and make some strong lemonade, drink that exclusively til our next appointment. So for the next 2 weeks I drank nothing but strong home made lemonade and I had zero stones. What a relief since 5 were lurking in wait only 2 weeks earlier; he said that people with kidney stones don't excrete enough of something ? (I can't recall) to break down stones; but the citric acid from lemons is a great substitute for it. I can happily say I haven't had another stone in about 6 years all I do is drink about a gallon of real lemonade a month, or pound a couple of quarts when my kidneys feel a little off if I get slack on intake.

Hopefully, this "cure" gets to people that suffer from these horrid things, so they can be rid of them once and for all. If currently suffering...beer beer beer, it numbs the ureters and is a diuretic (makes you urinate).

reply to post by Enemyc0mbatant

E nurse came in and administered 4 mgs of morphine. Did absolutely nothing. I couldn't believe that morphine couldn't squelch this pain. So toradol it was again.

Back in 2008 I had gallstones which went unproperly diagnosed for four years (that was after seeing 5 doctors), and because I was used to the pain I didn't realize my gallbladder had ruptured.

Try to imagine having that pain for several months.

The doctor said the pain would be equivalent to being shot with a gun and having the bullet lodged in the body.

That was with working 80 to 100 hour work weeks.

Misery doesn't even begin to explain what that was like.

Accept no substitutes.

Get Demerol.

hey there! as others have said...welcome to the club. kidney stones are the bane of my existence. I have a birth defect known as medullary sponge kidneys. in all, i've passed over 100 stones in my 37 years, the first stone showing up at age 7 and then taking a break until i was 17. all of the ones i've passed were calcium oxylate, most have been 2-3mm in size with a few few being 4-5mm. i actually had surgery to remove one that was a little larger than a pencil eraser...not fun. i have learned to cut my caffeine intake down to almost nothing and i stay away from dark drinks like coffee, pop and tea. each of us are different and so are our stones. good luck with the stones!!!!