Kidney Stones, Ouch!

[OnMyWay]

Woke up at 2 am with pain in my lower left abdomen.  I have been fighting constipation for several weeks and thought it might be related.  The pain got really bad, then subsided.  Rinse and repeat until 10 am when I decided to go to the ER.

Ultrasound showed the main blockage that was causing the pain.  They gave me Tramadol and antibiotics, with orders to see a urologist.

Any experiences or advice to share?

[Possum]

First time I was given morphine and percodan until I passed it. It looked like a cocklebur ! Years later had another one and sat in an ultrasound bath which dissolved it. much easier. Surely there are even more options now. Urologist told me that though there has never been a blind study he said he'd never seen kidney stones in someone who drank orange or grapefruit daily but that may just be a coincidence. Since then I try to drink orange juice often though sometimes I have to dilute it with rum or vodka.

[Mike J]

I have a history of kidney stones.  In the USA I have had lithotripsy (shock waves to break the stone) 5-6 times and was able to pass smaller stones on several other occasions.   The size and location of the stone will determine the treatment.  Proper hydration is important to prevent stones, limit the amount of alcohol, caffeine, and other diuretics.  Your constipation may indicate that you are not drinking enough water?  Had four small stones here in the Philippines when I became dehydrated with amebic dysentery.   The urologist gave me tramadol for pain, and a large supply of "sambong capsules" and sodium bicarbonate tablets.  I took 2 sambong capsules three times a day, total six per day.  Several times since then I have felt like "crap do I have a stone" and I start taking sambong.  Interesting fact - kidney stones are most prevalent in men but women do occasionally have them.  I have met two women in my life who had stones.  They both said the pain was far worse than child birth.    

<snip>  NIRPROMP developed an herbal drug formulation mainly composed of sambong leaves to treat kidney stones and edema. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera L.) is an aromatic shrub long used in Philippine traditional medicine as a treatment for fever, cough, headache, boils, abdominal pain and gaseous distention. <end snip>

source = https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/heartnovation/sambong-tablet-herbal-drug-formulation-for-kidney-stones/

[OnMyWay]

39 minutes ago, Mike J said:

I have a history of kidney stones.  In the USA I have had lithotripsy (shock waves to break the stone) 5-6 times and was able to pass smaller stones on several other occasions.   The size and location of the stone will determine the treatment.  Proper hydration is important to prevent stones, limit the amount of alcohol, caffeine, and other diuretics.  Your constipation may indicate that you are not drinking enough water?  Had four small stones here in the Philippines when I became dehydrated with amebic dysentery.   The urologist gave me tramadol for pain, and a large supply of "sambong capsules" and sodium bicarbonate tablets.  I took 2 sambong capsules three times a day, total six per day.  Several times since then I have felt like "crap do I have a stone" and I start taking sambong.  Interesting fact - kidney stones are most prevalent in men but women do occasionally have them.  I have met two women in my life who had stones.  They both said the pain was far worse than child birth.    

<snip>  NIRPROMP developed an herbal drug formulation mainly composed of sambong leaves to treat kidney stones and edema. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera L.) is an aromatic shrub long used in Philippine traditional medicine as a treatment for fever, cough, headache, boils, abdominal pain and gaseous distention. <end snip>

source = https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/heartnovation/sambong-tablet-herbal-drug-formulation-for-kidney-stones/

Thanks Mike!  Very helpful!

[craftbeerlover]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Thanks Mike!  Very helpful!

Ditto on the Sambong.   I had a stone that shrunk 75 percent after taking the sambong tablets.   I stopped taking them and a few years later I had a 6mm stone that had to be broken up by shockwaves.   Never want to go through that again.   Felt like I was hit in the kidney with a baseball bat, to make it worse they inserted a stent that had to be pulled out a week later.   I am back to taking the Sambong tablets and also drinking the Sambong tea.     Time will tell...

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, craftbeerlover said:

Ditto on the Sambong.   I had a stone that shrunk 75 percent after taking the sambong tablets.   I stopped taking them and a few years later I had a 6mm stone that had to be broken up by shockwaves.   Never want to go through that again.   Felt like I was hit in the kidney with a baseball bat, to make it worse they inserted a stent that had to be pulled out a week later.   I am back to taking the Sambong tablets and also drinking the Sambong tea.     Time will tell...

Thanks!  Going to the urologist later.  I have had 4 attacks since yesterday early am.  Worst pain of my life!  Even worse than childbirth when my daughters were born.

Do you think they have the shockwave treatment in the Philippines?

[craftbeerlover]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Thanks!  Going to the urologist later.  I have had 4 attacks since yesterday early am.  Worst pain of my life!  Even worse than childbirth when my daughters were born.

Do you think they have the shockwave treatment in the Philippines?

yes they absolutely do.  I did mine in the US, but I know they have it here as well.   Goes without saying, make sure you do it with a Dr you trust

[hk blues]

I had 5 or 6 show up on an x-ray when I was in Hong Kong - the Doc said they were small enough to pass naturally.  I reckon over a period of a few years they did based on some incredible pain when peeing on a few occasions.  Didn't have any problems with them otherwise and haven't had any issue since - fingers crossed.

[OnMyWay]

6 hours ago, craftbeerlover said:

yes they absolutely do.  I did mine in the US, but I know they have it here as well.   Goes without saying, make sure you do it with a Dr you trust

I went to the urologist today.  I went to the same guy in 2021 after I had a stone incident.  I did not follow up with getting rid of all the stones which may have led to the current problem.

The current problem is that a stone has dropped and is too big to get out.  Taking a bunch of stuff to try to get it break up and pass naturally.  Ural, Sambong, UT Control and Harnal.  Also a precautionary anti-biotic.  And the Tramadol for pain, ok to take every six hours for the next few days, to avoid a major pain incident.

11 hours ago, Mike J said:

The urologist gave me tramadol for pain, and a large supply of "sambong capsules" and sodium bicarbonate tablets.

The Ural he gave me includes Sodium Bicarbonate.

He says 70% of the time the meds will allow the current problem stone to pass.  Painfully, I'm sure.  If it does not pass in 7-10 days it could damage the kidney, so then he recommends a procedure where they run a tube up there and use a laser thingy to break it up.  He said shockwaves are not possible for this location.

So in my actual kidneys I have some larger stones.  If they can't be reduced chemically, shockwave is possible.  We will treat them 2-3 months, do another ultrasound, and see what size they are.

 

[craftbeerlover]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

I went to the urologist today.  I went to the same guy in 2021 after I had a stone incident.  I did not follow up with getting rid of all the stones which may have led to the current problem.

The current problem is that a stone has dropped and is too big to get out.  Taking a bunch of stuff to try to get it break up and pass naturally.  Ural, Sambong, UT Control and Harnal.  Also a precautionary anti-biotic.  And the Tramadol for pain, ok to take every six hours for the next few days, to avoid a major pain incident.

The Ural he gave me includes Sodium Bicarbonate.

He says 70% of the time the meds will allow the current problem stone to pass.  Painfully, I'm sure.  If it does not pass in 7-10 days it could damage the kidney, so then he recommends a procedure where they run a tube up there and use a laser thingy to break it up.  He said shockwaves are not possible for this location.

So in my actual kidneys I have some larger stones.  If they can't be reduced chemically, shockwave is possible.  We will treat them 2-3 months, do another ultrasound, and see what size they are.

 

drink a shitload of water, then drink more.   In the US they gave me tamsulosin to help it pass.  Supposedly, things such as apple cider vinegar and lemon juice may help, but you can do that research and see if you think its right for you.   I wish you the best, I know what you are going thru and it absolutely sucks.