Anyone ever had a kidney stone?? Yowzer!

Tim-GNP · Jul 5, 2001

I had one when I was 16. They dx. via IVP [the dilated ureter was noted even by myself, who at that time knew nothing medical]. They never retrieved the stone---so I never modified my diet, and thank God it never came back.

Women who had kidney stones and lady partsl deliveries were surveyed in one study. The majority stated that they would prefer the pain of childbirth over a calculi any day.

Did they retrieve the stone and analyze it? It may not be composed of calcium--in fact there are several possible compositions.

In fact, I am getting abdominal pains thinking about it. For the record, the doctors and nurses were great to me, at the time, too.

I pray for your speedy recovery.

MollyJ · Jul 5, 2001

I had patients who had had both tell me stones were worse than labor. In the ED's I worked, we prioritized kidney stone patients as very urgent (only superseded by unstable cardiacs and traumas and the such), because human to human, they are very painful and we wanted the person to get relief ASAP.

DC'ing Calcium is helpful if your stones were calcium based stones but not all are I have been told. and you know the other preventative, the nursing universal intervention: force fluids daily. Good luck. Gives new meaning to the phrase: "This, too, shall pass" doesn't it?

laurasc · Jul 5, 2001

Oh YES!

It was in April 1986 and I was 23 years old. My experience in the hospital was no where near as nice as yours was. I spent 12 hours in the ER hallway. Several hours of that time was with nothing for pain. The doctor had ordered Demerol but the nurses hadn't gotten around to giving it to me yet. Finally the nursing supervisor (I WORKED in that hospital) came over and made one of the nurses give me an injection. They did start an IV on me but it was running at KVO. Finally after Lord only knows how many hours, my friend came to visit me. She looked at my IV and said "how are you supposed to pee out the stone with the IV running so slow?" So she opened it up...must have set it to at least 120. Within the hour I peed out the stone.

It was a little smaller than a ball point pen tip and spiky all around. They gave me my stone and sent me home. I have no idea what caused it, what the stone was made of or what to do to avoid it. And...Thank the Lord I haven't had to go through that again!

The pain is inreal. Worse, IMO than labour and childbirth. In fact, it was worse than what I felt last year with my ruptured appendix. (and that HURT!)

Laura

BlueBear · Jul 5, 2001

poor you! i truly hope you are feeling better today. what a lousy holiday you had. i personally have not lived through that nightmare but i remember when my dad had a stone and was in excruciating pain. please take good care of yourself and drink your water! :)

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 5, 2001

Husband passed his 90th kidney stone few months ago.....I call him my own rock quary. Multiple stone basketing for stone removal , 8 lithotripsys and 2 episodes of ureteral stents. Went from stones every 6 weeks to now every 6-12 months.

What have we learned over the past 25 years?

1. Need to get the kidney stones analyzed to determine type.

2. Seek out endocrinologist to check hormonal influence esp parathyroid.

3. Hydration 2-3 liters daily important to keep kidney flushed.

4. Calcium Oxalate stones husband's type, never improved on low calcium diet-blood levels always WNL. Adding allopurinal to decrease uric acid levels in 1998 have significatly cut done on stones.

5. If you have lithotrypsy in your facility, ask the OR nurses who's the best---I called OR on Tuesday and had his stone lithotripsied by Friday one time and found our current Urologist-Pierre Ghayad at Mercy Fitzgerald that way. (Even better than specialists at Univ of Penn.)

6. Renal Colic is an emergency and pain needs to be treated STAT. IV Toradol has helped the best, along with Dilaudid for husband.

7. At start of colic, he gets into hotest tub of water he can stand as it helps to relax the kidney and decrease spasms, he uually able to pass most stones this way.

Hope you can find a good doctor in your area and that it won't happen again.

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Jul 5, 2001

Karen, I felt the color drain from my face reading your post. How every horrible for your poor husband. I cannot even imagine 90 times!!

I am no pain wimp. Had an epidural with my C-section, and felt them cutting me, then had another labor, no meds at all, this was worse than either of those experiences!!

To give you some idea of how low I was feeling, I was writing all over the stretcher,and walking, with my hospital gown open in the back, and I didn't care who saw my undies!!

My biggest fear was going to the hospital and having to wait for hours in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs in that pain. I wouldn't have my 5 pillows I was using to try to find a position of comfort at home. I really thought it would be a nightmare, esp since I had to use the ER that has the trauma unit, thought for sure it would get busy. I guess the rain kept the beer-parties down to a minimum! Someone did come in with hand trauma, yup, of course, holding firecrackers!

I didn't see a stone pass, I insisted on getting up and going to BR, no bedpan thanks anyway, so I didn't strain it. I guess I must have passed it or the pain wouldn't go away, right?

I think the hot bathtub is something I will keep in mind. Besides the sharp pains, there are horrible spasms. I canceled my 4 hour shift this eve, I'm so afraid that could happen again, and at work, yikes!

To whomever developed/invented toradol, they will have my undying gratitude! I knew I was going to be OK, when I insisted I be covered up on the stretcher. This was my first and I pray my last experience with a kidney stone. :eek:

Laura, thank goodness for your friend. I couldn't imagine 12 hours with no relief!!

duckie · Jul 5, 2001

I have had 3 kidney stones so I feel your pain. You spoke of taking Calcium and that you were going to DC it. I also take supplements and thought my stone was caused by the Calcium so I stopped taking it. I ended up with 2 more stones, so I know mine were not caused by the Calcium. I am now taking Calcium again BUT you must have the proper amounts of Magnesium and Vit. D to utilize the Calcium properly or it CAN cause stones. It's a shame your stone wasn't analyzed to see what it was made up from. Hewre's the things I learned after the third stone, and being very tired of that kind of pain. I now take Cranberry capsules, available at Walmart. I take 6 a day. Cranberyy helps to prevent anything sticking to the walls of the kidneys, thus no stones can form. (Haven't had one since I started taking it) Also, stop drinking carbonated beverages. I used to drink 5-6 Pepsi's and day and never drank water. After stone number 2 my MD asked about my water drinking. I just laughed and said I was lucky to drink a glass a year. When he found out I was a Pepsi drinker, he told me to cut it back and increase the water to 8 cups daily, or I'd be back......I was within a year. So now I take my Cranberry capsules, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and I save the Pepsi of the occassional treat. Kidney stones are very painful and can be serious to your health. On my last stone, by the time I got to the hospital, my BP was 260/150 and they were very afraid I would stroke before they could get the pain to ease so my pressure would drop. I had a headache that wouldn't quite on top of the pain from the stone, so I can say with all honesty I feel you pain and understand. I hope I have helped.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 5, 2001

Hoolahan:

Renal colic occurs as stone moves through the uretorand or is blocking the ureter. Once the stone moves lowerinto ureter near bladder or blockage is resolved pain eases up as it drops into the bladder; so you may still have stone in the bladder---husband states it stings when finally pushed thru glans---has taken him up to one week to pass. So contuinue to took for it, can be fished out with tissue or fish net (LOL, we've done it for anaylsis).

Hope your on the mend soon.

2LTCnurses · Jul 5, 2001

I've had multiple stones over the last 25 years, the pain is unbelievable!! Almost worse though is the chronic pain associated with what I have 'Medullary Sponge Kidney" which means I am a repeat stone former. The chronic pain comes from the crystals collecting in the tubules. I have had a few good ER experiences, most horrible. In this area, it seems that even if you go in with a complete history....surgical scars...... your Urologists PHONE NUMBER......etc. they tend to think you're a drug addict looking for a fix. Last time I begged them to just CALL MY UROLOGIST and they wouldn't!!!!!!! Toradol is not effective on my pain personally.......they wouldn't believe me and tried to give it to me anyway......I was soooooo frustrated!!!! After a few hours of me throwing a hissy fit, they FINALLY called my Doc. and then came in and gave me the right meds. I have found very little compassion......if your arm is not half severed, they don't think it's an "emergency"!!

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Jul 6, 2001

All of this has been quite helpful. I will continue to look for the stone. They did say, it was fuzzy on the CT scan and couldn't tell if the stone was inthe ureter or maybe had perf'd it and was in the gut. Yesterday all day I had a low grade fever, all I could think was the thing is in my gut and developing an abcess, it would be my luck.

Duckie, as I have gotten older, I can't stand to drink sugary soft drinks. One of my HH pt's told me, she's diabetic, that when she just has to have a fix, the uses sparkling ater 3/4 full, and 1/4 full, in the glass, of pepsi. I tried that, and it is now the only way I ever drink pepsi. Call me crazy, but I prefer unsweetened decaf iced tea, if I need it sweeter, I add about 1/4 glass of apple juice, or cranberry juice for flavor. But I do already drinks lots of water. I was sure to drink at least 300 cc per hour yesterday.

2LTC, I feel for you! I am sorry your ER experience was so bad. That was the one thing I could tell from my nurse, she listened to me, and you could tell she had a lot of experience and didn't waste time to get things moving.

I may resume the Calicum, I use the ca + D Oscal, but for now, it makes me queasy to think it may be a cause. Don't want to go thru that again. All the stories of repeaters are scaring the he!! out of me.

kaycee · Jul 6, 2001

So sorry to hear you spent the 4th with a kidney stone. I've never had one but have taken care of many in the ER. Glad your ER experience was good. We take care of Pt's with suspected kidney stones right away. Pain relief is not only to make the Pt. more comfortable but may also assist in allowing the stone to pass. Toradol is a great drug I've had it for relief of post-op orthopaedic pain and it worked well. Take care and I hope you are feeling all better!!!

Lynne