Have I got a kidney stone?

So every morning I wake up with quite a pain in my lower back on the left hand side. Sort of in the kidney region but it's a bit closer to my side than I would think. It makes it very difficult to lie in most positions and forces me to get up. When I do, it goes away in ten minutes or so and I don't feel it the rest of the day. It comes on at about three in the morning or so.

I only ask because when my Dad had kidney stones he said at first it just felt like a bad back from sleeping…

Im told men having kidney stones experience a similar pain to childbirth

Draw your own conclusion 🙂

At the peak I am sure. However they start small, do they not?

Bloody agony 😯 you may have what they call grit which is just like a dust. Get the doc to check you out.

If you have had them – does the pain just appear?

If you have had them – does the pain just appear?

Not had them, but looked after plenty of people that have. Some get niggling pains before trying to pass one but real fun comes when a stone ( think spikey crystal ) just a little bit bigger than the ureter ( tube from kidney to bladder ) makes a bid for freedom. That does tend to come on suddenly and as stated above, women who have been through childbirth, even quite protracted childbirth, would rather do that again than pass a second stone and are usually quite vocal on the fact.

Could be other things so go and see your GP. Its what you pay your taxes for.

Sound like the princess and the pea!

go see your GP. If they think it's worthwhile they might get you an ultrasound scan, then possibly an intravenous urogram (IVU). This will help exclude/confirm the presence of kidney stones. Then you could have them treated through surgery or ExtraCorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) or JWAS (just wait and see). There are various suggested causes of kidney stones. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), genetic factors, rhubarb, tea, dehydration etc etc take your pick.

Oh, they really hurt when they move.

When I had one it wasn't painful before. Found I was using the loo VERY often one day. Then found the only place I was confortable was sitting on the loo…
That night just the most agonising pain ever. I honestly thought I was gonna die. Ambulance ride to hospital. The pain killers they gave me once I got there didn't touch the pain. Then it just went off a few hours later.
It came back again the next morning and they told me that if it didn't pass on its own in a day or so they were gonna stick some bloody tube up me wotsit…! 😯
Decided there and then it was going to pass on its own. Thankfully it did.

I have had 3 bouts with stones over the past 20 years and it is truly an agonizing experience. The pain generally won't subside until the stone passes and when it does, it makes you wonder how such a tiny speck can cause so much pain. There is a drug available (Toradol I think it is spelled) that worked for me to alleviate the worst of the pain. My doctor just said to drink as much water as I could all day long and in each case, the stone eventually passed. The last time they had me peeing into a fine sieve to know when the stone passed.
My problem stems from not staying hydrated enough when riding in the desert summer heat, so now, especially in the summer, I will drink a 100 oz camelback dry in a 2-3 hour ride.

Oh yes its not fun! Passed 4 a few years back & had the camera crew up the Japs Eyes through the bladder into the kidneys 😮

Have kept very well hydrated ever since.

Had one a while back,Doc said soak in a hot bath,it relieved the pain and helped to pass it through 😉

maybe gallstones???

will present with similar pains

also pain felt may appear to be in the back area.

As said get an ultrasound to give you the diagnosis

Why ask us about your stone? ask a doctor you tool

ask a doctor you tool

At 9 o'clock at night, when I'm on the other side of the country from my doctor and no up coming opportunity to make an appointment? And what makes you think that simply because I wanted to ask around for other people's experiences that I'm NOT going to see a doctor at the earliest opportunity?

Only asking for experiences that's all.

Oh and if anyone is still reading this, much less pain this morning 🙂

Ah! The joys of Renal Colic.

Been there, got the T-shirt. Once you've had it, you're generally quite good about drinking alot after. I still do, and my last one was about 8years ago when I was 28.

So much pain I was white as a sheet, cold sweating and so nauseous I was dry retching for four hours.

Not gallstones…. unless you have situs inversus (in which case can I have a copy of your ct scans for teaching?)

CT urogram is the current investigation of choice for kidney stones (Or should be according to the evidence).

TBH sounds to me like you need a new matress

Could it not be a kidney infection?

TBH sounds to me like you need a new matress

Yeah.. it could be because I'm in hotel beds which are firmer than what I am used to. It may be that I'm not getting it at the weekends and not noticing the fact..

What causes them and what can you do to avoid (if possible?)

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Kidney-stones/Pages/Prevention.aspx

Surely if you ride alot you will naturally drink alot of water anyway so a keen cyclist shouldnt suffer these? Meaning your diet is fubarred?

been there, done that, not nice, don't want to do it again…

my doctors advice was "drink more beer"!

okay 🙂

doesn't sound like my kidney stone attacks (and mine sound minor consider some ppl stories but 8hrs of agony 3 times over my life is not something I relish) as mine always come with no warning at all.
Last was after I'd crashed my bike the night before, so wasn't even sure if it was an affect from that, or kidney stones (was them unfortunately).

Possibly yes. They can start with the odd niggle now and then, you can pass them with just a little bit of discomfort or pain. But trust me when the big ones come the pain is nothing like childbirth, from what I've been told is a piece of piss compared to the suffering from a kidney stone.

I had a a large one make it's bid for freedom at New Years, the pain was like nothing I've ever had it had me on the floor whimpering like a baby but a baby who knew all the swear words known to man, my core temp dropped and the slightest movement was a huge effort.

I have the joy of knowing I will always produce them so have to drink loads so I pass at least 2 litres of piss a day. There will be more large ones come free, they're sitting there waiting I now have a nice stock of pain killers waiting for that day.

I've had some pain since within the a few weeks but nothing like New Years, if I don't follow my routine to well I get an ache in the kidney region either on the left or the right.

Have fun!

Surely if you ride alot you will naturally drink alot of water anyway so a keen cyclist shouldnt suffer these? Meaning your diet is fubarred?

Guess what Hora your wrong. Your exercising you so replacing what your using not drinking excess.

Oh and Dr_death is more than likely right as usual, the pain your describing and almost clock work frequency suggest posture problems.

Isn't one of those therapies that prettygreenparrot mentioned like an ultrasound stone bashing thing that breaks it up into tiny bits?

*goes to get another glass of water

chunkypaul – Member
been there, done that, not nice, don't want to do it again…

my doctors advice was "drink more beer"!

okay

No Paul I don't think he said exactly that but you heard it like that 😉

I've had them twice, and for sure you would know.

And the good news, as my doc cheerfully informed me, once a stone thrower, always a stone thrower..

I was told that soya was not a good thing to discourage them – not top news for a veggies. Bizarrely also a high calcium diet was recommended despite everyone thinking of them as chunks of chalk or the like.

So is this thread the NHS direct for the lazy who can't be bothered to look up the phone number?

If your going to ring NHS Direct don't bother skip the middle man and ring for an ambulance. They're not nicked name Ambulance indirect for nothing.