Kidney Stones - updated July

So I had “fun” yesterday with kidney stones. Had really bad lower back pain on RHS just under ribs. Pain got so bad I was vomiting from the pain. Then everything settled down within 2-3hrs. So went to bed to be awoken out of my sleep by the extreme pain and feeling of needing to vomit from the pain. Which had me wake up DH at 12.30am asking him to take me to the ED (we live 750m from a hospital). Such pain and vomiting from the pain. The only other time I have vomited from pain was when I was in labour with DD (which also was lower back pain). My BP at this stage of acute pain was 158/90, then back to 120/80 once the pain wave was gone. 3 shots of Morphine later it finally worked to take away the pain (and I still feel robbed that I don’t get whatever high you are meant to get as a drug). So CT scan showed inflamed Kidney but no kidney stone so they believe I had passed it and was dealing with residual pain. This morning my BP was back to 100/70 as normal.

So all I can say is OMG it was painful and definitely on par with labour pains. Now to make sure I drink much more water. I never want to go through that again.

Update: OK so earlier in July I had some familiar twinges in my back (kidneys) and then previous Monday had pains down in bladder (like last time but not as bad), so made appointment with Dr for Wednesday. Sent for bloods and Ultrasound last Friday.  Bloods are pretty much fine (although Vitamin D really high so stop taking supplements- previously low Vitamin D go figure), liver and kidney function fine BUT ultrasound found another 3mm stone. So now have been referred to Urologist to work out a management plan as I seem to be getting recurring stones.

Glad you are doing better.

That are hideous aren’t they? I had one obstruct my urethra before it reached the bladder about 4-5 years ago. It was worse then going through labor with my youngest and his labour was a doozy. The nurse when I turned up at the hospital had me pretty much straight through as I could barely even breath through the waves of pain. (Also didn’t get a high from the morphine, instead I vomited so much they ended up giving me 3 different anti-nausea drugs to stop it). I got a lovely flight on the RFDS to Perth after a CT scan early morning showed it up. A stent, stupidly strong antibiotics and then another trip to Perth 6 weeks later to blast it to smithereens once the infection was gone.

Now I drink 2-4L a day because I never ever ever want to go through that again. (Think think mine might have form when pregnant due to hypermensis then come off the kidney later as I’d had issues with ongoing UTIs post 2nd child).

I had two in the early months after DS was born. I managed to pass them at home, with instant relief so didn’t need to go to hospital thankfully. I’ve never been in labour as I’ve had two elective caesareans but wow the pain was bad. I’ve had a kidney infection and this was similar although the infection went on for a lot longer.

I've never had them, but I've heard of their reputation, and my husband's experience was similar to yours - they figured he'd passed it.

Neighbour has just been through a significant saga, significant surgery, followed by two further lots of more minor surgery, stents etc involved, poor man.

I don't exactly get a high from morphine, but when I got regular migraines, and it was still the days when they'd give you a morphine injection for it, it was just such bliss to so suddenly not feel like someone was attacking my skull with an axe.

I’ve never had one, but reading this has set me on the path to drinking more water immediately!

Yep, I've posted before about my 2 separate instances when pregnant with DD. The absolute worst pain I have experienced in my life (passed a 5 & 6mm stone approx 3 weeks apart). Morphine drip for 2 days each time was the only thing that came close to relieving the pain. Except it didn't, just meant I cared less about the pain. I'd rather birth a child naturally with no pain relief every day for the rest of my life than have to go through that again.

I had a kidney stone when I was about 8 months pregnant with my third child. The pain was excruciating and DH called an ambulance. They thought I was in labour but I knew I wasn't - the pain felt different and was much worse. On a pain scale of 1 - 10 I would give childbirth with no pain relief a 10 out of 10 but a kidney stone is about 15 out of 10.

You have my sympathies OP hope you are feeling better.

Oh wow Lucy. Stone at 8m. Very scary.

Sorry to hear that so many of us have had such “fun”.

I specifically didn’t say birth, just labour pains as DD was a sunroof exit.... I just had 6hrs of the runs, runs plus lower back pain, then runs lower back pain wave which caused vomiting from the pain. We didn’t get to the pointy end. The nurses had hooked me up to the machines to prove it wasn’t labour (I was 36wks) but they confirmed pains under 90 seconds apart. I elected for a cs which she had been originally scheduled for as I had had 2 prior (1st was footling breech with 38wk head on 32wk body and 2nd was Single Umbilical Artery and higher risk of cs anyway). Dr while operating said that was the wise choice as my scar would not have lasted another 4hrs (and told me not to have another as they would not let me go past 32/34 wks it would be that dangerous).

[mention]Bornagirl[/mention] I wish I had been offered Morphine for migraines some days. I did make good use of Panedine Forte and Nurofen Plus though when it was OTC. I had morphine shot 2 days after DD was born after the new hospital physio taught me how to get out of bed (I had had 2 prior cs and was doing what I had been previously taught no problems but they insisted my way was wrong and to do it their way- which caused such pain I needed morphine. Single shot was all I needed then. Took pain away, no fuzzy, sleepy or fun feeling just pain killer worked. No nausea or vomiting. Kidneys the other night took 3 injections before pain finally was removed.

Update: OK so earlier in July I had some familiar twinges in my back (kidneys) and then previous Monday had pains down in bladder (like last time but not as bad), so made appointment with Dr for Wednesday. Sent for bloods and Ultrasound last Friday.  Bloods are pretty much fine (although Vitamin D really high so stop taking supplements- previously low Vitamin D go figure), liver and kidney function fine BUT ultrasound found another 3mm stone. So now have been referred to Urologist to work out a management plan as I seem to be getting recurring stones.

Ouch, take care of yourself. 

Oh! I have multiple kidney stones in both kidneys and the first thing I was told by my specialist was to be extremely careful about taking Vitamin D (my stones are made up of calcium) as Vit D increases calcium absorption.  Treatment plan is to monitor until they get to a size where they need to be treated (seems strange, I know). 

A year after I passed my first stone my Vit D levels were ridiculously low, so it was decided I should take very low doses. Upon check up scan 6 months later every single stone had increased in size by over 1mm. So no more Vit D. Now I use the sunshine and no sunscreen during summer for 30 mins a day. Obviously no hope during winter. Difficult as obviously want to avoid osteoporosis.  I eat cheese to make up for the calcium absorption. (LOL, that's my excuse anyway). 

Also - I didn't realise how bad the pain was until I hopped in the shower to ease the pain - then I realised the only time I had ever had to do that before was when I was in labour. It is worse than labour though as the waves of pain do not ease up!

As soon as I said that to the triage nurse in ED she got me straight through and treated quickly. Treating doctor did not believe it could be kidney stones because I was composed. I asked him to please check for stones, and CT scan picked up many stones including the one that had just passed through the urethra and was on its way to the bladder. 

Anyway I was referred to a Nephrologist and he was well worth seeing. I think seeing one would be good for you given it's a recurring issue! 

@Winterbabies due to a cancellation I am seeing a Urologist tomorrow who specialises in kidney stones. Will give an update later. I am in a catch 22 for calcium…. Currently running lactose intolerant (so milk, yogurt, cream is out) and Cheese (although I Adore) triggers migraines.

2 hours ago, VeritasVinumArte said:

@Winterbabies due to a cancellation I am seeing a Urologist tomorrow who specialises in kidney stones. Will give an update later. I am in a catch 22 for calcium…. Currently running lactose intolerant (so milk, yogurt, cream is out) and Cheese (although I Adore) triggers migraines.

I mainline rice milk for the calcium. 

7 hours ago, VeritasVinumArte said:

@Winterbabies due to a cancellation I am seeing a Urologist tomorrow who specialises in kidney stones. Will give an update later. I am in a catch 22 for calcium…. Currently running lactose intolerant (so milk, yogurt, cream is out) and Cheese (although I Adore) triggers migraines.

There are plenty of lac free products out there that are good. Liddells brand milk, cheese, yoghurt. Farmers union greek yoghurt. buffalo mozzarella, zymil cream (woolies do the full fat beatable stuff)