# Kidney Stones



## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

Does anyone else have this issue? I had a kidney stone about 23 years ago. Then, nothing. Until last spring. I was out of work for two full weeks with kidney stones, and the accompanying issues of Oxycontin. Since then, I have had several bouts of kidney pain (usually 3-4 weeks apart). I've been seeing a urologist who has performed just about every test, scan and prob known to man. 

On January 2nd he proclaimed my kidneys healthy, with no stones, and functioning well. Although I do have a bit of a deformed ureter. So, this past Friday, 15 days since that diagnosis, I end up back in the hospital ER. ER doctors tell me, without doing any scans, based on my history and symptoms, I have a kidney stone.  Contradicting the specialist.

So, anyone have any suggestions as how to deal with this issue? I'm sick and tired of not knowing if I'm going to be in pain from day to day. My wife is looking into a product that basically dissolves the stones in the kidneys and keeps them running clean. Can't think of the name of it off hand. Any thoughts?


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## kitty2013 (Dec 6, 2013)

Are you thinking about going to see another physician to make sure you have kidney stones? I would do that if the specialist and the ER doctors gave me two different diagnoses. You have to know the correct underlying problem to find out the right treatment. 

Increase fluid intake (up to 3L/day unless contraindicated) and physical activity can promote the passage of the stone.
Warm baths and heat to the flank area to alleviate pain. Practicing relaxation techniques will also help.
Diet affects the formation of stones. You should consult your physician about the type of diet that he wants you to follow.

Self-medication is not recommended. Please ask your healthcare provider before you take a new product. It may have some drug interactions with your current medications. 

What are the issues with Oxycontin?


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## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

kitty2013 said:


> Are you thinking about going to see another physician to make sure you have kidney stones? I would do that if the specialist and the ER doctors gave me two different diagnoses. You have to know the correct underlying problem to find out the right treatment.
> 
> Increase fluid intake (up to 3L/day unless contraindicated) and physical activity can promote the passage of the stone.
> Warm baths and heat to the flank area to alleviate pain. Practicing relaxation techniques will also help.
> ...


First off, without taking any new scans, which I was fine with because of the last 6 months, the ER doctor actually said, 'Well, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.....', and that was his diagnosis of kidney stones on Friday. BTW, I'm feeling a little better, but I don't recall actually passing anything. It could have been very small. 

And, the issues with the Oxy? Wow. Bad things, man. It tore me up last spring. I was out of work for 2 weeks. The first week was because of the stones. The second week was getting over the junky-fied state I was in because of the oxy. I took too much, at the hospitals suggestion, and basically became a junky for the week. Given my profession, not a good way to go. I'm not allergic to any meds that I know of, but I apparently do not tolerate pain killers well. Between the morphine and the dilaudid at the hospital and the tiny bit of oxy I took over the weekend, my body still went through some withdrawal symptoms.


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## 827Aug (Apr 27, 2008)

Fresh lemon juice in water will do wonders for the problem. I can't remember the exact recipe, but I'm sure it can be found on the internet. The problem is actually a pH/calcium(low) problem.


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## kitty2013 (Dec 6, 2013)

Thunder7 said:


> First off, without taking any new scans, which I was fine with because of the last 6 months, the ER doctor actually said, 'Well, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.....', and that was his diagnosis of kidney stones on Friday. BTW, I'm feeling a little better, but I don't recall actually passing anything. It could have been very small.
> 
> And, the issues with the Oxy? Wow. Bad things, man. It tore me up last spring. I was out of work for 2 weeks. The first week was because of the stones. The second week was getting over the junky-fied state I was in because of the oxy. I took too much, at the hospitals suggestion, and basically became a junky for the week. Given my profession, not a good way to go. I'm not allergic to any meds that I know of, but *I apparently do not tolerate pain killers well.* Between the morphine and the dilaudid at the hospital and the tiny bit of oxy I took over the weekend, *my body still went through some withdrawal* symptoms.


I am glad you are feeling a little better. 
I do not like taking opioids for pain relief. I felt awful when I took it. 
What are your withdrawal symptoms?
Dependence on drug is not usually happen If you take the medication as prescribed short term. I will never ever increase the dosage of the medication without asking my physician. 
If you are still taking narcotics for pain:
Please avoid alcohol
Be careful with driving because the medication can make you feel drowsy. 
When you get out of bed, please change your position slowly 
Eat more fiber and drink more water (Constipation is no fun, but it is one of the side effects)
Taking Oxycontin with milk after meals will help if you get an upset stomach. 

You should find ways to control your pain before it becomes severe. It is so much harder to manage your pain when it is out of control. I cried when I was in pain. I do not tolerate pain well. 

P/S: Drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting are the main reasons that I avoid taking opioids unless I also have a prescription for Zofran.


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## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

kitty2013 said:


> I am glad you are feeling a little better.
> I do not like taking opioids for pain relief. I felt awful when I took it.
> What are your withdrawal symptoms?
> Dependence on drug is not usually happen If you take the medication as prescribed short term. I will never ever increase the dosage of the medication without asking my physician.
> ...


The withdrawal symptoms were the typical shakes, sweating, chills. I took a LOT last year. I started with 5mg, which didn't make a dent. They said up it to 10mg. So I did. Bad idea. This time around I took one 5mg pill once, and no more. I've been using ibuprofen since. But, sometimes that doesn't even make a dent in the pain. The withdrawal symptoms from the weekend are pretty much gone. Now, I just feel achy and run down. Should be back to 'normal' in a few days.


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## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

BTW, the product my wife is looking into is called Kidney Complete.


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## Lordhavok (Mar 14, 2012)

Sorry Thunder, kidney stones are a real *****, I've had them several times, and had them surgically removed twice. First off, I would find a better urologist and see what kind of stones your producing, calcium, acid or idodine, ect. In my case, I had acid stones, from gout. A friend of mine told me the best thing for a kidney infection was cranberry juice. So I started drinking cranberry juice by the gallon, bad idea if you have gout, instead of one stone I ended up with 7. So I would follow up with the doc and see what the deal is. Usually a change in diet or some meds will clear everything up.


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## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

I now have an appointment with a Nephrologist next week. So, we'll see what the kidney doc has to say.


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## Sandfly (Dec 8, 2013)

Thunder7 said:


> Does anyone else have this issue? I had a kidney stone about 23 years ago. Then, nothing. Until last spring. I was out of work for two full weeks with kidney stones, and the accompanying issues of Oxycontin. Since then, I have had several bouts of kidney pain (usually 3-4 weeks apart). I've been seeing a urologist who has performed just about every test, scan and prob known to man.
> 
> On January 2nd he proclaimed my kidneys healthy, with no stones, and functioning well. Although I do have a bit of a deformed ureter. So, this past Friday, 15 days since that diagnosis, I end up back in the hospital ER. ER doctors tell me, without doing any scans, based on my history and symptoms, I have a kidney stone. Contradicting the specialist.
> 
> So, anyone have any suggestions as how to deal with this issue? I'm sick and tired of not knowing if I'm going to be in pain from day to day. My wife is looking into a product that basically dissolves the stones in the kidneys and keeps them running clean. Can't think of the name of it off hand. Any thoughts?


Ouch! Sorry to hear of this. A former colleague of mine had to avoid foods with phosphorous (?) like bananas.

"calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus", so avoiding spinach and rhubarb, beetroot leaves and such-like bitter leafy greens is important. Leaves which tastes bitter is a clue, for me anyway, of that sort of compound being present in high concentrations. Particularly in larger (older) leaves.

Turns out there's several types of stones too. Knowing which is the cause is crucial to getting the right effect.

I'm surprised more body-builders don't suffer from them, because many of the things on list are recommended for gaining muscle.

Diet for Kidney Stone Prevention - National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse


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## spanz (Feb 6, 2014)

there is an internet cure out there where you drink lemonaid for a lot of days, then drink a glass of olive oil, and supposedly the stone passes. You could try that, just google for it.

If the stone passes, you WANT TO CATCH IT, give it to the doctor, and have him analyze what the stone is make of. There are a bunch of very different conditions that cause kidney stones. If they analyze the composition, you could vary your diet to not contain those specific chemicals (like oxilates) that cause your stone, and you will never have them again.


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## Thunder7 (Jan 2, 2013)

Well, here's the update. Both the urologist and the nephrologist sy I am perfectly healthy, as far as my kidneys go. So why do I still get these pains that seem to emanate from my right kidney? They don't know. The nephrologist has suggested I go se a gastroenterologist if the pain continues. But, when I ask if there's anything else in that region that could be causing the kidney stone-like pain he says 'no'. So, back to square one.


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## kitty2013 (Dec 6, 2013)

Thunder7 said:


> Well, here's the update. Both the urologist and the nephrologist sy I am perfectly healthy, as far as my kidneys go. * So why do I still get these pains that seem to emanate from my right kidney?* They don't know. The nephrologist has suggested I go se a gastroenterologist if the pain continues. But, when I ask if there's anything else in that region that could be causing the kidney stone-like pain he says 'no'. So, back to square one.


The liver and gallbladder are also in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen. Without proper testings done, no one can really know the cause of your pain. I hope the gastroenterologist is the last one that you have to see. Good luck! 

P/S: At least you know your kidneys are healthy.


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## murphy5 (May 1, 2014)

kitty2013 said:


> Diet affects the formation of stones. You should consult your physician about the type of diet that he wants you to follow.



yes it does. Unfortunately you need to know the exact composition of the stone to figure out what type of foods to avoid. For instance IF it was an oxalate stone, you avoid spinach...and so forth.

Did they capture your last stone? You really need to get one and have it analized. Its the only way to stop them.

Drinking a boat load of water will help too...keeping things dilute enough to not form crystals. 

There is a lemon juice/olive oil cure online. No idea if it works, but if I were having recurring stones, I would definitely try it. 

You might do better with simple Tylenol than oxycontin. Oxycontin does not do much to stop internal pain for me, as I found out during an operation. The trick to Tylenol is to NOT take more than the maximum dose, and not take alcohol with it.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

827Aug said:


> Fresh lemon juice in water will do wonders for the problem. I can't remember the exact recipe, but I'm sure it can be found on the internet. The problem is actually a pH/calcium(low) problem.


About 3 years ago I had a very painful stone. They were talking about surgery to remove it. 

So I tried the lemon juice. I put a whole, peeled, lemon in the blender and pureed it. then diluted it with 16 ounces of water. Sugar to taste. I did this with 2-3 lemons a day for a few days.

When I went back the kidney stone was gone. So was the pain. I never passes it as a whole stone. I think it dissolved.


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## EnjoliWoman (Jul 2, 2012)

My sister had them - had to blast the little buggers with lasers to pass them.

First, I'd get a second opinion to rule out anything else. Then I'd read up on any dietary changes that would help. 

My sister was so miserable that now she drinks at least 3 litres of water a day and takes a supplement for vitamins that are water soluble so she doesn't become deficient in any of them. Just due to increased water (and now she must have a bladder the size of a football because she NEVER has to go!) she has avoided any more stones for 15 years or so.


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