Kidney stones are painful, and can really freak you out when you first have them; and the fear makes everything way worse. As someone who's had them for several years, I can tell you that they are manageable if you have them again (which is likely). And knowing, as they say, is half the battle, so here's some experience and info (note: I am just a simple kidney stone farmer, not a medical professional):
Having a kidney stone:
- I urge you to read the WebMD articles on kidney stones:
- Kidney stones form in the kidney, and it's only when they leave the kidney and travel down the narrow ureter that the pain starts. (Although for years I felt a presence, a mass, in my right side, that I only barely noticed; a place where when I twisted my torso felt like there was something in there.)
- The pain comes in waves, because the stone blocks the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder, and as the pressure builds, the pain increases… and then the pressure gets great enough that it squeezes by the stone, relieving the pressure that's causing the pain.
- There can also be blood in the urine from the stone cutting into the ureter, which is also scary.
- I've had enough of them (and enough treatment) that I now usually just suffer through them at home, and because I know what to expect, it's much less scary and therefore less painful.
- You can take pain relievers, but nothing with aspirin of ibuprofen (as they can contribute to increased bleeding).
Dealing with kidney stones:
- I've had a few surgeries, and by far the best one I've had is shockwave lithotripsy, where they basically just blast the stone to sand with shockwaves delivered while you lay on a special device. It's just that procedure (done as an outpatient), then you go home. I only got it once, though because the machine is apparently either really expensive, not used much, or both, so it travels between several local hospitals, and only once was I and the machine at the hospital at the right time.
- My first two surgeries were of the traditional kind, where they go in with a scope, grab our or break up the stone, then leave behind a urinary stent, a tube with curlicues on both ends, that allows the ureter to function despite being inflamed from all the rough stuff. One end is in the kidney, the other in the bladder, But these stents have to come out eventually (3-7 days), which can be done in two ways:
- At your urologist's office: They numb you up by injecting anesthetic into your urethra (the external opening where urine comes out) and also push in a whole lot of water to fill the bladder up so they have a good view. Then they go in with a camera, grab the end of the stent, and pull it out. This I not much fun: fully awake lying on a table with your pants around your ankles, while you try very hard not to pee on the doctor and their assistant that are playing the world's least fun video game through your genitals. They do it all day, so it's no big deal for them, but it's a procedure you're very glad is done when it's over, and you try not to remember it too much.
- At home: sometimes they leave you with a string hanging out of your ureter, and after a few days you're advised to pull it out yourself, which, if you've led a quiet life, will be the strangest thing ever. You stand in the bathtub, after drinking as much water as you can to provide a good flow, and urinate while you pull this string, which is attached to the stent, and it seems impossibly long (because the curlicues unwind as you pull it out). For me this was quite a trade-off: I liked taking care of it myself, but that string running through everything made me had to pee every 15 minutes, and that's no joke (I don't think it helped much to sleep, either). It was only after I started taking Phenazopyridine that that became merely every 30 minutes. That med, by the way, also turns your urine orange, and it stains everything it comes in contact with, so if you use it I'd suggest cleaning the toilet often.
- I think that having a stent enlarges the ureter, making it thereafter easier to pass larger stones at home.
Home "delivery":
A 5x10mm stone I passed at home a few years ago.
- Most importantly: don't try this unless your confident in how things usually go, and if things get rough (more blood or pain than usual), please seek medical attention ASAP.
- Drink lots of water (always) but especially when passing one at home, to help get it over with.
- If you can get a hold of some Phenazopyridine (or other medication) it can really help.
- I found that standing and rocking back and forth, or walking, or rocking in a rocking chair really helped.
- A heating pad can also be a great relief, and I once had one that also vibrated, and that was very helpful as well.
- Make sure someone knows what you're going through and is ready to take you in if needed… do *not* try to drive while passing a kidney stone, you'll be too distracted to do it safely.
Preventing kidney stones:
- Drink water (or other safe fluids) a lot, all day. The goal here is to keep your urine light-colored, because if it's darker that means it has more "stuff" in it, and some of that stuff is what collects in the nooks and crannies of your kidneys and makes your kidney stones, that increase in size as time goes on.
- Meds: my stones are of the uric acid variety, so I've taken prescription Potassium Citrate pills for years, as that helps break down deposits of uric acid. There are meds for the other types of stones. Interesting thing: if you have calcium stones, you'd think you should stop taking in calcium… but doing so actually makes them worse. You're supposed to stop taking calcium *supplements*, but should not stop consuming natural sources of calcium.
- Dietary restrictions: your doc, after testing your stones, will tell you which kind they are and what you'll need to avoid eating. You can treat yourself to these things occasionally, but avoid them for at least a while to see how you do with meds and other lifestyle changes. As a uric acid stone maker, I mostly avoid red meat and red wine, but that only makes it all the better on the rare occasions I have it.
- Vibration: I've discovered that if I lean up against one of these every few weeks, it causes a bunch of little stones I barely feel to come out a day or three later, which keeps them from forming bigger ones that cause trouble. 5 minutes every week or two does it, and I reposition often to make sure the back and sides are covered (most of my stones come out of one kidney, but not always). Any device that provides a good strong vibration (Magic Wand, Vibration plate, or any vibrating massager with sufficient power) should work as well, but shiatsu massagers wouldn't do as good, I don't think, as they are more surface effect (you want the vibration to really get in there and shake everything up). My urologist says it's fine to do this. Exercise (even walking) can also help, for the same reason (shaking things loose).
Welcome to the club!
As it says here: Around 13 percent of men and 7 percent of women will have kidney stones. Once an individual has formed a stone, the likelihood of recurrence is 50 percent or greater at five years and up to 80 percent at 10 years. But by knowing all about it, and doing the right things, you can decrease your chances of having them again, or make passing them as easily as possible.
Plus you get a free t-shirt!
