Kidney Stones

Well yesterday, actually shortly after my BM post out of NOWHERE literally I started getting horrible pains in my left lower back, at first I didn't really think anything of it because my period is coming soon and I usually get pains in my back right before but then it started radiating to my left lower abdomen and after that came vomitting. And I mean I couldn't even hold water down, I tried to ride it out but wound up calling my surgeon and off to the ER he sent me again. By that time the pain was so bad I could not even sit or stand up straight, they took me in right away and immediately gave me 2 bags of IV fluid (btw which I gained 4lbs from, hopefully it will all come out) and pain meds. The pain meds were a lifesaver, because I am telling ya this pain was worse then the pain I felt when I woke up from gastric bypass and I had that open. They did blood work, and urine and found traces of blood in my urine and suspected a kidney stone due to my pain starting in my back. The surgical resident who works with my doc thought the same thing and that it really had nothing to do with my surgery. They sent me for a CT without contrast and what do you know, kidney stones. They said it looked as if I already passed one because my left kidney was inflamed and so was my ureter (spelled right?), and I still have a stone there. The pain I experienced was probably the stone passing from my kidney to my bladder. So now I have to follow up with a urologist, great another doctor. I am curious if you can be more prone to developing these after surgery just like gallstones, I am going to need to ask my surgeon that. They sent me home with pain meds and said to make sure I drink plenty of fluids because dehydration can cause them. I just feel so crummy having problems like this after I had a surgery that is making me healthier in so many other ways. Just needed to vent.  People have said it's worse than childbirth and I am starting to believe them! I need to stop googling, because I am reading about complications you can get from them and I am getting so paranoid, just want to get in with the urologist and figure out what he/she will want to do. Anyone else ever experience kidney stones before? Any information anyone can give me would be appreciated. Kali

Oh Kali! I wish I had words of advice for you, but no experience with them. I will say some prayers for you though that they will pass on through with a lot less discomfort and without incidence ever again! Good luck, Sweetie!

Hey Kali - Been there pre-op, usual suspects for kidney stones are not enough water and/or certain foods. You may also want to use calcium citrate (better absorbed) if you've been using tums for calcium. See if you can get the stone (use either a reusable coffee filter with mesh or a filter they give you to try to "filter" if you can, it's awkward, but possible).. If you can get the stone, they can analyze it to try to figure out which kind it is - whether it's calcium-based or another type. That level of pain is unfortunately not uncommon. When I got mine I was in the ER with someone else who had also had kids; the pain is similar to labor, except labor ebbs and flows, whereas kidney stones is pretty constant (per her). Drink lots and lots of water to try to pass it, but try, as I mentioned, to either 'pee into a container' or filter it to get the stone out. You may also want to get some electrolytes (I don't know if they make a diet gatorade without all the sugar?? you might dump from sugar) Maybe Propel?? Pain meds are wonderful -- check with your WLS surgeon to see if you should be on meds like Protonix/etc to protect your stomach/pouch. Above all, best of luck with it, kidney stones are a real pain (no pun intended). Even after, make sure to keep your WATER intake up (not just fluids, specifically water), and consider the calcium citrate or other well-absorbed calcium; most stones are calcium based... ...Nick

Hi Nick,   Thanks for your reply. I actually just looked at my Tums bottle and it is calcium carbonate, not citrate. I need to switch, I never even realized because on my list that the NUT gave me it said to get Tums Ultra I didn't think there were two different kinds like carbonate or citrate. I wonder if taking the wrong calclium plus not getting in my 64oz of water helped in me developing the stone. I didn't even ask the ER doc how big my stone was, but I have been urinating into a paper cup sorry if that is TMI to see if I notice anything come out that way I can save it for the Urologist and I have noticed like little brown specs that kind of look like sand grains, I wonder if that is the stone coming out? Sometimes they say you can pass it without noticing, which they suspect I already did to one of them because of the inflammation. But I'd assume I'd feel that if it comes out in the urine. I have been drinking tons of regular water since I left the ER and I do have some Propel also so I'll be drinking that to try and get this sucker passed. I am praying this is a one time deal and I don't ever have to deal with this again. How long did it take for you to pass yours? Kali

If it's breaking up, it does look like sand grains usually; you'd be surprised how much something that tiny can hurt. Time to pass it can vary, for me, it was an on/off thing over 2 months and that's WITH a ureteroscopy where they went in to try to "get it" with a scope (only one way in, that's the same way it comes out, again, sorry about TMI, but that's how they do it lol). They "missed" it in my case and said it must have been gone, which was why I was back in the ER 2 weeks later. :-( For a good 90% of people calcium carbonate works okay, but for some it can create problems with stones, especially when combined with "not enough water". In my case, it happened when I was doing Atkins (low carb) and not drinking enough water... When I actually passed the stone itself I didn't even really notice it; I was already in a lot of pain, most of the pain is from up in the kidney area down to the bladder because the tubes are smaller (ureter), so you might not even notice the stone passing from the bladder down to the outside because of the pain in the upper section... When I passed it I think I was drinking almost 2 gallons a day (water, gatorade (it was preop and pre-diabetes so sugar wasn't a big issue)) which created a whole lot of output very quickly, which helped wa**** through I think. You need to be careful tho as I said about drinking that much water without some sort of electrolytes as well because you can wash electrolytes  out of your whole system (There was a story in the AP that happened about some kind of water contest related to the Wii where this happened to a woman - her whole body chemistry including heart rhythms ended up out of whack and she died..). I haven't had any issues that I know of since then, occasional twinges when I don't drink enough water maybe, so there might be a few forming (hope not). Hope this helps, and as I said before - good luck -- (pardon the pun, but it's true) -- hope everything comes out all right and quickly. :-D ...Nick

I just received this in a newsletter today! I hope it is a little help for you:

Search Over 6,000 Health Products At Your Fingertips! Featured Products Nature's Way Kidney Bladder -- 465 mg - 100 Capsules 53% off Retail price: $10.49 Our price: $4.89 Renew Life Total Kidney Cleanse -- 30 Day Program 36% off Retail price: $33.99 Our price: $21.69 Thursday, July 5, 2007 Drinking Water Is Key to Kidney Stone Prevention Expert advises 6 to 8 glasses a day, especially during summer's hotter months (HealthDay News) -- Staying hydrated in the summer is important for many reasons, including prevention of kidney stones, says Dr. Gary Faerber, associate professor of urology at the University of Michigan Health System. A lack of fluid can lead to the development of kidney stones, and typical summer physical activities can shake loose kidney stones and result in painful symptoms. "One of the best ways to prevent kidney stones is to stay hydrated throughout the entire 24-hour period. I recommend may patients have at least six to eight glasses of water a day, and I ask them to make sure that they spread that throughout the entire day and up until night time. This is important year-round but especially important in the summer months," Faerber said in a prepared statement. "It is very important for people to be aware of how to prevent kidney stones because many people -- about 13 percent of men and 7 percent of women -- will have kidney stones sometime in their lives," he added. Faerber offered the following tips on reducing your risk of developing kidney stones: Drink plenty of water. Reduce your consumption of soda and iced tea, which contain an acid called oxalate that can increase the risk of certain kinds of kidney stones. Exercise and lose weight. The large number of sedentary and overweight people in the United States is a major factor in the increasing rate of kidney stones in the country. Drink lemonade, but not the powdery mix. Real lemonade has been shown to reduce the risk of kidney stones. Ask your doctor about medications that can help prevent kidney stones. Ask your doctor if you should continue taking calcium supplements, which may increase the risk of kidney stones. People with highly acidic urine may have to eat less meat, fish and poultry -- foods that increased the amount of acid in the urine. Discuss this with your doctor. More information The American Medical Association has more about kidney stones. -- Robert Preidt

I'm sorry you have kidney stones, they are really NOT fun.  I've had them 3 times (pre-op).  The last time that I had them, they would not pass on their own.  My urologist sent me for a lithotripsy (where they try to break up the stone with sound waves).  Unfortunately, the lithotripsy did not work for me.  I just want to tell you that it's a pretty simple procedure and not to worry if you need to have it done. After the failed lithotripsy, I was sent back to the hospital where my urologist used a catheter to break up the stones, then inserted stents to be sure that the fragments would pass.  I was put under for the procedure and it was not painful at all. So there ya go--worst case scenario when your stones won't pass.  It's nothing to be afraid of, unless some rare, unforseen complication arises.