# Had a kidney stone? Tell me your story! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630 "2014-08-15T19:00:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/41 "2015-08-30T02:45:51Z")
I’ve had two bouts. First was one 2mm stone. Hurt like hell but small potatoes compared to stuff described above. Comparable to a copperhead bite on my little toe, except with that the pain was easier to mitigate. 2nd was a 1cm stone that thank goodness didn’t descend, though that made it trickier to diagnose. ECSWL pulverized it into gravel of max 2mm, which I had a fun week passing. The best thing about stones is you know it’ll pass and you’ll get better. That’s a huge comfort to me, anyway. My tips: 1. Ibuprofen. 800 mg 3 times a day. Works far better than morphine. Reduces pain, reduces swelling & inflammation, and best of all, suppresses peristalsis. 2. Hot bath or hot tub. For me, it was like a pain eraser. Immediate total relief, but sadly, can’t be tolerated very long. 3. … um, I know there’s a 3rd one, but I can’t remember! ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/42 "2015-08-30T02:55:47Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > My tips: > > \ > > 1. … um, I know there’s a 3rd one, but I can’t remember! Heating pad? I’d forgotten about using one until reading your post. I didn’t do hot baths, but I did lay on a heating pad for a couple of days straight. Ahhhh. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/43 "2015-08-30T20:18:43Z")
I had two last spring. Started out as lower back pain while I was sleeping. Went to GP and got an MRI which diagnosed the stones. One was about 4mm and the other was 1cm. Had them both lasered away. Had to keep a stint in for about a week. Went snow skiing for the week after the surgery with the stint in. The stint just made me feel like I had to pee all the time. Actually, skiing took my mind off of the peeing sensation, until I would get to the lift line, and then it would come back. All in my experience wasn’t that bad. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/44 "2015-08-31T00:58:03Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Anytime I’m asked about pain levels, I preface it by saying, “I’ve had kidney stones, and they are my 9. I don’t know what a 10 is, but I’m sure something is worse than kidney stones.” Then I tell them my number. > > Everyone has a different reference point. Obligatory [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/883/) link. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/45 "2015-08-31T14:27:45Z")
1988 - Kidney stone. Thought I was gonna die. Started out as a mild twinge in my lower back. Within 15 minutes, I’m on the couch crying in pain and my wife is calling the ambulance. Had the roto-rooter procedure for it, and that is a whole 'nother story in and of itself. 2000 - gallstones. Thought I was gonna die again. Had my gall bladder out, much better procedure than the kidney stone. No problems since then. I developed the habit of drinking at minimum of a liter of water a day to keep myself flushed out. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/46 "2015-09-01T13:11:08Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Heating pad? > > I’d forgotten about using one until reading your post. I didn’t do hot baths, but I did lay on a heating pad for a couple of days straight. Ahhhh. Well doh! I’ll keep that in mind for next time. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630/47 "2015-09-01T13:17:36Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > Obligatory [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/883/) link. Lol. I made the mistake of underrating my pain when I got bit by the copperhead. I said 4-6. For me, 10 is based on reading what a 911 survivor wrote about having much of her skin burned off by the initial blast. I haven’t ever had more than 7, and that only for a moment. Of course, it’s an exponential scale. It was a mistake because they should have given me more/better/quicker pain meds! I know better now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-kidney-stone-tell-me-your-story/695630.md?page=2)