# I think I passed a kidney stone last night **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275 "2011-02-22T20:21:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/21 "2011-02-24T19:56:17Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > I had my first and only kidney stone eight years ago. I have a pretty high threshold for pain, but I seriously thought I was going to die. I’d never felt intense pain like that before, and I pray it never happens again. > > This morning I’m feeling a pain down there in my lower back, on the other side this time. It’s not nearly the same, though (yet). The last time, it woke me up at 5:00 in the morning, and by 7:00 I was writhing on the couch. This morning, I woke up around 6:00 because I had to pee, and felt minor pain, but it wasn’t enough to prevent me from going back to sleep. Now, 4 1/2 hours later, the pain is somewhat worse, but more uncomfortable than anything; it’s not bothering me that much. If I sit still, there’s nothing; if I move around I feel it. It feels more like a knot in my back, with a dull ache. Would someone please tell me it’s a pulled muscle, or a spasm? I’m gettin’ scared. 🙂 In my own experience, when this happens to me, I always go to the doc to see if I have a kidney infection. I’m very prone to them, because all of the stones I’ve had have caused lots of tiny lacerations, which cause lots of tiny scars, which provide very good foot-holds for bacteria! Most people, especially women, with UTIs have other symptoms, like burning on urination and frequency/urgency of urination. I rarely have those symptoms. I have flank pain that is similar to the pain of a kidney stone (and can sometimes be almost as severe, but usually is milder), and sometimes fever. In fact, a self-diagnostic I sometimes use if I’m really not sure whether it’s a stone or just an infection is to take an OTC pain med. If the pain is reduced or relieved by ibuprofen, it ain’t a stone! That means I can wait to make an appt. with the doc instead of having to go to the ER! My advice to you, especially if the pain persists, is to make an appt. with your doctor and get checked for a UTI. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/22 "2011-02-24T20:02:16Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > You probably had one. I had a stone once. It was too small (or the wrong material) to be picked up on an xray and I didn’t feel the CT scan was necessary since I didn’t have insurance at the time, and the ER doc was willing to diagnose it based on my symptoms anyway (microblood in my urinalysis, intense flank pain, and uncontrollable vomiting). Whoa. Aren’t you in your mid 20s? I thought kidney stones was something I didn’t need to worry about until I was in my fifties or sixties. How do you avoid getting them–they sound horrid. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/23 "2011-02-24T20:09:25Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Whoa. Aren’t you in your mid 20s? I thought kidney stones was something I didn’t need to worry about until I was in my fifties or sixties. How do you avoid getting them–they sound horrid. I had my first one when I was 25. Some people are just disposed to them (and there are several different types of kidney stones, caused by different circumstances / conditions). The urologists I saw said the biggest contributing factor was lack of hydration – if you don’t take in enough water, your urine becomes concentrated, and this can lead to clumping of solids in the urine. It took me a few years (and several stones) to get serious about this, but I drink a fair amount of water now, and haven’t had a stone in nearly 12 years (after having 4 in a span of about 8 years). And, yes, they are horrid. I wouldn’t wish a kidney stone on anyone. Well, maybe Hitler. But, he’s dead anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/24 "2011-02-24T20:13:35Z")
OK, note to self: guzzle down a few glasses before you leave the house. Does it help to not drink other kinds of liquids? That is, I almost always drink water with every meal. I have a glass of juice about once a day but soda and alcohol are things I drink maybe a few times a month–sort of a special treat. I may not be prone to kidney stones, but I am disposed to extreme hypochondria. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/25 "2011-02-24T20:17:14Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Whoa. Aren’t you in your mid 20s? I thought kidney stones was something I didn’t need to worry about until I was in my fifties or sixties. How do you avoid getting them–they sound horrid. I was 32 when I had mine. And like **kenobi 65** says, hydration is key. I probably drink too much fluid on a daily basis now, but I’d rather have to piss more often than go through that pain again. 🙂 I really think whatever is going on now isn’t a stone. What little pain I’m feeling has subsided a bit in the last two hours… I was probably panicking. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/26 "2011-02-24T20:21:46Z")
My husband had kidney stones a few times times in his life. In the 20 years we’ve been together, he hasn’t had another attack. I am the Water Monster, always pouring him water, reminding him to drink. Other liquids help too, but it’s hard to estimate how much someone is getting. If I see he’s emptied a 2-litre container of water in a day, I know he’s had enough, except in hot weather where he might need more. To my surprise, he’s the one who asks for water at the restaurant now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/27 "2011-02-24T20:31:07Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Whoa. Aren’t you in your mid 20s? I thought kidney stones was something I didn’t need to worry about until I was in my fifties or sixties. How do you avoid getting them–they sound horrid. Yeah I’m 26 (was 25 when I had it). I’m genetically predisposed to kidney problems–thanks, Grandpa!!–and I don’t drink enough water so I’ve had a lot of UTIs over the years. My boss at the time I had my hospital visit was only around 32, and while we were commiserating after the fact, I found out she’d already had several. She gets them every 2 years like clockwork apparently. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/28 "2011-02-24T20:53:09Z")
I realize I’m something of an outlier when it comes to growing stones (hey, everybody’s got to be good at something!) but I was only 15 when I had my first one. It took the ER docs about six hours to diagnose it because while the symptoms were classic, they kept saying “No, it can’t be kidney stones; she’s only 15!” ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/29 "2011-02-24T21:00:47Z")
The reason I’m such a stickler for getting people to drink water is that many people in my family have had kidney stones Both my mother and grandmother had them and no way was I going to let that kind of agony happen to me if I could help it. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is drink a tall glass of water. It’s also the last thing I do before bed. If you don’t like the taste of water from the tap, get a Brita-type filter and keep a bottle of filtered water in the fridge. I find that a slice of lime in the water is really refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/30 "2011-02-24T21:01:39Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > OK, note to self: guzzle down a few glasses before you leave the house. Does it help to not drink other kinds of liquids? That is, I almost always drink water with every meal. I have a glass of juice about once a day but soda and alcohol are things I drink maybe a few times a month–sort of a special treat. I had one doctor who told me to avoid caffeine, as it’s a diuretic, which can wind up dehydrating you. Then, I had a later doctor who told me that it didn’t matter. All I know is, for me, it was actually getting a few glasses of actual water into my routine each day which finally seemed to help. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275/31 "2011-02-24T23:21:40Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I had one doctor who told me to avoid caffeine, as it’s a diuretic, which can wind up dehydrating you. Then, I had a later doctor who told me that it didn’t matter. > > All I know is, for me, it was actually getting a few glasses of actual water into my routine each day which finally seemed to help. Once when I was hospitalized for kidney stones, I was on a clear liquid diet. When hubby called to see how I was doing, I complained that the clear liquid diet they had me on excluded coffee, and I had a _killer_ caffeine-withdrawal headache. His response? “Well, maybe this is a good time for you to give up the coffee”. When the urologist (new one, I’d never seen him before, though he went on to treat me for years before he retired) came in, he asked me what I normally drank throughout the day. I said “Water or coffee”. He said those were two of the best things I could drink! The type of stones I form (calcium) are helped to dissolve before they can form by acid. So acidic drinks, like coffee, are good. Water, of course, is good because it helps flush the kidneys. Beer and cranberry juice (not necessarily mixed, but hey, if that’s your thing. . .) are also good. Fortunately, I like beer, and don’t hate cranberry juice. After the doc left the room, I took the opportunity to call my hubby and gloat a little about the coffee thing. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-passed-a-kidney-stone-last-night/572275.md?page=1)