# Where are my kidneys **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645 "2005-05-19T22:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/1 "2005-05-19T22:17:11Z")
at? I know I have two, one on each side of me, but what part of the back? Upper, lower, middle? I’m kind of chubby, maybe they sank? I’m having some pain back there, anybody have kidney stones? (If that’s what it is) Just a preliminary question before I see the Doc. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/2 "2005-05-19T22:22:58Z")
Here’s a[picture of the kdneys](http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/dsystem.asp) which is only fair. They are in the lower back, down below the floating ribs, one on each side. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/3 "2005-05-19T22:45:39Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > Here’s a[picture of the kdneys](http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/dsystem.asp) which is only fair. They are in the lower back, down below the floating ribs, one on each side. Thanks, Mr. Simmons. Makes me think I’ve got more of a muscle problem. Still gonna see the Doc though. Trouble is though, the VA is about 80 miles away and I don’t drive. Folks like me kinda have to wait things out for as long as we can. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/4 "2005-05-19T22:50:40Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Thanks, Mr. Simmons. Makes me think I’ve got more of a muscle problem. Still gonna see the Doc though. Trouble is though, the VA is about 80 miles away and I don’t drive. Folks like me kinda have to wait things out for as long as we can. > > Thanks again! You’re welcome. I vote for your plan to see a doctor. Back pains don’t necessarily have anything to do with the spine or back muscles. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/5 "2005-05-20T00:53:05Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > You’re welcome. I vote for your plan to see a doctor. Back pains don’t necessarily have anything to do with the spine or back muscles. Very true, **David**. However, I must say that 98% of the time when people tell me they think they’re having kidney problems because their backs hurt, it’s not their kidneys, it’s musculo-skeletal back pain. That still leaves the other 2% tho. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/6 "2005-05-20T00:54:40Z")
Thought for a moment you were going to tell us you’d woken up in a bathtub full of ice… ---
**Author:** ![wenonahbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wenonahbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wenonahbone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/7 "2005-05-20T01:03:16Z")
Unless you have had a kidney x-plant, in that case your donated kidney is located in front, just to the right of your pubic bone. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/8 "2005-05-20T01:29:56Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > I’m having some pain back there, anybody have kidney stones? (If that’s what it is) In my experience, kidney stones are extremely painful… a pain that is more intense than anything you’ve ever experienced, completely incapacitating, and it keeps getting worse until the stone is passed (or otherwise eliminated). I am not a doctor, but I think that mild to moderate pain (with no blood in the urine and no fever) probably rules out kidney stones. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/9 "2005-05-20T05:21:30Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Thought for a moment you were going to tell us you’d woken up in a bathtub full of ice… LOL! 😃 Great answer! ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/10 "2005-05-20T06:31:19Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Very true, **David**. > > However, I must say that 98% of the time when people tell me they think they’re having kidney problems because their backs hurt, it’s not their kidneys, it’s musculo-skeletal back pain. > > That still leaves the other 2% tho. That’d be me. I made no mental connection from a urinary tract infection to lower back pain about a week later. About a week after THAT, I decided I’d pulled a muscle and made an appointment with the doctor. Imagine my surprise when he told me my left kidney was badly infected! I hadn’t even noticed the fever (and it was 101°F.) ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-my-kidneys/304645/11 "2005-05-20T12:58:40Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > In my experience, kidney stones are extremely painful… a pain that is more intense than anything you’ve ever experienced, completely incapacitating, and it keeps getting worse until the stone is passed (or otherwise eliminated). > > I am not a doctor, but I think that mild to moderate pain (with no blood in the urine and no fever) probably rules out kidney stones. Seconded. If it were kidney stones (and I’ve had dozens of them!), you wouldn’t be “waiting it out” because it’s a long drive! You’d do _anything_ just to get to some morphine!