Kidney Stones

[Stonequeen]

I am new to this board but not new to kidney stones I have passed 4 in the last 2 years, 2 on my own and 2 after lithotripsy. I had lithotripsy done in July of last year and have had chronic pain ever since (we are talking over 7 months now). Multiple CT scans and IVPs results indicate additional stones but no blockage and none in the renal pelvis area. To me it feels like I am in an almost constant state of renal cholic and have been on pain killers for months. I am interested to know if there is anyone who has had chronic pain following lithotripsy or has chronic kidney stone pain without a blockage. My Urologist has been very supportive but has no explaination for the pain. I have seen multiple MD's to make sure pain isn't coming from somewhere else, but everything else appears to be ok. Anyone else had a similar experince?

[marthak]

my husband has had constant kidney pain on both sides for a year since his last attack. he hasnt had any surgery. its weird. he had a cat scan and there isnt a blockg just stones.

[JFisher]

I've had the same problem many times in the past 9 years. For me, the pain would last for months after lithotripsy. No explanation as to why, and I felt as though people(including my doctor) thought that I was a big faker. The pain would eventually stop, but it seemed like it lasted forever. I was told that kidney stone fragments can cause inflamation which lasts for long periods of time. I hope you feel better soon!

[noah1164]

I had lithotripsy in Dec 08 and I have left flank pain that is debilitating. Was my 2nd lithotripsy, I had 1 in 2004 for a 1 cm stone. This last one in Dec 08 was also calcium oxylate and was 7mm. The pain continued and I was on Percocet for along time with Dilaudid. I'd sometimes end up in ER due to getting behind in the pain. Dr. finally told me I was ok and can work. So I go to work (Corrections Officer) and about passed out from pain with inmates around me. I told him to do an IVP which I told him from the start and they did. They found my left kidney was 3 times as large and ureter seemed blocked. So Urologist goes with assumption of UPJ blockage. He said was not and that there was no blockage. I did a MAG3 test which showed my rt kidney draining at about 7 min and left at 19.9 min. 20 min I was told was blockage. But they tell me there is no blockage to this day. He sends me to Pain Management saying I have chronic pain (meanwhile they send me to shrink thinking its in my head). I go for 2nd opinion (in same facility because medical center is also my insurance Kaiser Permanente). At first they were going to schedule me with same Dr for 2nd opinion...I can't believe it. But I go into 2nd opinion. The new Dr walks in all cocky and gives me the feeling that theres nothing wrong with me and the other dr did more than enough but he said he will do a Mag3 test again this time with a catherater (this will make it drain faster so they have an excuse saying .."see no blockage". I told him I want the test ran the same way it was before so I can compare but he walks out. I didnt return.. I'll go with the chronic pain because now I have Fibromyalgia from all this pain, so now I hurt everywhere and they gave me Gabapentin. I then went to an ER not of their company when I hurt real bad and they ran a tsh test on me and found my tsh level of my thyroid was 51.31 (normal range is 0.3-3) lucky i wasnt in coma. Kaiser never once did that test...they never listen and to this day there are not. Dr is now gonna give me sleeping pill thinking sleep will cure everything. Meanwhile I take MS-Contin 15 mg 3x a day and Percocet for breakthroughs and thats just for kidney area pain. The gabapentin is what nearly killed me and giving my hypothyroidism. I got that under control but Dr still wont give me Lyrica (its expensive and they are the insurance co also). So narcotics dont help fibromyalgia. I also told dr that I'm not liking the fact its hurting my memory and he said FM doesnt affect memory. I laughed and told him yes it does..called Fibrofog . I talked with a nurse in another area who has FM and she couldnt believe he said that and he was behind times. I'm screwed. But this pain is intense and hurts even if i just do dishes and I cant stand. GRRR

George

[lioness]

Well, my flank pain has never been acknowledged by any of my uros and I have had several so I take no pain meds just grin and bear it plus I have UTI's another problem that is irritating. My stones were 100% infectious. Being that I have an HMO with a high turnover...I had stones taken out in the flank 3 yrs ago surgically and 7 treatments later...I will have to have check-ups every 6 mos. A constant reminder...Believe me it is hard to get a uro to believe you have any flank pain if nothing is blocking or you dont have a kidney infection. If you go to your regular doctor they send you back to urology...

[noah1164]

I'm beginning to think the pain isn't in the kidney that i'm feeling in left flank. I'm thinking the lithotripsy which I had a few and the last one he said he really had to pulsate it to break it up using almost the max allowed, caused Neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, dysfunctional or injured. These damaged nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers. The impact of nerve fiber injury includes a change in nerve function both at the site of injury and areas around the injury.

One example of neuropathic pain is called phantom limb syndrome. This occurs when an arm or a leg has been removed because of illness or injury, but the brain still gets pain messages from the nerves that originally carried impulses from the missing limb. These nerves now misfire and cause pain.

Check out this site, it started to make me think: http://www.medicinenet.com/neuropathic_pain/article.htm

George