Kidney Stones

[cld123]

ok i need some advice i have a kidney stone stuck in my ureter for approx 3 weeks now this is a stone about 4 mm in size its almost into my bladder but its still stuck in my ureter any ideas on how to get it to move ? i drink about 10 16oz bottles of water every day i am currently taking Flomax but it doesnt seem to be helping. this is my second stone in 2 months first one was in the right kidney and now this one is in the Left. i am only 27 yrs old and this stinks!!! so any info on how to get this thing to move would be great...
thank you

[rpeterson8]

I am not on here very much. But when I had a very small stone 1mm it got stuck for a week and did not budge. My Dr told me that if a stone gets stuck it can cause swelling that makes it impossible to move out. Good luck and I hope yours passes because the surgery is horrible.

[ecfgian]

I'm realizing stones move on their own schedule, but lots of water and the Flomax should help. If for some reason your dr does need to remove it surgically, don't worry, especially if it's near the bladder. I just had a URS done a few weeks ago - It wasn't a walk in the park, but I was feeling much better in just a few days.
Good luck, hope you feel better!

[cathrine001]

If it hasn't passed, you need to talk to the doctor about getting it removed through a ureteroscopy with a basket removal. Most people can have it removed in same-day surgery; some will require staying overnight.

[Karen.Newton]

You should be strict in your diet:

Kidney stones are a painful condition that you want to get rid of any way you can. While there are several causes of kidney stones, and a few different kinds, one of the most important factors in treating them is your diet. Some of the tips here will apply to you more or less depending on the kind of kidney stones you have. If you don’t know, you might want to find out. If you’ve been x-rayed, your doctor can tell you. For example, if your kidney stones contain calcium, you want to reduce (though not eliminate) calcium in your diet. The same goes for oxalates.

[cathrine001]

If it's been three weeks and you are drinking 160 ounces of fluid, it may be time to consider surgery. Chances are, unless you go into the hospital and try IVs for a few days, the stone isn't going to move. Leaving it there puts you at risk for infection and poisoning your system.

[sdkern]

When I read your forum it was like I was writing it instead of you. I am having the very same exact problem. I was prescribed the flomax also. I talked to my urologist and she said to try the flomax and get a another cat scan done in a wk or so to see if it is gone. If it is not to try surgery. Well I am going to try to pass it without the surgery. So I am going to another older, wiser urologist for a second opinion. I would advice you to get to your urologist and see what you can do to pass it besides surgery. Plus 4mm is a small stone and 90% of the time it passes with out major treatment. So I will let you know what i found when I go to my appointment. Thanks.....

[cathrine001]

In regard to Karen Newton's Comment:

In 80% of all cases, kidney stones are made up of calcium, and diet makes no difference. With that in mind, find out what kind of stones you have prior to changes in the diet, because it may be an unnecessary modification. Unless the stones are analysed, it is a mistake in judgement to suggest a change in diet without documentation. Any doctor or medical professional who says otherwise is gravely mistaken.

With that said, the flushing of the system cannot be stressed enough, and typically, kidney stone patients do not drink enough liquids, and the stones form. Drinking fluids does not mean coke, tea, juice -- it means water. I am guilty of not drinking water because I detest it, and I would be curious to know how many other kidney patients substitute other fluids for water.

[gott1936]

catherine001, just to show how crazy kidney problems can be, my wife drinks only water. Five or six glasses a day. Both kidneys were blocked and she almost died. I am 72 years old, drink only one small glass of water a day to take an aspirin, but I drink about 168 oz of other fluids a day. ( diet soda and beer ) I have no problems with my kidneys.

My wife had her kidneys opened up with laser surgery, but some small residual stones remain in the lower part of her kidneys and will not pass no matter how much fluids she drinks. And, some of the stones started to increase in size until her urologist put her on 1080 mg of Potassium Citrate twice a day. The stones ( 1.5 to 2mm ) have stopped increasing based on her last CT scan, but the residual stones just will not pass. For some of you out there Potassium Citrate should be considered. Talk to your urologist.

gotts

[mbpress01]

Ok, here is my thoughts. It seems like although some of the advice is ok, here is my story after much research and doc discussion. 6mm stone was in Kidney. 4 weeks later it moved to lower ureter. Then it got stuck, and this was 3 weeks ago. Stone was visible on X-Ray so we could tell EXACTLY where it was. Took flomax, drank 2 gallons of water and checked blood every week. Key thing is creatinine levels (mine started at 1.79 then yesterday was 1.37 - about normal). I knew stone was moving since you can feel it. I also tried everything else, standing on hand, jumping rope etc. This all didn't work. Then I started running 2 miles every other day and over the 3 weeks stone moved way down and is 1 inch above bladder. Now, as stone goes lower the more narrow the tube is, and the fact that it is already 7 weeks from beginning of stone to now I opted for ESWL, which is scheduled for tomorrow. In your case, since you have a small stone, start running at least 2-3 miles per day (doesn't matter if you have pain) and get an X-Ray asap and blood asap. If all ok with blood and can see stone, for sure start running 2-3 miles every other day and maybe even more and give it 3-4 weeks. If still not out, do ESWL or URS. I choose ESWL as least invasive is much more preferable to most invasive.

Good luck.