Kidney stone???

[Jeri Lynn]

Looking for experiences with Kidney stones or infection. I've had a backache in my right kidney area for almost two weeks...a home UTI test was positve for white blood cells but negative for nitrates...I called doctor and went in for a urine test and they put me on Cipro just in case...test came back negative for bacteria, positive for blood...(which is not the first time)...

I've had the same thing happen to me a couple years ago and catscan and kidney ultrasound was negative.

I'm still taking the cipro and have another catscan on Tuesday and a cytoscope test on the 21st...

I still feel very uncomfortable on my right side...my kidney does not feel as bad but now more towards the front and a little lower.

I swear I've been falling apart since I turned 40!

I've heard passing a kidney stone was very painful, are there any cases where it isn't? The same thing happened a couple years ago to me and one day I woke up fine.

[dfamasb]

I was diagnosed with kidney stones shortly after my last child was born. In my case the pain of passing the first stone was extreme. The second stone I passed wasn't as painful and I experienced some pain lower in the front as well right before it passed.
The pain for me was like nothing else I've ever experienced. It covered a large area, I couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was hurting.
The pain from the stone comes from the stone blocking the tube from your kidney to your bladder, once the tube is clear the pain usually clears up. Feel free to PM me if you have ??'s

[conorsmom2000]

Mike's had kidney stones twice. The first time was 8 weeks before we got married. He'd had a nagging backache for weeks - but, he's an electrician and is used to back pain, though, this time it just wouldn't go away. He didn't do anything about it, though, until he had a full blown attack, where he was vomiting and there was blood in his urine. He went right to the Dr and they sent him for tests and confirmed a large kidney stone - because of the size and location, he had to have a stent put in and then had to have the stone blasted - so, no, he didn't have any pain.

The second kidney stone was only about a year ago. This time the back pain started and because of the location/type, I just knew it was kidney stones again. This time it was smaller and lower so they just wanted to wait and see what happened (I believe they put him on Cipro as well). When he went for a follow up scan a few weeks later, the stone was gone - so, best they can determine, he did pass it and never knew it. So, in Mike's case, the answer to your question is yes, it's possible! I believe it's very rare, but it can happen.

[paragon]

Worst pain I ever had in my life! Woke up one morning with a slight twinge, thought it was a cramp, lower right front. The pain got progressively worse. I put ice on it, didn't help. Had to crawl up the stairs to wake my wife, she knew it was serious because I never ever complain about pain.. She drobve me to the hospital, two miles from home, one road the whole way, she needed me to give directions as I was laying in the car looking at the ceiling. Got to emergency, they had to take me out of the car. immediately diagosed as a stone, was given something that swept through my body immediately relieving the pain. I was terrified the whole time. the stone dissolved, I never passed any more than sand, but it was still a horrible experience. Im more careful now, as I may still be suceptable to them. I now drink two glasses of cranberry juice a day, and havent had a problem since. My uncle also told me Beer also helps prevent them. now though, every time I get a slight twinge there, I worry that its happening again., And yes after 40 it all starts to change. I'm now dealing with the loss of close up vision, I can barely read now without glasses. UGH. at least I still have all my hair and all but one of my teeth!

[RedSoxFan]

Kidney stones are very painful to pass. The pain is worst than childbirth and I've passed a few. I have Medullar Sponge Kidney -- both kidneys are full of stones. It's been two years since I've passed a stone which is good. They stones are in the part of the kidney that surgery is not an option. I take my meds and drink lots of water and have check-ups 3x a year. Good luck to you.

[laprana]

I think if it was an infection, the Cipro would have cleared it up after a few days and you wouldn't still be feeling pain in your kidney. I had a kidney infection when I was in college and it was the most awful pain I've ever experienced! But, once I got on antibiotics, the pain was much better after just a day and it was totally gone after about 3 days. My DBf had a kidney stone a couple of years ago that put him in the hospital for 2 days. It was pretty bad and he was in a lot of pain. He'd had kind of what you're describing - a dull pain for about a week and then BANG, he was down for the count! I know that there's treatments the docs can do to help if it is a kidney stone, like ultrasound, but it seems like they usually just want people to pass them on their own. I've never understood that since passing a stone is so painful! But, I'm not a doc, so I guess there's a good reason for it. :confused: Be sure to drink lots of water and fluids! And lots of :pixie: that you're better soon!

[DisneyDudet]

I had a kidney stone in Feb. I am a nurse, and was pretty darn sure of what it was.

It first started as a pain in my neck.. just an ache out of the blue. I didn't know this is what it was until after the fact. It was my referred pain. The next morning, I woke up with what I thought was a back cramp. I get those when I lay in bed a certain way. Well, this cramp DID NOT get better. Within minutes, I'm crawling on the floor all over the house. I try calling people to just help me, of course, no one answers. I was nauseated (its interesting as to why you get nauseated and vomit!). I decided to eat a few animal crackers, take a god awful amount of Advil, and take bath. The pain subsides finally, and my dad returns a call just randomly (seeing as I called him 3 times, never happens). I tell him that with the pain I had, I think I need to go to the ER, because it will return. The pain was from my back (loin) to the front (groin) which is classical kidney stone pain. I did not have any CVA tenderness (basically lower back tenderness when you hit the lower back), which means it wasn't a kidney infection. Well, sitting in the waiting room for 2 hours, another attack happens. I'm rolling on the floor, literally. They finally take me back, and the pain is gone. I get a liter of IV fluids and Toradol, and some lab tests. I'm there a total of 7 hours, and haven't had a pain since. All we can figure (ER Dr included), is that I passed the stone in the urine I gave for tests, because he claims it was "nasty" haha.

So, now, I am careful with what I drink. I will try to drink something that will make me urinate (tea is usually the best thing for me), just to make sure my kidneys are working. I did have some feelings of fullness and frequent urination before all this started, but it ended up being a stone instead of an infection.

I can't diagnose you, but it does seem to have the signs of a Kidney Infection, rather than your plain old UTI. We call this Pyelonephritis. Its an advanced UTI, which causes back pain, blood and white blood cells in the urine. To me, that is what it seems. Don't take my word for it, but we see some sick and hurting people with Kidney Infections at the hospital.

You are on Cipro, but that is a broad spectrum antibiotic, so it may not be attacking the bacteria that is causing your infection, if that is what you have. The doctor needs to culture your urine to actually find out the bacteria that could be causing these problems.

The experience I had with my Kidney Stone, as well with friends that have had them, and patients, it seems the pain is pretty sudden, but has had subtle warning signs. The fact that you have been dealing this for a while, leads me to believe that you might be dealing with a pretty bad kidney infection.

What I would do, in the meantime, is drink things that would make you urinate (drinks with caffeine like coffee and tea). Some people report drinking beer helps, but that is because alcohol is a diuretic, like caffeine, so it just makes you urinate. Cranberry Juice is good, but it can't be the sugary kind, because you lose a lot of the acidity with that kind. It usually helps in the beginnings of an infection or helps prevent them. Just don't overload yourself on water to attempt to urinate. You will dilute your blood of sodium, and you don't want to add that to your problem!

PM me if you have any questions. I hope you feel much better soon!

[brownie]

A glass of cranberry juice every day helps me prevent them. I start having problems if I don't drink my cran-grape.