My hubby went to the ER last week with severe pain & vomitting. They did a cat scan and determined that it was a kidney stone. They said it was small enough for him to pass (1-2 mm), sent him home with pain & anti-nausea meds and said to give up to a week. Well, it's been a week and nothing. He's been drinking plenty of fluids. He went to his primary care physician today and she had an x-ray done and couldn't find the stone. She also couldn't locate the stone on the catscan done in the ER. She admitted that she isn't good at reading those so she had someone help her but they couldn't locate the stone on the x-ray either. My husband thinks the stone is still in his body b/c he's been using the strainer they gave him & nothing has come out, he is still in discomfort (and pain when the meds wear off), and he is now starting to have blood in his urine. She set up an appointment with a specialist for next week. She said they may have to chase it down?
I guess my questions are: does this sound as though maybe the kidney stone is making it's descent & that's why they cannot locate it? What happens if it doesn't come out on it's own? Do they go in and remove it? I've heard of them breaking it up so that it can be passed but this one is supposed to be small enough to pass.
Thank you everyone. Yes, his appointment is with the urologist next week. They did a cat scan at the ER but not at he dr. office. He told the doctor about the blood in the urine and she wasn't overly concerned. I wasn't there for his doctor's appointment and he never seems to know the right questions to ask, doesn't always remember the answers, etc. I plan on going with him to the urologist so I can help him get the information he needs & help him remember the information that's given to him. His pain is starting to subside so maybe it's working it's way out. It sounds like maybe he should still visit the urologist regardless if the stone passes or not.
Donna S. - That's interesting about the high blood pressure. I noticed his BP was high, or at least the top #, at the ER but the nurse didn't say anything so I figured it was because of all the drama & pain. When he went to his Dr. appointment she mentioned that his BP was high and that it may be b/c of the pain but it's something to keep an eye on.
The stone is out of the kidney tubes and into the bladder. He is going to have another bout of pain and will eventually pass it.
I've had a few that were difficult to find, and took the specialist doing several more imaging tests to find them. I've had 5 that took intervention to get them out. The first four were gotten with a local anesthesia and this ultra sonic thing that broke them up. Three of those four they went through my urethra and did it, the fourth they went through a hole in my back. The fifth require surgery. They went through that hole in my back, cut open the area where it was stuck and pulled it out.
The majority of my stones are 2mm calcium stones. I do, however, get another kind of stone that is barbed and made of something else (it's caused by my body's acidity.)
Tell him to be drinking water with lemon in it. Lemon helps break up whatever causes the stones, it also helps flush the body. I know how painful they are, so give him my best.
(And if he gets to be really frustrated about it all, let him know there's a lady here who has passed 36 stones in one day, and passes stones regularly. At least he's not that bad!)
I had a huge kidney stone, according to my doctor 6mm - he was impressed LOL - that had gotten stuck in the ureter - so between the kidney and the bladder. They found it on a CT scan in the ER. Did a procedure and lterally pushed the thing back into my kidney (good thing it's already the bad kidney), sent me home on antibiotics and with an internal stint. About 2 weeks later another procedure. went in and removed the stone.
So, your hubby could have a stone stuck between the kidney and the bladder.
He could also have passed it, if it broke up, and just have a bladder infection from the stress. The blood could be from the stone scrapping the insides of the ureter and bladder on the way out - any number of things really.
Blood in the urine - so something not to wait on.
I would think, at this point, a urologist is the doctor to see.
Sending hugs to both of you.
Could he have streptococcal nephritis? Did they do any blood work?
this looked interesting:
http://www.livestrong.com/dissolve-kidney-stones/
I would make an appointment with a urologist
it may have broken up. i know when i had mine, they looked at the actual (argh, can't remember the name sorry!) -the canal they go down and they could see they were enflamed and something had passed through recently. but by the time i went to the dr they were gone. so if he had passed them they might be able to see that, actually.
Everything Lesley said , is good info & what I was going to say. Just wanted to add, that if you have a CT scan ( which i think is odd, they haven't), they should be able to see if a ureter is dilated ,indicating the stone has passed.
Hi, 2:
If he has blood in his urine, the stone may be in his bladder or the tube
from the bladder to the outside of his body.
Don't do the ultrasound that breaks up stones, it causes high blood pressure.
Good luck.
D.
Is his appointment with a urologist? That's who he really needs to see. A CT Scan will often find kidney stones, but there are better tests for that. My urologist has (a few times) order a series of ink contrast x-rays. They've injected a die into my veins and then taken abdominal x-rays. They take x-rays with my lying on my back, on my side. They even took some with my laying angles, so that they can get better views.
It's my understanding that the pain is usually caused when the stone is stuck in the urethra, and there is a buildup of fluid.
Most of the stones I've gotten either passed on their own or were broken up with lithography. There was one that was to be broken up with lithography but had begun its decent. My doctor when up and got it with a basket (I think, I don't really know, I was drugged).
As much of a hassle this is very you (and very painful for him), it's really just par for the course. The urologist will be able to solve the mystery very quickly and hopefully answer your questions. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to!
Kidney stones suck! They are very painful, and they can take a couple of procedures to get rid of. But they are very common, very treatable and very routine for the urologist.
Hang in there and good luck!!!
