re: A Kidney Stone Story (might help someone, I hope)

I had an 8mm stone in December that caused pain in my right testicle but not back and side pain. I thought it was epididimitis so I went to a walk-in clinic. Did a urinalysis and had blood in my urine. Went to a urologist and had a CT scan and found the stone. Scheduled surgery for right after Christmas but actually pissed it out the night before the surgery.

Moral of the story, no two kidney stones have the same symptoms.

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I’ve had around 30 in my life. The largest being 11mm.

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Good Lord, what is going on with some of y'all? A few weeks ago on this website, I had an exchange with a poster who said he had kidney stones every month or so for 30 years. I couldn't believe it.

I've had two and the last one was such a painful bitch that I'm very aware of what I'm drinking or eating that forms stones more easily. I do NOT want to go through all that shite ever again.

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Moral of the story, no two kidney stones have the same symptoms.

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Yeah, I’ve had 2 and they had different symptoms. One was constant pain at varying levels in my lower back. The other was sporadic, shooting pain in my mid to lower back.

I haven’t had one since I cut back on coffee, tea, and soda and increasing my water intake. Maybe coincidental, but I’m not going to tempt fate because both experiences were pretty miserable.

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Drink lots of beer and you’ll avoid this. I am not a doctor but this is the solution.

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My grandfather told me the same thing. As did my mother. Apparently beer for kidney stones/infections is one of those old-timey home remedies.

I just cut out sodas and cut back on the sweet tea and drink way more water than I used to and haven't had any issues in 5 years now. Hope it stays that way.

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If they catch them before you pass one they can now do something to break it up right?

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Depends on size and location. I think once it has left the kidney you have to pass it unless it’s large enough to block your urethra. Both times I had one they told me all they could do was give me drugs to moderate the pain until I passed it. I passed both pretty quickly.

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For quite a while, I would have severe right testicle pain that would resolve itself within 24 hours or less. Oddly, aspirin worked well to tone it down. When the pain went away, I'd piss blood for about 1/2 a day.

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Pee is stored in the balls.

Seeing blood in urine should always result in a trip to PCP then a CT scan, if in a large amount of pain a trip to ER. 9/10 times it will be a stone.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4265710/

Keys to success:

Hydration

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Several studies have shown that increasing fluid intake reduces the risk of stone formation. Current guidelines recommend drinking enough fluids to produce at least 2.5 L of urine daily. Soda consumption may play a role in stone formation...However, this only held true for patients who drank phosphoric acid-containing sodas, which consist primary of the colas, and not in patients who drank citric acid-containing sodas, which include most clear soft drinks

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Citric Acid

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Consuming fruit juice prevents stone formation not only because it increases urine volume but also because it is high in potassium and citric acid. Citrate prevents stone formation by two mechanisms. First, it binds with urinary calcium, thereby reducing the supersaturation of urine. In addition, it binds calcium oxalate crystals and prevents crystal growth.

Orange juice, lemon/lime flavored drinks. Look on your ingredients lists for citric acid. Crystal light packets. As mentioned above: You do NOT want phosphoric acid beverages (colas and diet colas)

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Calcium

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There is a common misconception that decreasing calcium intake will reduce the risk of calcium stone formation. In fact, studies have shown that low dietary calcium actually increases the risk of developing symptomatic kidney stones. Target calcium intake is 1,200 mg

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Fish Oil

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Consuming 1,200 mg/d of fish oil has been associated with significant decreases in urinary calcium and oxalate concentrations and increases in urinary citrate concentration. . Cold-water fish, including salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines; walnuts; flax seeds; and canola oil are rich sources of EPA.

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Keys to failure:

Dehydration

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If you are not pissing, the urine is sitting in your kidneys and marinating.

Drink liquids, pee a lot.

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Oxalate

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Higher oxalate intake has been shown to increase urinary oxalate levels....Together, spinach, potatoes, and nuts account for 44% of oxalate intake for the average American. The simplest way to minimize oxalate intake is to monitor consumption of these foods. In younger women, chocolate is a significant source of dietary oxalate intake and should be consumed sparingly.

Eat oxalate rich foods with caution. Don't be a glutton

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Vitamin C

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Vitamin C, at the super-dosages found in supplements, increases urine oxalate concentration because ascorbic acid is metabolized to oxalate.

Do NOT supplement vitamin C unless told to by a doctor.

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Oddly, aspirin worked well to tone it down.

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lay off the aspirin for pain

I’ve had 4 calcium oxalate stones until I started drinking lemon juice. The lemon juice dissolves the small stones. You can do a search and research it.

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feel for ya man.
I've had about 20 or so in my life, lost count a while back.

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Same here. I've passed 3 of them this past month with the biggest being just over 1/4 in. round and I was told after the CAT scan that I had 4 more waiting in my left kidney that will pass when ready.

The biggest was like the OP. It was 3/4 in. round and I had to take Potassium Citrate pills for a few months to help break it up and then they went in through the one eyed little head with the claw machine to remove the pieces.

That, and the eventual stent removal is a story all its own.

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eventual stent removal is a story all its own.

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Legit worse than child birth.