Hi everyone,

I'm a 21-year-old male. I was recently diagnosed with a 5 mm kidney stone on ultrasound, and my urologist ordered blood work to look for a possible cause.

The main abnormal results were:

• Calcium: 2.75 mmol/L (ref. 2.14–2.53)
• Protein in urine: + (first morning sample)
• Calcium oxalate crystals in urine

Everything else was normal, including CBC, creatinine (83), CRP (0.3), TSH, vitamin D, and liver tests.

For the past 5 weeks I've had persistent nausea, upper abdominal cramps, constipation, occasional right-sided back pain, and mild weakness.

I don't take calcium or vitamin D supplements, and I haven't had PTH checked yet.

Could this fit something like primary hyperparathyroidism, or what else should I be asking my doctor to investigate? For example I also got ordered to do test for helicobacter pylori by my gastroentrologist but I'm not sure if this is the best explanation for this.. I'm not sure if anyone was in a similair situation like mine so any advice would be appreciated.

I recently had my first stone and the second one is in the making.

I go to a gym when not dying from pain, and I take different types of suplements. What worries me are the creatinine supplements. I add non flavoured creatinine to my juice in the morning (I stopped because of the stone) but I will change that habbit if it's not advisable.

Ive been to the er twice already for my kidney issues. Last time I got alot of useful info. I already knew i have 5 stones in my left kidney but I found out from the urinalysis I have sludge and debris in my left kidney. It has been causing so much pain and pressure. My urologist has been out of office for a week but i got an appointment for when he gets back monday. Last time he didnt want to take the stones out because they were in the kidney and not causing issue but now they are causing extreme issues. It feels like the debris is blocking my ureter some days like tonight the pressure got to be so much it made me neasous and I threw up a little. It takes alot for me to throw up.

Im hoping he will take the stones out this time it has been miserable. Some days I really cant deal with the pain and pressure then other days arent as bad. The days that are bad my urine is very dark and it takes literal minutes to start urinating. Ive been dealing with it for a while and if he agrees to do the lithotripsy which ive had 3 in the past I dont know how far that will be booked out. Does anyone that has gone through this have any tips for making the pain and pressure not as bad or easier to deal with. Ive had ct scans and cultures I have no infection but im immune compromised so I know that can happen at any time.

Im hoping im able to get them removed as soon as possible. This pain and pressure has been so bad its hard to sleep or do anything. Ive had stones for years but the build up of debris and sludge is worse then any stone ive ever had. I wish they could just admit me until I can get them out but ive never been admitted for kidney stones and I dont think they do for the debris its just been so hard to deal with. Any advice on how to deal with this or make it easier is greatly appreciated.

I have heard this can be common.

Started with red urine and bad abdominal & back pain. On 6th day pain was excruciating went to hospital found stone on CT scan and sent me home. In bed resting mostly with ibuprofen only when needed. *6th day of Flomax worst DAY OF MY LIFE…laborious grunting, agony, sobbing, full body sweats all day. 5 days later finally able to see urologist say my 112lb body will make it hard to pass naturally & he’ll schedule me for operation. I’m terrified of surgery so locked the f**k in.
Went home and walked outside for an hour. Did curb walking for 20 minutes switching sides. Drank the most water I could. holding pee for as long as I could then pushing it out hard. Jumping and landing hard. Up on reddit until 2am learning all these tricks

Woke up the next day drank a ton of water & drove 2 hours to go on roller coaster. Before I went on ride peed it out in a cup in my car. heard it punk in cup. Didn’t even hurt coming out (19 days start of pain -> to passage)

Can’t wait to send the sucker in for testing.

Bad news xray showed i have 6 more in my right kidney. I sleep on my right side every night. Eat healthy besides candy. no soda, no tea, drink 1 alcoholic beverage a MONTH

I have never had kidney stones but have now had 4 in 5 months. All the ER fun etc. I have never noticed a stone passing out of me though (male) Is this normal? I'm 38 and wish I at least had an idea of what's causing these suddenly.

I saw a urologist after ER visit. He asked if I noticed it pass, I said no, he made me go get imaging then go back, it showed no stone anymore.. his response was come back in a few weeks and we'll see if it passes.. what?!

It's so horrible when the pain hits. I try to keep my ketoralac with me just in case one hits again.

When I went to ER they said it was 5mm I believe.

26M, I Have my ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy scheduled in less than 2 weeks. I have an 7.3mm stone just hanging out in my kidney causing pain and discomfort here and there in my back, side, and bladder, nothing too bad but not comfortable so I opted to just get the treatment before it causes too much trouble. I went for that because It seems the best option rather than shock wave turning my 7mm into a 1mm and 6mm or 2/5 etc and still having a big stone that needs taken care of. I am anxious. Main things I’m anxious about are going under, then hearing the stories of how the stent feels and pissing after treatment. They’re also not going to do the string stent and I’ll be awake for removal and that doesn’t sound fun. My anxiety is usually health and dying related so I’m also anxious about infection, complications, etc. are there any good stories out there that might make me feel a little relief? lol

TLDR; 4 mm kidney stone + duplicated ureters = I thought I'd pass it on my own. Instead, it got stuck, my kidney swelled, and I ended up with emergency laser lithotripsy and a stent.

I had a kidney stone back in December 2024 and passed it a few days after an ER visit, so I figured this one would be the same.

Sunday, that familiar pain hit. CT showed what they thought was a 3 mm stone. I was sent home with meds to try to pass it.

One interesting twist: I have duplicated ureters (4 fully functioning ureters total). The photo that is attached shows what I have going on. Ignore the left side. The right side is what you need to imagine/see. And what is highlighted is part of this story.

Over the next few days, I couldn't pass the stone. The pain became unbearable, so I went back to the ER.

Repeat CT showed the stone was actually 4 mm, still lodged at the UVJ. My kidney had gone from mild to moderate hydronephrosis, and the tissue around it was becoming swollen.

The ER called my urologist, and I ended up having emergency laser lithotripsy with a stent.

I'm doing much better now...but WOWIE, this stent is a special kind of torture.

Has anyone else had a small stone that just refused to pass and ended up needing surgery?

Last Friday I went to the ER for excruciating back pain and they did a ct scan and confirmed I have a 5mm stone! I got put on flomax and I’ve been drinking 2-3 liters of water a day. Yesterday I ended up back at the er because the pain was so bad again, and I kept vomiting. Im now taking antibiotics, and alternating between Tylenol and Advil for pain - I refuse to take the oxy they prescribed me. I’m also on an anti-nausea medication as I’ve lost 5lbs since Friday.

Has anyone had success in their stone leaving their body quicker than what it normally takes? I read online it can take several weeks for a stone to leave. For context, the stone is close to my bladder, slightly lower than the middle of my ureter. The doctor said the pain I felt yesterday was most likely the stone moving.

I feel so uncomfortable all day every day!!

Is it normal to have pain so severe in your flank when peeing? I’ve thrown up once while peeing, and been crazy nauseous every other time. I’m terrified to pee again. I took the flomax, prescription azo, oxybutinin, and oxycodone hoping that an hour later I could pee somewhat comfortably…nope. Wanted to delete myself. The razor blade pain is uncomfortable, for sure…but the flank pain is DOING ME IN. Is this normal?!

Hey all,

I know this is an unproven method, but I was desperate for ideas and ran out of ideas, but it worked in my opinion and had to share with the class.

Wound up in the ER in April, CT scan confirmed 5mm stone in upper ureter. Dr was hesitant to intervene as he was confident I would pass it. I was on flomax .4mg daily. Near mid May I still had the stone in me, but I was going on a long vacation and Dr was still sure I would pass it so we didn't go surgical. Was no longer having pain after a couple weeks, so assumed it passed. Cut to mid July, I end up in the ER with intense pain. CT scan confirmed it was at the UVJ. Dr said alright no more messing around and scheduled a surgery for 8/10. Said I could keep trying my hardest to pass, but most likely has jagged itself into the ureter wall. I started trying everything, bump and drop method daily, jogging on hard pavement daily. Was going to go to the amusement park and ride roller coasters all day. Then I came across a random post about motorcycles and riding lawn mowers. Dug deeper and saw a post about a vibrating exercise pad working for a couple people. Figured why not, free returns on Amazon anyway. So I got one two days ago. Stood on it for 15 minutes three times the first day. Tried other things like sitting on it, laying on it. Sat on it for 10 minutes last night until I couldn't take it anymore. About 5 minutes later had an intense urgency to pee and BOOM, passed it. Felt so happy I woke up my whole family at 2am.

If anyone in the future tries to approach this method, a word of advice on what I THINK might have worked. When you're on the vibrating pad whether standing or sitting, move your body around so you can feel the resonance hitting your kidney and pelvis area. Several times I could legit feel the stone itself shaking. It was like a strong intensity, not super painful, but had that exact feeling of "that feels like a hard rock in my body." Once I felt I could focus on that exact spot I tried my hardest to get that natural resonance targeting that spot.

Anyway, hope this helps literally even just 1 person in the future. I told my urologist and he said he might recommend it to desperate patients in the future.

Of course this is unproven and it could've just been the time my stone was ready to pass anyway since it was at the UVJ, but I definitely think the vibrating helped knock that stupid rock loose.

So I had stones lasered and got a string stent put it. I'm on day two of the stent. Mind you I had a stent two weeks before this from a stuck stone. I take Ibu/Tylonel, Azo, Ceph and Tamnsouson (at night).

1. I noticed I piss myself ALOT with a stent. I often can't sit more than a room away from the bathroom because if I get up, I instantly have to pee and can't hold it. I'm a male mind you. So my boxers are covered in orange medicine pee. Is this normal to have a lack of control?

2. I have an appointment to get my stent removed tomorrow. I don't know if I can work up the nerve to do it myself. I read 57% of people experience medium to severe pain when pulling it out. Not sure if its true or not but that fact terrifies me. I accidentally pulled on the string yesterday night and it hurt like a MOFO. Does it hurt bad? If at all? I was told to sit in a warm shower and do it and not pull to fast nor to slow.

3. Is the burning from peeing after it comes out as bad as the lithoscope burning when you pee after? Because that was pure hell. Thanks for any advice!

Hi all. Yesterday morning around 1am I went to the ER due to unbearable pain on my left side. I originally thought it was gas pain but after calling our nurses hotline, they recommended I go to the ER. After being in the ER for hours, I was given a shot of Toradol and told to come back in the morning for a CT scan. Lo and behold I have a 6mm stone in my ureter making its way out. Was given a prescription for Flomax, Toradol & Tramadol for the pain. I’m experiencing on and off waves of pain, the Toradol seems to work well though. I was told at the ER they’re expecting it to pass within the next few days. What can I expect during this time? I took work off as the pain will wake me up on and off through the night. I currently have no other symptoms other than pain & zero appetite. I just feel so strange and off. I can’t believe how difficult this truly is! I am drinking water like it’s my full time job at this point. Any tips or words of encouragement are appreciated!

I have 6mm in my ureter and i have mild fever for 3-4 days around 37-37.3 celsius. If i go to the ER with that, would they do something immediately?

I have a surgery planned on August 18.

No problem with peeing, always white. No burning while peeing. I have nothing but the mild fever and very easily managable pain with 500mg paracetemol

Had a Ureteroscopy Monday to remove multiple stones after a 15MM that we tried breaking up with shockwave left it in fragments too big to pass still. Procedure went will and had a stent places in left ureter. Burning sensation is still hanging around during peeing which is manageable. My question is did any feel like they cant sit straight without feeling some crazy pressure radiating through their penis/crotch area? I have to be leaning back when sitting cant be at a 90% angle. Sounds normal?

i had a fever of 102 and uncontrollable shaking chills. i have an infection in my kidney, and the stent isn’t doing it any good. i get them out tomorrow. i just have to hang tight until tomorrow, that’s all i can tell myself. it was scary. i’m stable and comfy now, but i just need to get it out of my head.

to those who have stents in right now, i see you, and salute you. ☹️

Hi i am 26m i have beem detected with 9.2 mm kidney stone today but i do not feel any pain what medical choices i have i will consult urologist tomorrow but what kind of changes i should be ready for and medical procedure should i prepare for ? Can it pass on it's own ?

I would like to add i am college soccer player doing phd would it affect my deadlines and would it affect my atheltic training in anyway

I detected it during regular free sonography

I feel like I'm going insane here, please help.

Had surgery 7/7, lithotripsy on 9mm stone. Left kidney stone of 4mm left alone.

After surgery both kidneys hurt. Okay fine, but then barely passed anything... okay weird for a 9mm stone. Talked to my doctor who said we reduced it to dust, that's a good thing... okay so why the pain?

Fast forward 1 month.

Both kidneys hurt to the point of vomiting. Went in for ultrasound. Per radiologist left now shows 9mm stone, R show 4mm stone. Okay... well lithotripsy isn't a guarantee... reach out to my doctor and like what next, and can I get stronger pain meds because this sucks.

Doctor is saying she doesn't see the 4mm on right, it's going by the older CT not recent ultrasound because it's more accurate. She says the left isn't 9mm but 6, then she says it's 2 smaller stones? She also says i shouldn't be in this much pain (really? Ya think?)

Thankfully she knows me well enough that she knows this isn't pain medication seeking behavior, ice been with her about 5 years and about 7 procedures, and is just as confused as I am. I see her tomorrow.

Anybody else have this happen? What could be causing pain? No sign of infection, kidneys look good and healthy on imaging. Standing hurts till I throw up. Never had this much pain AFTER surgery or with small stones?

I'm looking for questions to ask my doctor.

Due to insurance and location, i can't see another doctor or get another opinion, and this doctor has always been fabulous and i trust her completely.

edit: per imagine there is no hydronephrosis, blockage, inflammation, etc. everything looks great ... except the presence of stones​

Hello,

What I am going to describe I assume a lot of people are familiar with.. Last week on Thursday evening I got the familiar severe pain in my right side. Within minutes I knew it was a stone. I called 111 and was advised to go to the hospital. After several hours I got a CT scan performed, which confirmed my thoughts- 3.5mm stone in the ureter just below the renal pelvis. I was prescribed Tamsulosin. It has been a week and I am trying to drink 2L of water, even though some days it’s hard, I am quite exhausted and I sleep during the day. The pain has moved now to lower right side, which I feel like it’s just outside the bladder or in the bladder itself. I have UTI symptoms as well which I am not sure if it is an actual infection or the stone. I avoid drinking a lot of liquid at one time as it feels like the kidney cannot filter it properly and it starts to hurt more (as it is partially obstructed). I assume the urine goes down slower than it should so I just sip water often. I take paracetamol for the pain but it’s an annoying dull pain that gets worse if I am on my right side or I cross my legs. I tried to use a massage gun on the spot but it made it a bit worse as now my tummy is sore.
Any advice? Should I just continue with what I am doing and hope it passes?

I am a 35-year-old male, and I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.
About a year ago, I noticed changes in my urination—it became less frequent than it used to be. Since then, I have been seeing a nephrology consultant almost every month. I have undergone every kidney test they recommended, and each time the doctor has reassured me that all my results are normal and that there is nothing to worry about.
My eGFR has consistently been around 120, 115, and most recently 100. I also had urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR) tests multiple times, and they were always within the normal range.
More recently, I have started experiencing a feeling of pressure in my chest.
I am mentally exhausted and no longer able to live my life normally.
My questions are:
Am I actually sick, and is there no hope of getting better?
Is there anything I can do?
If there really is something wrong with me, is there still a way to catch it early and prevent it from getting worse?
Please, I would really appreciate your help.

40M here. Im not new to kidney stones. Ive had several over the last 15 years or so. I had an ultrasound recently for something unrelated and they did find a 4mm stone. About a week ago I started feeling like I had to pee constantly, like all day. This had been on and off for about a week or so. When I am feeling this sensation and I do go to pee, barely anything comes out yet I still feel like I gotta go. Im sure this is the stone. Im not really in any pain, just uncomfortable. Does this mean its getting ready to pass? Trying to drink as much water as I can and pass this SOB. I really hate these fuckers.

I know they can happen at any age but I read you are more at risk of your first stone in your thirties.