What pain meds are effective for chronic kidney stones?

[CurlyQ26]

I am a 26 year old female and I have been dealing with kidney stones for the past 9 years.  I pass atleast 2 stones every month.  Recently, I had SEVERE pain in my left flank  and went to the ER.  Had a CT scan done and it showed I had several stones in both kidneys.  I was given morphine at the hospital and vicodin to take home.  I saw a urologist and he told me that yes, there were several stones in my left kidney but they shouldn't be causing me that much pain because they were still in the kidney.  Why do doctors tell you that what you have isn't painful when you KNOW and FEEL that the pain is REAL?  I felt like someone was stabbing me witha butcher knife over and over again.  It was paralizing pain.  I couldn't walk, eat, play with my son...nothing.  I was in hell and the urologist wouldn't give me anything for pain or nausea because he didn't think my pain was "kidney related" so my brilliant urologist referred my back to my Family doc. He actually listened to me and prescribed several different medications.  I actually felt as though he cared about me.  My kidneys make stones at an incredible rate.  I pretty much always have at least one stone in each kidney and I dont care what any doctor says about "stones don't hurt while in the kidney" because I know different.  I'm tired of being made to believe that I'm crazy or imagining my pain.  Who would imagine pain?  You can't just make yourself double over in agonizing pain.  Its quite depressing to know that I will have chronic kidney stone pain for the rest of my life.   The pain is unimaginable and I'm not sure I can take it all the time.  Vicodin doesn't help at all.  Morphine is the only thing that comes close but it doesn't even completely kill the pain.  It just makes it less shocking.  What are meds I can take almosts daily that can control this?  I'm feeling depressed, anxious and completely exhaused every day.  I'm in need to relief and I'm not sure how much longer I can take this.

[lamia1]

I'm a long time kidney stone producer, 20 years x 10 stones and one in each kidney now. For what it's worth,  Toridol is one of the best drugs you can get quickly (60mg injection) at many local walk in urgent care clinics. It's an ok pain reliever but it a good anti-inflamitory, which is really more important and why it's almost always prescribed for kidney stones. It's used along with an opiate. I've stock piled Oxycontin's (only thing I found strong enough that I won't vomit back up during the first day or two of the attack). I also have found that taking flowmax and prednizone (which my urologist never suggested but my regular MD supported) help pass the stone as the flowmax relaxes the ureter/plumbing, and the cortizone reduces inflamation.  I don't know how any urologist would say you should have no pain while the stone is in the kidney- I think folks who repeat this are misinformed. The worst pain is from this-but it's when the stone is blocking a passage and causing swelling or moving is often when the real pain happens and this can be confirmed via a CT or IVP. I also tried Ultram this last time- don't know if it's appropriate or not, but had some and it worked well.  I would agree that 90% of what you are given in pill form doesn't work-Cotylenol, darvon, and all the variations are not strong enough and while Dilaudid is fabulous in my opinion, it's only available at the ER and only good for a few hours. A pain pump in the hospital works, but your digestive system shuts down after a day or two and the gas/constipation is as painful as the stone- seriously, it's bad.  

[lamia1]

It's the opiates that cause the gas/digestive system shut down, not the kidney stones.  

[christinagrant]

I am going thru what u have been thru. I found out I had kidney stones about 11 weeks ago. They also said they r in ur kidneys and should not hurt. Well that's a lie!!! I have passed over 10 stones that I know of since then. And pain everyday, blood in my urine, UTI' s, kidney infections and kidney stones to show that I'm passing them. My stupid urologist won't give me anything for pain. He said he doesn't know what's causing the pain. Said I have to go to pain management for something. He wants to do some test that puts a dye in my bladder and up my urethra tubes to see what's going on. He had the nerve to put me on vesicare for overactive bladder. What an idiot!!!! It's not overactive bladder, it's clearly kidney stones. I have brought the ones I've caught in to him and yet still nothing to help relieve the pain. I was also told during one of the ER visits that my colon is inflamed. I've read this can happen from antibiotics.

[kayjon67]

Sherri....I had diverticulitis pain that  totallly resembled kidney stone pain.  It was on a weekend and I had put off going to the ER.  So needed to sleep, so I took tizanidine, a muscle relaxer that I had at the time for neck and back pain.  All of my pain went away immediately!  Of course, that didn't solve the problem and I ended up at the ER on that Sunday and was admitted...and of course, they didn't think I knew what I was talking about and they gave me Dilaudid.  Got a horric headache with it.  Doctors had never told me about how diverticulitis can mimic kidney stone pain and if kidney stones hurt that badly...I don't want them.  No doctor has ever mentioned that muscle relaxers can help with such pain.  I think they figured I was out of my head...but it's all true.  Sorry for your suffering.  

[Sherri92]

I had an addiction to opiates and I've been on Methadone 95mg for five years now. I've had chronic kidney stones for about 7 years now. I went to the ER two weeks ago with severe pain in my right side from kidney stones. Before this, I had managed to stay out of the ER for a year. Anyways I have always been honest with them and told them I was taking Methadone for an opiate addiction. I was treated awful. All they would give me for pain is Toradol, which does nothing for me. They done a CT and it showed a 5mm stone stuck in the left ureter. They also done a drug test on me. You'd think that they done the drug test to make sure I was doing right, and that when the CT showed that I wasn't lying about the pain (I have never went to the hospital and lied about being in pain) they would give me something that would actually help me. Instead they gave me flomax, Zofran, and 10 Toradol. I even asked them to give me pyridium which numbs your bladder so you dont feel as much pressure and they wouldnt do it! So I went home and suffered for 15 hours till finally it passed! A week later,same thing. I had severe pain in my left side. Went to the ER. (.I have no job and no insurance)  another CT and DRUG TEST. This time I have a 12mm stuck. The doctor said there was no way it could pass on its own.( I was admitted at this hospital a little over a year ago had no insurance then either and the stone was 6mm and they gave me moraphine and they were told about the methadone.) So this time they decide to send me home...and again..NO pain meds. Just Flomax and Cipro! I beg the doc to give me pyridium at least! The doc wouldnt do it. I asked her what I was suppose to do for pain. She tells me I'm taking the best pain med there is...Methadone..I tried to make her understand that I have been taking it for 5 years and that it did nothing for pain..it just made me feel normal..She didnt care and told me to go see a urologist. I told her I couldnt afford it and she said I would just have to find a way! This happened 3 days ago and the stone is still killing me..I dont know what to do!! I feel so helpless...Ive even contemplated suicide! Is there any legal action I could take? Any suggestions from anyone?                                  

--Sherri

[Onehsancare]

You van get pyridium over the counter--it is called AZO.

[RunningMom]

They gave me diludad(sp) for kidney pain once I was out of the hospital.  I had a severe kidney infection that lasted 3 months.  I was hospitalized for a week on IV pain meds and IV antibiotics.  I have permanent kidney damage from it too.:/.