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What pain meds are effective for chronic kidney stones?

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.
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Avatar universal
I know how you feel.  I complained to my doctor about pain in both my kidneys.  He told me to do stretching exercises for my back.  Then he did an ultrasound for my Gall Bladder, which wasn’t causing any problems.  I had it done only because I was told they also ultrasound the right kidney.  Sure enough, kidney stones!  But, no pain medication.  I have issues sleeping, sitting, laying down moving.  Still, nothing.  He still hasn’t done anything about the left kidney.  Waiting for a CAT scan, which I’m sure will show stones.  If I don’t get anything for relief from this doctor today, I will be forced to go to the ER.
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Avatar universal
Make sure Drs do a complete thyroid test (not just TSH as most Drs do) including T-4, T-3 and others. My TSH has always fallen within normal range but after 40+ years of chronic kidney stones, ONE dr. finally did a T-4 test and it showed almost ZERO while the TSH was still normal. I have had NO new kidney stones since this discovery which led to different medications.
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Avatar universal
I feel your pain, I got my first kidney stone when I was 19 years old and I am now 31, passing 4 or more good sized 4 to 5 mm stones a month. I have seen several urologists and they all tell me the same thing that I am just one of those people who were blessed with this life. I've recently started seeing a chronic pain management dr for the issue and he has given me morphine sulphate 30mg and Lora tabs 7.5 twice a day. I am scared to be like you it's not helping a whole lot dude, been dealing with this and on narcotics since I was 19. is it because I've built up a tolerance, any suggestions on what would do better?
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Avatar universal
Stones are caused by spinach, tea, and chocolate, along with some other high oxalate foods such as sweet potatoes and strawberries. All the foods we love. I have them frequently too. It's not caffeine but the tannin in tea that causes them. Red wine can be a culprit too. Do a study on foods high in oxalate to know which ones to avoid. It does help.
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Avatar universal
I have been a kidney stone making-factory for 22 years now.  I have become allergic to morphine, Toradol  doesn't work on me nor does Tylenol 3 or 4 take away the pain completely.  I pass a stone at least every 2-3 months, and have a collection in both kidneys as well.  I had a urologist come down  to the emergency room and given me a strainer to catch a stone which, at the time, was 5 mm, because  it was my biggest up to that point, and they wanted to analyze the stone. Two days later, still in pain,  but with the stone, I returned to the ER for pain meds and to give the doctor the stone I caught. The doctor looked at my history of ER visits for pain meds in the computer and said I was there just to score pain medication and that the stone I gave him looked like a sticker I picked up off the side of the road . He refused to treat my pain. Then he discharged me. After that my family doctor helped by giving me Tylenol three and Percocet until the New Mexico Board of Health stepped in and told my family doctor that she couldn't write pain medicine for me anymore because different doctors were giving me pain medicine. They didn't  look at my record and see why I was getting it from different doctors, because every time I had to go into the emergency room, it was a different doctor! So now I'm screwed  because they told my doctor not to write me anymore pain medicine. If they were smart, they would have looked up my medical records  and see that in the emergency room, I had different doctors every time, and  they would have also seen that I was passing stones and I have a constant supply in both kidneys that can be seen by a CT scan and x-rays . But these days, they are all about not helping the person control the pain at home when it hits, which forces us to go into the ER , Having to take drastic measures for pain and nausea control. The last stone that I passed was 8 mm and they had to send me home only giving me Toradol in my IV  and nothing else.  Even the urologist did a scan and a urine collection and told me I have several in my kidneys and that they don't cause pain in the kidney, which is ********.  Those of us that have chronic kidney stones are expected to pass them on our own because we should be used to the pain. Like I said,  I am screwed and in pain all the time. And no one will treat me, even with proof that I have stones in both kidneys constantly and can even see The ones in my ureters trying to pass. Pretty stupid, don't you think? If anybody will treat me and help with the pain, let me know. I think this is  One of the reasons why people have the need to go out and find pain relief wherever and however they can.  Passing these kidney stones over and over again rank up there with having a natural childbirth. So any of you men out there reading this, you would be stuck in the hospital  trying to pass those stones constantly. Imagine the pain men go through with small stones and then having them constantly getting larger and larger . And then no doctor will treat you for the pain of these things ripping up your ureters  several times a year. That's like going through labor several times a year, and I don't believe any woman should have to bear that  pain the natural way without pain medication. It is borderline inhumane to force us through this  and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. Find me a doctor willing to go through it himself with the burden of having  multiple stones in each kidney as well, never knowing when the pain is going to hit the hardest. Without pain medication at home, I have to go to the hospital  just to try and get pain relief long enough to pass the stone. This cost me an arm and a leg because it's several times a year, and I do not believe people in my  same situation and condition should have to go through it with no relief  in sight. Call me crazy, but I think people with kidney stones in both kidneys should be allowed to have pain medication at home so they're not clogging up the  ER with something that could be treated at home with pain medication. If you are a Dr. with a different Opinion, please write me back and tell me how I can get a Doctor to help me.
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1 Comments
Has anyone been diagnosed with parathyroid disease and been treated for that and if so are you still making stones?
547368 tn?1440541785
This thread is very old and I don't believe these members are no longer active.

Your comments are appreciated - this is a Chronic Pain Forum and you may want to post in our Kidney Stone Forum. Here's a link:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Kidney-Stones

You may also find our Urology Form helpful and interesting. Here's that link:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Urology

Thanks you for sharing.

~Tuck
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Avatar universal
I have the same problem. I'm sorry for your pain, I certainly understand. I also have chronic kidney stones, and have since my teens, I am now 47. I have at least 1-2 a month. I also had the same experience with my urologist, he basically threw up his hands, and wouldn't give me anything for pain either, referred me back to my doctor, who also listened and was very understanding. He prescribed hydrocodone & gabapentin for pain. The gabapentin I take daily, hydrocodone as needed, which is quite often. I have changed to a new urologist whom I see later this month. I'd ask your doctor about taking gabapentin. That along with the hydrocodone really helps me. Some episodes are worse of course, where nothing helps. Good luck, I hope you find the right combination for your pain!
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547368 tn?1440541785
Sorry, this thread is very old. Curly hasn't been active on MedHelp for many years. Ppl find this in a search and bring it up from our archives.

I agree with you and your Doc. At times I think I can feel the "gravel" in my kidneys - gravel is the term they have used when multiple small stones appear on my CTs. I know I can feel the Big Ones!!

I wish the Lidoderm Patch worked for me - it doesn't. I'm delighted it works for you. It's certainly worth a try for others.

Thanks for your input.

~Tuck
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Avatar universal
I have chronic stones and the only thing that helps me cause I have them so often is actually a non narcotic Lidoderm  Patch that helps numb the area so that the pain is not so bad. you can use up to 3 patch every 12 hours for the days that the pain starts and seems to help me a lot. My stone are the tiny fisher stones so they always pass on there own but I know that they do hurt when they are in my kidney cause mine are like little pieces of glass. Funny thing is even though most Dr's say you can't feel them my PCP believes you can cause he has had a lot himself and swears the info is wrong cause his was still in his kidney and he felt it. Most Dr have no problem writing for the patches and it won't hurt to try them.
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547368 tn?1440541785
Sadly I don't think any of the posters are still active on MedHelp. This is an old thread - old threads don't often get noticed or responses.

I encourage you to begin a new one and share your information. You may also want to post in our Urology Community. All communities can be found by the pull down menu on top of the page.

I look forward to reading your comments - on a new thread.

Thanks,
~Tuck
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Avatar universal
Hello everyone, if your stones are calcium, and you haven't checked already, I urge you to have your Doctor check your Parathyroid Hormone levels, and your blood calcium levels. Your parathyroid controls the levels of calcium in your blood, and since your kidneys filter blood, having a high level of calcium is going to increase your risk for stones, especially recurring, and could even lead to renal failure. Tumors on the Parathyroid gland are not all that uncommon, and cause your parathyroid to release more of the hormone that causes your body to have higher calcium levels (usually by sucking it right out of your bones). Anyway, I am not a doctor, but the issue runs in my family and I know the pain of stones. It's an easy fix, and when your calcium levels get back to normal you won't believe the difference it makes.
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Avatar universal
Try looking at "low oxalate.info" web site. If your stones are calcium oxalate there is help which mainly involves changing what you eat. The changes are nothing radical ( well, depending on what you eat now!). The basis is that you cut down on high oxalate containing foods, limit the vit c intake and change the timing of calcium intake.
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Avatar universal
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.  
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Avatar universal
It's the opiates that cause the gas/digestive system shut down, not the kidney stones.  
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Avatar universal
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.
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3095849 tn?1406994906
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.  
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Avatar universal
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
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1 Comments
You van get pyridium over the counter--it is called AZO.
655875 tn?1295695107
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.:/.
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Avatar universal
Yes it is I am a patient at mayo,I was in pain they did a MRI it show the many stone I have in each kidney,the nephrologist said nothing should be hurting he said it was prostatitious A  bacteria in the prorate. 3 day later I passed a 4 mil stone.
I have primary hyperoxaluria type one  my liver does not produce and enzyme that take the oxalates out of my body, causing many stones and kidney failure, if your having cronic stones get checked for it, a nephrologist is who u need to see, urologist only treat the the stones effects on you. Not what causes them, I will one day soon need a liver and kidney transplant they will not do only a kidney because it will be destroyed by my liver.try to get into mayo the are the best facility I have ever seen,my local neph. Was an idiot said my egfr at 28 was nothing to worry about, any way good luck and get checked for PH pain is a Constance companion of mine and s never far away, followed by a stone. John D.
PS I have had stones since 18 I am now 56 don't let them give you. Toradal more than once evey 2 months if will cause kidney failure
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3095849 tn?1406994906
Is it possible to have a stone when lab work has come back showing all is ok??  I had my labs done two days ago when I went in to my doctor's PA regarding this pain.  Pain was worse the next day but they would not give me anything because my lab work showed nothing wrong.  

Laztronaut...thank you for your post...the gas thing had me stumped.  Nothing stops it.  Was wondering what on earth was going on and the pain seems to be getting worse.  Not sure what my next step is except maybe more lab work...surely something will show up by now.  
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Avatar universal
I'm a 28 year old mother of 2 and suffer from chronic kidney stones . I pass anywhere from 6 to. 8 or sometimes more stones a month I pretty much always have one passing threw and sometimes pass multiple stones at the time and even pass multiple stones from both kidneys at the same time . And I have been dealing with this for 4 & half years now and dosent get easier . But for those of you who have chronic calcium oxilated stones passing go get blood work done at a endocronoligist (thyroid dr) for what is known as hyperparayhyroidisam which is cause your body to produce to much calcium therefore leaving the kidneys not able to get rid of the over produced calcium deposits and builds up in the kidney . I know this because after dealing with this and having 3 urologist tell me this is jus something I'm gonna have all my life and its a medical mystery as to why I have them so bad and produce them so rapidly and pass them so rapidly . But I knew there had to be more to and it and I knew something was going undetected and missed . So I got a second option and the dr said I'm going to run blood work on u and check you (PTH) levels and so when they tested and the results came back and sure enough they found out that I have somewhere around 43,000 mg more of calcium be produced and released in my body which is why my kidneys form stones and are engulfed with stones bc my kidneys cannot filter the calcium deposits out fast enough  . And it's a simple surgery to have done its a dr office visit . Unfortunletly I cannot have it done bc I do not have health insurance and get turned down for pre existing conditions and my husband is self employeed . And WARNING !!! Is not treated over time hyperparayhyroidisam has serious health issues it cause if left untreated . Like osteoporosis . Which i now have it also throws your electrolytes off balance over time if left untreated which results in eplipsey from not being able to stay hydrated enough and with the Nasuea and vomiting of passing stones all the time adding more dhydration is dangerous . Which also can cause renal damages as well as Chronic stone passing can cause dangers over time if left undone like renal failure can and has happened bc of stones and the damage they cause them selves and not to mention infection and possibly disease . So go get checked and have them check to see if your parathyroid glands are producing to much calcium and if you have hyperparayhyroidisam because if you do there is how for you and the chance to be stone free . Take some time and look up hyperparayhyroidisam and read over and acknowledge urself on this health problem and see how much off the symptoms you have that match hyperparayhyroidisam and alert your dr off your research and print papers off and take to your dr and go from there and you might just find the cure for urself . Good luck and god bless how this helps
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Avatar universal
Oxy based drugs like Opana and OxyContin  cause renal difficulties and actually constrict the ureters.  No good for stones.  I have a stent in my left ureter now for a large stone.  It ***** horribly.  Your back pain may be a result of, and I know it sounds stupid, but excess gas build up.  The digestive system shuts down during a kidney stone or kidney issue and gas builds up in the body and disperses around the intestines, causing extreme pain when rubbing around the already irritated and sensitive tissue.  
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Avatar universal
I feel the same way about doctors and help with the chronic pain.   All doctors tell me my stones shouldn't hurt in the kidney but they do.  Everyone looks at me as a drug seeing scum bag.   I have cystine kidney stone with multiple surgerys over the past 10 years.  right now i have 2 more stones growing and am in constant pain.  No one will listen.
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Avatar universal
curly check studies, reducing calcium actually aids in the formations of stones, research shows that reducing calcium is a myth...
http://www.healtheast.org/kidney-stone-institute/myths-kidney-stones-a-diet.html
many more research studies will support this claim, dietary calcium you should stay away from... my doctor actually told me to stay away from calcium, a urologist, he was wrong...Research on this, I have had stones many years and followed the strict diet constraints that my doctor has advised, but he is wrong... along with many urologists, imagine that...
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