In a sick way, I'm happy to know there are others who can't take pain meds. Sorry your DH is one of them, but I'm strangely happy to have company. Ugh. Thanks for sharing how he got through it, and that he *did*! Just took ibuprofen, and will crash now. Did your DH (or anyone else?) have a UTI at the same time? Does that make the pain worse? This is the first time I've had a UTI along with a stone. Wondered if that might make it more painful?

Thanks for all the ideas and support. I've been hanging out with a heating pad and it's helped. Going to try ibuprofen next, and try to sleep. I'll call a different urologist tomorrow. And, really - Thanks for letting me gripe and moan here! It helped, in a weird way. :)

I wondered the same. DH teased me that it was payback for never having had chicken pox! (Lest that start an untrue rumor, they are not caused by the same type of virus.) We believe DS was exposed 3-4 days before symptoms, FYI. Good luck!

Will try hot bath, Four. More soon.

That's a thought, though maybe I would have to be admitted. I've only been in the ER this week. The stone is apparently the size that can come out, and is moving down the urethra. Agonizingly slowly. It's not blocking anything, so it's not considered emergent, though it feels that way! My only option re: pain meds is Demerol - which is no longer stocked or prescribed here. Such a bummer. In desperation, on Monday, I tried dilaudid again - a doc talked me into it despite past history of reactions. I collapsed inside our front door - chest pain, shortness of breath, and passed out. It's crazy.

This made me laugh! You totally get it! Writhing on the floor is part of the daily routine this week. As is everyone cheering when I go in the bathroom, chanting for the stone to come out.

Thanks. It's a good thought. I've been twice this week. They are stumped at the ER - I'm very allergic to all the pain meds there, too. Really scary and frustrating. They give me the same drugs I have here, except via IV. So maybe they're a bit stronger, but not much more pain relief, if any. I was hoping the urologist would take pity on me since I can't have pain meds, and just blast the thing. It's been trying to come out since the weekend!

Responding to my own post, just to whine that they didn't call me back. :( Receptionist said she had an open file in front of her, and didn't want to lose her place, but she'd call me back in just a few minutes. And silence. On Tues, they asked me to "be patient" and they'd get back to me, but how patient must I be??? [sigh] So no idea about lithotripsy. Blech.

There is no vaccination for HFM. It goes around every summer. It is a summer virus.

I called again. She says she'll call me back, that they have reviewed the records. I called twice on Tues, and cried the second time. So I've got the calling and crying down. This time I didn't cry, but I was shaking so hard it must have been audible. :) I'm supposed to help my elderly mother sort her house and get it ready to sell this weekend. Leaving for the trip on Sat. I sure hope this thing passes before then! I've never given birth, but this is my 3rd stone. And I had a hysterectomy for severe endo. Gallbladder removed due to stones. This kidney stone beats them all. Crossing fingers that they call me back.

I don't know. I have called the urologist repeatedly, but they have apparently not yet reviewed my records from the ER on Monday to decide if my case is emergent. :( The ER doc said she believes the stone will pass, so I suppose I am supposed to go with the wait and endure plan. Actually, I might go call the urologist yet again now...

I'm going to cheat with you.

JAWM. Or listen to me whine. I'm allergic to all the pain meds out there, now. (Except Demerol which they don't stock or prescribe around here due to heart complications, it will likely be off market soon as it is in most countries already.) My primary gave me three meds to take the edge off and help with nausea. So I'm not totally unmedicated. But pain level is very high. Thanks to a suggestion here, we remembered I can have tramadol, which wasn't on the doc's radar as it's not strong, but any bit of help is good. Plus Flomax to relax the spasms a bit, and Zofran. If anyone cares to do a Pass The Stone Dance, it would be appreciated. Just needed to whine. DS keeps telling me it's ok to cry. Sweet kid.

Coming back to post that if you do catch it, keep everyone well hydrated. I have a friend (adult) who was hospitalized 3 times due to dehydration. Her case lasted weeks, and was very severe. It likely depends on the strain.

We just had it here. I hope you don't catch it. I'm sorry they were so lax about exposing you. We went into self imposed quarantine, basically. For us, the severity varied widely. DD is three, and had a mild, textbook case. DS is ten and had a bad bout - and is still peeling on his feet, and losing three fingernails. DH didn't catch it at all. And my case was severe. My feet were covered, could barely walk, horribly painful. Feet have peeled in sheets of skin for weeks now. I am hopeful that I'll keep the nails though. To be fair, I have a compromised immune system so that's probably why it hit so hard. I would sterilize anything the family touched, and do some immune boosting.

Oh, yes! They did give me a shot of this yesterday. It was mildly helpful, but it was after that that the doc walked in and found me with tears streaming down my face, fighting the pain, so I think maybe they were focused on finding something more effective. I wonder if another shot of toradol would have helped at that time. Instead, I agreed to try the Dilaudid, despite prior reactions - what a mistake. :( After the Dilaudid incident they gave me Toradol in the IV for the chest pain and the stone pain both. And it did seem to make things more bearable. I wonder if it's available as an Rx, at home? I will ask my primary tomorrow. Thank you.

Oh, goodness, I'm getting everyone mixed up and just have to trust you'll all know I'm reading and grateful but comprehension is way off right now. kidsHappen, they gave me flomax in the ER yesterday. I think flomax is the med you mean. DH found some in our medicine cabinet from my last stone, so I took it. It's helping. Whew. I wouldn't have taken it if they hadn't given it in the ER, but it must be ok. It's definitely a bit of relief. I will ask my primary about tramadol and other options here tomorrow. You are all great. Thanks.

Thanks for the support. I go see my primary in the morning. Gritting teeth through the night. I called the urologist again but they won't even schedule an appt till they've seen my ER records. Embarrassingly, I cried on the phone, so the receptionist is well aware that I have no pain relief. This feels absolutely barbaric. DH's colleagues who live in Europe don't understand why I'm having to suffer. Explaining the wait and endure till it passes mindset didn't go over well. I agree with them. Oh, and for Jean: I think the issue with the pain med is that no docs want to Rx it anymore, as so many deaths are associated with it. :( I think a hospital about 30 minutes away still stock it though. Thinking that I have that option is getting me through for now.

One more question: If I do end up at the ER again, would it be crazy for me to go to a different ER? The other one in our area *might* still stock the only med I've not reacted badly to... Though I'm not sure. It's off the market in Europe and not officially off of it here, but heading that way... Would it be "drug seeking" to go to an ER where I think they might have a pain med I'm not allergic to??? I guess by definition it would be. But this hurt so badly. :(

Funny you should mention that. My primary said something similar. She did some research and the only med she can find that might work is usually used in the OR. Or for cancer patients. She said if I end up back in the ER, unable to cope at home, to mention it.

I will send DH out for apple cider vinegar, if we don't have any. Thank you. Asparagus, too, if I can eat. They did a CT, and saw the stone. I didn't get all the info re: size of stone, but she did say that it's working it's way out, and seemed to think it would pass. I *think* (from past stones) that they can tell the size from the CT. Hopefully. I'll try to catch it and send it off for testing. I've called a urologist, and they are looking at my ER records to decide if I'm an emergent case and need to be seen asap. Geez, I *feel* emergent! This was so much easier to handle when there were pain meds I could take. Now I get a few breaks (like now, and when I posted earlier) but for the most part it's just unreal. Acupuncture sounds good, but there's no place close. :( Thanks for these tips. And any more.

I have a kidney stone that hasn't passed. It is (obviously) very painful. But I am allergic to all the pain meds. Really. :( Spent yesterday in the ER, and it was agony. At one point the doc walked in as tears were streaming down my face, and went through the list of meds again - going over my reactions to each. (Codeines/morphines/derivatives/etc) The hospital doesn't stock the only two meds I've not reacted to - demerol and darvocet - those might be off the market anyway, not sure. We decided to try a low dose of dilaudid again, since that one seemed to have the least dangerous reaction (for me). I did okay for a bit, got discharged and then collapsed inside our front door with excruciating chest pain, shortness of breath, and fainting. Had to return to the ER on a stretcher. So now I am home. In agony. I am doing deep breathing. Meditating. But it still gets away from me. I called my primary, and she wracked her brain to come up with something - but no luck. Any tips? Any ideas at all for managing this pain would be appreciated. Kidney stone tips appreciated too, since that's the source of the pain.

DS here has been dying to make a leafblower hovercraft since seeing that online. Very cool. He's loved Jimmy Neutron since forever. Sounds like our guys would make quite a pair. Enjoy the crazy journey! And post pics when it's finished, please?

Try googling Burrascano's guidelines. Find the latest version. They might have them posted at ILADS main site. I will pm you in a bit, posting in a rush.

As quickly as possible. :) I know that's not much help. Disseminated Lyme is much harder to treat.