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Kidney stone + no pain meds = ouch


Spryte
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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.

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go ahead and cry.  My DH just went thru 3 weeks of that trying to pass a stone large enough to require surgery, but for some reason they told him it would pass and sent him home.  I was out of town and knew nothing til I got home 2 days later.  He too is very intolerant of most pain meds.  He is either allergic to them, or they make his BP drop so low alarms go off, or the nausea.  Whoa the nausea. 

 

You have my deepest sympathies!

 

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oh I can attest to that. I had an unmedicated home birth with a 9.5lb baby & it was nothing compared to kidney stone pain.

 

OP - Is lithotripsy not an option for you?

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...

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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 say call, cry, scream....

 

I think in this case, emergent for them is based on a) possible damage to kidney - if there's full blockage of the ureter or , b )  damage to the ureter or c) amount of complaining by patient.

 

I'd really encourage you to keep calling & complaining.

 

:grouphug:

 

 

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I say call, cry, scream....

 

I think in this case, emergent for them is based on a) possible damage to kidney - if there's full blockage of the ureter or , b ) damage to the ureter or c) amount of complaining by patient.

 

I'd really encourage you to keep calling & complaining.

 

:grouphug:

 

 

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.

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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.

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Can you go to the ER? My dh's stones have almost always been handled there. They have a wider variety of drugs they can give you via monitored IV versus what they can give you at home.

 

in case she's writhing on the floor & unable to type, she wrote in prev thread that she's allergic to most pain meds & the ER she went to last didn't have the few meds that she can try....

 

 

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Can you go to the ER? My dh's stones have almost always been handled there. They have a wider variety of drugs they can give you via monitored IV versus what they can give you at home.

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!

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in case she's writhing on the floor & unable to type, she wrote in prev thread that she's allergic to most pain meds & the ER she went to last didn't have the few meds that she can try....

 

 

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.

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in case she's writhing on the floor & unable to type, she wrote in prev thread that she's allergic to most pain meds & the ER she went to last didn't have the few meds that she can try....

 

 

 

I saw that she is allergic to most pain meds. I am very surprised that her local ER doesn't have more options.

 

 

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!

Ugh, that is a really long time to suffer. My dh has had kidney stones multiple times. There was one time when he didn't receive drugs for pain relief (long story), but it was only about 12 hours that he was in pain. Is there no urologist at the hospital? I'm surprised you can't access the urologist that way. 

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I saw that she is allergic to most pain meds. I am very surprised that her local ER doesn't have more options.

 

 

Ugh, that is a really long time to suffer. My dh has had kidney stones multiple times. There was one time when he didn't receive drugs for pain relief (long story), but it was only about 12 hours that he was in pain. Is there no urologist at the hospital? I'm surprised you can't access the urologist that way.

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.

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Spryte, can you get in a hot bath? The hottest you can manage? That has helped me in the past. Also, have you tried 800 mg of ibuprofen, if you're not allergic to that? My dad feels that ibuprofen helped him more than percocet ever did (kidney stones and gall bladder problems run in my family, lucky me!).

 

I cannot believe that your urologist isn't calling you back. I would start with a very nasty phone call first thing in the morning, and then I'd start calling other urologists in the area. I find that completely unacceptable. 

 

I think you and I have chatted here about this before, but I feel your pain (literally). I had to have my big stone blasted and removed via a fun little invasive procedure. It was stuck in my ureter, and it did start blocking my urine and gave me a (thankfully very minor) kidney infection. But oh boy, was I relieved to have that thing gone. I'll be thinking about you tonight :(

 

ETA: Also, are you drinking tons and tons of water? I know it's hard when you're trying not to throw up every 10 minutes, but it can put pressure behind your stone and get it moving, especially with the Flomax on board too. 

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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. :)

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I posted earlier with tons of sympathy as my DH had the same issue, kidney stones and no pain meds that work for him. I forgot that he does have a prescription for Motrin which is 800 mg ibuproohen. It goes help him in the midst of these attacks.

I hope it passess soon!

 

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?  

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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 hope it passes soon! Kidney stones are the worst.

 

I once had a hip surgery, in which they discovered my allergies to morphine and Demerol, as well as the others I was already known to be allergic to. They did not carry others I could have:) It was at an army hospital long ago, and they decided that I should try to get by on Toradol. So far beyond not fun. There was no relief.

Finally they knocked me out, and later they had me alternate doses of Tylenol with 800 mg Ibuprofen. It killed my stomach, but it did manage the pain a bit. They also ended up giving me a muscle relaxant because after you are so tense from the pain EVERYTHING begins to hurt.

 

Feel better soon...

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I hope it passes soon! Kidney stones are the worst.

 

I once had a hip surgery, in which they discovered my allergies to morphine and Demerol, as well as the others I was already known to be allergic to. They did not carry others I could have:) It was at an army hospital long ago, and they decided that I should try to get by on Toradol. So far beyond not fun. There was no relief.

Finally they knocked me out, and later they had me alternate doses of Tylenol with 800 mg Ibuprofen. It killed my stomach, but it did manage the pain a bit. They also ended up giving me a muscle relaxant because after you are so tense from the pain EVERYTHING begins to hurt.

 

Feel better soon...

 

I didn't want to like your post, because... ouch.  

 

My morphine allergy was discovered like yours -  after a major surgery, and the pain is still something I can recall clearly - all those stories about forgetting pain ... not true.  Getting knocked out was the only thing that helped.  But I still had Demerol then.  You poor thing, that had to be rotten.

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Hey Spryte, how are you doing tonight? Has your pain eased off at all? Did you ever get in touch with the urologist?

 

:grouphug:

Thanks for checking. It's eased a lot. I think it's possible I passed it but didn't catch it in the strainer. I'm tender and sore, but not in agony. :)

 

Such a relief.

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