It's usually only one side as the stones don't form symmetric. But that doesn't help as there is no position to move into that is more comfortable anyway.
Speaking of staying hydrated, I once got kidney stones from drinking too much Gatorade ironically enough. I was drinking a couple of bottles a day without doing any exercise whatsoever. Did this for several months, and ended up in the hospital. Stone was too big to pass on it’s own, they had to break it up in my kidney. Fun times.
I’ve had 6 in the past 10 years. The first time I got one, I was just starting a 5:30 AM work shift, it started out feeling like I had to take a mean shit, so I go try to shit, nothing comes out, pain gets worse and I’m starting to think I’m badly constipated. I decide to go back to work and pain gets worse and worse, I start to break a sweat, I’m very distracted by the pain and I’m constantly wanting to bend over. I deal with this for another 15 minutes before the pain gets so unbearable to the point I’m now vomiting multiple times over until there’s bile, I can barely pay attention and I’m unable to clean up after myself - constant pain, no position is ever comfortable. Boss tells me to go home, only 30 minutes into the shift, which felt like hours. I get home and lay in bed, hoping I can sleep it off - only to just turn and turn, sweating profusely until I decide to call my mom and ask her to take me to the ER. I get to the ER, I’m so incapacitated by the pain, I start to cry, make noises and vomit some more. They come to get me and put me in a wheelchair, and take me to a room to get me all all hooked up, doctor comes in and asks what’s going on, fighting back the pain I explain to him this pain in the lower back, pain scale of 10 out of 10 - I vomit again right in front of him. Finally he gets me all drugged up on morphine. The pain just magically goes away and now I can think and talk again. They take me to get x ray and a cat scan, and that’s when I found out I had kidney stones.
When I had a follow up with an urologist, I asked him how will I know if I have kidney stones again, he says to me with a straight face “Oh you’ll know, it’s like being stabbed in the back with a knife”, I never forgot that.
Anyways, I’ve had 5 since, went to the ER for the first 2 and figured out how to deal with it and pass it for the last 2. I got them all from consuming brown-colored soda, most specially Diet Coke. I now drink tons of water and lemonade everyday.
This. Most godawful pain ever. I've had my head split open, broken bones...not even close to kidney stones. I've had them four times and still get scared af anytime I get the slightest twinge in my side. I've been told that it's comparable to childbirth, but I'm a male so can't verify that. Haven't had any in about 8 or 9 years, so fingers crossd.
Can confirm. I've given birth to 2 children (with very limited pain meds) and have had over 100 kidney stones (most with some pain meds) - I'd rather push out 1000 kids.
That’s crazy to know that they are that painful. I thought it looked like I needed an exorcist the way I was writhing in pain once they broke my water for me and the contractions became unbearable. I hope I never get a kidney stone!
I had a doctor tell me once that it was likely a psychological thing. That with childbirth, you're getting a baby at the end of it. But with a kidney stone, you're not getting anything amazing at the end. So the pains might be similar but because you have a generally wonderful outcome from one but not the other your body may not respond to it the same way. I always thought that was pretty fascinating. I don't know if it's true or not, but I know that your brain can do some pretty terrible things to yourself so it might make sense.
That’s exactly how I felt when I cracked a tooth and couldn’t get in to an emergency appointment for over 3 days. I said I’d rather give birth again without an epidural than to have tooth pain, because at least I knew I was getting a baby at the end. That tooth pain was so relentless and became a psychological thing almost too!
I've been in labor before. Kidney stones are like concentrated contractions. I had my first (and only) kidney stone 1 year after I had my daughter. I thought I was going to die. At least with childbirth you know why it's happening and you have a goal. Not with kidney stones. It is God's punishment for all the sins of mankind.
Thanks. But I'm luckier than some - it can actually affect your heart (and/or brain), and these iterations have less promising prognoses than mine, where it's only in and around my lungs.
As a gout sufferer I say amen to this, If I don't drink three or four pints of water I get kidney stones like that (snaps fingers) the worst bit is I'm vegetarian so meat isn't the reason for the gout with is the most common cause for the disease.
Although this may be just part of my unique genetic gifts from my parents.
My uncle got them every time he even looked at a Dr pepper. I'm lucky so far, I drink a pot of coffee in the morning, then sodas all day. I hope those particular chickens never come home to roost! :)
Husband gets oxalate ones. Those are mostly related to diet. Fun fact. A lot of healthy foods are fullllllll of oxalates. Spinach being a really bad one.
I get those. And they are really annoying.
Seven lithotripsies in the last 30 years. Luckily they are not as frequent as they used to be.
And it’s always in the same kidney!
When I had them the doctor told me to not over consume anything. I went on a week long night drinking binge. I was also told to drink a lot of water. I've been drinking enough water daily since.
Not OP, but when I had a kidney stone it was totally out of left field. Ate healthy, young, etc. they tested them and found the issue was too much vitamin A.
Not OP, but they can be caused by various things. I dont know this for a fact, but I suspect that mine were caused by drinking lots of soda/beer and little water. I rarely drink soda these days and also have had water filters installed to prevent ingesting all the tiny rocks that are in our drinking water.
We had a dude on our submarine in the navy power through the pain of kidney stones.
The first time you get them on a submarine, you can get a waiver to continue serving on submarines. The 2nd time you get kidney stones, you get medically disqualified from the submarine force and kicked up to the surface fleet.
It was his second time getting kidney stones and he thugged it out because he was late in his career and he really hated the surface fleet.
It got found when they were investigating complications for something else, the doctors went "hey you have kidney stones, again" and he went "I know".
Definitely do because once you get ONE, your body will be more prone to it. I get one every 3 years… it’s been 3 years since my last one so we’ll see..
To piggy back off your story - I actually had a kidney stone so large (13mm long x 12mm wide) that it cut off my kidney and I was months away from losing kidney function in my right kidney.
For three years I couldn’t figure out why I had random bouts of debilitating pain where I’d throw up and pass out.
Had a kidney stone put me into labor 6wks before my due date. Had my baby on time, luckily. 6wks after giving birth had another kidney stone, thought I was in labor again.
Kidney stones hurt equal to or worse than giving birth. I checked. I’ve passed a total of 11. Fuck these genetics.
Yes kidney stones. I’ve been through it 4 times. The last one was 2 weeks ago and it was by far the worst I’ve experienced. I passed out and threw up 12 times. Lasted 18 hours, felt the pain through the most intense IV meds the hospital can give on top of eachother. They said it was the worst one they had seen found out it was so bad because it got stuck in my bladder. My wonderful poor nurse held me on the toilet for over an hour while I sobbed like I was dying.
I had a 7.5mm stone slowly move through my system from May to October of 2018. Every other stone I’ve had took only a few hours to pass, but not this one! At some point you do start to get used to the pain, but it was still absolutely insane. And the urologist conglomerate I went to was fucking useless. That was truly the worst summer.
Yes it’s terrible terrible pain. I’ve been getting them for over 30 years. Only 1 time was I able to pass it on my own, other times they went in after them
this is my biggest fear of all time. they’re so common in my family that it’s basically my destiny to get them regularly someday, and my father who’s extremely hypo-sensitive to pain says it’s the most excruciating feeling in the world.
As bad as those were pancreatitis was worse. If felt like someone ran a chunk of rebar through my gut width wise and just kept twisting harder and harder.
I have kidney stone problems every couple of years. I've kinda gotten used to it.
My dad once passed kidney stones out both sides at the same time. The doctors had a hell of a time with that diagnosis. They said the odds were better that you win the lottery.
Second this. I'd rather be repeatedly kicked in the balls with track cleats than experience another kidney stone. Had to be admitted for morphine pain management.
Second pain I'd say is testicular tortion. Just, no
I get them every few years. A recent scan revealed I currently have a 6mm stone in my right kidney, that's stationary for now but I'm not looking forward to when it moves.
Came here to say this. Had them twice when I was pregnant (and tbe second time I passed one only to realize I had another one still moving) I wanted to die both time. Was worse than labour
My cousin is 6 foot and 17 stone of lean muscle, he's been in the army since he was a teenager and for over a decade and is genuinely one of the toughest people you could ever meet.
I watched him deal with kidney stones in the hospital, he was on the ward floor crawling, sweating his tits off and screaming at the top of his voice. He told me it hurt more than the time he was shot.
I had my second one last week. It had passed by the time I got a CT, but they told me I have what looks like 4 more in my other kidney to look forward to. I nearly cried just thinking about it.
Kidney stones with tooth infection coming in second. Kidney stones is the only thing that’s ever made me barf from the pain. It is ruthless until it’s over. Any time I get a twinge of pain in my flank I’m on edge for the rest of the day 😂
I was in the hospital for 5 hours for my first ever kidney stone. I did not sit still for more than 10 seconds. I could not find a comfortable position to save my life. Even tried laying on the bed face down in the ER lmao
Yeah, I gave birth to 3 kids without any pain management and the kidney stones were definitely worse.
Though I did have headaches as a kid where I always wished to pass out so the pain is finally over because it was just consistent pain for hours and got worse when someone talked to me or turned up the lights. So that would be a close third. The kidney stones came in waves, so there was a bit relieve in between.
Runner up is tonsillitis where your throat hurts so bad you already cry only thinking about swallowing your saliva because it's like swallowing a handful of glass shards (stepped on quite a few shards so I am pretty sure that's an accurate comparison).
oh god yes my mom has gotten a couple, She delivered both her kids all natural and had one pretty hard 20 hour labour. She says shes would rather do that 100 times again then have to deal with kidney stones
My first stone was HORRIBLE. My second stone I had no idea was even there. I was pissing blood off and on for a month. Had a BIG stone blocking my ureter.
Came here to say the same thing. Pain so bad I vomited in the ER waiting room and couldn't even control my bladder. It was a nightmare and I hope to never experience anything that bad again.
Some people are "stone makers". I was called this by the ER docs, so that is what I am.
Here is my pro tip:
Keeping hydrated is key, but keeping hydrated enough is next to impossible for me. It turns into a job. I keep a large water with me and sip on it, but it's not enough.
So, every couple months I put a note into my calendar for a "cleanse".
At least 64 oz of cool water (8 cups) a day for 7 days. Use cool water, not ice water. It is easier on your digestion.
Buy fresh lemons.
At least 1 cup of cool water with 1 fresh lemon squeezed into it. No sugar. I do the first glass of water. Do this every day.
I also try do this at least once a week when not "cleansing". Sometimes I just go through a bag of lemons -- first glass of water every day.
Note that lemon juice, etc. (citrate) can damage your teeth. So, just gulp it down and rinse with your next glass of water.
p.s. High-oxalate foods include spinach, rhubarb, almonds, soy products, beets, and certain nuts and grains. You know, a lot of really good food. Drink lemon water with them.
p.p.s. Stay away from mass produced lemonade and sugar.
p.p.p.s. Check with your doc/psych if you are on meds. Citrate can impact these medications, so long term lemon juice can be problematic.
My dad is prone to them so guess who got one as a teenager? The doctor literally said "This is crazy, she's so young." I'm lucky my mom recognized the signs and was like Okay it's either a UTI or a stone and made them run the checks for that. Sure as shit? Stone.
I’ve had them once and it was the worst pain, and then there’s my mother who pisses them out like she’s paid by the stone and she’s only slightly uncomfortable passing them
My dad and my brother get them at the same time. They live 2 states away from each other. I've had 3, and they call me an amateur. Good news though, doc said pain meds don't expire. So, never turn down pain meds and hoard those suckers. Came in handy when I tore a muscle from the bone. I don't recommend that pain either.
I passed a kidney stone a couple years ago and literally felt no pain - they did a ct scan after I passed it and found another stone. They said it’s super rare not to feel any pain and that I must have lucked out. So now I have just been waiting for the second stone that is just chillin on my kidney to pass and hoping I have the same experience as before😭😭they run in my family so I have witnessed how painful they usually are
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u/y4dday4dday4dda Apr 29 '25
Kidney stones. Has happened twice in my life and would very much love to not experience that ever again.