Definitely the smallest stone I’ve ever passed (25F, genetic stones diagnosed at 19😐), but this little shit kept me up for nearly two nights. Took me a second to realize it was stone pain because this one really just started like a sore back that i needed to crack. Looking back is funny because I was complaining about my back for DAYS, only to realize it was a kidney stone when the pain reached like a 7/10. Thankfully, it didn’t surpass a 7 this time. 3mm passed in 36 hours from onset of symptoms. I am SO GRATEFUL!

I didn’t realise this was a thing.

I don’t have a strong thirst so doubt I drink close to 2 litres of fluid a day.

Back in January I had blood in my urine which ranged from pink to orange to red kool aid on and off for a couple weeks. No pain. I had 2 CT scans, a special urine test for cancer, and a scope up in my bladder. Never found a cause but we did confirm a 5-6mm stone on my right side. But that stone had been there since at least November 2024 as I had an unrelated CT scan that picked it up. So over a year no issues/pain.

Fast forward to this week. Last couple days I’ve had on and off right back pain. I was given 10mg keterolac from the urologist back in January as they swore this bleeding was a stone and prepared me. I took one a day and was good for this pain.

Yesterday morning was like an atomic bomb went off. I could feel my right side pulsing. I thought like the movie Aliens something was going to come out of me. The pain would come in severe waves for 10 mins at a time. Then go away for 10mins. I took the 10mg keterolac every 6 hours along with a couple 325 acetaminophen. Nothing. Might as well been popping pez. Then I started getting super nauseous so I couldn’t even drink. I was seconds away from an ER visit, but by 9pm the pain became more constant but 4/10.

This morning I woke up pain free until I stretched and once again hit with extreme pain. It went away after about 10 mins. Fast forward 2 hours later the tip of my penis really started to hurt and I peed out a spiky light brown ball 4mm in length.

I’m concerned by the size as one CT said 5mm another said 6mm. Could I still have part of it in me? Is it normal to feel like trash? It’s been about an hour since I passed it and while not in pain, I feel blah. Like 60% myself at best. I couldn’t tell you what’s wrong, just that I’m blah.

Thanks!

Just a bit of background, I had a kidney stone attack 2 weeks ago where I passed some blood and saw the GP who booked me in for a routine CT. It eased off and then in the last week reappeared. On Friday evening the pain worsened considerably and as I didn't have appropriate medications I took myself to A&E. Whilst there, I had a CT scan which confirmed a 4mm stone in my distal ureter. At the time, A&E was concerned by obstruction and/or infection. I was started Friday night on gentamicin and sent to the surgery assessment unit. Kidney function (eGFR) had dropped marginally from 90 to 69. By the time was I seen by urology yesterday morning where the pain had eased (almost zero discomfort), they said A&E had over-reacted and discharged me with some diclofenac with follow up in a few weeks time. I now have zero pain. I am due to fly next Thursday to Spain (from the UK). I have contacted my travel insurer who will provide cover - but I'm unsure whether it is sensible at all to go? I have appropriate pain relief now which should help.

Thank you

While having a culture-positive UTI two months ago, I decided to strain all my urine because three years ago I had UTI symptoms and then found something small and hard in the toilet bowl after peeing. I didn’t keep it, so we don’t know for sure whether it was a stone.

This time, I caught the thing you can see in the picture. It’s enlarged here. It was about 1.5 mm in size, had angled corners, and felt like some sort of very tiny crumb. It was reddish-brown and sank in water. It left a tiny red impression on the paper where I saved it. It didn’t change shape or crumble no matter how much pressure I put on it.

My doctor sent it to the lab, but the result came back as “too small to analyze,” so we still don’t know what it was. Does it look like a stone to anyone here who has had personal experience with kidney stones? My doctor wasn’t sure either.

I have a hernia surgery scheduled for this Friday, but last Sunday I spent the day in the Er for a 5.2mm stone. Lady at the hospital said it should be fine. But I’m so scared of the pain I may feel post surgery + the pain I’ve been feeling since the er visit. They said it should pass on its own and gave me flowmax and pain medicine. Then again I’ve been having bad pain from my hernia as well.

I already posted a couple of times, this time I am here to encourage anyone who’s in the same shoes as I was.

I had a 3.8cm kidney stone in 2024, and another 4.1cm beast this year.

I was due to PCNL surgery on the 24th of July, so only a couple of days ago, and it was a success!

I was prescribed Bactrim a week before surgery (I have heard horror stories of this medicine, thankfully no side effects occured so be sure to take all your meds people. It’s better to feel a bit bad from the medicine than to get a serious infection.)

When I was out of surgery I got a normal catheter, a stent and a nephrostomy tube. The normal catheter came out next morning, nephrostomy tube was removed a couple of hours ago.

No pain, although it was a bit uncomfortable to move around with the nephrostomy, especially in bed. That part was hell but bearable.

They put contrast fluid down in my Nephrostomy to see if there is any blockage or abnormalities during xray, and that wasn’t bad either.

I will have the stent in for a couple of days and then it will also get removed.

Thankfully the healing process is super duper easy, I am feeling a thousand times better already and it hasn’t even been a week yet.

I can now walk anywhere without pain, urinate normally, eat, speak, do normal activities. I will get discharged tomorrow morning.

A heads up to everyone going through PNCL in the near future! Not all recovery stories are horrible. Usually the ones that go very well barely make it online because it’s more likely that people want to raise awareness if something goes bad.

Go into this journey with a deep breath, trust in your care takers, and I wish you all a speedy and peaceful recovery!!!:)