since i could not afford them. i have pain under my ribs and on my right side. i did not treat the bv, did it escalade into something worse? please help. thank you.

i have no insurance. the hospital would be my last option. work just cut my hours in half due to the economy.

Technorati Tags: antibiotics, bv, economy, insurance, Kidney Pain, last option, Ribs

Okay… so since last Friday (not this JUST passed Fri, the one before) I haven’t taken a GOOD poo. I’ve only had a couple little poos here and there throughout the week. My diet hasn’t changed so I don’t know why I’ve been so constipated exlax, cranberry juice, apple cider, warm water… nothing has worked. I have had SOME relief, but I still feel backed up. And it’s burned once when I went pee, but that’s it so far.
Now that the TMI part is out of the way…

Every time I push, I am in HORRIBLE pain right above my vagina mostly on the left side, and in my lower back. Sorta where my ovary is I guess. It feels like my insides are about to explode. I’ve felt horrible the past 2 days with a dull pain in my lower back and on my left side under my ribs. Also random TERRIBLE shooting pains through my back and stomach area.
I really don’t want to go to the ER because I don’t have heath insurance at the moment. I’ve been waiting to here back from my state health insurance but boy do they take forever! I’ve done some research online and it seems like everything points to kidney stones, but I’ve never had them before so I have no idea. If it gets worse I will go to the ER but I’d like to have a slight idea what to tell them I think is wrong when I go in.

Thank you for your help!
Hear back* not here. Oops. It’s just 2:30 in the morning!

Technorati Tags: apple cider, Cranberry Juice, diet, dull pain, fri, hasn, health insurance, horrible pain, insurance, kidney stones, last friday, ovary, pee, poo, poos, Ribs, state health insurance, stomach area, vagina, warm water

Here’s how my month has gone, just to give you the background on what’s going on with my urinary tract…

11/6 I started experiencing UTI symptoms, which I thought was odd since I haven’t had one in more than 4 years, but whatever. Drank lots of water, cranberry juice, etc., and hoped it would clear up on its own as they always did when I got them often as a teenager.

11/9 Over just a couple of hours, I experienced the onset of throbbing pain in my kidneys (both sides of mid-back, just below my ribs), although my UTI symptoms had largely subsided. Again, I continued with lots of fluids, rest, and cranberry juice. Pain rated at about a 6 out of 10.

11/11 Pain had gradually gotten worse, I could no longer get comfortable in any position, tossed and turned, couldn’t sleep, felt like I need to go to the doctor’s something awful, but thought "Let’s wait and see another day." No more pain with urination, but still an abnormal frequency. Pain rated at about an 8 out of 10. Worst symptom at this point was the urge to move around. Sit up, lay down, roll over, roll back, get up, walk around, double over, etc. I couldn’t sit still at all, but was beyond exhausted from not sleeping due to this tossing and turning.

11/12 Pain’s somewhat better in the morning (a 6/10), but greatly worsened after my first bottle of water. Back up to an 8. Symptoms from previous night remain, but at this point can clearly feel my pulse in both kidneys. No fever (98.6* exactly), but at this point started to get occasional chills.

11/13 2 AM. In unbearable pain, I headed to the ER (due to losing insurance I cannot go see my GP). Still no fever (98.7*), but a supposedly large amount of blood was found in my urine (which appeared clear and faint yellow to my untrained eye–I am now reading that the fancy name for this is microscopic hematuria) Dx UTI/possible kidney infection, with the helpful input of a nurse that said she personally thought I might have kidney stones. Dr. said it was possible, but would rather just treat for bladder/kidney infection unless I really *wanted* a CT scan to see if I had stones. Treatments for both are the same, unless the stones are too big to pass on their own anyway, she said. Due to lack of insurance, I declined the expensive CT and followed her medical advice. Sent home with Rx’s for Pyridium, Bactrim, and Darvocet. Continued fluids, rest, vitamin C, and took meds as prescribed. Darvocet did a phenomenal job of knocking out the pain from the get-go. The Pyridium (as expected) turned my urine a bright orange color which faded after I finished the Rx on 11/16.

11/16 Stopped taking Darvocet and kidney pain was down to a 4/10. No more throbbing, no more urge to move around, no more frequent urination.

11/20 Finished Bactrim as prescribed. No more symptoms. I figured I was good to go.

11/23 Began urinating (painlessly) a pink/slightly peachy color that evening. No cloudiness/foul odor. Just color. I have kept the hydration at a max. No other symptoms.

Today 11/26 Urine is same color today. No kidney pain, but mild lower abdominal pain (4/10) and extreme lower back pain (5/10) which may well be musculoskeletal (I deal with lower back spasms on a regular basis). I just feel it may be worth mentioning, although it’s well below my kidneys, down where my back and buttocks meet.

I am unsure as to whether or not I should head back to the ER. I understand that this may mean there is blood in my urine, and am torn.
A) My infection could be back, and with a vengeance (even though I have no pain) causing there to be even more blood in my urine than before. Or at least for the blood to be visible. Or…

B) It could be kidney stones causing blood in my urine, which wouldn’t warrant another pricey ER visit.

C) Or, it could be another cause entirely. There were no blood tests or anything done on me. They just took a urine sample and diagnosed me pretty quickly.

Advice? I would like to avoid racking up another bill right now, but I have a family to take care of and don’t want to wind up worse off or even hospitalized because I wanted to try to save a few bucks. When should I go? Now? If I start having pain? If I develop a fever? Thanks for your help in advance!
Thanks. The pain clearing up with the use of the Bactrim makes me think that the pain was caused by an infection. There was also bacteria in my urine, which I forgot to mention. I understand that kidney infections and even good ol’ cystitis can be exacerbated and even brought on by blockages caused by kidney stones, so I was thinking maybe the problem is both? IDK. I’ll play it by ear… After dinner I may head back in then, since there are no signs of this going away.
Uh, Tim G., I am not diabetic, there was no protein spilling into my urine, and that was a totally pointless search you linked to. It has nothing to do with my question. What a bummer you actually were given 2 points for a total lack of thought in that answer.

Technorati Tags: amp, chills, Cranberry Juice, faint yellow, fancy name, Fever, gp, insurance, kidney infection, kidneys, nurse, Ribs, sleep, T Amp, teenager, unbearable pain, untrained eye, urge, urination, uti symptoms

So for about a week, I have had this weird cramping/pressure on my left side (not front or back; directly on the side) right under my ribcage. I think it might be a kidney stone, but I’m not sure. I don’t have painful urination, and I wouldn’t really say I pee frequently, either. It only hurts when I lay or sit in certain positions, and I can feel it more if I sit up and take a deep breath or yawn. If I lay on my left side, I can’t feel the pain. It gets worse if I lay on my right side, almost as if my ribs are pressing down on something underneath them. Could this be a kidney stone? If so, what are some good remedies I can try that will dissolve it and flush it out quickly? I just want to try some natural things before going to the doctor, since I hate going there. Any REAL help would be greatly appreciated; I want my pain to stop ASAP. Oh yeah; if I press that side, I cannot feel anything out of the ordinary, and it doesn’t hurt when I press there, either.

Technorati Tags: deep breath, going to the doctor, kidney stone, kidney stones, painful urination, pee, ribcage, Ribs, Sit, yawn

I’ve already been to the doctor, had blood and urine tests done, and am having an ultra sound tuesday. they gave me painkillers which I am taking at night to sleep, but can;t take during the day since I am still working (can’t be drugged up and get my butt to work right?)

So during the day i am only taking ibuprofen, which doesn’t seem to do anything really. Does anyone have any advice on how to get thru the day comfortably? I’m not in serious pain but I am pretty sore on my back, heating pads do nothing, and i get a sharp pain in my front right side at the bottom on my ribs from time to time, any home remedies or anything out there on how to feel more comfortable?
I have been drinking a ton of water per the advice of my doctor, but it seems like the more water I drink the more my back hurts?

Technorati Tags: Advice, butt, heating pads, home remedies, ibuprofen, kidney stones, Ribs, Sharp, sleep, urine tests