In the last 3 years i have had 5 different times were ihave gotten kidney stones. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that I was having flank pain. And immediately I knew that I had a kidney stone. But I figured i would give it time to pass because i have been through all of this before. This past Thursday I was in such unbearable pain at work so I decided to go to the ER after work. There results from test they did were 1 tiny stone in the upper right kidney, a kidney infection, and a urinary tract infection. They told me however that it should not be causing me pain because the kidney stone is still in the top of my kidney and not in my ureter yet. So they sent me on my way with vicodin and NO antibioltics. I go to work on Friday still in terrible pain, but made it through my day. Saturday (today) I wake up and immediately vomit because of all of the pain. I was actually crying this time. I get some vicodin in me and it didn’t help. The pain was to much. So before I call out of work I called a different ER. and asked them that if I come in today if they would have a urologist on hand (because the other ER that I went to had no Urologist within 40 miles of them) before I waste my time driving up there. They said yes. So i get up there and they ask what medicines im on and i tell them vicodin and a couple other medicines I take for anxiety. I get into the ER. room and they do the blood test again and get my cat scan from the previous ER doctor and do a urine test, and hook me up with iv fluids. The nurse comes in and also states that he is giving me an Iv injection of pian medicine. There I wait for the pain to go away. I felt no different from before. A little while later the doctor comes in with an attitude and tells me that he is releasing me. I said ok well what did you find out. He tells me that i have several kidney stones in my upper right kidney and i should be feeling NO pain. And asked if I had an addiction to Vicodin. I chuckled and so No I just got the vicodin on thursday. He said well there is alot of people that hop from ER to ER. I said OK and??? He said maybe you pulled a muscle. I said no I have had many kidney stones before and you just stated to me that I have several so why are you going to insinuate that I have a pulled muscle? No response. Then he asked why didn’t you go see you primary care doctor. I responded with I tried but she is on vacation until the 12 of the month and they have no openings. And I can’t get in to see a urologist until August 20th. He then said well where does it hurt. I told him my flank area on the right side and right under my right rib cage. He said lay down and let me feel your stomach because that is where your gallbladder is located. I layed down and he said well it seems to be fine. But you can come in on moday and get a gallbladder ultrasound and see if you have gall stones. But I’m going to release you. My mother sitting right beside me said well what do you expect her to do about the pain. He said I can give her a non-addictive pain pill. Is that all in a rude voice? I said no I need a doctors note until monday to try and get into the doctor. He said okay and walked out of the room. I was so embarrased and felt so put down by the fact of him insinuating that I had a pill problem and I was ER hopping. I’m pist. So after this long story here is my questions. If you have several kidney stones in your upper right kidney does it hurt? and has anyone had the run around like this? Just give me some comments please. Im ticked. But at the same time I need to figure out what to do.

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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.

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Here’s some background:
On September 4 I went to the ER for terrible pain in my back and abdomen. I was literally in the floor and couldn’t move. I had a CT scan which confirmed I had large kidney stone high in the urethra (just below the kidney). They gave me morphine it eased the pain, they prescribed vicodin, and sent me home. I’m assuming they did nothing more, because I said I didn’t have insurance. Which unfortunately for me I did, as my school had picked me up earlier than planed and failed to tell me. I’ve never had a kidney stone before so I read online for home remedies, and the pain didn’t occur again until October 4. So once again I went to the ER but morphine didn’t do the trick after 3 doses so I was given toradol, prescription for percocet, and a number for an appointment with a urologist.

The vicodin didn’t even touch the pain so that’s why I went to the ER a second time. However, the percocet worked wonders and virtually took all the pain away. After scheduling to see the urologist it was roughly a 3 week wait. By the next week the pain was unbearable and the percocet did nothing, so my mom who is friend’s with a urologist in my hometown had him phone the doctor I was supposed to see to get me in sooner. Since she was unable to see me I was given a different doctor, and upon meeting him the first day he had me in surgery that afternoon to put a stent in my right kidney. I met with him various times over the next month or so for "follow-ups", and I have since been scheduled for lithotripsy on November 17.

After the surgery the next 3-5 days were very uncomfortable, but I got used to the stent and was able to return to regular activities with the help of a percocet a day. I met with the doctor two weeks ago and told him I was uncomfortable and in moderate pain, but he seemed to just shrug it off. The first of the month seems to be when problems really occur. November 3 I was in unbearable pain again, and nothing helped. My urologist is on vacation, so I saw another one who works in his office, because I was having troubling urinating and my urethra felt as if something sharp were trying to come out and it hurt to do anything. After anything I said she was quick to say it was "classical side effects of the stent", but to me it doesn’t feel like the stent it feels like something more is going on in there and it just doesn’t feel right. She ordered a x-ray and I had to give a urine sample. I couldn’t pee so she had an in- and- out catheter put in me to drain the urine. The urine showed no infection, and I was told the x-ray showed the stent in proper placement, and the stone hasn’t moved.

The pain is unbearable, and is really affecting my life as I go to college throughout the week. I’ve had to leave and miss more classes than allowed, thankfully I have VERY understanding teachers otherwise I would fail.

Nothing takes the pain away (vicodin, percocet, pyridium, ultram). On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst my pain stays between an 8 and 9. So I’m wondering if anyone else has had this sort of problem in dealing with kidney stones. I generally take two percocets and lay on a heating pad to try and relax. I’ve also soaked in hot baths during the afternoon to try and relax, but I don’t like doing this since I am more prone to infections with the stent.

What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s just the stent, and my body is rejecting it horribly or could it be something else? The doctors don’t seem too concerned with what I am telling them since I feel like they think I’m exaggerating (which I have no reason to exaggerate, I might add)

Thanks to all in advance who take the time to read this and response!

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