Pain after a stone passes

Hello, I pass many stones per year (average about 4 per year),  Lately, every time I pass a stone, I feel like it's stil there.  I still have pain even though the stone has come out.  I go back to my dr and get another KUB, but no stone shows up.  This pain is very frustruating because it hurts, but there is no stone.   I passed a stone Dec. 14, but I still feel it.  Does anyone else have this problem?  What can I do?  I'm not imagining the pain---it's there.  But there is no stone there.

Thanks for any help,
Cindy

[David Rudnick, M.D.]

I passed a 3mm kidney stone when I was a urology resident, and my back hurt for about ten days after I knew the stone was gone.  This is usually because the ureter (the tube between the kidney and the bladder) gets swollen when a stone passes through it, and even when the stone is gone, the swelling can take some time to go away.  

If you are passing this many stones, you should ask your doctor to order a 24 hour urine chemistry analysis to check your urinary calcium, oxalate, uric acid etc. to see why you are making all these stones, and then get dietary counselling or medication to prevent further stones.