Pain in ureatha

Hi,  I've had a 3mm kidney stone in my right kidney for the past 7 years and possibly a 2mm stone in my left kidney. On my last x-ray Thayer did not show up.  Now I've had some urethal pain and an urge to urinate for the past 2 weeks.  Could the stone or stones have moved and are causing this pain.  It does not hurt while I urinate.  Thanks.

[David Rudnick, M.D.]

Yes, it could be the stones causing pain.  When a small stone falls down the ureter (the tube from the kidney to the bladder)  if it gets lodged in the distal ureter near the bladder, it can cause bladder irritation, which you could feel as a frequent need to urinate or burning in the urethra.  Sometimes small stones are hard to see on a plain x-ray, especially if they are in the pelvis where there are a lot of bones.  A CT scan is much  more sensitive.