Help!!!!

[mutpork]

Today, I found out that i have kidney stones along with the tract infection.Do kidney stones causes frequent urination? Does it cause back pain and stomach pain. How long does it takes to pass. What can i do to soothe the pain.

[Dr Smitha Mathews]

Hi,

Do you have any family history of kidney stones?

Kidney stones can cause urinary tract infections or be caused by them.

Kidney stones in themselves do not cause frequency in passing urine, but the urinary tract infection that you have would cause the frequency by irritating your bladder.
The back pain is usually associated with the kidney stones if it is appearing below the lower end of your ribs on the affected side, and if it is intermittent.
The pain could be related to your UTI if it is lower back pain and persists throughout the infection.

Pain relief can be derived by taking tylenol or other anti-inflammatory analgesics every 4-6 hours but you should seek direct medical attention at the earliest, not longer than 3 days.

The pain will disappear once the infection is controlled and the cause of the kidney stones identified and treated.

In the interim,

Drink plenty of fluids, in excess 0f 2000cc per day (8 glasses per day)
Avoid food rich in oxalates, sucha s meat, beans, etc.
Use a heating pad or a hot water bag for the back pain. Sit in a hot bath for 10-15 minutes atleast twice daily.

Do keep us posted on your doubts and progress
regards

[Northcoast]

Hi, I've had several kidney stones so I know where you're coming from.  Hurts like hell and then it stops moving and I'm fine.  The doctor's post above is exactly what I have been told by my doctor.  So be sure you call your doctor and get his/her advice.  I'm an old pro since I've had about 5, so  I asked my doctor if there was any real reason for me to go to the emergency room every time and he said it was just for pain management until the stone passed, so there is no real reason to go if you can manage the pain at home.  So now, when I have one coming on I get Tylenol into my system as soon as I can and and drink, drink, drink.  My doctor told me the reason I have the stones in the first place is that I don't drink enough fluids.  I'm just one of those people who doesn't feel thirsty throughout the day so I rarely get more than 3 glasses of liquid.    I had to have lithotripsy (sp?) done on one stone since it was too big to pass.  They had to push the stone back up the urethra and then crush it with some machine.  But it didn't work.  About six weeks later I had a weird pain "down there" and ended up passing a stone about the size of a unpoppped popcorn kernel split in half lengthwise.  My doctor said it was the biggest stone he's ever seen anyone pass.   And if you have kidney stones now, you may have them regularly if you don't make some changes.  Drink more, I've been told that magnesium helps prevent them and calcium supplements too.  I haven't had one in over 5 years since I've been taking calcium supplements regularly to prevent osteoperosis.  So once this episode is over you should ask your doctor how to prevent future stones.