Aa
I need help and i need an answer
ok so im a 18 year old male from ohio. ive had pains in my right side right under my rib cage for 6 years now. ive had CT scans, MRI's, and all every other test i can think of and they keep telling me that there is nothing wrong with but i know there is. then last year i found that i had blood in my urine. they say that i either had a urinary track infection or i was having kidney stones. so please tell me could these 2 things be related somehow. and most importantly im really worried and want an awswer to my first problem i mentioned. i have this pain about 2 times a week roughly. sometimes its dull then other times it brings you to your knees and brings you to tears it hurts so bad. so please can someone help me and hopefully have an idea of whats wrong with me
DAILY life wouldn't necessarily be any different... It'd just be different when you get stones and have to pass them at home with pain medication, or go into the ER and get admitted to the hospital because you made a stone that's too big to spontaneously pass and they have to go in and remove it ureteroscopically.
i no you werent saying thats whats wrong with me just wondered if that happens to be it what would daily life be
*Keep in mind that I'm not saying that you necessarily HAVE what I described above (Cystinuria & PKD)...
Unfortunately, Cystinuria is a genetic disorder and no amount of dietary restrictions, changes, etc. will have an effect to the positive. It's manageable with some types of medications, but the side-effects of those medications can be harsh. Intaking large amounts of fluids (ie: 4-5L of water daily and throughout the night) will help to slow down the formation of Cystine stones, but besides that, you just have to deal with the stones as they present themselves. I find myself in the ER at least once, sometimes twice, a month (and sometimes more than that). It's fairly debilitating when you have one passing, but once they're passed, it's like it never happened.
Live a completely normal life? I measure my life in "Time since my last kidney-stone & ER visit" segments, so to answer your question... No, a 'completely normal life', as you put it, isn't possible when you have chronic kidney-stones.
Go and see a Urologist.
Unfortunately, Cystinuria is a genetic disorder and no amount of dietary restrictions, changes, etc. will have an effect to the positive. It's manageable with some types of medications, but the side-effects of those medications can be harsh. Intaking large amounts of fluids (ie: 4-5L of water daily and throughout the night) will help to slow down the formation of Cystine stones, but besides that, you just have to deal with the stones as they present themselves. I find myself in the ER at least once, sometimes twice, a month (and sometimes more than that). It's fairly debilitating when you have one passing, but once they're passed, it's like it never happened.
Live a completely normal life? I measure my life in "Time since my last kidney-stone & ER visit" segments, so to answer your question... No, a 'completely normal life', as you put it, isn't possible when you have chronic kidney-stones.
Go and see a Urologist.
then i have a question for you. do you have an restrictions with that or are you able to live a completely normal life? like be able to do whatever you want. or are there somethings they tell you that you shouldnt do because of this condition
You should go and see a Urologist, my friend.
I have a chronic condition (Cystinuria) and make kidney-stones like nobody's business, and what you describe above sounds a lot like kidney-stone pain. However, cystine kidney-stones won't show up on an MRI, a KUB and take a trained-eye to see on a CT.
If indeed you feel like you have a kidney-stone, yet they scan you reputedly and nothing shows up, they could be of the cystine variety, although if they are, you're joining an elite group as cystine kidney-stones are pretty rare.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) also causes a substantial amount of pain, although a little different than what you've described above. Also, PKD shows up on MRI and a Radiologist would have to be a complete moron to miss that particular diagnosis (but stranger things have happened, so it's worth throwing it out there in case they had one eye closed when they were reading your scans).
Not trying to scare you, my friend... just tossing out some ideas for you to throw at your Urologist (go and see one if you haven't already!).
I have a chronic condition (Cystinuria) and make kidney-stones like nobody's business, and what you describe above sounds a lot like kidney-stone pain. However, cystine kidney-stones won't show up on an MRI, a KUB and take a trained-eye to see on a CT.
If indeed you feel like you have a kidney-stone, yet they scan you reputedly and nothing shows up, they could be of the cystine variety, although if they are, you're joining an elite group as cystine kidney-stones are pretty rare.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) also causes a substantial amount of pain, although a little different than what you've described above. Also, PKD shows up on MRI and a Radiologist would have to be a complete moron to miss that particular diagnosis (but stranger things have happened, so it's worth throwing it out there in case they had one eye closed when they were reading your scans).
Not trying to scare you, my friend... just tossing out some ideas for you to throw at your Urologist (go and see one if you haven't already!).
thanks for the input. just wish i had an answer you know. see if its something dangerous or not. then see if im still able to be in the army after they have found out what it is
Obviously Star 1985 had a detailed answer to many of your questions. In my own
life because of various complicated symptoms it took a great deal of time and elimination to learn that we were actually treating multiple not just one issue. I say this because often
we may think all the symptoms are related and they may or may not be. It could be kidney...,if they have not already done a IVP to eliminate any obstruction issues, you should have one done. That said only about 75% of stones show on standard tests. I have MSK and hundreds of small stones, many of us have had tests done and be told NO stones,. only to pass one a few days or week later. Uric Acid stones esp. do not always show on standard tests.
All of that said, with the location of the pain and increase pain after eating, I think you need to rule out the possiblity of a gall bladder issues etc.
As far as the military goes..., I would postpone your enlistment till this is resolved. My son is in the Army and has served in Iraq as well. Basic is NO place to be suffering from pain esp. kidney pain issues nor are the tours over seas we are currently sending our men too. The heat could really increase your problems, too! Try learn all you can resolve what is causing your pain ect. then you can ship out....,
I wish you all the best and hope you find solutions quickly!!
Shelly
life because of various complicated symptoms it took a great deal of time and elimination to learn that we were actually treating multiple not just one issue. I say this because often
we may think all the symptoms are related and they may or may not be. It could be kidney...,if they have not already done a IVP to eliminate any obstruction issues, you should have one done. That said only about 75% of stones show on standard tests. I have MSK and hundreds of small stones, many of us have had tests done and be told NO stones,. only to pass one a few days or week later. Uric Acid stones esp. do not always show on standard tests.
All of that said, with the location of the pain and increase pain after eating, I think you need to rule out the possiblity of a gall bladder issues etc.
As far as the military goes..., I would postpone your enlistment till this is resolved. My son is in the Army and has served in Iraq as well. Basic is NO place to be suffering from pain esp. kidney pain issues nor are the tours over seas we are currently sending our men too. The heat could really increase your problems, too! Try learn all you can resolve what is causing your pain ect. then you can ship out....,
I wish you all the best and hope you find solutions quickly!!
Shelly
they did not see anything on my CT scans. they just said oh well you prolly already passed them if u did have a kidney stone. but thats the thing the pain never went away if i had already passed them. yes its under my right rib cage each time. it does seem to hurt a little worse after meals. they last for about a day unless i take some pain medicines. it seems when i have the really bad pains that if i take pain medicines and also keep PRESSURE on my side it goes away for a little while then comes back. i have no idea why keeping pressure on my side would help the pain but it does help greatly. also i should mention that once in awhile it burns to pee and a little more often then that it just hurts to pee. and yes also back pain is also a problem. I have gone to a urology physician and he said he just assumed it was a urinary track infection and gave me medicination to treat that about a year ago. since then that hasnt help me at all. to be honest the urology physician that i went to didnt seem to be the brightest guy in the bunch if you know what i mean. i am extremely worried and wish i had an answer because im in the US army and about to ship out to basic soon. so i wish i knew what it was so i could know if it would disqualify me from joining the military or not. or if that it would be dangerous to go through the vigorous basic training. could it make my situation worse. just questions like that i wish i had answers to. i had a friend about a year ago at the age of 20 years old die from a undignosed hernia. so after that it made me wake up and really try to find out answers to whats going on with my body but nobody ive talked to can for sure tell me whats wrong with me. just worries me. hopefully you guys can help me
Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your narrative. According to what you said, I have a few questions to ask you: under what circumstances you can feel the pains in your right side right under your rib cage each time? Before meals or after meals? Be angry or after exposure to cold? How long did your symptoms last each time? What can you ease the situation? There are many reasons for blood in the urine (hematuria), but the urinary system diseases is the main cause, such as tuberculosis, nephritis, urinary tract infections, urinary tract stones, urinary tract tumors. Have you ever had a history of glomerulonephritis? Do you have symptoms of dysuria, frequent urination? I think you need further examination to diagnosis, such as kidney B ultrasonic. You asked about the relationship between kidney stones and urinary tract infections. In fact, the formation of kidney stones and urinary great links, in the continuous development of kidney stones, it is prone to urinary tract infections. If fever, back pain, pus in urine appears, it could be urinary tract infection. Recently, your symptoms increased and attacked frequently, you are recommended to see the urology physicians. In your daily life, please drink plenty of water, do more exercise. Hope you get better as soon as possible.
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