Kidney Stones and what my Urologist said....

[Oaktree]

The surgery was not pleaseant; it took a week in the hospital and nearly a month off work before I was halfway normal again. The pain was horrendous; the closest thing I can compare it to was shingles...but shingles was not as intense, just constant.
That has been 50 or so years ago, and no hemorrhoids since...and yeah, it was worth it, mainly because I had no choice.

My experience wasn't quite as bad as yours, but still not high on the list of things I'd want to do again. I'd been to the doctor a couple times prior, and was told "it's just a couple hemorrhoids" like it was no big deal. Until the time one started bleeding and I had a helluva time getting it to stop. Different doctor, took one look and scheduled surgery for the next day. Very sore afterwards, worst moment was the first time I had to "go"...felt like I was passing a watermelon, turned out to be about the size of a meatball. I'd say I was more or less back to normal within a week or so. This was in the early 90s, haven't had a recurrence.

As far as kidney stones, any I've had were fairly minor and apparently dissolved by themselves. Rather unpleasant couple days before that happened though...more of a strong, dull ache than a sharp pain though.

 

[bridge4]

Thanks for the info guys! Luckily I've at least never had the kidney stones, brother had them a lot in highschool/college but I think it was a hydration issue like most on here are stating.

 

[RSKY]

Several years ago my father in law started having kidney stones about once a month. Doctor joked with him that he could retire on what he was making treating FIL for the stones. He had always had one or two a year but it got to be at least one a month. They kept the stones and sent them off to, and this is from memory, an Army hospital in D.C. who reported back that the stones were calcium based and from his parathyroid. So the doctor and another surgeon operated on him for that. Again this is from memory more than twenty years ago, but they ended up cutting him from below his right ear across the front of his neck to below his left ear. The parathyroid is a small thin organ about the size of your thumbnail. His had grown huge. Doctors removed about 90% of the organ. After recovery he had one or two stones a month for a few months, then skipped a month, then two months, then one stone in six months. A couple years later he was kidney stone freee and never had another.

The scar from the surgery was visible if you knew where to look and my daughters called him "Granddaddy Cutthroat" for a long time after that.

RSKY

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My experience wasn't quite as bad as yours, but still not high on the list of things I'd want to do again. I'd been to the doctor a couple times prior, and was told "it's just a couple hemorrhoids" like it was no big deal. Until the time one started bleeding and I had a helluva time getting it to stop. Different doctor, took one look and scheduled surgery for the next day. Very sore afterwards, worst moment was the first time I had to "go"...felt like I was passing a watermelon, turned out to be about the size of a meatball. I'd say I was more or less back to normal within a week or so. This was in the early 90s, haven't had a recurrence.

As far as kidney stones, any I've had were fairly minor and apparently dissolved by themselves. Rather unpleasant couple days before that happened though...more of a strong, dull ache than a sharp pain though.

Yeah, a watermelon wrapped in barbed wire...but I think he removed part of my colon to make sure he got all the gangrene.

One of my older co-workers, who had a hemorrhoid problem, had his looked at...he said the doctor put rubber bands around his; they died and dropped off and he didn't have a problem any more. Sounded a bit simplistic to me, but I didn't ask any questions.

 

[ultrarunner]

Diet must play a part as least some of the time?

Maybe someone can answer this?

I use to buy and rehab homes…

Twice, homes purchased from alcoholics the toilet had such a buildup it was like chiseling stone.

It was not the water because I lived on the same street both times.

The only variable I could see is both were heavy drinkers and not talking about beer and wine.

It got me thinking if this is what urine does this to a new toilet over a couple of years what must it be doing to a person’s body…?

One had kidney stone problems.

Week long soakings with CLR got most of it… today the toilets are like new… I don’t drink.

Any ideas?

 

[Oaktree]

The only variable I could see is both were heavy drinkers and not talking about beer and wine.

It got me thinking if this is what urine does this to a new toilet over a couple of years what must it be doing to a person’s body…?

One had kidney stone problems.

Week long soakings with CLR got most of it… today the toilets are like new… I don’t drink.

Any ideas?

No idea, other than the likelihood that if someone's a heavy drinker the rest of their diet wasn't probably much healthier. Never seen a buildup in a toilet like you describe. Maybe they never cleaned it either?

Hard liquor has never agreed with me, and what little alcohol I've drunk over the years has been mostly beer.

 

[orezok]

Hemoroids!

I used to have them with all the usual symptoms for years. We bought a Bidet seat and they completely shrank and no further issue.

YMMV

 

[rontaki]

Hemoroids!

I used to have them with all the usual symptoms for years. We bought a Bidet seat and they completely shrank and no further issue.

YMMV

Don't have hemorrhoids, do have a bidet with heated water jet, seat and blow-dry fan. Its great!

 

[Torvy]

Wife got one of those in the new place. I hate it. It sits up too high.

I use the guest bath unless we have company.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

My BIL is a 'stone' producer. From what I have gleaned, it is partly genetic, partly diet related. He was a pretty active guy, not overweight or anything. The 'experts' say to drink more fluid, reduce salt, add lemon/lime to water. If you are prone to them, also be careful of foods like spinach, meats and such.

Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be a problem in my bloodline. I mostly drink water anyway. Usually 1 glass of unsweet tea a day. Maybe a Diet/Zero Mt. Dew instead. (My version of morning coffee). After that, almost exclusively tap water.

I like green tea OK, but it's a rare option. Usually English or Irish Breakfast tea brewed, then poured over ice.

Best of luck to those who are prone. I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

Good advice. Drink lots of water. If your urine turns dark yellow, you are making stones in your kidneys. Drink lots of water.

 

[California]

Kidney stones? BTDT. First time nothing worked to end the pain so they were surgically removed. I have a 11 inch scar across my belly. Surgeon said that was because he needed to get both hands in and up by my spine where the kidneys are.

Then subsequently, at intervals of a few years. Severe pain. In one case to the point that I was in the ER doped so stupid that I told the doc I am experiencing intense psychedelic stuff and the pain is still overwhelming. Somebody get me a teddy bear or something. This episode was a few hours after lithotripsy, the non-invasive shattering of stones by low frequency vibration. Apparently that treatment transformed a couple of stones too big to leave the kidney, into many medium size sharp chunks. Kaiser no longer uses lithotripsy.

My doc advised me in addition to lots of water, to always drink lemonade as a regular part of my diet. This mostly solved the problem because lemonade dissolves the sharp calcium spikes that make it so difficult to get a stone to move from the kidney down to the bladder. Now I can feel it move, but just discomfort, not the severe pain.

A friend recommends Chanca Piedra (stonebreaker in Spanish), a tea. Like lemonade, it apparently rounds off snowflake-type stones to smooth, so they can pass with just discomfort. I've reached for this a few times in the past several years when I felt a twinge. It worked as intended. Just a tickle. Recommended.

 

[Thomas]

Had them that was slow punishment.

 

[John0829]

Yep, kidney stone pain is the one pain that for me NOTHING would dull