So I have at least 10-12 kidney stones right now...?

Question

So I am a 23 year old woman and am currently halfway through my Peace Corps service (meaning I have been here a little over a year and have just under a year left) I found out about 8 months ago that I have a very large number of kidney stones. I found myself in agonizing pain one morning and called my doctor and they came and got me and admitted me into a hospital overnight in the capital and then had me stay there and ran a bunch of tests for a week. Well, the ultrasound showed many many stones. However, they stopped hurting completely after about 2 days and I never passed anything (that I saw anyway - I suppose one may have broke up and passed unnoticed). They figure from th urinalysis that they are the calcium oxalate kind although they said they couldn't be sure because I didnt pass a stone for them to analyze.

I had a follow-up ultrasound in April and they found either 10 or 12 (I forget now which) and then the ultrasound technician quit looking, said that was sufficient to prove they were still present, and sent me on my way. At that time my largest ones were about 7mm in diameter and I had several that were 5mm, 4mm, 3mm, etc... Well, that was the last I have heard about them... Obviously the Peace Corps is not going to pay for any sort of "unnecessary" procedure for me to get rid of them if they are not hurting me constantly or causing other problems but I feel kind of like a ticking time bomb. I know I have about a dozen (or more) little stones sitting in my kidneys (I have them in both) and I kind of question what my doctors back home would be suggesting at this point... I figure it is only a matter of time before one of them decides to move and I am once again in excruciating pain.

So, for my question: For any of you who are doctors or for any of you who are in or have been in my position, what are the normal recommendations at this point? My doctors have pretty much told me to drink at least 2 liters of water a day and avoid foods with high oxalate (which is virtually impossible where I am at because one of the main foods eaten here is tomatoes). That is all they have said though... Any help is welcome :)

Answer 1

Im not a doctor, just an ordinary person.

I also have kidney stones. I have huge chunks stuck in my left kidney.

I also have smaller ones. One of them moved to my bladder and has grown to the size of a golfball. No joke. I had one surgery two weeks ago and need more surgery to remove the other half. The urologist has told me that kidney stones are a tricky unpredictable proposition. Sometimes they will pass on their own. Sometimes they will come out in your urine. Sometimes they wont and have to be surgically removed.

Sometimes they will cause agonizing pain and kidney/bladder blockages, sometimes they can go totally unnoticed. Some people get infections from them, others dont.

Every human body has a different reaction. The best and only thing you can do at this point is get yourself hooked up with a highly qualified urologist who can monitor the situation for you and will be there for you if you need any kind of treatment. A urologist is the only kind of Doctor that can handle your situation. You should drink plenty of fluids, rest when needed etc. Good luck.

Answer 2

In most situations if the kidney stones are not causing any problems the treatment would be exactly what you have been told.  You would be monitored.  Other measures might be taken if they caused problems.  These links may help you.

http://health.yahoo.com/urinary-overview...

http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/kidne...

http://www.disability.vic.gov.au/dsonlin...