I knew it was coming - Kidney Stones

tinger12
tinger12 Posts: 62 Member
edited December 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I knew it was going to be just a matter of time before I experienced yet another passing Kidney stone. Tuesday afternoon the pain hit out of nowhere. And as before with me it was excruciating. I haven't had a stone issue in seven years. This was my 5th in 12 years. I know it may not seem like many for some, but to me it is a painful reminder of who I am. My stones are calcium based and come about during times of weight loss attempts. This time it waited for 6 months and 85+ pounds before one decided to leave the nest and put me through torture.

Every other stone I have passed has required a hospital stay due to the pain. It generally causes me to come near passing out. This was no different. It took almost three days of heavy IV fluid intake, morphine, and being in a hospital again to get it through. Even though it was only 4mm I was expecting a nasty pass. Luckily it broke up as it left my body.

So what has this got to do with diet? For me quite a bit. Each time I have passed a stone it has been during a time of major diet change. The first three were within months of my bypass surgery where I was on a very low fat diet (15 years ago). The fourth was again during a period of weight loss/diet change (again low fat). This time it was again after a major change in diet, but I was not following any restrictive type of diet beyond calorie intake. I was hoping to avoid the low fat diet/kidney stone pattern I had experienced previously. And yes I drink plenty of fluids. I've been living that routine since the first one I experienced.

I lost, my body won. The doctor said my stone was calcium based and that from my history it appears it could be genetic, not diet related as far as he could tell. I am heading in for full urinary testing in a couple weeks to see what my body is producing.

Just wanted to pass my story as there seems to be a common thread with my development of kidney stones and a change in my diet that others may have experienced.

Replies

  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    I take care of someone who has recurrent stones and has had high blood calcium. She does not drink her fluids properly and also eats way too much calcium in the form of dairy products, cereals and such. Her doctor also told us not to give her soda anymore as it exacerbates it. I guess like anything else there are diet based cases and ones that can't be avoided.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Ohh I am so sorry. All my sympathy. I had 2 small stones in 1998 and I have no idea if they dissolved or passed... they were BB sized. Increase water intake and don't go crazy with calcium supplements. Sodas are bad for that as the other person mentioned. I hope this won't keep happening to you; it's so awful.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    What an ordeal! Does the doc recommend that you eat more fat? Are you in the South -- part of the country that tends to get more kidney stones? Congrats on your weight loss. <3 Think of yourself as a winner. :):)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    How rapid weight loss are we talking? In the morbidly obese anything above 3.3lbs per week results in stones for the vast majority ...I seem to recall from the study I read it was over 70%
  • tinger12
    tinger12 Posts: 62 Member
    I have no recommendation yet as I haven't had the tests. In a couple weeks I may know more. No, I am from the Upper Midwest but currently reside in the Southwest so I don't believe that will apply to me.

    I don't take calcium supplements or any supplements for that matter. As for pop (man I hate the word SODA! LOL), yes I drink plenty of it and have for years. The Phosphoric Acid in colas are mentioned as a possible trigger for some. Again, it may be the case with me but I am not going to make changes until I get results from the tests and the recommendation of the Urologist.

    I realize there can be many reasons for kidney stones and diet can be a factor for some. I'm just not going to jump to conclusions or some bandwagon without medical tests. Heck, maybe it is because I eat too much spinach or ham. We'll see soon
  • tinger12
    tinger12 Posts: 62 Member
    edited December 2015
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    How rapid weight loss are we talking? In the morbidly obese anything above 3.3lbs per week results in stones for the vast majority ...I seem to recall from the study I read it was over 70%

    I am quite obese and have been losing about 3-4 pounds per week. From what all the doctors I have discussed my issue, none of them mentioned that my weight loss is not out of range for someone my size (6'2" currently 455 lbs). However, it may be an issue, we shall see.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    tinger12 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    How rapid weight loss are we talking? In the morbidly obese anything above 3.3lbs per week results in stones for the vast majority ...I seem to recall from the study I read it was over 70%

    I am quite obese and have been losing about 3-4 pounds per week. From what all the doctors I have discussed my issue, none of them mentioned that my weight loss is out of range for someone my size (6'2" currently 455 lbs). However, it may be an issue, we shall see.

    It is well known that rapid weight loss causes gallstones ...but your med team might feel that outweighs other risks of obesity ...perhaps something you should discuss with them
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Should read: Treatment and Prevention of Kidney Stones:

    http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/1201/p1234.html

    Talk to your doctor on dietary modifications, nutritional supplements, and medications that can help with chronic kidney stones.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    Do you change your water intake during these diet changes?

    When I travel, I get dehydrated and the when I reintroduce adequate water I am very prone to passing kidney stones.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    @rabbitjb - kidney stones, gall stones. Different stones.

    In my post-bariatric support group there are members who have suffered both sorts of stones. Adequate hydration is the first thing to watch for but it sounds like this has been covered.

    If it were me I'd do a five year experiment eliminating sodas pop and limiting dairy. It sounds like kidney stones are memorable.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    I have no advice for you but having had one, I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. :( So sorry!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    @rabbitjb - kidney stones, gall stones. Different stones.

    In my post-bariatric support group there are members who have suffered both sorts of stones. Adequate hydration is the first thing to watch for but it sounds like this has been covered.

    If it were me I'd do a five year experiment eliminating sodas pop and limiting dairy. It sounds like kidney stones are memorable.

    Whoops ..you're quite right ...sorry :)
  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
    I've had 4 or 5 of them. All from the same kidney. All calcium oxalate stones. A couple were tiny one about 4mm...and one about 8-9mm. That one did a lot of damage and since I'd passed the others on my own and I have a really high ER copay I thought I could handle it. I had lacerations in my kidney and it tore and collapsed my ureter. So not fun.

    In my case they are genetic and diet based....my dad gets them.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    No brainier. You need to cut out soda pop, and you need magnesium. Take magnesium citrate twice a day, morning and night. Say goodbye to stones! ;)
  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
    A couple of years ago I lost about 25 lbs in a period of five months. I wound up with a huge kidney stone (22mm) and had to have 5 separate day surgeries to finally blast that sucker out! My stone was a uric stone. The urologist said it is fairly common when people go all out on a low fat/high protein diet.

    My body goes crazy when it goes through any type of change as well. I got my first kidney stone when I became pregnant with my first daughter. The hormone levels caused one of my parathyroids to go into overdrive and even though my calcium levels were fine , the parathyroid was producing too much PTH because it thought my calcium was low. The result was that it was taking calcium from my bones, my blood calcium levels were way too high and the extra calcium started forming stones. I passed 12 stones before my PCP took it seriously and referred me to a urologist. The day after my urologist appt. I was having major kidney surgery because 90% of my kidney was blocked with stone and sludge.

    This last time I started losing weight, my liver and kidney enzyme tests were awful and I had to tweak some things to help get them leveled out.

    cindytw wrote: »
    I take care of someone who has recurrent stones and has had high blood calcium. She does not drink her fluids properly and also eats way too much calcium in the form of dairy products, cereals and such. Her doctor also told us not to give her soda anymore as it exacerbates it. I guess like anything else there are diet based cases and ones that can't be avoided.

    Have they checked her PTH levels?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    I also have kidney stones, and I've been told that I will continue to have kidney stones for the rest of my life. It is not related to diet ... my body just produces them. In fact, there's an almost 100% chance I have some now.

    My first one was really bad ... 10 mm long and it got stuck. I couldn't pass it so surgery was required to remove it. I have never experienced anything as painful as that.

    The rest have been smaller ... 2 or 3 mm ... and they pass with moderate pain. My most recent one of any size had me aching in the kidney area, and then around front (I could track its progress) for a couple weeks before it finally went on its way.

    But I could potentially develop another big one again.

    However, I have been advised to hydrate, as the main thing. 2-3 litres a day .... lots and lots and lots of water. I used to drink diet coke almost exclusively. Now it makes up less than half of my liquid intake, and water features much more prominently.

    I have also been told to avoid things like cranberry juice and red meat.



  • sonyaruns
    sonyaruns Posts: 24 Member
    I would also recommend looking at your blood calcium levels - as mentioned earlier a problem with your parathyroid can cause all kinds of issues
  • scorpcookie
    scorpcookie Posts: 113 Member
    I passed a kidney stone a couple years ago and I'm certain I will probably pass another one again in the near future. Can't say it's a pleasant experience, especially when bed ridden for an entire week, shifting in every position possible to try and get some relief. The only comfort I ever truly found was taking warm baths, that was the only thing that really soothed the pain, even more than the morphine pills they had given me.

    When I started working out again I had some lower back pain and I wasn't sure if it was signs of a new stone developing or just muscle ache. So I went and saw my doctor where they took a sample, fortunately things came back great, but now I always have doubts in my head whether or not any discomfort I feel in my back is muscle ache or kidney stones, or perhaps even gallstones since I am losing weight, even if it's not at an extreme rate.

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