25 years
Hey doctors...I discovered yesterday (through a medical echo) that I have kidney stone (5mm)...which went out of the kidney to the path...drinking more water really causes more pain? Or is recommended
Aug 1, 2014
Once a stone exists the kidney, it goes into the renal pelvis (the zone that connects the kidney to the ureter, which is the tube that goes down into the bladder) then into the ureter. Pain is produced when the ureter contracts in an attempt to propel the stone downward and out. Drinking water will help the ureter in this process, and you need the extra fluids to get the stone out. Otherwise the stone may cause obstruction of the ureter, resulting in renal colic (severe intermittent pain in the flank, radiating to the lower abdomen, associated with nausea and vomiting). So drink the stone out!
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A 5 mm stone have a chance to pass on its own in a percentage of about 40 to 85% depending on the stone position in the ureter (the passage between the kidney and the bladder): if the stone is more close to the kidney, the chance that it may pass alone decreases.
Drinking more water doesn't have any role in stone passage. It can only increase the pain frequency and intensity (because the kidney will be more distended).
So I encourage you NOT to force drinking water, especially when you are in pain.
In contrast, there are multiple drugs that could help you extracting the stone spontaneously: this is called MET (medical expulsive therapy).
I encourage you to visit a urologist to prescribe you the proper treatment.
With this treatment, and if there is no particular problems (excessive pain, fever, renal problem ...), we can even wait 6 weeks on a stone to pass on its own.
Drinking more water doesn't have any role in stone passage. It can only increase the pain frequency and intensity (because the kidney will be more distended).
So I encourage you NOT to force drinking water, especially when you are in pain.
In contrast, there are multiple drugs that could help you extracting the stone spontaneously: this is called MET (medical expulsive therapy).
I encourage you to visit a urologist to prescribe you the proper treatment.
With this treatment, and if there is no particular problems (excessive pain, fever, renal problem ...), we can even wait 6 weeks on a stone to pass on its own.
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