Ureteral stenting



Definition

A ureteral stent is a thin, flexible tube threaded into the ureter to help urine drain from the kidney to the bladder or to an external collection system.


Purpose

Urine is normally carried from the kidneys to the bladder via a pair of long, narrow tubes called ureters (each kidney is connected to one ureter). A ureter may become obstructed as a result of a number of conditions including kidney stones, tumors, blood clots, postsurgical swelling, or infection. A ureteral stent is placed in the ureter to restore the flow of urine to the bladder. Ureteral stents may be used in patients with active kidney infection or with diseased bladders (e.g., as a result of cancer or radiation therapy). Alternatively, ureteral stents may be used during or after urinary tract surgical procedures to provide a mold around which healing can occur, to divert the urinary flow away from areas of leakage, to manipulate kidney stones or prevent stone migration prior to treatment, or to make the ureters more easily identifiable during difficult surgical procedures. The stent may remain in place on a short-term (days to weeks) or long-term (weeks to months) basis.


Demographics

Chronic blockage of a ureter affects approximately five individuals out of every 1,000; acute blockage affects one out of every 1,000. Bilateral obstruction (blockage to both ureters) is more rare; chronic blockage affects one individual per 1,000 people, and acute blockage affects five per 10,000.


Description

The size, shape, and material of the ureteral stent to be used depends on the patient's anatomy and the reason why the stent is required. Most stents are 5–12 inches (12–30 cm) in length, and have a diameter of 0.06–0.2 inches (1.5–6 mm). One or both ends of the stent may be coiled (called a pigtail stent) to prevent it from moving out of place; an open-ended stent is better suited for patients who require temporary drainage. In some instances, one end of the stent has a thread attached to it that extends through the bladder and urethra to the outside of the body; this aids in stent removal. The stent material must be flexible, durable, non-reactive, and radiopaque (visible on an x ray).

The patient is usually placed under general anesthesia for stent insertion; this ensures the physician that the patient will remain relaxed and will not move during the procedure. A cystoscope (a thin, telescope-like instrument) is inserted into the urethra to the bladder, and the opening to the ureter to be stented is identified. In some instances, a guide wire is inserted into the ureter under the aid of a fluoroscope (an imaging device that uses x rays to visualize structures on a fluorescent screen). The guide wire provides a path for the placement of the stent, which is advanced over the wire. Once the stent is in place, the guide wire and cystoscope are removed. Patients who fail this method of ureteral stenting may have the stent placed percutaneously (through the skin), into the kidney, and subsequently into the ureter.

A stent that has an attached thread may be pulled out by a physician in an office setting. Cystoscopy may also be used to remove a stent.


Diagnosis/Preparation

A number of different technologies aid in the diagnosis of ureteral obstruction. These include:

Prior to ureteral stenting, the procedure should be thoroughly explained by a medical professional. No food or drink is permitted after midnight the night before surgery. The patient wears a hospital gown during the procedure. If the stent insertion is performed with the aid of a cystoscope, the patient will assume a position that is typically used in a gynecological exam (lying on the back, with the legs flexed and supported by stirrups).

Aftercare

Stents must be periodically replaced to prevent fractures within the catheter wall or build-up of encrustation. Stent replacement is recommended approximately every six months; more often in patients who form stones.


Risks

Complications associated with ureteral stenting include:

Normal results

Normally, a ureteral stent re-establishes the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder. Postoperative urine flow will be monitored to ensure the stent has not been dislodged or obstructed.


Morbidity and mortality rates

Serious complications occur in approximately 4% of patients undergoing ureteral stenting, with minor complications in another 10%.

Alternatives

If a ureter is obstructed and ureteral stenting is not possible, a nephrostomy may be performed. During this procedure, a tube is placed through the skin on the patient's back, into the area of the kidney that collects urine. The tube may be connected to an external drainage bag. In other cases, the tube is connected directly from the kidney to the bladder.


Resources

books

Su, Li-Ming & R. Ernest Sosa. "Ureteroscopy and Retrograde Ureteral Access." (Chapter 97) In Campbell's Urology, 8th ed., edited by Patrick C. Walsh. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science, 2002.

organizations

American Urological Association. 1120 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. (410) 727-1100. http://www.auanet.org .

other

"Extrinsic Obstruction of the Ureter." UrologyHealth.org . [cited May 19, 2003] http://www.urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=01&topic=93 .

Sutherland, Suzette E. and Martin I. Resnick. "Urinary Tract Obstruction." eMedicine. May 6, 2002 [cited May 19, 2003] http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2782.htm .

Kathleen D. Wright, R.N. Stephanie Dionne Sherk

WHO PERFORMS THE PROCEDURE AND WHERE IS IT PERFORMED?



Ureteral stenting is typically performed in a hospital by an interventional radiologist (a physician who specializes in the treatment of medical disorders using specialized imaging techniques) or a urologist (a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and genital organs).

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR



User Contributions:

1
Janet
Can i change the physician who place the stent? to a different physician.
2
Naleni T. Maharaj
My sisterinlaw had a stent put in to help pass a kidney stone. She wanted to know how long she could keep the stent in and if it could cause any complications. I found this article very easy to understand and informative.
3
Kipp
I currently have a ureteral stent which was placed 4 days ago. This was placed secondary to having a stone lodged in my distal ureter for 2 weeks and the ureter became inflamed. I had this same procedure 10 years ago but I forgot about the pain associated with the stent. I have had a lot of red blood passing and just Today it has begun to clear. However the severe renal colic associated with the stent and while starting and stopping my stream are still present. I get my stent removed on Wednesday and that portion I remember WELL! I don't look forward to this but I have been assured by my urologist that to remove the stone and chance the actual (obstruction) which is now the inflamed ureter, that the severe agonizing pain of the stone would remain the same without stenting and assuring an outflow for the urine.
Wish me luck I hope to give a stellar report post removal! PS I have tried heat, ice, major pain meds and muscle relaxers! I believe the muscle relaxer worked the best. In my situation I believe the pain/ colic in my kidney and ureter that I have now are muscle spasms as they are very sharp and very frequent pre and post void.
4
Fladmir
From my work on the role of uretral stenting in obstrective uropathy ,I found that extra luminal obstruction cause more failure in the managment of obstructive uropathy by DJS.
5
Frances
My husband was diagnosed with a Kidney stone on 12/12/07. He underwent a cystoscopy and had a stent placed all the way up to his kidney because the kidney stone was so large and was blocking urine passage from the kidney to the bladder. Then the following week he underwent major surgery on 12/19/07 to remove the stone and the first stent. The zone was blasted by laser while the stent was removed and another stent was inserted. On 12/24/07 he got the stent removed. The doctor told him that there will be followup in March. About twenty hours later he woke up with pain in his left side the location where the stone and stent were except that he was able to go to the bathroom and was doing things. He took a painkiller and he was fine all day. Then at the same time today he had the same pain and took another painkiller. Does anybody have any idea what is going on. Please let me know.

Thank you
6
Tammy
I am 34 years old and started getting kidney stones in Sept. of 2006. Recently since Oct. 31, 2007 I have had 4. 3 in my left kidney and one in my right. It was recommended that I get a stent in my left kidney. I was told there would be discomfort....that is a lie...this is extreme pain! I would honestly take 10 kindey stones to one stent! Does someone know if the pain ever stops? I called my doctor and all he said was take more pain meds and drink water. Yeah I am doing all of that but it's not working! Please help!
7
Graham
I had a stent put in a week ago. I can tell you the pain I have in everytime I urinate has never gone away. I feel a severe pain in my kidney area everytime. Its uncomfortable walking at times. I am due to have my stent removed on Tues. 10 days after it was put in. I am really nervous about getting it removed because the doc said he will not put me to sleep. I wish I could of passed the stone then to deal with this uncomfortable stent.
8
Jennifer
I recently was admited to the hospital with flank pain and was sent immediately to the OB department since I was 22 weeks pregnant at the time. After several days of tests and waiting for possible kidney stones to pass I had a ureter stent put in. I had extreme pain after the procedure and now am dealing with taking strong pain meds everyday as well as ditropan, which is suppose to ease the "gotta go" feeling most commonly associated with a UTI. I was told the stent would be left in until after I give birth in July!, but I'm not so sure I can handle the pain during urination, throughout the day, and most often when active. I am also having to deal with weening off of the pain meds which make life possible due to the fact that the baby is in danger of being addicted to the meds. It is a terrible ordeal and I sympathize with anyone that is going through this. On top of it all I am a teacher and being on my feet all day come with the territory. I am now, also, having to decide to go on disability because of the dang thing.
9
Julie
I had a stent inserted in my right ureter due to an 8.5mm stone blocking my urine flow from the kidney. I took meds to help with the discomfort. I was unable to do much for the first nine days but then i was able to resume my normal activities. The more physical activity i did the more blood in my urine. No pain though thanks to the meds. I had the stent in for four weeks and then had my kidney stone lasered and the stent removed. I still get some pain in my kidney nine months later. My urologist told me that because the pain isn't constant i shouldn't worry about it. Am seeing GP tomorrow.
10
NYStone
For those that are having pain with a stent make sure you are taking a bladder relaxant like Deterol(spelling) and Pyridium will help with urine irritation. I had a stent put in 4/21 and had bladder spasms everytime I urinated (every hour). Once I got the bladder spasm pill things were better although I was basically out of work for a week. The Dr. never prescribed the bladder relaxant, I had to ask for it.

My experience has been that the Dr. has not been very infromative and unless I have asked about something specifically, it has not been addressed.

My stone started on 2/14/08. I had Lithotripsy done in March. The Dr. scheduled me for Lithotripsy again in April then told me 2 days before at the checkup that it was too soon to have Litho done again. When I asked why he had scheduled me again for Litho he didn't say anything.

On 4/21 I had the Cysto/Laser/Stent done. My followup appointment is today so we'll see where things go from here.
I'll try to update the forum. Since the procedure on 4/21 I have only passed one fragment.
11
NYStone
Well I had my stent removed at the Dr. Office yesterday afternoon.
That was an experience I'll never forget. The procedure was fairly quick and only about 3 bouts of pain that made me raise up off the table.

About a half hour after the stent was out I started getting cramps like I had when the stent was first in which I believe are bladder spasms.

My wife called the urologist and asked for a detrol order to be phoned to the pharmacy. About an hour latter the nurse from the office called and said the Dr. thinks you'll be fine and isn't going to call the order in. I replied that it was easy for him to say that and hung up.

The next call was to my primary doctor's office and left a message with the answering service. A while later he called back and agreed to call in the order.

I finally got a Detrol LA 4mg capsule around 6:45pm and by 9pm my cramps/spasms where gone.

Moral of the story: Make sure you have a prescription for DETROL LA 4MG when you leave from surgery and when you leave from the stent removal. The PHENAZOPYRID 200MG TAB are good for any irritation of your urinary system so you should be sure to ask for them as well for after your surgery and stent removal.

Because of the arrogance of my FORMER urologist I was in the worst pain of my life from 4:15 to 9:00 pm.

I changed my two month followup appointment to another Dr. in the group today.

Good luck to anybody else who has to go through the procedure.
12
Jerome
I had my ureter stent insertion the other day, April 30 and currently experiencing pain during urination and blood still present in my urine. Is this normal? There is discomfort in my bladder and it seems it is always full. Please Help....
13
Cyd
On March 31, I had a ureteral stent placed in my left kidney because I had a 7mm stone that could not pass. The surgery to place the stent was done under anesthesia. I experienced very bloody urine for the first week and I also experienced the most uncomfortable "tugging" feeling for the entire time the stent was in place. For the first three weeks, I experienced considerable pain voiding which eventually slowed down to just mild discomfort. I did not miss one day's work other than the day of the surgery, but wished I could stay at home and pop Vicodin around the clock. I received lithotrispy (sound waves to break up the stone) two weeks after the stent was in place. This procedure was successful and not painful. My stent was removed on May 6 in my doctor's office. I worried for days about the removal process, but it was not that bad. I was so excited to get the stent out that I would have just about done anything. The procedure took about 3 minutes. It was very uncomfortable even with the area numbed, but it honestly only lasted a couple of minutes. I went back to work within 10 minutes of the procedure and only experienced mild buring when voiding. All is well for now...I just hope I never have this experience again.
14
April
I have an infection in my kidney as well as a 5mm kidney stone lodge in the narrowest part of my urethra. Yesterday I had surgery to remove the stone (which unbelievable had passed the pervious night) and to place a stent so that the infected urine can pass through to the kidneys. The infection is Cipro resistant....


Last night I accidently tugged on the string attached to the stent when wiping, on now it is most difficult to sit. The string is out about 4” now. Could I have dislodged the stent and pulled it into my bladder? I also do not seem to be passing as much urine now.

Yesterday, the pain from the stent was unbelievable. It is not so bad now, but my kidney pain is terrible. I am also nauseous.

I called the dr on duty and he tells me to stop drinking so much fluid… and not to worry about the stent. I do not think I should be feeling a “pokie” pain when I sit down.
15
Judy
I recently had a kidney stone removed and a stent placed. Never in my life have I had so much pain. I have had children, I have had kidney stones in the past, but nothing was as painful as the stent placement. Going into surgery, the dr. told me I would be fine and could go back to work the following day. What a joke!!! The spasms were so bad, that I never got out of recovery for 6 hours after surgery and I was in intense pain for the next 4 days. I had to go back to the dr. for and injection for the pain and the day she removed my stent was as bad as the day she put it in. I did not go back to work for a week. It has now been two days since the removal of the stent and the pain has finally subsided. My mother had this done with no problems. If the Dr. ever told me again I would have to have this done, there is no way. I will never put up with that kind of pain again. I would rather pass the stone ( which was painful, but not as painful as the stent). So beware, they tell you it is nothing and believe me it was something....
16
Kirsty
I was diagnosed with a 7mm kidney stone at 26wks pregnant, a stent was put in an I am told I just have to put up with it unitl after I have this kiddo. I am now 31 wks and have been able to do nothing except lay in bed in pain and go to the toilet in pain. I am unable to do anything except this. As I am pregnant I am limited on the pain relief I am able to take. Has anyone else been in this situation and can offer some advice on how I can deal with it. Also how long after birth was the stone able to be deal with and the stent remove?
THanks
17
Laura
I am 32 weeks pregnant and in so much pain, first because of the kidney stones and now because of the stent. I had one placed on 06-13 and (I know...it's only been three days but) the pain has not eased up. I'll admit, The sharp kidney pain I was having prior to the procedure has been easeed some but now I have a painful pressure feeling on my bladder and lower back all the time. When I do void, it feels like the muscles in my bladder are fighting against me as it hurts so much. It also hurts to just stand straight up and I find myself walking hunched over a bit. My urine is very bloddy. My doctor says all this is normal "discomfort" which I will have to deal with until after the birth of my son. He also prescribed Vicodin but I am really trying to avoid it because of the baby. All I feel I can do right now is take it easy... really easy... and try not to move around to much. I'm drinking tons of water but I was wondering if anyone else has any ideas about how to relieve the pain. I'm also wondering if anyone has any word of wisdom regarding the stent and labor of my child. I'm already scared of the labor pain since this is my first baby and am not sure what to expect with the added stent complications. Any advice? Thanks
18
judy
Laura- All I can tell you is the stent pain is bad, at least it was for me. I missed a week of work. The kidney stone is painful also...believe me...I had 2 children by natural childbirth and one of them weighted 9# and the other 10# and the pain of labor was bad but nothing as bad as the kidney stones or the stent. Rest assured, I think that your labor will be a breeze compared to the pain you are experiencing now...to put it in a different perspective....you are having all this pain for a kidney stone that you don't even want....you are having pain for a child that you want and that child will bring you joy and happiness for the rest of your life...!! Good luck with everything.
19
Jennifer E
Oh Thank God for this web site! I felt that I was the only one on earth going through this brain numbing pain! I just had a stent put in on 6/20/08 and have been miserable every since! I was told that I have a 6.3mm stone that wont pass on its own. This whole ordeal has been "UNGODLY". Now I am afraid to have it removed because I have read everybody else's testimony to having it removed. I go in on 7/11 to have this thing removed, and hopefully I'll have encouraging news to my fellow sufferers!
20
Chris C
Laura-I feel your pain. At 30 weeks pregnant (6/17) I had a stent put in for the 9.5mm stone I have on my right side. Now at 32 weeks, the pain has subsided, EXCEPT if I void too frequently, I feel a pinching/stabbing like pain! I have been put on disability and can hardly get out of bed. I was excited today because I felt okay enough for 15 minutes to run to CVS to pick up more Tylenol! This is my second pregnancy, and child labor is nothing like this...If you can put up with this thing for the next 6 weeks, you'll be able to have a natural childbirth that lasts only hours! Good luck, and Contrats on the baby boy...this is boy season!
21
teresa
Hello all,
This is my 2nd or 3rd stent I have had. They told me I'd have it 14 days and then called and said 4+ weeks, I just cried... they pain has subcided a bit but I am still taking pain killers. I agree these things hurt worse than stones... It is like a pinching pain sometimes.
I have had 5 surgeries since January and I think the worst part is the stent.
I don't remember what the pain was like last time it was removed but I still can't wait to get it out. It is very hard to do much of anything. I had a PNL for a huge stone, then a uretoscopy, then Lithotripsy and because of the scar tissue there was a narrowing in the ureter they had to enlarge. They say I might have to have it again I sure hope not. Good luck everyone
22
Mike
Following two surgeries for stone removal I had stents back to back for a total of 8 weeks. This was not fun. My wife said that my personality changed since I was irritable most of the time due to, what the doctor calls "discomfort". I have another name for it....PAIN. I managed to cope with the use of "daddy's little helpers" (percocet) but it was still very difficult. I felt like I was disabled. Now I know what some people go through who have medical conditions that prevent them from living a normal life. I had the stent removed yesterday and I'm still experiencing cramps but I'm hopeful these will soon go away. By the way, the stent removal was "uncomfortable" but tolerable. The good news, the procedure is realy quick and then it's out... yea !! Here's hoping I never have to have another one.
23
Jennifer
Well I had my stent removed on 7/11 and it wasnt as bad as I really expected it to be. The doctor said that my stone did not pass and matter of fact it went the other way toward my kidney. So since public aid doesnt pay for lithotripsy I just have to wait it out until the stone starts to move again and I go through all that pain again. I really dont know if I can go through all of that again. I am so frustrated. I just dont understand medicaid. Its not like I want a breast reduction! I have a kidney stone that I wont be able to pass on my own(6.3mm). Any suggestions anybody????? Signed, FRUSTRATED
24
Pam
I am a 54 yr. old female who has lost 99% function of my left kidney due to an undiagnosed 10mm stone lodged in my urethral tract (my GP had been treating me for a "stubborn" UTI since January). When I finally insisted they use some hardware to aid in the UTI diagnosis process, they discovered the stone thru ultrasound and CT scan. I have had two laser surgeries, one to break up the stone and remove the fragments, and a second because they didn't retrieve all the fragments the first time. I had no problems with the surgeries, but the stents were actually more painful than the original pain caused by the slow death of my left kidney. I had the second stent removed 4 weeks ago and am still experiencing the same symptoms so insisted on another CT scan. Scan shows 2 stone fragments in the urethral tract and my urologist is stumped because "there are no stones there when I finish the surgery, but after I remove the stent stones appear again". He's especially perplexed because that kidney doesn't even work anymore so it's impossible for it to move stones into the urethral tract. Could these post-surgical stones actually be calcified stent deposits? Could he perhaps remove them and NOT put in a stent and I would be free of this pain? Any advice would be appreciated. I would seek another professional opinion but by all accounts his group is the best in this part of the state and within the group he's considered one of their best (young, Ivy League med school, etc.). I checked credentials and references ad nauseum and even called some former patients. Even if I get no answers, this website helps me to vent because my family is sick of me being a near invalid for something so minor as a kidney stone.
25
Rachael
I had a stent placed in an emergency situation last week. I was told I would feel discomfort - and that some people have a great deal of pain. The urologist told me that some people can go and play a soccer game afterwards. What an a-hole.

I am in excruciating pain and he won't prescribe anything but Detrol, because I am already in pain treatment through the same University hospital system. Even though the pharmacologist told me, and him that I needed something stronger than Vicodin. I live in pain everyday, and I deal with it. Anything on top of the pain is just too much for me to emotionally and physically handle.

It took everything in me to keep myself from crying in front of him. I waited until they brought my car up and then could barely drive through the tears. I've never been so angry in my life that I had to deal with this man's condescension over my pain and need for proper medication.

Anyone who is going in for a stent should be given whatever they need for pain, as a doctor has no way to judge my pain just because "I look better" than before he put the stone in... Duh, I have been sleeping, laying on my porch and put on a little makeup before my appointment.

Angry is the only way to describe my experience. And I have litho scheduled for this coming Tuesday with him. I may refuse surgery if he will not prescribe pain medication that matched my tolerance level. I would rather wait another week and go to someone else in his practice.
26
Rachael
I had a stent placed in an emergency situation last week. I was told I would feel discomfort - and that some people have a great deal of pain. The urologist told me that some people can go and play a soccer game afterwards. What an a-hole.

I am in excruciating pain and he won't prescribe anything but Detrol, because I am already in pain treatment through the same University hospital system. Even though the pharmacologist told me, and him that I needed something stronger than Vicodin. I live in pain everyday, and I deal with it. Anything on top of the pain is just too much for me to emotionally and physically handle.

It took everything in me to keep myself from crying in front of him. I waited until they brought my car up and then could barely drive through the tears. I've never been so angry in my life that I had to deal with this man's condescension over my pain and need for proper medication.

Anyone who is going in for a stent should be given whatever they need for pain, as a doctor has no way to judge my pain just because "I look better" than before he put the stone in... Duh, I have been sleeping, laying on my porch and put on a little makeup before my appointment.

Angry is the only way to describe my experience. And I have litho scheduled for this coming Tuesday with him. I may refuse surgery if he will not prescribe pain medication that matched my tolerance level. I would rather wait another week and go to someone else in his practice.
27
Michelle
On the 13 May i was awoken by a searing agonizing pain in my left kidney area, my partner took me to the godpital and they found on ultrasound that i had a 2cm kidney stone that was stuck in the ureter, considering i was 37 weeks pregnant they did not want to do surgery so i was flown to our major hospital and had a stent put in, after on going for urination it felt like i was passing glass, and have felt like going tot he toilet every 10 mins, and that my bladder is always full. Also am getting severe pain and strong ache in the left kidney, when passing urine and it makes me hold my breath until the pain subsides. Is this normal for me to feel like this. Although i am now booked in to have a PCNL operation on my kidney to remove the stone and HOPEFULLY they can remove the stent as long as it hasn't calcified or attached to the ureter. That happens in 5 days time and i cannot wait.
28
kathy
Wow! I've just read all the entries here. Ditto, Ditto, Ditto!!
Last year they found an 8mm stone on the left and a 14 x 28mm stone on the right. Had 2 lithos done in Jan and one in May. No problems until June, 1st fragment of stone passed, left side, 2nd one followed 3 weeks later. Emergency room visits for both. Love the "cocktails". They wouldn't let me take any home just in case it happened again. Well it did, last week. A stent was put in. Doc said I'd be ready to go to San Deigo on a planned resort vacation after it was done. What a joke! I was in the hopsital for 2 1/2 days. Voiding was uncontrollable at first. Kept the nurses busy, lots of pain, (still lots of pain)sitting still not moving a muscle was great,followed by a continuous (every 4 hours, 24/7) dose of percocet, if you get past the painful bladder spasms and the need to urinate NOW.... RIGHT NOW! ALL THE TIME, and lets not forget the burning at the end of voiding...... I too am a school teacher. walking is a joke, hurts like a large tug of war is going on between the bladder and kidney. Every step I take jars my insides and creates a sharp pain. I feel everyone's frustration AND pain. The removal is painful as well, I was told. Short term sharp pain as it is removed, a few days of aching afterwards. I will be rethinking the stent thing before I allow it to be done again. Surely there is another way. Anyone who can get a Urologist to answer any of these queries, you get the prize! By the way, the people who are having problems with getting pain meds, appropriate pain meds, your Dr. is required and mandated by law to do pain management stuff as part of his patient services. Don't let them treat you otherwise. If you are not happy with the service, don't be afraid to speak up about it.
29
Sarah
I have to have a stent long term as i have a single kidney and my tube is abnormal,i had my first stent under a local via a naphrostomy opening and boy did that hurt,my second was under a general thankully,i have now refused any more OP's under a local..As for pain i have learnt to take regular pain meds plenty of water(no tea coffee or cola as it causes me spasms)and def plenty of rest..Yes it can hurt yes you can bleed and yes you can feel very tired but its so much better than renal faliure...
30
joal
i commiserate with all of the above comments. i had 5 laser surgeries on my right kidney, with stents, and had only minimal pain, used vidocin, and baclofen. last month i had first surgery on left kidney, and dr put 1 stent in left kidney, and 1 in right kidney. for the first 2 weeks, i had pain that was manageable. but for the last 2 weeks, i am losing it. i take detrol, and vicodin, and ibuprophen, and i am miserable. i have abdominal cramps, and bladder spasms, and the lovely peeing every 2 hours, with burning and urethral spasms. i have full confidence in my dr., but he has never had a stent, so is just a little disbelieving that i am suffering so much. my next surgery is sept. 26, and i hope i can take it for that long. good luck to the rest of u, and keep drinking that water, lol.
31
Salinas
I am so glad that I found this website, I have been desperately searching for someplace that I could find other people that have experienced what I am going to go through tomorrow. I have had numerous UTI's for the past 3 years and finally I had a doctor that thought "Hmm, maybe it is time to see a specialist". Urologist found 2 stones in my right kidney. I am scheduled to have the ESWL tomorrow morning with a stent placement as well. Now that I have read all of the horror stories related to having the stent, I don't know if I want to have the stent placed now. Can you turn down the placement of the stent? I sure as hell am leaning towards the refusal. We shall see how happy the uroligist will be tomorrow. I shall keep the forum updated. Wish me luck!!!!
32
kim
Hi, i am a 21 year old female.
after 8 xrays finally got diagnosed with 4mm kidney stone. had op last week to remove kidney stone. woke up and was told kidney stone alot bigger than thought and couldnt be removed so put in a stent instead. not sure what happens to kidney stone? defenetly worst pain experienced in life so far, far far wose than childbirth and alot worse than a kidney stone.

so now, thanks to doctor, i still have kidney stone, got excruciating pain in right kidney again, cant walk properly thanks to pain down below, very constipated, weeing almost constantly what looks like just blood, had an allergic reaction to pain killers, now got an infection in kidney as well. wake up during the night in tears as the pain killers wear off. cant work as i am a child carer and am in no fit state.

my honest advice is try everything else before a stent. it hurts so so much and i will be making sure they put me to sleep when they remove it and i will never have one again if i can choose. i think having a stent should not be a day operation, you should be monitered for a few days in hospital. the service i recieved from nurses was appaling. originally sent home with no painkillers. almost as soon as i woke up they said good bye and now ive had this infection brewing all weekend.

believe me having a kidney stone is bliss compared to stent... especially a kidney stone and stent.

i feel very sorry for anyone going through this while pregnant and unable to take strong painkillers.

drinking water does help!!!....until you have to urinate!
33
kim
Hi, i am a 21 year old female.
after 8 xrays finally got diagnosed with 4mm kidney stone. had op last week to remove kidney stone. woke up and was told kidney stone alot bigger than thought and couldnt be removed so put in a stent instead. not sure what happens to kidney stone? defenetly worst pain experienced in life so far, far far wose than childbirth and alot worse than a kidney stone.

so now, thanks to doctor, i still have kidney stone, got excruciating pain in right kidney again, cant walk properly thanks to pain down below, very constipated, weeing almost constantly what looks like just blood, had an allergic reaction to pain killers, now got an infection in kidney as well. wake up during the night in tears as the pain killers wear off. cant work as i am a child carer and am in no fit state.

my honest advice is try everything else before a stent. it hurts so so much and i will be making sure they put me to sleep when they remove it and i will never have one again if i can choose. i think having a stent should not be a day operation, you should be monitered for a few days in hospital. the service i recieved from nurses was appaling. originally sent home with no painkillers. almost as soon as i woke up they said good bye and now ive had this infection brewing all weekend.

believe me having a kidney stone is bliss compared to stent... especially a kidney stone and stent.

i feel very sorry for anyone going through this while pregnant and unable to take strong painkillers.

drinking water does help!!!....until you have to urinate!
34
Jenny
I wish I had found this site a month ago. I am having my stent removed tomorrow. First off I was never told that they would be placing a stent until I was being admitted by the nurse for surgery. Nor was I informed about the post op. I was told I could go back to work after two days...a week later I had to go to work because of important meetings.

This was my 17th surgery I have had in my life and the post-op was the worst by far. I have had 3 C-sections and I have an incredible threshold for pain ( I had an ectopic pregnancy and burst my fallopian tube. It happened in the morning and I didn't agree to go to the hospital until late that night because I thought I was having a bad period) So I am no wimp.

I am very disappointed because I thought this was supposed to cure my constant UTI's. Infact I have had cloudy urine and pain like I have a UTI since the surgery. I am living on the pain pills. I told my husband that I thank God I do not have an addictive personality because I would have to go into rehab. I take at least one hyrdocodone each day if not a few to be able to function without living on the toilet.

The doctor and I are going to have a come to Jesus meeting. I would prefer to live on antibiotic than go through this again. I am looking into alternative medicine (accupunture) because I can't experience this pain any longer.
35
Craig
I guess I'm not alone! I was out of work for a month in June for a stone that got stuck with a subsequent infection shortly after that. I had 4 ER visits in three days with excrutiating pain, nausea, and vomiting. For the fourth ER visit, I had to wait almost 8 hours before they would see me! By that time, I was losing kidney function and had to go in for emergency surgery to get a stent placed so that the kidney would drain. It's strange that it took eight hours for them to get me in to see a doctor in the ER, but I was in surgery in less than 20 minutes. I was admitted to the hospital for a couple days to make sure the antibiotics were working.

The stent certainly helped relieve some of the pain, but I was surprised at how strong and how frequently the urge to urinate was. I was in the restroom every 15-20 minutes all day, every day.

I'm reading a lot of horror stories about stents, and I certainly hope I'm not in the minority. My stent was uncomfortable but not really all that painful. I was sore from all the work that was being done, but I could manage it with pain pills. In fact, the day I had the stones removed (with the stent left in) I was in the back yard pushing my kids on the swing.

The stent removal was probably the worst for me. It was intense, but at least it didn't take long (< 1 min). I remember sweating profusely through it. I soaked my clothes and the table I was on. I'll bet I walked out five pounds lighter :o)

I think I have been fortunate to have one of the best surgeons in the country for this type of thing. From what I understand, he developed the procedure where they use a laser to break up the stones and remove the smaller pieces manually. Here's the URL to the local news story:
http://wcco.com/health/kidney.stones.Patrick.2.372643.html

At a follow-up appointment, I learned that I have several more stones that need to be removed. I'll be scheduling the surgery for sometime in the next few weeks. I trust the doctor completely, and I am not worried about the stent at all. I'm not looking forward to the stent removal, but I'd take that any day over the possibility of repeating what happened in June.

Anyway, I thought I would present a semi-positive experience with stents so that people reading this know that not every experience is bad.

For those of you that are experiencing the awful pain from kidney stones, infections, stents, etc., my heart goes out to you. I'll just say that Jesus is there with you through the whole thing. Put your trust in him, and he will take care of you.
36
sweta
Hi,
I have a laproscopic procedure done a month ago and since then have a leakage problem. After that had a stent put in on the right ureter as they found a hole in there. After putting the stent I was still leaking. Then then put a naphrostomy tube in and still I am leaking. Right now I have a catheder and the naphrostomy tube and I am still leaking. Drs cant undetstand why? So tomorrow I am going in again with some imaging they want to do and then decide to do a reconstructive surgery. can u please explain as to what are the possibilities of this sort of a problem. All this is beyond my understading all I know is I am going thr hell...... Any input would be great.......
37
Lucy
Hello all,
First thank you all for your postings. I'm so glad I found this site prior to having a stent put in.

I woke up a few weeks ago with excriciating pain on my left side. First passed it off as gas until the spasms started and I couldn't move. My husband rushed me to the hospital where it was dicovered I had a 3mm stone in my left ureter closest to the kidney. I was sent home with a bunch of pain killers and told to drink lots of water. If the pain wasn't better after a few days to see a Urologist.

A week later I went to see the recommended urologist. After the XRay, I was told that I had a 5mm stone, and it has not moved at all. They recommended Lithroscopy to blast the stone. Two days later I had the procedure.

Over the next few days I passed lots of fragments with pain off and on. The pain meds kept it under control for the most part. Ten days after the procedure, I started experiencing extreme pain again and visited the Urologist (for the follow-up).

After another XRay they said that there was still a large fragment, around 3mm, stuck in the narrowest part of my ureter close to my bladder. Because of the location, they couldn't do Lithroscopy again and suggested a stent instead. I was told it was a simple procedure and they mentioned nothing about pain. The doctor also prescribed Flomax, .4mg to be taken every night. It was said to make the stone passage easier.

Note that I too am no stranger to pain. After 18 surgeries related to a brain tumor and a very large fibrod, I've been on every pain medication known to man and experienced every pain imagineable! The last thing I need is more of it.

As a result of reading this, I'm delaying the stint insertion as indefinitly and hopefully the stone will pass on its own.

Thanks again,

Lucy.
38
Stephanie
I have had problems with kidney stones 4 years now. I am 31 years old and I have Lupus and fibromylagia. I pass kidney stones about every 3 weeks. Last years I passed 33 kidney stones while I was pregnant with my daughter. I have also had 4 Lithotripsy done. I have a pocket of stones in my upper quadrant of my right kidney called a catalytic cyst. The pocket of stones is greater than 10mm. I recently had a PCNL done 2 weeks ago to try to remove the cyst which turned out be unsuccesful. I now have a stent in my kidney and it's 4 in the morning. I can't sleep at night. I am having horrible night sweats and extreme pain and not to mention my urine is still bright red. The Dr. was suppose to review the x-ray with the radiology dept. and I guess he didn't, 2 days of surgery in hopes to feel better! What a joke I should of shot myself in the foot. I traded up one pain for another that is 10 times worse. I have to pee every 20 mintues and it feels like someone is scaping out the inside of my bladder with a knife my pain in my back is so horrible not to mention my lupus made my hair fall out in huge chuncks amd my fibro started acting up at its worse possible state ever. I am so miserable please please if you are reading this do not get the surgery done. I also had a problem with my lungs the shrunk while I had surgery and my eyesight went really crazy for 5 days after the surgery. The dr. also had me sign a piece of paper the 2nd day after surgery as soon as I woke up does anyone know why he would have me do that? Please can someone tell me if it gets any better. I am so scareed I have 2 little babies I have to take care of and I am so miserably in pain. Please Help!
39
Sarah UK
I have had a few stents now and find the longer they leave them in the easier they are but you must drink huge amounts of water as it relieves the pain,I try not to lay on my stented side as it can cause me to bleed also walking long distances does the same.I really think you have to rest when you have them and i mean lie down not sit up.I would dearly love to give the urologists a good kick in the backside as they do not understand the discomfort the stents can cause some people i think part of their training they should be made to undergo a few of their little procedures,lol..
On a whole the stenting is not too bad id rather that any day to renal colic....
40
Daniela
Glad I found this website. My mum had a stent put in a few weeks ago due to a blocked kidney tube and she has been in pain ever since, They don't know whether the blockage of the tube is caused by cancer or scar tissue from previous radiotherpay she has had. Before she had the stent put in she was feeling fine, only a small amount of discomfort from her kidney which was not being drained properly but now she is in so much pain, she can't even stand up for more than 5 minutes and is bleeding every second day when she urinates. Her urologist is an idiot-won't even listen to her and tells her that the stent is in properly and her pain is probably caused by her cancel "spreading all over the place" when there is no evidence of cancel at all on her kidney. Has handballed her back to her oncologist and said "I'm a urologist. I've done what I'm supposed to do". I'm so angry that we were given virtually no information about the stent and possible pain/side effects that it would cause. Have had to search around on the internet for more info. My mum has been through childbirth 4 times, has endured major surgery, chemo, radiation etc and I have never seen her feel this bad since she's had the stent put in.
41
kenny taylor
i myself have a stent in now and to be very honest they hurt like colic from kidney stones when they come out,i have kidney stones every 3months and the bad news is they say ill have them the rest of my life.when they put my stent in i was under a epidural and that was good but when it comes out it brings flesh/meat with it so good luck for about 3days youll burn fire
42
george
I currently have a stent in my right ureter due to my second kidney stone. Like the last one, stone that is, I made multiple visits to the hospital emergency dept. On all but one of about 5 emergency visits for both stones one in 2004 and the other this month, I was administered morphine. The first stone was 8mm and this one only 4mm but very painful. Oral pain medicines do nothing for my kidney stone pain. I must have narrow ureters or something.

I had two lithotripsy surgeries for the first one alone and in between the two a ureteral stent. The stone was located near my kidney.

When I went for surgery two days ago for the current stent and the laser type lithotripsy through the cytoscope my doctor discovered that the stone must have dislodged when he drained my bladder before he started the surgery.

I had no pain at all when the first stent was removed but it was moments after the second lithotripsy. I was awake but maybe there was some pain killer given through my IV.

I think ureteral stent insertions should require at least 1 day as an impatient. For the first time it's scary. You don't know if the pain you are having is normal and the bloody urine can make you think something is seriously wrong.

I have a very competent doctor and know I am in good hands so far but there has to be a better way. The pain is so menacing when I urinate. I get very nervous when I have to go. I feel like a little kid again. I have to talk to myself to get throug it. Sometimes if you tense up your abdomen, like when you are mid way through a sit-up,it helps but sometimes it doesn't. I think the more water you have to pee the easier it is.
43
kris
I had a stent a couple of years ago with lithotripsy and it was the worst pain of my life... worse than 2 c-section. I was in so much pain and had so much bleeding my husband took me to the emergency room in the middle of the night to get it removed. At the time, they acted like this was a rare reaction to the stent. Now I'm having lithotripsy again next week and if they do both sides (8 mm in one sided and 4 mm in the other) he says I'll need the stent. Now from reading this, I know my pain wasn't some fluke and there is NO WAY I will let them put the stent in place. I guess I will be stuck with blasting the 8 mm stone and taking my chances with the 4 mm stone.
44
christine
I sincerely feel for all of you that have posted comments about your ordeal with stents...i just had one put in yesterday and let me tell you, i hurt like Hell has just welcomed itself into my body...called the doctor on call a few minutes ago and told him i have drank like 25 glasses of water today and should be peeing bucket loads but only dribbles come out...have flakey blood in what little i pee and am in agony...my stone was extracted and i wish now i could have passed it but he said it was 8mm and would never pass...What is going on with me? Shouldnt a doctor care enough to say, "come on in and we'll make sure everythings ok with you"? I too am a tolerated of pain, have had brain surgery, c-section, appendectomy and several laproscopys...this stent is the worst thing ive had to deal with..Dr says just double up on your vicodin and take your peridium plus...nothing helps so for those of you who think you may be able to pass your stone or have it lazered off go for it and forget the stent..I cant even play or cuddle my little three year old for the pain...Good luck to all of you..
45
christine
can anyone tell me if the pyridium medicine turned their skin orange? Mine is doing that and the pee is and when i vomit thats orange too...How safe is this medicine? My doctor just says keep taking it...
46
Joy
I am so relieved to know that my pain is real and that I am not just making it out to be more than it is. I had a stent placed on Tuesdat and it has been the worst pain of my life. They got the stone out but put the stent in to ensure proper drainage through the irritated ureter. OMG-I would have rather waited and passed the stone. Again, the doctors said that would be more painful and the stent would just be minor discomfort. Yeah, and now I am freaking out about the removal process on Monday. I am a teacher and I have been out of work a week. This is crazy. What is the point of a procedure that causes MORE pain than the original diagnosis?
47
christine
im waiting on the nurse to call to see if i can have my stent removed within the next couple of days...i just cant get comfortable and all the vicodin is making me shake and vomit...shouldnt it be our call to have it removed? I would like to enjoy thanksgiving with my family. Ill say a prayer for all of you...
48
christine
More info: my family doctor gave me phenegrin for nauseau and percocet for the pain...changed my peridium to utira-c which is for the spasmns and im feeling 60% better...its worth a try yall..she said the stent cant be removed because if it was i could have blockage of urine whick would back up into the kidneys and could cause renal failure...guess we all need to be tough and hang in there...good luck and comfort to all of you
49
christine
Joy, did you have your stent removed? If so is it really awful? Be honest ok cuz im begging them to take mine out and i really want to know what im in for...hope to hear from you...C
50
carol
Hello all!
Yes I have had many stents and they are unbelievably painful to say the least. I do not do Lithortiposys any more as they left so much dust in my kidneys (taht turned to stones)that I am now FILLED with stones!The pain is very tough but please ALL do not let this stop you as you surely DO NOT want to loose a kidney! Keep in mind THAT THE STENTS WILL BE REMOVED IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME! It is much better than loss of a kidney or sepsis. The blood, clots, pain & tiredness taht come with the stents ARE REAL! I guess I am lucky that my Doc's know the pain is unbearable and keep me highly medicated. There is a great site to go to for stone formers it can be found at
www.cystinuria.org
On the left is a Community tab, click on Cystinuria forums, it really is a wonderful site for stone formers. You will find many caring people here including Doctors to help you. I do not have Cystinuria but I can not tell you all how much the people on this site have helped me! A stone is a stone!
My right stent has been in since Nov.11.2008 it will come out next Thursday do not ask me why so long. I just had a left stent removed 6 weeks ago and believe it or not I now have another large stone passing again in the left!!!
I will check back on post ALL hang in there. My thoughts are with you ALL for a better New Year!! God Bless!!

Carol X's 30 Years of Stones!!
51
carol
P.S. No the removal of the stents is not too bad. I myself have found immediate relief.In all my experiences in 2 days your back to yourself! GOOD LUCK ALL! Carol
52
Eileen
I'm glad that I found this forum. I had Lithotripsy three days ago for a 16mm kidney stone - my first. I now have a stent to put up with for a week from the time of the Lithotripsy. It is very painful. It feels like a continuous BAD kidney/bladder infection without the infection. I am taking Percocet every 3-4 hours to keep the spasming under control and drinking lots of water. It hurts to void at the end. I can't go to work with this kind of pain. Can't wait to get the stent out. I have a string attached and plan to take 2 percocet 45 mins. before having it removed. I sure hope that the little fragments are passing. If they are, I can't see them or feel anything moving. Best wishes and prayers to all, Eileen
53
Kip
It is nice to hear of other people who has pain with their stents. I too had a large stone and infections, thus first stent. It was painful, but after 10 days, I was able to go to Europe with my daughter's choir. It was a fantastic trip, but I was inconstant pain, managed with vicadin. Drinking lots of fluids helps, but for me it was difficult to keep the fluids up as I was not always sure when I would have toilet fascilites. When I came home, the stone was removed, but another stent was in for a week. This one was less painful, but I still was limited in the amount of activity I could do.
I thought the removal was not bad. I was surprised that I experienced the same pain that I had when the stent was in place for the next two days.
It is five days after stent removal and I still have low grade pain and tiredness. I am curious how long the low grade pain lasts?
54
Kip
Here is a helpful hint on managing pain from the stent .. I found that having very loose clothing helped. It seemed when ever I had pressure from clothing on my abdomin, I would have more pain. I went to Salvation Army and bought some loose fitting clothes to help with pain management.
55
Chris
Hi all,

I feel for everyone going through this. I have had a few bout with stones, but this last one a 4mm in the right kidney had to be removed and a stent put in for a week. It was extremely painful the day they put it in an continued until they took it out. The pain when I voided radiated from the kidney to the bladder...I hated the thought of even using the bathroom and waited as long as possible to pee. Removal wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But it has been 2 weeks since the removal of the stent and I am still out of work due to being exhausted and if I do to much the pain comes back. I am completely frustrated. Has anyone else every had pain for this long after the removal of the stent?? Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday! And a much better New Year! God be with you all through this difficult time!
Chris
56
Saunjia
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I found this website. I had a stent inserted four days ago after the doc lasered the stone that was blocking. I've been shocked (and completely unprepared) for the CONSTANT, UNRELENTING pain! I've never had a stent before and had no idea this was coming. The blood in my urine finally stopped, but the entire length of the stent just throbs with pain all day, every day. My kidney spasms here and there, and I can feel the bottom of the stent in my bladder. It pokes me sometimes if I move a certain way. I had no idea what I was in for - I wish I had found this website before the surgery!
57
Rob
I am going thru this hell now. I had a stone removed and a stent put in. They just took out the stent yesterday. The removal was the worst experience I have ever had. First they squirt some numbing solution up your penis hole. Then they clamp it still. A nurse did this and it was not only painful but kind of awkward. Also that shit burns before it numbs. Then the Dr. comes in with the Cystoscope. This thing looks like a manually operated plumbing snake. Well he shoves this wire up your penis and snakes it past your prostate, this is very painful no matter what anyone says. Next he goes into the bladder looks around with a camera. Finally he grabs the stent and reels it in and out of your penis. Horrible.

When that got pulled out I screamed this really inhuman high pitched yell. I am sure the lobby heard it.

Now its out but the pain goes on just as bad as before the stent went in. Relaxing in a warm bath with pain meds helps. Also I havent had a decent bowel movement since i got this stone agony over a week ago. Today I tried to go and strained to hard,what a mistake that was. I was in agony for over an hour from just trying to take a dump. So here I am in bed typing this.


Rob
58
Dave
I too wish to share my story. On Oct. 30th I had surgery for a Cyst larger then my Kidney. My team of wonderful doctors removed the cyst and had to take a part of the kidney with it. Fortunately there was no cancer. My recovery was about 4 weeks.

Following a routine visit to my PCP at the end of 5 weeks following surgery, he became concerned because I had pressure near the surgery site and it was warm to the touch. It didn't really hurt ... it was uncomfortable. He consulted my urologist and they got me in for a CAT Scan. They found I had sprung a leak in my kidney (a Urinoma). My Urologist admitted me to the hospital for an overnight stay (now at the end of 6 weeks following surgery) and inserted a stent. The first few days after the stent placement, I seemed pretty good. I used the pain meds cautiously and only mildly suffered.

I was scheduled to go on a Christmas trip which my Doctor said would be OK provided I continued my care. During the trip I started experiencing the terrible urges to urinate and burning upon completion. The only thing that would take the edge off was my pain meds (Oxycodone). I had a one week prescription that I stretched the use to three weeks. I even tried taking Advil and Tylonel to ease the urge. I decided the best way to get through it is to gut it out. I did call my Doctor upon my return on Monday and he prescribed Vesicare to relax the bladder. It hasn't helped much. Every time I stand up, I have to go. When I sit down I feel the darn thing and have to hold my breath.

I am now two months after my surgery. I am getting a bit down over it all. I feel like I am only partially functional at work (and sometimes not at all). I had a Cat Scan this morning, but won't get the results till next Thursday. Hopefully the stent will be removed then. I am afraid to ask for more pain meds. My doctors are wonderful and I am sure they would give them to me ... but I am afraid of becoming addicted. Oh well ... this has given me a good reason to get a lot of reading in. It is about the only thing I can do without having to go!

Best wishes to all. Just look at this as a character builder.
59
Eileen
After my Lithotripsy for a 16mm kidney stone on December 9th, I was told that I would only have to have a stent in for 7 to 10 days. I lived on Percocet during that time and it makes me feel ill just to think of the pain I went through. I went back to the doc to have it removed finally, but an x-ray revealed that I still had a lot of dust and fragments still in the kidney. The doc wanted to have me leave the stent in for 2 more weeks! I was scheduled to have incisional hernia repair surgery on December 22nd, which I had. But 2 days before that surgery, I accidentally got the string that hung out of my urethra from the stent caught in my clothing while dressing and it pulled the stent part way down my urethra. Urine started dripping uncontrollably. I called my Urologist and he said to pull it on out. It wasn't that bad at all after the initial incident of it jerking down into the urethra. Not fun! But I was so glad that it was gone. It took 3-4 days for my bladder and urethra to feel normal. I am recovering from the hernia surgery and in a couple of weeks will go back to see what's still left in the kidney. I pray that whatever was there is gone. I can't tolerate the thought of another stent! No fragments from the lithotripsy have been noticed passing and the kidney doesn't hurt any more. Sometimes it feels as if the kidney spasms. I don't know what's up with that. I will try to update later. God bless all. Prayer and Percocet helps!
60
Deb
I had my stent removed Friday after having a 7mm stone which was lodged in my ureter lasered. The bladder/urethral spasms are intense...worse than the pain of any of my earlier stones! I was told only to take 800 mgs of ibuprophen if I felt a spasm coming on. No explanation that the spasm would last a while and that during the spasm I would feel the urgent need to urinate with little coming out...and what came out would hurt! OMG! So, the night before I'm due to return to work, I'm sitting here (at 12:47am) waiting for the spasm to pass so I can sleep! You can believe that I'm calling my doc in the morning to get something to prevent the spasms! BTW, I didn't have any problems with the stent except that I did have blood in my urine the whole time.
61
paige
About a month ago, i had a hysterectomy due to cancer located only in one area of my uterus. 3 days later, my husband rushed me back to the same hospital where it was found that because of the surgery, i developed a blockage in the tube that runs from the bladder to the kidney. i was sweating profusely and chilling all at the same time. i spent 3 days in the hospital, during which time a local urologist put a stint inside that tube. i immediately felt better, but had this constant, ungodly urge to go to the bathroom. blood was present in my urine, but i was told that this was typical and would eventally go away. the stint was in place for 3 hellacious weeks. looking back i have no idea how i got through it with the pain i was in. i had to ask for pain medicine and was prescribed loratab, microdantin and visacare. they all helped, but did not alleviate the pain entirely. 2 days ago, the same urologist removed the stint and i felt a huge relief. what blew my mind was the length of the stint, it looked like a 1 1/2 foot long tiny lasso. i watched the whole procedure on a small tv screen. the things you learn when you dont even want to know about them. my urologist has set another date for me to see him in 6 weeks to do a dye test to determine if i need more care. i really like this website because i dont feel so all alone with my diagnosis. they said i had hydronephrosis.
62
lyla
Sweta, how did your reconstructive surgery go? I had a ureteral stent put in 14 months ago after expereincing pain on my right flank. The reason was that the Right ureter had scar tissue from getting nicked in a surgery performed 4 months prior. I thank God that I did not expereince the pain many here have shared. Now 14 months later, I ended up in the emergency again with the same kind of pain in my right flank. I knew what it was. They tried to insert a stent from below, but the scar tissue was so tight they couldn't get through. The next day they did a nephrostomy and I am currently walking around with a catheter bag hanging out of my back. The doctor said he wants to leave the nephrostomy tube in for 12 days to reduce the swelling and he will then try to insert a stent from above (through kidney). He said this is not a permanent solution however. I think he will suggest reconstruction of the ureter. My question to you is, was your surgery fully invasive or did they do it laproscopically or some other way?
63
Beth
I was so glad to find this site. I had a stent put in two days ago and except for the post op pain meds the doc din't give me anything. I felt like I was some kind of wimp because the pain is unbearable at times. It is definately different than the kidney stone, I am not throwing up anymore, but I'm not sure I would call this better. If I am sitting it is manageable but when I stand I feel like I am having labor contractions and when I urinate I feel like my insides are falling out. Thanks to this site I feel much better about calling my doc tomorrow and demanding something to take so I can have some kind of relief.
64
sarah UK
Im now on my 5th stent and this one has hurt like hell,i ended up in hospital on bed rest as the bleeding is so so bad,ugh..Im due to get this one out in April but under a local which im dreading as ive always been asleep,How bad is it when you are awake ??? Hoping not as bad as the naphrostomy or stent via the kidney :O( as im such a big baby,lol..Most people have stones here but the cause of my stricture is a mystery so looks like reconstruction in the summer,how has anybody fared with this ????
65
Don
I had a kidney stone removed 4 days ago and a stent inserted while under general anesthesia. I have been in various levels of pain or discomfort since, until it was removed today. While it was in, I was urinating every ten minutes, but producing only a few tablespoons at a time, and my bladder was constantly full. I also had to make a few emergency sprints to the bathroom. At the end of each urination my kidney felt like it was being squeezed in a vice and it took me a minute to relax and catch my breath. I asked the doctor to take the stent out a few days earlier than he planned and he agreed. The actual removal was no more painful than any of my bathroom trips over the previous few days, and I left his office feeling like a new man, only slightly puzzled about why he had asked if I still had pain pills as I left his office. Ten minutes later I was suffering what felt like another kidney stone "attack" and struggled to drive home and take one of those pills. That was about two hours ago. I passed a small blood clot just about the time the medicine kicked in good, and I'm wondering if that was the "stone" that had caused so much pain or if it's going to hit me again in a couple of hours. Either way, it's better than the stent, those things should be outlawed.
66
John
The stone (6mm) was bad. Flew from Fiji (no urologist in country) to Australia and had it removed by laser. (It was stuck halfway down in ureter and lithotripsy was not an option.) The doc put in a stent (last Thursday). Pain, but manageable (barely - with lots of codeine). I asked doc to remove stent as soon as he could so I could travel back home to Fiji. He did it in office on Monday. Not too much discomfort. He said urgency to pee would settle down quickly ("I promise."). About 2-3 hours later the agony set in. Worse than the stone. MUCH worse. Made it thru 1st episode (about 2 hours), short respite, then 2nd episode. Nauseous from pain. MUCH worse than stone. Then it eased a bit. When the 3rd episode began I quickly went to ER and got morphine. The ER doc asked for a urine sample and it gushed out bright red, with clots at the end. Since then no reply from doc but pain is bearable for now (with 60mg codeine) and urine only pinkish. Wish I knew what was next. NO warning this could happen and no pain meds. This sucks. Reading the comments above I can see I am not alone. Why cannot these MFs warn or provide relief??? I guess only those of us who have been thru this know just how agonizing it is. If the ER doc had not provided morphine my next move was to jump in front of a bus. Getting a stent removed? GET A LOT OF PAIN MEDS LINED UP FIRST!
67
Justin
I had a 4mm stone in my right ureter for 7+ months, finally decided to go through with the ureterscopy and have it removed. I woke up in the recovery room with no initial pain, just some discomfort from the strings. After about 15 minutes the pain came and was just as bad as my first trip to the ER. I had 3 doses of morphine within about 10 minutes and a percocet. That lasted all of about 30 minutes and was in tears again from the pain. I had a dose of demerol and another dose of morphine and a pyridium. The pain gradually subsided somewhat but then I started getting sick because of all the drugs. I got to go home after about an hour and a half in recovery and as soon as we pulled into the garage I opened the door and puked. Made it to the bedroom then had to puke again. Had some crackers and puked it up again. I had to have promethazine called in for the nausea and that helped me sleep. Drinking 3-4 liters of water a day definitely helped.. my worst was at night when i couldn't drink as often being asleep.. my trips to the bathroom were about every hour and a half. There was considerable pain during urination and felt like my stone was still there. Only a little would come out and was pretty bloody. I just had my stent removed (4 days after surgery) and after reading this was expecting to be in excruciating pain. It was pretty intense but wasn't as bad as the pain after the surgery. I had the stent with the strings attached so there was no cystoscopy necessary. The nurse practicioner told me to hold my breath and she started pulling the strings... about a 5-6 on the pain scale but it was a very weird sensation that I dont care to ever feel again. Its been about 2 hours now and there's very little pain but still some blood in my urine.

So my advice is to try all options to pass the stone if its small enough. Drink lots of lemonade and try the lemon juice/olive oil cocktail and let me know if it works.. If you have to have it surgically removed plan for at least 4-5 days recovery before going back to work. Drink lots of water, like at least 3-4 liters a day, and have someone to take care of you because you're not going to want to do anything. Ask your doctor to use stents that can be pulled out with strings because from what I hear the cystoscopy is a lot more painful. Good luck.
68
tru
I would like to know if anyone has every had your kidney disconnected from there bladder and formed a urinoma , if so does anyone know what the fluids or toxins from the kidney free flowing into the body does to the other organs of the body? is there damage caused from the fluids? over a 30 day period
69
James
I've had 9 kidney stones on my short 23 years of life. 4 of which had to be surgically removed. 3 of those surgeries resulted in a stent being placed for 1-2 weeks. I'm not trying to minimize anybody's situation here, but come on. It's really not that bad. I admit, the first day of the stent sucks, but it's nothing you cant live with. My last operation was on 1/23, and I've had a stent since 1/27. I'm scheduled to have a percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedure on 2/20 for a staghorn calculus stone (21mm) in the right kidney, and a stent will once again be required. The worst thing about having a stent is you cannot really be sexually active. I've read a lot of posts from some people who passed clots. This is because you're stent is being removed too soon. I had my stent removed too soon once, and was back in the ER an hour later until I passed the clots. Bottom line is this, the stent is nowhere near as bad as you all say it is. Also, getting it removed (as long as you have a string) is a piece of cake. You dont need to load up on pain meds, it's a weird sensation, but very releiving once it's complete. Good luck to you all.
70
Judy
James- I am glad to hear that you had little pain with your stent. But don't minimize those of us who have had horrible pain. My mom never had any pain either and couldn't understand how I had so much. It was the worse pain I had ever had. I have had 3 children and multiple kidney stones, but the stent was the worse. When the Dr told me I could go back to work the next day I was excited until I got up that morning. There was no way I was going anywhere except to the restroom all day and night.... the pain was only bearable with meds. I am happy for anyone that didn't have any pain, but please don't minimize those that had it. We are all different and all experience different pain....hope all is going well with you.
71
Nikki
I have been dealing with kidney stones for the past 2 months. I'm only 17 and it was really been a challenge for me. I have been in and out of the hospital and I've missed way too much school. They went in on January 13 and removed 4 stones. They ended up putting in a stent and told me that I would be fine to go home in a few hours and that I could be at school tomorrow, but that was a joke. I was in so much pain I could hardly do anything and I was falling way behind in all my classes. I finally had my stent removed which was not a good experience and I just thought that it would all be over. After the stent was out they took another CAT scan and found 3 more stones. I have never been through any pain like this in my life. This website does help because you know other people actually know how you feel. Good luck to everyone.
72
laura
I have a 15mm stone in my left kidney,i have had my stent in for 10 weeks now.I have only had 1 lot of litho so far which was 6 weeks ago.I had to go and see my urologist and beg him to take my stent out ,he said he would try laser treatment up through my stent and he would get me in asap.That was two weeks ago and i haven,t heard from anyone since.I have been on antibiotics for pretty much the whole time my stent as been in and also two different strong painkillers but nothing makes any difference.The pain is unbearable ,even walking a short distance makes me need the toilet.If i had known just how bad and how much it would affect my life i would never have had it done.it does help reading about everyone else,s experience of this nightmare.Good luck to everyone going through this.
73
laura
I have a 15mm stone in my left kidney,i have had my stent in for 10 weeks now.I have only had 1 lot of litho so far which was 6 weeks ago.I had to go and see my urologist and beg him to take my stent out ,he said he would try laser treatment up through my stent and he would get me in asap.That was two weeks ago and i haven,t heard from anyone since.I have been on antibiotics for pretty much the whole time my stent as been in and also two different strong painkillers but nothing makes any difference.The pain is unbearable ,even walking a short distance makes me need the toilet.If i had known just how bad and how much it would affect my life i would never have had it done.it does help reading about everyone else,s experience of this nightmare.Good luck to everyone going through this.
74
Linda
On December 15th I had a stent put in due to a Kidney Stone. It has been in for 11 weeks and what a nightmare! I can not handle the pain medications the Dr has prescribed. Hydocodone makes me throw up.So I have been taking Ibuprophen 800mg, AZO and Detrol LA. I have never known such agonizing pain in my life. After 11 weeks the Dr said It is finally coming out on 3/2/09. If my kidney should have any damage or my bladder I plan to file a lawsuit. My whole body is tired and I have to endure more pain with the removal now.I truly know what everyone is going through.
75
Valerie
I feel for all of you. I too have had a stent placed in my kidney leading to my bladder. I don't have a kidney stone, I have a very large cyst that has blocked off the top portion of my right kidney. I can't believe the amount of pain I experience on a daily basis. I have a very high tolerance for pain, but this is absolutely insane. The pain is so bad I am taking vicodin around the clock non-stop. The medication doesn't even relieve the pain, it only takes the edge off. Just enough so I don't lose 100% of my mind. I had the stent put in on 2/16/09, and I have been miserable since then. My doctor told me the pain is not bad for most people, but some people say the pain is worst than their kidney stones. I guess he was at least honest. I can't believe I am still bleeding and cramping 2 weeks post surgery. This is a nightmare. I have an appointment Thursday 3/5/09, to discuss removal of the stent and to plan my surgery to drain this cyst. I don't think it can get any worse than this. I am truly looking forward to my surgery. I hope you all get better soon. Best wishes!!
76
Lynn
Oh how I wish I had found this site a couple of weeks ago! I just had lithotripsy 2 weeks ago and they put 2 stents in and I have gone to hell and back! Pain was unreal!!! Went to emerge once and then begged the nurse to get me in to see doctor--he proceded to tell me pain was from being constipated--so I did everything on earth to rectify that problem with no luck in the pain department.
I called doctor again and begged nurse to have doctor take out stents. Well my wish was granted today--and let me tell you it was a blessing after the fact, as the procedure was terrible--no local was given(even though I was under the impression one was to be given).
Well the relief lasted about 2 hours and now I am back to the same old same old. The major pain is gone but the spasms are killing me. Got lots of good info from this site in regards to meds and I know there is someone worse off then me, not that makes me feel better. I wish you all the best, and I hope I never have to go through this again.
Thank God I am not working at this time as I could never had survived going to work. Changing diet to see if it makes a difference in the stone situation as it seems I get one every 2 years--usually in the winter after not drinking enough all summer it seems. Take care everyone and thanks for letting me vent!
77
Sue
I passed asmall kidney stone several years ago on my own and it was very painful. At that time after tests were done I was told there was another about 5mm in the same kidney. This past Sunday 3/1/09 I started havinfg excruciating pain and immediately knew that it was my stone. After a couple of hours the pain subsided and I thought I must have passed it, but when I woke up Monday morning I started having the pain again, but worse. I turned as white as a ghost with cold sweats, vomiting and ended up going to the ER. I was told that it was now about 9mm and would have to be removed by Lithotripsy. I went to the hospital yesterday, Thursday 3-5-09, and they ended up doing a ureteroscopy and lasered it then put a stent in until this coming Wednesday I will get it out. I have to say that I should never have come into this website and read all of these horro stories. I have felt better since they did this and have an occassional spasm or a sensation of burning at the end of urination, but compared to the terrible pain of the stone it isn't toobad. I know pain as well because I had everything broken from my pelvis down pretty much in a severe car accident 2 years ago and have delivered 2 babies naturally and already passed one stone, but now I am terrified to have this removed because of all these horror stories. I feel terrible for all that you have gone through, but now I will be dreading the day they remove this. I NEVER shpuld have looked at this website.
78
Sue
I passed asmall kidney stone several years ago on my own and it was very painful. At that time after tests were done I was told there was another about 5mm in the same kidney. This past Sunday 3/1/09 I started havinfg excruciating pain and immediately knew that it was my stone. After a couple of hours the pain subsided and I thought I must have passed it, but when I woke up Monday morning I started having the pain again, but worse. I turned as white as a ghost with cold sweats, vomiting and ended up going to the ER. I was told that it was now about 9mm and would have to be removed by Lithotripsy. I went to the hospital yesterday, Thursday 3-5-09, and they ended up doing a ureteroscopy and lasered it then put a stent in until this coming Wednesday I will get it out. I have to say that I should never have come into this website and read all of these horro stories. I have felt better since they did this and have an occassional spasm or a sensation of burning at the end of urination, but compared to the terrible pain of the stone it isn't toobad. I know pain as well because I had everything broken from my pelvis down pretty much in a severe car accident 2 years ago and have delivered 2 babies naturally and already passed one stone, but now I am terrified to have this removed because of all these horror stories. I feel terrible for all that you have gone through, but now I will be dreading the day they remove this. I NEVER shpuld have looked at this website.
79
Linda
THEY REMOVED MY STENT LAST MONDAY! O GOD WHAT A RELIEF! IT FEELS SO GOOD NOT TO HAVE THAT PAIN ANYMORE! It is life altering! That stent is just a bad nightmare now. MY STONE IS TOTALLY GONE! Just to let you know I had blood in my urine for a couple of days after the procedure but it cleared up. I finally slept 9 hours without having to get up all through the night to urinate. So far all is going well. I plan to drink gallons of Lemon water....I do not want to go through that again! My Dr. gave me a list of things to watch out for. Good luck to all who are still going through it.
80
Betsy
As a regular former of stones 15mm and up for over 20 years, I've found that stents are by far the most painful thing to endure. If there is a valid reason to place them then fine, but if not the doctor should leave well enough alone. I've already proven that I'm able to pass stone bits measuring 6-7mm on my own, yet the doctors now insist that a stent be placed every time they do lithotripsy whereas before I never had to deal with a stent. Hogwash! It's my opinion that an unnecessarily placed stent does more harm than good. Lord knows they hurt like sheer hell once the anesthesia wears off and any doctor that says they won't is a bald-faced liar. BTW - just had a stent placed despite strong objections this past Monday and afterward the surgeon told my husband I could remove it myself on Friday. Huh? I've always had to go into the office to have the doctor remove them. So I'm a little clueless. It's obvious you have to pull the strings; but should you lie down or sit on the toilet, and should you pull gently or just give the darn string a quick yank and be done with it. It's going to hurt no matter what, but I'd like to know which method is going to cause the least damage to deal with afterward. Thanks.
81
Ernie
I had a stent placed in me following a blockage to my uterer caused by a stone which was 2cm, yes that's 2cm ! They used a the microscopic pneumatic drill to blast the stone to tiny fragments. I am due to have the stent removed next week and I am so looking forward to it. Passing urine is excrutiatingly painful. I had passed a lot of blood at the start, but it subsided. However a few days later, the bleeding came back, but only lightly. Anyone else experience this ? Based on your experiences, does the stent removal actually mean relief ? Will passing urine become painless again ? This whole experience has been one I will never forget and hopefully will never experience again
82
CJ
My doctor also downplayed the amount of "discomfort" from the ureteral stent. The first 4 days I had pain that vicodin and prosed (anti-spasmodic) didn't relieve. Each day after that got better, though. At one week, it wasn't comfortable, but it was tolerable and I could function again. My research through medical journal articles showed that 80-90% of patients have severe discomfort at first. Patients could tolerate it better if they were told what to expect upfront.
83
Cassaundra
Thank you all for all of your comments. I recently went to have outpatient surgery just to have a ureteroscopy. I didn't find out that a stent was inserted until I was coming out from the anesthesia. I was so upset because I went into the operating room feeling fine no pain from kidneys and I come out in unbelievable pain and the extreme urgency to urinate. I was told that my right ureter was almost completely blocked probably from scar tissue from previous surgeries. This by far is the worst pain I have felt because there isn't a moment that the pain isn't there. At least with c-sections you know that each day the pain lessens. I am supposed to have the stent removed in three days. I am so nervous I can hardly stand it. Is the removal truly unbearable is it tolerable? I really need to know because I can usually handle pain but I guess it is the idea of the removal that petrifies me. I hope everyone else is doing well and again thank you for sharing your experiences, Cassaundra
84
Becky
I too have extreme pain from a 4mm kidney stone that was obstructing my urine flow. I had been sent to emergency surgery and a stent placed. The pain/bleeding afterwards was quite horrible. But, without the stend I may not be here anymore. I had an infection that quickly spread into my bloodstream. This is something that you don't want to happen. I am scheduled for Lipotripsy and then hopefully a week or two later removal of the stent. The stent is quite important. It does hurt,pinch,and pull. It is mentally wearing. But, if it saved you from a blood infection it is a good thing. Without them you could have had swelling and blockage from the stone and then could lead to severe infection/death. It happens quickly. The doctors only have so many resources to help us. The design of the stent needs to be improved. My prayers to you all - especially expecting mothers.
Be sure to let your doctors know of your experience. They need this informatin to improve this proceedure in the future.
85
rick
This is a great website. I have had a stent for less than 24 hours. In another 24 hours, I will have my first lipotripsy treatment ever. Not looking forward to it. I read a lot of technical research and the thought is that the newer machines are more harmful than the ones they built in 1980 because they are too strong and they harm the kidney tissue, cause hypertension later on, renal failure, diabetes, and most importantly, blast the fragments into the tissue to act as seeds so that more stones will happen in the future. This sounds like a class action suit waiting to happen against lipotripsy machines that generate more business for this 20 billion dollar industry. Hopefully, we can get the machines to be less powerful (less than 2 KW, use less dose (fewer than 2,000 blasts), and take longer times like they did in the good old days. BTW, the success rate of pulverizing these rocks is the same with the old machines as with the new machines. They say that AIG was too big to fail, now they should look at this corrupt urology medical industry and right size it before it creates more harm.

Also, learned here some useful techniques to deal with stent pain such as wearing loose clothing, drinking plenty of water, tightening your stomach when voiding, not lying down on your stent side, stool softener, etc. And the pain should moderate with time.... I hope.

This is a character building experience. Good luck.
86
Nona Schaupp
There must be a lot of people out there that this is not such a big deal. I'm a 59 yr. old female who has had 4 babies and passed at least a dozen stones, the most recent of which were 7mm. They discovered in the ER that I also had an 8mm stone that really should be removed. I am out of state to care for my 86yr. old mother and her situation is one that I really cannot afford am emergency. Since I was told this would be "quick, out patient procedure, safe [unless I happen to be one of the less than 4% who have complications] a little discomfort, minimally invasive and quick recovery", this seemed to be the safest choice. To be on the safe side I flew my son in for the procedure for 3 days. How I wish I had seen this sight before making THAT call. Because I went home an hour after surgery and still under anesthesia I thought it was over. I could only think, in light of what I was told, that something had gone horribly wrong that night and almost went to ER but waited 'til morning. Next day bearable so I hung in there. Night before last I had the night from below. I was already so tired from no sleep the night before that I couldn't wait to go to bed. As soon as I fell asleep this excruciating #8 level pain began. The only reason I didn't take the Vicadin [sp] is that it severely nausiates me and that was the last thing I wanted to add to my missery. My son took me to urology first thing yesterday. The did an ultr sound and xrays and said everything was "just fine". I had eleveted to a full blown #10 pain and assured them all was NOT fine. They gave me a different pain med and sent me home. Now I not only had the unbelievable pain but horrible anxiety that I was going to explode, die or kill myself and no one knew the cause. I've just always nievely thought that severe pain is a red flag to SOMETHING. But being told it was "not the stent" and "we don't know" and "never had this problem before" REALLY worried me. I downed the pain meds which realy did help but was still terribly worried something horrible was just being masked. My son, searching for some explaination happened upon this site,[thank heavens], and I had my answer. I will have this stent for 18 days because they accidentally made a small tear in the ureter. At least I know I can medicate to survive and that it is in fact all stent related. Why in the world don't they level with people. In case this particular clinic really has not heard of this happening, I am planning to print this entire discussion so they can better inform people. My husband is flying down today to help where my son left off until the "devil's claw" is out and I have recovered. I hope there are some researchers out there trying to come up with a better plan for dealing with stones.
All the best through your experience. Nona
87
BLL
A year ago I was diagnosed with an 8mm stone in my left kidney. Doctor and I decided to leave it alone, as it was not causing any issues. Last weekend, it dropped into my upper ureter. I went to the ER in extreme pain. Later that evening, my doctor suggested a stent, and I agreed. I had no information to compare it to, and I knew I would need lithotripsy to break up the stone since it would not be able to pass on it's own. The stent pain is horrible, but only when I have to urinate. Yes, there is blood. Yes, I feel like I need to go to the bathroom more than normal. Yes, it is uncomfortable to walk too much. My employer is amazing, giving me as much time as I need to get over this. I only worked two half days this week, the rest of the time was spent on meds and heating pads. While I was at work, I sat most of the time (I work in a school with pre-k children). Anyway, yesterday I had the lithotripsy done. My kidney is a bit sore, and it still hurts terribly to urinate (the kidney feels like it is being squeezed tight). I go back in to see the doctor April 8. I am a little scared that the dust/fragments will not all be gone, and I am nervous that if there are remains, they could turn into stones in the future. Water, water, water. Hopefully, everything will be clear and the stent will be removed. Not looking forward to that. I know that this whole process stinks, but each day I am closer to being done with this experience. I know that I will be back to normal eventually. Yep, the stent is horrible. But it kept my kidney from backing up, and for that I am thankful. I will continue to try to keep this all in perspective...An uncomfortable stent/stone for a period of time, or a kidney infection that could have lead to renal failure or even death. I am not willing to leave my family over a peice of tubing! Good luck to us all. None of us is alone (although when you are sitting on the toilet screaming into a towel, it sort of feels like it for a moment!). I will let you all know about the stent removal in April. I am anticipating complete recovery shortly thereafter!
88
laura
I wrote on here on 22 feb telling of my experience.I'm now 14 weeks with the stent,2 weeks ago after getting really upset in my G P's office i was given voltarol suppositories which have helped a lot with the pain ,my life is about 70% back to normal.On 29th march i am due to go in for laser cystoscopy and am told i will be in hospital for 2days(this is after already having 2 lots of lithotripsy)and will have my stent replaced for a short term stent(not sure how long short term means ??)hopefully this will all be over soon .If anyone had told me on 18th dec that 14 weeks later i would still be suffering i probably wouldn't have believed them.I asked my G P why if i was in this much pain for any other reason, something would have been done sooner but when you have a stent in it seems like there's nothing they will do and you just have to put up with it.Good luck again to everyone - maybe soon this will all just be a distant nightmare
89
Kevin
I have had a stent inserted yesterday after 6 weeks of severe pain with a stone lodged in my left ureter. I was sent home with no pain meds and told I would be back to work next day, what a load of crap!! Have a constant urge to pee and when I do its like peeing glass also there is the blood, will this urge subside and how long before it does?
90
Murthy
I have been recommended for right ureteroscopy. The stone was initially 10 mm in the upper right ureter. It is now shown as 6 mm in the USG and it is now at the VUJ, junction of the ureter and bladder. It is not moving out since last 2 to 3 weeks. I am not sure why. I hope it moves out. Doctor suggested for ureteroscopy, but I want it done only on local anesthetic and not general and not spinal. I dont know any clinics here in India which do it only on local anesthetic. Please suggest.
91
Amber
im 18 years old, and had a stent put in place on april 14th, 2009. i also have panic disorder, so im always scared that something might go wrong with the stent. can someone please convince me that i'll be okay? the pain isnt that bad, the urologist (spelling?) prescribed me percocets for the pain, and i cant think of the other pills name but he prescribed it to relax my bladder. it turns my urine blue/green. i still havent passed the stone yet and im scared that something will go wrong with the stent, any advice to make me feel better? thanks in advance.
92
FloridaRN
I had a stent placed 10 days ago now for a 12mm stone. The Dr never told me about the pain that would follow this beast! I would rather deal with the pain from the stone! It was 9 days before the bleeding began to subside and the pain is ridiculous. I was given narcotic pain meds and the Detrol-- which by the way did not help the spasms. The pain meds helped except that I'M A NURSE-- I cant take narcotics at work! The pain and spasms in my bladder are terrible,I feel it when I walk or bend over, sitting down is worse than post partum pain and I feel like I have the worst UTI of my life and the Dr. isnt even sure that he got the stone with litho. I have 3 more weeks until my follow CT just to see if the litho worked. Per my MD, I may be looking at another 8-12 weeks with this miserable thing in. Pray for me-- I need it!
93
Ken
I had a stent in 2004-worst experience ever. I am going in today for a lodged 5mm stone- and I might need another one. Please pray for me that I won't need the stent- yes, it may save the kidney but talk about torture...
94
NursingStudent
Wow. I found this website and I am caring for a patient tomorrow who had a stent inserted and then he ended up having urosepsis (severe infection of the kidney and urinary tract). I hope I can put him at ease in some way. I am so sorry everyone here is having such a bad experience. To make things worse he only has one kidney because he lost the other one to cancer 2 years ago. :-( I am nervous for tomorrow.
95
Kim
This is my 6th Kidney stone. Mom, Dad, Sister, Niece, Nephew, Cousin(s) all have had a history - including myself - so let's just say hereditary is the key... Wow the pain of this last stone was terrible - I had bilateral stones - one was in the kidney and giving me the pain - in March that one was I had liptripsy on...2 months later the larger one that we thought would never leave the kidney decided to take a trip down my tubes and imebed itself...the pain was worse that my 2 completely natural childbirths. Long story short - I now have a 2nd stent placed after the lasering of the bugger (stone) I am stone free but stent pained...I have the stent removed on Monday 3 days away - does anyone recommend taking a large does of vicodin prior to removal ... or a xanax...I have such anxiety over the removal..This last stone has made me swear off Starbucks...and make water my beverage of choice. Thank you so much for this forum...now I don't feel like such a baby - I have never in the 5 prior episodes of stones have I had stents, pain, blood - the blood is unbelievable. Thanks again!!!
96
Jeff
This is my 2nd kidney stone. There were 2 bouts of severe pain about a month ago that was aleviated within a few hours by drinking copious amounts of water each time. The third bout lasted about 12 hours. The following day I had a CT that showed a 7mm stone in the kidney at the entrance to the bladder. My doctor (urologist) told me that the stone moved, probably as a result of all of the water. He said that there is no pain associated with stones unless there is blockage. I was leaving on a trip in 3 days and he said that I shouldn't go unless I had it removed first. I had it removed the next day while under general anesthesia. He ordered a laser to have in the operating room to break up the stone first. I was home within a few hours. I still have the stent in today after a week and my partner (a registered nurse) will remove it today at home. I have had little trouble during the time after surgery (10 days) other than some cramping when relieving and minor irritation due to the string. Very little pain killer usage and Phenazopyridine x3 daily as an urinary track analgesic (orange urine). It did not ruin my out of state trip. I am going to medicate prior to the removal of the stent today with Hyomax (cramping),Promethazine (nausea) and Hydrocodone/Apap because the most discomfort the last time was after removing the stent (severe cramping)that lasted a couple of hours. I have been phyically active during this time and bleeding had stopped about 24 hours post-op. The doctor said that there is a vitamin supplement that I may be able to take that should greatly reduce the chance of reoccurence. The stone fragment he saved after surgery is being anylized and I'll have the results in a week or 2. I feel so badly for those of you who have suffered so much more than I. If you are not happy with your doctors get a referal from your GP or someone else for another urologist. Having the patient stay reasonably comfortable during this process should be the goal of your urologists and if you are unhappy with yours please take it upon yourself to find another. Good luck to all!
97
Emma
I have had numerous stents for PUJ which i get changed approx 3 monthly..Every one i have had so far hurts like hell and i also get bleeding too, so last week my surgeon tried a different stent and bingo no pain and no bleeding its great(apparently where i am they just insert a standard stent ?)..So i have suffered all this time for no reason...Roll on my corrective surgery...
98
Jenny
My name is jeny and im 37 weeks pregnant, 2 weeks ago i have a stent placed in my left kidney. i thought before the stent was placed that the pain was bad but when i was woken up from surgery of having the stent placed i then knew that having a stent was possibly the worst pain i have ever felt in my life. the doctors gave me demorl for the pain and sent me home that same day with 5 mg vicodin, well needless to say i was back that same day because the 5 mg vicodin was not helping AT ALL! tHEY KEPTS ME FOR 2 MORE DAYS TO MANAGE THE pain and then sent me home with a high and more potent dose of vicodin whcih helped but not very long, i could still feel the pain but i was too dopey to realize it, only had 2 hours of sleep at a time and some times i wouldnt sleep at all due to the severity of the pain i was in. i still have the stent now as we speak and i dont get it removed until after i give birth. currently i caqn barely walk, barely pee and feel like im being stabbed over and over again in my pee hole when i urinate. ive been passing blood clots in my urine for a good 2 days now and im not sure if its cause of the stent or if its cause im passing a stone. The sad part of all of this is the cotors have not found a stone but yet they have me in agonizing pain with a stent, that i have no clue what its purpose is other than to make my last 2 weeks of pregnancy HELL
! I fully sympathise with all of you who have and have had stents because its hurts worse than the kidney pain itself. id rather have kidney pain then feela stent!
99
Debbie
I wish I had found this site before have my kidney stone removed and stent placed yesterday. I would never have done it! The pain of the stent is much worse then the kidney stone because of the muscle spasms! The doctor lied to me saying that his patients reports that the stent isn't bad or very painful. I can't sit, stand, walk or even lay down without spasms and urinating is excruciating and frequent! I can't sleep even though I haven't been able to sleep more then 1-3 hours a day for a week! Doctors are the biggest liars on the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
100
Kara
I have had my stent in for 2 weeks now. I am 33 weeks pregnant and have to have it in until I have my son. Its very painful...I can do hardly anything around the house at all and I have a nine year old daughter. They also said that it has to be replaced every 4 weeks due to the fact that I am pregnant. i wouldnt wish this kind of pain and suffering on my worst enemy thats how bad it is. And the urology group I go to are the worst, most unhelpful people I have ever met in my life. Oh yeah, and did I mention the fact that I have been hospitalized for these kidney problems 6 times in the past 2 months? Well anyways, I just had to share my horrible experience with everyone who is going through the same thing. You arent alone. I just hope I can make it through the next 7 weeks of this!!!
101
Jen
This article was really informative, but I'm super concerned now. My 10 month old son is going into the hospital tomorrow to have Lithotripsy done because he has a kidney stone. The urologist was talking about putting a stent in...I had no idea what a stent was, so I did research. Now, I'm just kinda freaked out. I dont want my baby to go though a lot of pain. :/
102
Hope
My kidney stone problem started in dec 08. An 8mm stone on the right moved and passed on it's own. The 13mm stone on the left started to cause problems early may. I was septic and hospitalized for infection and dehydration. One week later had ureteroscopy (removed an 8mm stone from the left)and a stent.
Two weeks later I had lithroscopy supposedly for a 13mm still in the left kidney but instead the urologist zapped a 6 mm stone in the ureter. The nurse gave me demerol in the same hip being lasered. BG MISTAKE. The pain was excrusiating. It felt like someone hit me with a 2 x 4 hundreds of times every minute. The urologist used 250 mg demerol to complete the lithroscopy. The pain continued not only in the effected area but also from severe muscle ache from straining during the treatment.
The stent still bothers me after three weeks.
I went on search for alternatives and found cornsilk, hydrangea, and marshmallow. The cornsilk lines the ureter and urinary tract to help pass the stone. It's like a kidney stone slip and slide.
The hydrangea helps break up the stone.
the marshmallow helps in circulation issues.
Drink a gallon of purified water every day, sipping all day, not chugging a quart at a time.
No sugar, no high fructose, no caffeine, no red meat.
Do this and you wont ever need a urologist.
Think about it... demerol, toradol, morphine, antibiotics, antispamatics, and other drugs are all very damaging to the kidney.
I'm off all pain meds for one week solid now. The stent is still in and two stones smaller than the urologist estimated are sitting stuck at the edge of the stent about an inch apart.
This stent is out of here as soon as I have my lithroscopy follow up.
103
tim
Hi, i had a 3mm stone blasted with a laser on 4/28/09 they told me most people are supposed to pass up to a 5mm stone but anyways i guess the little 3mm stone had a fish hook and it got stuck 1 inch above the bladder...so anyways after it was blasted they placed a stent in my right ureter... i had blood clots for about 3 days afterwards.... and then just occasional blood and now 5/2/09 my urine is just about to clear up ...but as all of you have said the PAIN WHILE PEEING IS almost UN-bearable i have to start and stop " to let the pain go away" but when i stop theres the bladder burning sensation..... i get my stent took out in 2 more days... I just hope and pray that its not going to hurt because i'm not getting put to sleep... and if it does hurt i hope its sorta just instant and then goes away. but i have to say the doc has kept me supplied with some pain pills and cipro " infection" pills..... so thanks doc , I will update when i have the stent taken out in 2 days to let ya all know what the experience is like.... until then I HOPE NOBODY has to go through this if you haven't already and REMEMBER WATER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND IN PREVENTING THIS.
104
Stephanie
I feel so much better after reading these articles. Mentaly that is, not physically! I couldn't sleep because of the intense burning after I urinated before going to bed. I am currently sitting on the toilet at 2:30am. The pain is so intense I couldn't decide if something was really wrong like an infection or something. I had a stent placed 2 weeks ago after I had an 8mm stonr blocking the ureter. The Dr said that it would be one week and then I would have the stones taken out and then another week the stent taken out. Well I called for an app and Wow, the dr was on vacation so I get the pleasure of waiting 3 weeks until the stones come out and who knows how long until the stent comes out.

I do not believe a word this Dr says. Of course he tells me that I can resume my activities and every thing will be okay. Except a few poeople complain of a "little urgency" All I can say is F that! I havn't been back to work, I can't be active, I really can not do anything.

It feels like the worst bladder infection in my life. I googled stent problems and now I see that this is common. I'd like to stick a stent in that Dr and see how his "little urgency" feels!
105
Stephanie
I feel so much better after reading these articles. Mentaly that is, not physically! I couldn't sleep because of the intense burning after I urinated before going to bed. I am currently sitting on the toilet at 2:30am. The pain is so intense I couldn't decide if something was really wrong like an infection or something. I had a stent placed 2 weeks ago after I had an 8mm stonr blocking the ureter. The Dr said that it would be one week and then I would have the stones taken out and then another week the stent taken out. Well I called for an app and Wow, the dr was on vacation so I get the pleasure of waiting 3 weeks until the stones come out and who knows how long until the stent comes out.

I do not believe a word this Dr says. Of course he tells me that I can resume my activities and every thing will be okay. Except a few poeople complain of a "little urgency" All I can say is F that! I havn't been back to work, I can't be active, I really can not do anything.

It feels like the worst bladder infection in my life. I googled stent problems and now I see that this is common. I'd like to stick a stent in that Dr and see how his "little urgency" feels!
106
Stephanie
I feel so much better after reading these articles. Mentaly that is, not physically! I couldn't sleep because of the intense burning after I urinated before going to bed. I am currently sitting on the toilet at 2:30am. The pain is so intense I couldn't decide if something was really wrong like an infection or something. I had a stent placed 2 weeks ago after I had an 8mm stonr blocking the ureter. The Dr said that it would be one week and then I would have the stones taken out and then another week the stent taken out. Well I called for an app and Wow, the dr was on vacation so I get the pleasure of waiting 3 weeks until the stones come out and who knows how long until the stent comes out.

I do not believe a word this Dr says. Of course he tells me that I can resume my activities and every thing will be okay. Except a few poeople complain of a "little urgency" All I can say is F that! I havn't been back to work, I can't be active, I really can not do anything.

It feels like the worst bladder infection in my life. I googled stent problems and now I see that this is common. I'd like to stick a stent in that Dr and see how his "little urgency" feels!
107
Colby
I have a 6.5mm stone that sent me to the ER on 06/04/09 - pain was 10/10 and I was sweating, chilled, and vomiting. CAT scan and an ultrasound (to rule out torsion) were performed. 06/12/09 I was scheduled for litho yet woke up in recovery to find out that a stent was placed. I was discharged with Ditropan, Septra DS, and Darvocet N-100 and scheduled for followup surgery....

Never in my 39 years of life have I experienced such pain and discomfort! While the ditropan does help with the bladder spasms, the Darvocet did not even begin to help with pain relief!!

Post-op I returned home to intense burning during urination, bloody, clotted urine, and a pain that was worse than ever. It's difficult to find a comfortable position to sit, sleep or even lay down and my doctors haven't been much help.

A midnight call to the GU resident resulted in me being told that "everything you're telling me is normal so you'll have to just deal with it." Wow...wtf!???? I was even told that were I to go to the ER that I would be seen by this same resident and discharged....*sigh*

A call into the urologist's office got me some Vicodin which barely takes the edge off the pain. I saw my urologist yesterday and he was perplexed when I described my symptoms and tried to explain that I feel worse off now than before. He insisted that the stent "was properly placed and bypasses the kidney stone so there is no reason for you to be in pain at all." The office visit ended with me being scheduled for Litho on 06/18/09 (tomorrow).

In short I'd like to say that I not only agree with most everything said here but can relate to it. I don't know what the problem is with most of our physicians not understanding or wanting to help with our pain and discomfort but I really wish that would change.

I'm not looking forward to the surgery or the stent removal but am wiling to go through it in an attempt to get this done and over with. My concern, though, is that the fragments could remain and act as seed material for further stones - can anyone comment on this please?

I think that as a pre-requisite for the position of a urologist, each physician needs to have had kidney stones and had the placement of a stent. Were that the case, I firmly believe their dismissive attitude would change...drastically.

Good luck to everyone.
Colby
108
Colby
I forgot to ask in my previous post: how many of you all experience sporadic pain that would measure off the charts? Not to be graphic here but early this morning I woke up feeling as if someone was squeezing my right testicle with a pair of pliers and putting the pressure on!! I was doubled over in pain for 3hrs 19 minutes and would have gone to the ER if I could have gotten to a telephone.

This has happened to me 7 times since 06/04/09 - it's not consistent but when it hits.....OMG! Has anyone experienced this type of onset before? I brought it up to my doctor who didn't seem to have a clue about it.

Thanks in advance,
Colby
109
LaVonne
Stephanie, get a new doctor! I had a kidney stone, the Dr. was on vacation for only 1 week, so I got another doctor who could do it in 3 days. Shop around.
110
laura
i left 2 comments on this site before about my experience ,just to update i had my stent in for 20 weeks (5 months) in the end.i had 2 lots of lithotripsy and 1 laser with changing of stent,i was in even more pain when they changed my stent than before(if thats possible) i am now 6 weeks without the stent and as soon as it was out the pain had gone ,no more pain meds no more anti-biotics no more toilet trips every 5 mins(so i believe it was all down to the stent).i had to see my urologist this week for x-ray and he said my stone has all gone which is the best news ever,but after what i went through for those 5 months i will never let them do that to me again.to everyone i,m sympathising with you all and i hope everything turns out ok for you.i think that they should find an allternative to the stent because when you have to live with it its a nightmare which nobody else can understand except those also going through it .good luck everyone xx
111
anna tagorda
is anesthesia required when removing a cysto stent?
112
Sarah
I think you have a local but heard it can be painful for a split second.Ive only had mine removed under a general as i always have a new one put in.
113
Mike
I have had surgery to move my ureter tube that by birth was connected to kidney in the wrong place. The operation was done using a robot. I still have a stent in my tube and have been having lower stomach pain on and off. Is this due to the stent? The operation was done on 14 May 2009.
114
Lori
Thank you for all of your comments. I had an emergency nephrostomy placed last week following botched surgery to remove my ovaries damaged my ureter. Apparently, a cystoscopy was done at this time and the blockage was discovered,but they were unable to get thru the blockage to place the stent, and I had too much fluid build up to do anything more than the nephrostomy.

I was released from the hospital after 10 days and told by my urologist to schedule a stent placement when I got home. Being on hard hitting pain meds in the hospital, I didn't bother to ask any questions, came home, and made my appointment.

When I called for my appointment, the nurse told me I would have "conscious sedation", which is what I was also told for the nephrostomy - worst pain I have ever felt in my life, especially while someone is standing over you saying " you may feel a little pinch". This sent me into a panic, not wanting to go through that sort of pain again. I was given NO information about what to expect, what complications may be, if any pain meds would be given, that these things weren't permanent...

I have now sat up till 5 am in the morning, due at the hospital at 7:30am. I am cancelling my appointment until I can get more information. I'm not happy about sitting longer with this bag sticking out of my back, but I'm also not willing to subject myself to more needless torture.

Thoughts and prayers for all of you.
115
martha brown
This site really helped me feel better about myself. I have cancer also stage 4 with numerous treatments and surgeries and have never had pain like this before Also I think urologist are the most arrogant doctors I have met. and what is this pain med thing. who the hell are they to tell e what y level of pain is. I was discuarged today adn the nurse wouldn't give me a dose of pain med for 4 hours before I left because "they aren't allowed to give it on discharge" I think pain is a terrible thing but pain combined with anger and distrust is double hurt. I was given no information about risks or pain before procedure either. I am definitely afraid of removal but intend to be so stoned they will have to drag my body onto table.
116
Julia slaney
Thank you all. At least I know I am not crazy. I had my stent removed yestereday after having a stone removed by telescope. The Dr. had to laser it in half to remove it. The stent was almost as painful as a stone and the removal was terrible. It is now the middle of the night and I have never been in such pain in my life. I can't tell if this is another stone passing or residual pain from the stent. The pain is unbearable. I took my last percoset and 2 vicodin. Thanks to all your comments I also took Detrol which I happen to have and Flomax. The pain is subsiding slightly. I'll call the Dr. first thing in the morning. He has been very responsive. I have had many bad experiences with Urologists. They don't seem comfortable dealing with women. They treat us like hysterics. However, the one I have now is very kind and patient. I don't know if I'm allowed to give his name. But if you're physician is unresponsive and unsympathetic please change Doctors. There are good ones out there. Good Luck to everyone.
117
Michelle Martin
I am a 39 year old female. Last week I was diagnosed with a 10mm stone in my left kidney that is blocking my kidney. I am going in on Monday to have a stent put in and then in 2 weeks they are going to blast the stones (I also have a 3 mm stone in the left kidney) and hopefully they will pass with no problems. Reading the stories on this site....I'm really getting scared. I have already been off work for 2 weeks due to the pain in my kidney and taking pain meds. I'm sure you'll will be hearing from me again.!
118
Michele
This is my 5th stone and it was removed with stent placement last Monday. I too had forgotton had terrible these stents hurt and was unsure about the removal which is this coming Thursday. I also have an arrogant dr. who thinks there is no "real" pain involved and I am now worried about having enough pain meds for when I do have it removed. I'm with Martha, the previous poster, and I had to laugh when I read she intended to be completely stoned and they would have to drag her butt on the table to remove her stent!!!! That lady has to be related to me somehow, I just know it!!!! I'll be back to let you all know how it goes and if the doc makes it through the procedure or not, cause if I'm in pain, he's not sure as hell not going to be comfortable!!!!
119
Ray
I am a male and am booked in to have my stent removed today. like everyone else here, this stent was the worst experience of my life. Having survived two heart attacks and a total of seven stents implanted in my arteries, I can't even compare the pain and suffering from the kidney stones and the stent from my kidney to the bladder. Peeing every 5 minutes and the burning sensation that follows. The stent was placed on June 9th and lithotripsy was performed June 11th but due to the size of the stone another lithotripsy was performed July 20th. My Urologist is a decent guy and we discussed the pain I encountered, but his response was to prescribe Percocet and stool softeners. He tells me that taking the stent out is a simple 5 minute affair. Hopefully this will all be over today. Good luck to all who are still suffering. BTW. How come most of the comments here are by women, I know men also suffer from kidney stones!!
120
Ray
Well, got stent removed today. Not as easy as I thought, quite painful and very uncomfortable but it's done. I even kept the stent as a souvenier. It's all done using local freezing, no needle just cream and a cystoscope to go through the penis and grap the stent, which was sitting in my bladder. Damn uncomfortable and an uncontrollable urge to urinate makes it very difficult. The urogolist did say there would be a burning sensation upon urination and traces of blood. He was right, I thought I was going to pass out while trying to take a leak at Burger King. That was really painful and some blood apparent.

Now I can actually go and cut the grass, which is growing like a weed. Yippee.
121
Felicia
Mount Vernon, WA: How is it I am the only one that has only a passing idea as to what is GOING ON WITH ME? I went to the ER with right flank pain on 7/13 the doc there figured it out quick and confirmed it with a CT scan. Only stuff I know is from that visit: 1. I have two (2) right ureters 2. Both ureters on the right were blocked with larger than 1 CENEtmeter stones 3. Left kidney one larger than 1 ctmtr stone. They gave me anti-biotics & oxycodone APAP & sent me home. Referred to a local urologist I had a pre-op appt that confirmed all of this as he examined the CT with me. He then scheduled my surgery on Fri 7/17, the word SCHEDULED should not have been used, perhaps penciled in would have been more apropos. No admitting x-ray to guide the surgery on the location of the stones until I mentioned that I though we needed it. My 1pm surgery time was actually 3:45pm & when I woke NO ONE told me what had happened! On the discharge instructions it read to wait for the doctors office to call to schedule the follow-up appt. I waited till Wednesday. When I was told the op-report still was not available and the doctor would not be able to talk to me until 8/5 when the stint would be removed, and that this appt would be much like my first exam I had experienced with the doctor, just a brief exam. Did I mention that I HAD NOT BEEN EXAMINED, the CT had been examined. So staff now saying that they would be removing a stint that she had no proof had been placed. OMG! Forget about that, I lowered the boom on the Office Manager in a nice way. You can yell for 10 minutes and have little affect, or you can be nice but persistent for an hour and really make an impact. HA. In fact I learned today that I had TWO stints placed on the two right side ureters and that the doctor had not gone after the left side kidney stone. Just a little job security for him and something for me to look forward to. YIKES. Sadly no one can tell me why I have had to suffer with these stints for such a long period, I can only guess it’s something to do with the size of stones, or perhaps that the doctor tried before the cystoscopy, the ureteroscopy with the Basket Grab Procedure, which failed and they ended up blasting with the laser quite a bit before they could clear the boulder/stones debris. I read that the stent ensures the ureter doesn’t spasm and collapse after all the trauma of being stretched and scratched. Which after a two hour procedure I’m guessing a lot of both occurred. Guess I will find out for sure next week.

In my internet search I also found that “The implanting physician is responsible for informing the patient of the requirements, consequences, and complications associated with stent placement. Failure to do so has obvious management and potential mediocLEGAL implications.” PERHAPS WE SHOULD EXPLAIN THIS TO OUR DOCTORS!

This site is wonderful, but I feel the AFTERCARE management section should include some of the information some of the other User Contributors have offered as well as: 1) That patients should continually sip water not gulp down sporadically. 2) To monitor the urine output/flow. Not Enough Input-No Output-Say Hi to UTI! 3) Stent caused symptoms like bladder irritation causing frequency and urination discomfort and leakage. 4) Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) due to the implanted stent. 5) Should the stent pass on it’s own the office will want to see it. **Though once the stent/s are removed all symptoms resolve almost immediately.

I also liked the description of the ureteral stent as being about the same size as a plastic coffee swizzle stick and about 10-12 inches depending on the type used due to the size of your particular ureter/s.

Did I mention I LOVE THIS SITE! Thank YOU all for sharing and hopefully others can come here and learn more about what is happening to them before it happens to them! It is not often that we can honestly say I FEEL YOUR PAIN! To bad we can not bottle it and share. = (...)
122
smiley
I'm a fairly health female in my late 30s,I had a renal stent placed on Thursday 7/30/09 due to 2 blockages in my Right kidney one is at the renal pelvis and ureter junction; I've known this for a while and been dealing with the pain for the last 2years.I'm fortunate to have a great Urologist Dr. J Johnson in Arlington Tx; who explained the procedure thoroghly to me;however, he stated that I'd only have minor discomfort for one or two days but that has turned out to be the biggest understatement of the year! That thing hurts beyond words 6 days later and I'm still bleading. The pain is worse when I sit or lay in one position for an hour or longer and when my bladder fills up to the point that I can barely walk!!I only have the one kidney and so I don't have many options.Does anyone know how long this pain lasts??? Help please!
123
Michelle
My mother has had a (permanent) stent for two years now due to scar tissue in her ureter. (She only has one kidney). She is in horrible pain daily and can't take narcotics because they cause her bladder to stop working and have urinary rentention, then she has to go to the emergency room and be catheterized, leading to still more pain. Is there anyone who deals with pain management for people with permanent stents in the DFW area? Her doctors are compassionate but they seem out of options.
124
Alice
Thank God for this forum. I thought I was going crazy. My urologist never mentioned, even casually, the living hell that having this stent put in would cause. The demonic pain is bad enough, as well as the inability to function in your normal life, even with the help of medication, but the sheer lack of bedside manor and humanity from the doctor and nurses is inexcusable. I received more empathy from the scheduler in the office than I did from these insufferable bastards. It is bordering on criminal the way they herd you in and out of these facilites like cattle in order to "free up a bed." On Monday, when I get this thing out, I am going to let these pricks know that they need to work on the skill of compassion....in just a little uh nicer way. God bless all you fellow sufferers out there. The one slice of heaven we all now have is to remember what it is like to appreciate our health more often.

Take care, Alice
125
Emma
I only have the 1 kidney and have also a blockage (PUJ) so have permanent stents,for the last year i have lived on Demerol as the stent pain can get so bad.Yet every time i see the Urologist he looks at me as if i am mad to have such pain..So on the 1st of Sept i find out when i can get reconstruction surgery( also the robotic way )Cant say im looking forward to having a nephrostomy again but thankfully or should i say hopefully only for a few days...I was wondering what the pain was like after a pyloplasty(sp?)...Hugs to all.xxxx
126
Lori
I posted on this site a little over a month ago, about 3 hours away from going to the hospital to have an attempt at a stent placement via nephrostomy with no more than a little sedation. Mine was not due to a stone, but from a ureter injury that occured during a previous surgery. This injury was not caught immediately despite my constant pleas to the hospital staff that something was very wrong. 3 days later I was in renal failure, and had an emergency nephrostomy placed.

Well, that morning I chickened out, and opted to not go to the appointment for stent placement, and called my urologist instead. We discussed at that time that ureter reconstruction was more than likely where I would end up, so it was agreed that 6 weeks later, we would proceed with the surgery. About 4 days after that appointment, the nephrostomy began to leak, filling my pelvis with fluid, and making the decision for me that the reconstruction surgery had to occur immediately.

I woke up from this surgery to be in the absolute worst pain of my life. I still had the nephrostomy, and added a stent to my newly replaced left ureter, as well as a foley catheter and a surgical drain from my stomach. As days progressed, I felt much better, with some pretty bad pain in my groin - I am assuming due to the stent. After a month in the hospital, I finally made it home, still with a foley, still with a stent, and still with a nephrostomy. I was able to leave my house yesterday for the first time to attend an open house for my 8 year old's school. This felt GREAT to be able to leave the house, but after about 30 minutes, had to come home and hit pain meds.

Hopefully, I lose the foley and nephrostomy on Monday. Both of these procederes have caused me a little anxiety, along with the idea of getting this stent removed in another 3 weeks. At least it will (should) be over for me then.

I can say that the stent pain I have has gradually gotten better. I have actually been able to go one day wothout pain meds. I don't know what it will be like when the foley is removed and I have to pee on my own, but hopefully it won't be to horrible.

Thank you so much to all of you that have posted. I received enough insight from your posts to no longer fear the unknown. Good luck to you all!!
127
Donna
Cathy --

I, too, am going through the burning at the end of voiding (which is how I found your post here), and the need to go NOW is horrible. I am getting my stent out in a week or so. But please, please, if they tell you you need the stent, DO IT. The alternative is worse. I had a kidney stone move and block the urethra TOTALLY. The poisons built up in the kidney, and moved to the bloodstream. The scary thing is that there was no pain, nothing I could put my finger on as a problem other than that things "weren't right." My husband finally called an ambulance after I spent a day at home in bed, and was unable to decide anything (like, "Are you hungry?" "I dunno....") By the time I got to the hospital, the infection had moved into my bloodstream, and I was very close to death. I spent over 2 weeks in the hospital as they tried to get me over it. They succeeded (naturally -- I'm writing this, right?), and I have now gone through 3 rounds of lipotripsy (sp?) to blast those stones into little bits that I can pass. So yeah, I'm dealing with the burning, looking forward to the removal of the stent, but also glad to be alive to complain about the burning!
128
Thomas
Don't know if this will help anyone out there. Since March of 2009 I have had a half dozen stents placed and removed. Some of them were from a nephrostomy and some of them through the bladder. After talking with different urologists and radiologists I have learned that the size of the stent is crucial. There are typically three lengths of stents depending on your height. I was actually able to bear this last stent, I talked with the radiologist prior to the stent placement and he took special care to measure me for the proper one. Post placement I took the following medications; Detrol LA 4mg twice a day (doctors usally perscrib once daily, talk with your doctor about taking twice), over the counter AZO, 2 tablets twice a day (will cause your urine to turn orange but has a chemical that numbs the urinary tract) hydrocodone APAP 10mg/500mg at lest twice a day, more if needed, at least 20 oz. of water an hour and a glass of cranberry juice a day. I have since had that stent removed as of a few days ago after a procedure and the doctor inserted another stent that I dont EVEN KNOW IS THERE, there is no burning, no pain, no bladder spasms, nothing. The stent is new on the market, my docotr said it is softer and instead of curling or pigtailing at the ends it has an oblong loop at both ends. I do not know the name of it, although I know it's blue as I got a look at it before I was knocked out. The doctor did have to special order it because the hospital did not carry it. When I go back for my follow up I will ask abou teh name and post it. Until then, hang in there and hopefully the above mix of meds will help you as well.
129
Stella Beavis
I had/have a 10 cm stricture in my right urethra, no stones were found, after CT scans and ultra sound scans nothing abnormal has been found to have caused the stricture. A PET/CT scan shows no cancer, I have lost funtion of my left kidney as a side effect of radiation treatment for stomach cancer five years ago. I now have pain in my right side, in my right ribs and right hip, the Urologist has inserted a stent to the right urethra which has helped with drainage but I have constact indigestion. The stent has been in place for 2 months now, Has anyone else had indigestion with problems with the urethra. I have lost 16 pounds in weigh and have no appetite, is this related?
130
Megan
Hello Everyone
Thank god I found this website! I'm glad to hear everyone else is experiencing the same things I am.
I'm 25 and 27 weeks pregnant with a stent in my right side. I am in the most unbearable pain I've ever experienced. I went into the hospital with right flank pain Aug 25 and they couldn't find any stones but apparently my baby is blocking my kidney, so therefor they had to place a stent. I have two words.... I'm miserable!!! I can't do anything for myself, I can't walk more than 2 seconds and I'm in constant pain. Like everyone else my doctor told me that it was only going to be uncomfortable.... Ha ha ya right... I still have blood (lots) in my urine and occasionally have clots, its so painful wen I urinate that I literally grab something and squeeze for dear life. I'm crying all the time. Its horrible!!!! I have decided that I'm not waiting till my babys born to get it removed I'm going this week to get it out. I would rather have the pain in my flank than go through this 24/7.... I wish all of u good luck and hope ur pain eases.
131
Karen Winstanley
Can my husband & I safely have sex after he has had a stent inserted 2 weeks ago?
132
blf
My husband is going through the exact problems with this stone, stent, and stent removal as is everyone above. I really do not understand doctors, they seem to care less. Bet if this were their pain it might be different. What i haven't seen in the above info. is blood clots. This is my concern. We are on day 6 from the day of stent removal. My husband is passing large clots that will sometimes block urine flow and this has gone on since the placement of the stent but worse since the removal and we had a second opinion that said give it 7-10 more days. My reply was that I guess when he passes out cold and has lost too much blood I'll take him to the hospital and then I might get some answers. FED UP! Seems like with all the MODERN TECHNOLOGY we would be a little further along.
133
Rose Mary
Oh my gosh am I glad I found this site! I was googling 'blood clots with kidney stent's' and found it. I had surgery last Tues. 9-22, to remove my 4, 5, 6 & 7th stones in 3 yrs and the doc said he needed to put in another stent - to prevent damage to the ureter from having these stones since April. He knew I did not want one as the last one hurt so incredibly bad. (Last one had a string attached and the next morning I took it out myself (no one said I couldn't)). I have NEVER experienced such horrific pain, and I have chronic pain and have pretty bad migraines. I am supposed to get this one out tomorrow afternoon. He left one stone up in the rt kidney that he couldn't get to and said it was small enough to pass on it's own. He, as well as his staff, say 'it just shouldn't hurt this much', when I call them to complain. That is supposed to make me feel better? I will never have another one of these. I noticed from 'blf' that you mentioned clotting. I have had bleeding every day and a lot of clotting the past few days. My activity level is nil so I know it isn't that. I am on vicoden, dilaudid, pyridium, and cipro. He had me on flomax prior to surgery but it causes pretty severe chest pains so I can't take that any longer. I'm just so concerned as to why no one listens when we all tell them how badly we hurt and only get the 'it shouldn't' answer! It is unbelievable to me and unethical. I called the nurse early Fri.afternoon and she told me my doc was out of town all week and to go to the ER - not to even come in and let someone else see me (although she did mention who was there) and kept saying I shouldn't be hurting. Period. Not, what else can we do, we've got to stop the bleeding, the clotting, let me put your mind at ease -----Nothing! Have any of them ever had a stone let alone a stent??? I, too, am totally fed up with this type of treatment or lack of - especially from the nurses - since the doc is gone I'm not getting advice from him - but he is getting an earful tomorrow - and I'm telling him about this site!
134
Alice Catron
I just got home from a dr visit and was told they would be doing the stent thing to my left kidney and got on Google to see about kidney stents. My husband has 6 in his heart and we are educated on that, but not the kidney kind. You all have been maybe a bit too enlightning, but I would much rather go in with my eyes open than not knowing anything. I have no stones, but possibly scar tissue or something from bladder prolapse and urethra repair surgery in April of this year. My kidney problem was found when I had an MRI for my spine and hip. I was having severe pain and have been diagnosed with Osteoperosis and Degenerative Disc Disease...arthritis of the spine. I also have 4 bone spurs. This started with the recuperation from the prolapse surgery. The hip MRI showed the left kidney malfunction.
I am on the 2nd doctor in the group cause the first one was a jerk. This guy is very informative, but said nothing about pain from the stent. He did not say it would be staying though. He said it would be to drain the kidney cause it is full and not going anywhere.
He did talk about a tube from the back with a bag to see if the kidney was functioning at all before he would take the kidney out.
The first guy said it would be okay to leave it in even if it didn't work as long as I was having no pain.
This guy said it should not stay in cause it could cause secondary infection and cause more problems.
We have been told by my husbands MS doctors that "Medicine is not an exact science" YA THINK????
I do not want to be one of "DR HOUSE's" patients believe me.
Thank you all for your time and honesty. I do want to be an informed patient.
I pray for peace and a pain free life for you all.
alice
135
Billie
I am so glad I found this site, maybe for a reason different from most of you!!!! I too had a stent inserted in an emergency procedure this past Sunday. I have suffered from Kidney Stones since I was pregnant in 2003. At the time I was 2 months pregnant, and began having really bad back and side pain. I was afraid I was losing the baby, or having an entopic pregnancy, etc., BUT it turned out to be calcified kidney stones that were being caused by my parathyroid that was totally not working! The parathyroid, or "gland beside the thyroid", controls the amount of calcium your body absorbs and for whatever reason, when I got pregnant, my parathyroid decided to go whacko! I was eating tons of cheese, milk, yogurt, but instead of my body absorbing all the GREAT calcium, it was just leaving it in my blood stream to be deposited into my kidneys to make a lot of nice, big, sharp, kidney stones!!!!! During my pregnancy I had 3 bouts with stones, each landing me in the hospital. My doctor finally decided I needed to have my parathyroid removed ASAP, because there was no record of how this problem could possibly affect my unborn son... It was supposed to be a 3 hour surgery, at the end of my 2nd trimester; i.e.; MAJOR SURGERY AT 6 MONTHS PREGNANT and being under anesthesia for 3 hours!!!! The 3 hours turned into 5 hours, and at the end, the surgeon could not find the parathyroid (we have 4 in total that should be in pretty close proximity to our thyroid) that was causing the problem, however, he did remove 2 of the healthy ones, AND to top it off, removed my thyroid just in case the bad parathyroid might have been imbedded in it. So after 5 hours of surgery, I had 1 bad parathyroid, 1 good parathyroid, AND NO THYROID AT ALL, meaning I'm on thyroid med's for the rest of my life!!!
It is now 6 years later, and after thousands of dollars, they have still not found my parathyroid, but we are still looking. The main point of this post, is, any women out there that are pregnant and just started getting kidney stones, or women that have already had children, but started having kidney stones while pregnant, please go have your calcium levels checked! At one point mine was as high as 12.5, and I think the norm is 3.5-5.0.
I hope this helps even just one person so they don't have to go through having kidney stones for the rest of their lives!
Good luck to everyone. I get my stent out on Monday, and I can't wait! I don't care how bad it hurts, at this point, nothing really hurts that bad anymore anyway!!!
p.s. The BEST PART of this… my son turned 6 yrs old on August 27th and is totally healthy, happy and normal!!! :)
136
Robbie
I had a stent put in after a trip to hospital over 2 months ago. The doctors found I had an 8mm stone blocking my ureter and another 12mm stone stuck in my kidney. That stent was in for 6 weeks until I could be scheduled for the blasting by laser. The stent was uncomfortable and I passed blood a lot of the time, and struggled to walk far. The pain / scraching in my bladder got steadily worse. I was hoping when the stones were finally lasered that I wouldn't need a stent, so was pretty pissed when they told me that they'd put inanother one, and it would be there for 6 more weeks. Initially, as with the first op, the pain was worst when urinating. I felt like someone had cut the inside of my urethra, and if I had to hold on, the pain would build up in my kidney. My wife reckoned I sounded like I was in labour when I was peeing. I've had this second stent in for nearly 4 weeks, and I've noticed the pain changing. The scratching in my bladder is getting worse, and my kidney doesn't hurt as much when peeing. The really bad burning sensation has pretty much gone, though peeing isn't quite the relief it used to be. I've also had a lot of blood, clots and lumpy white bits of flesh - I guess the insides of my bladder are getting scraped away. I can't wait to get the thing out, though they want to xray me first to ensure I've passed all the pieces.
I'm heartily fed up with the whole thing. I've lost 3 months of being able to walk and rumble with the kids. 20 years ago I guess they'd open me up, remove the stones and sew the holes up, with maybe 2 weeks of downtime. Now days, I get 3 months of downtime.
Good luck to everyone else with stones. I'll post back and let you know how it goes.
Robbie (New Zealand)
137
Rochelle
I am currently 31 weeks pregnant... I went on a vacation with my husband and my daughter. While on vacation I started to suffer from very extreme back and abdominal pain. As I have suffered from kidney stones in the past I figured that is what was happening this time. I went to emergency where they did an ultrasound that revealed that I had a 1 1/2 diameter sized kidney stone stuck in my ureter. I have never had this happen before as in the past I have always passed the stone or had it blasted out. The doctor at the hospital advised me that I had to be admitted and that a urologist would have to put in a stent. I was admitted to the labour and deliver ward due to my pregnancy so that my baby could be monitored. The urologist came to speak to me and advised me that due to the fact that I am pregnant they would not be able to remove the stone as it was too risky so they would put the stent in. The urologist assured me that I would be back to normal and that I would be able to enjoy the rest of my vacation and that I may suffer from some MILD discomfort. Well here I am three days after the stent was put in. I am unable to do ANYTHING. The pain is so intense. I went back to emergency as the pain was so bad and was told that I was suffering from bladder spasms and was given a prescription and sent on my way, being told that the prescription would take away my intense bladder pain. Well again here I am still in intense pain, the medication didn't help at all. I can't move, I can't sleep, I have no appetite and I can't do anything with my daughter. They have told me that I have to keep the stent in till I have my baby in Dec. I don't think I will make it that long. I have made an appointment with my own urologist when I get home and I am desperately hoping that he can do something to help me, but after reading everyone's posts I am afraid he won't be able to. I originally thought that I was an exception and that the stent shouldn't give me so much pain, but from reading this I see that many people go through what I am going through. I feel like the doctor misled me when he told me that I would be back to normal. If I had know what pain I was going to be in I would not have had the stent put in. I will never ever have a stent put in again. I would much rather have surgery to remove the stone and recover from that. I am sure it would be much less painful.
138
Brenda
I just has laser kidney stone surgery last thursday. That was a walk in the park compared to the pain this stent is causing. I cannot function. I am taking vicodin every four hours to numb the pain. I am also taking the pills that color my urine. They really don't seem to be helping. I am ok as long as I don't sit, stand, walk or pee. Other than that things are good. I am supposed to have this removed next Tuesday. I've already taken several sick days from work. How will I ever get back to nromal again?
139
Lynn
On Oct. 13th i came home after a taekwondo class, went to the bathroom and had bright red blood in my urine. I went to my local urgent care center, they checked for a UTI, that was negative, so I was told that I probably have a stone that was passing. They sent me home with vicodin and told me to see a urologist on monday if the stone did not pass. That night I ended up in the ER with extreme pain and vomiting. They did a CT scan that did not show a stone in the ureter, but 2 in the kidney. They told me the other stone passed, gave me some more vicodin and sent me home. I managed on vicodin for the weekend and then saw a urologist on monday afternoon. He examined me and after trying to palpate my lower right abdomen and me jumping off the table, he ordered an IVP for the next morning. That showed a 4mm stone lodged in the lower ureter. He scheduled me to have a cystoscopy for the next morning. They went in, lazered the obstructing stone, removed the debris and placed a stent. A week later I was up all night throwing up and having worse pain than I originally did. I went back to the doctor the next morning and they removed the stent (they thought that the stent was causing the pain). 2 hours later I was back in the ER (a different one) with pain that was even worse and more vomiting. They immediately started me on pain meds and did another CT. It did not show an obstruction, but they admitted me, put me on a morphine pump, and scheduled another cystoscopy for the next morning. The doctor injected me with dye prior to surgery to see what was happening. He did not find an obstruction, but did find that a portion of the ureter had collapsed, he used a balloon to open it up and placed another stent. This stent had been causing some pain, but the doctor prescribed enablex and that has helped. I'm still taking it easy, but not taking pain meds anymore. I have to keep the stent in until december so that the ureter can heal. I wanted to write in to let everyone know that enablex may help with some of the stent pain.
140
Heather
HI, The 1st stone I ever had was 5mm. I was 7 months pregnant with my son. I went to the ER. The found it & I refused to have a stent placed. I developed Hydronerfroses. Where your Kidney swells & urine can't get to the bladder. They enduced me at 39 weeks. I had a healthy 6lb 2oz lil boy. After that I had a stent placed. Since I breastfeed, the DR refused to give me any pain meds at all to deal with the pain. I sat in my house Friday night, Saturday & Sunday crying, refusing to eat, or drink or even move. Over the counter drugs did nothing. I called the DR all weekend flipping out, he ignored me. I went to the er, they did nothing but sent me home without any pain meds. Finally, on Monday I got ahold of my OBGYN & he gave me Percocets, low dose to deal with the pain, which did not help. After 2 weeks I had Litho & another stent placed. I went home waited 2 days in sever pain again & then removed the damn stent myself. I pulled the string & got it half out & made my husband pull it out the rest of the way. When I went back for my check up the DR asked where it was & I told him I removed it & he was not happy, but I was. 18 months later & a new DR, I had the surgery again. My surgery was yesterday I was out at 4pm. Litho & stent placement the stone was 10mm long by 6mm wide, same side. I just took my stent out again. I rather have a million children then to keep that thing in & I told the DR that. I also told him I would remove the stent myself & he laughed. It does not hurt. Its just a tugging feeling, if you pee & pull at the same time it is very comforting. It feels so good to have it out. If your DOC trimmed your strings your stuck with it. I carried that stone for 9 months because I was terrified of the pain. There is not any meds that make you feel better. It is awful to feel like your peeing yourself when your an adult & not being able to control the pain & burning. After I took my stent out 10 minutes ago, I peed it hurt, but I feel ALOT better then when it was in.
141
angela
i had a stent put in about four weeks ago due to the fact that i am 36 weeks preggo they wont give me pain meds, i feel like id rather be dead at this point i go thru about ten Tylenol a day the pain instead of easing off like i was assured is intensifying as is the blood in my urine is there anything that i can do to help ease this misery i drink water stay trying to resting but these days laying down is just as bad as jogging i always hurt what can i say to my dr to make her see this isn't a joke
142
marsha meredith
Wonderful article...My Doctor has been unable to explain what is going on with my 2 stents in left kidney. My stents have been in 7 months...prior two lithotripsy procedures as well as laser and when he went to physically pull them out, without any medication, I was sure he was trying to kill me! He said that they wouldn t come out due to ston Ies and crystals had formed all around the two stents. I have fired that doctor who has tortured me, and cost already $500,000 and I feel like I am going to die! I wonder what I can do now? Will the stents kill me? there is no string...and I will probably have more stones due to being on of the first patients to have intestinal bypass surgery in 1972. I am no longer fat...but now I want to get help so I won t die with these stents! I need answers...please help! thanks marsha meredith age 61
143
Dori
I am so glad to have found this forum. I am a 58 year old male. I had a cancerous tumor removed from my bladder during a TURBT procedure. The tumor was located on the ureter so they had to install a stent. I have always been able to tolerate pain and discomfort well, never needing to take the pain medications prescribed. Well, this stint or the combination of the procedure and the stint, has really thrown me. The pain during urination or when getting up in the morning has been awful. I have read many articles that said the stent procedure was at most uncomfortable and was getting very concerned that there may be a problem with the insertion of my stent. Thanks to all who have written, it doesn't help the pain go away, but does ease my concerns that my procedure had gone bad.
144
alaska
I had Pelvic Ureteric Junction Obstruction (PUJ) and had keyhole surgery to remove the constriction in the Ureter followed by a stent placed between the kidney and my bladder. It was in for 6 weeks before being removed under a local. Maybe it depends on the type or size of the stent but my experience was not really as bad as I expected. Whilst the stent was in I only experienced occasional tainting of urine with blood, a bit of poking, needing the toilet a lot and occasional mild pain in bladder/kidney but on the whole I expected it to be a lot worse than it was. The stent was 2 mm diameter 26 cm long and coiled in the kidney and bladder (no string). I had worked myself up to the removal process expecting it to be horrendous, but I really cannot stress enough that the process sounds much worse than it is. Things to prepare for when going in for stent removal I would say are as follows:

1. Can sting a bit when they put the anesthetic jelly in your pipe (probably the worst bit);
2. The cytoscope moving up to your bladder is fine and whilst a bit uncomfortable does not hurt;
3. It starts to get more uncomfortable as the cytoscope starts to break through to the bladder but then it settles down very suddenly.
4. At this point you just feel like you need to urinate and it can be mildly uncomfortable if they have to move or rotate the cytoscope to find the stent.
5. Once the end of the stent was grasped by a wire passed through the cytoscope I was told to take a deep breath and then out it all comes - very quickly, and didn't feel any pull or sensitivity in the kidney. The pulling out really is that quick and painless, basically if you blink you'll miss it.
6. Afterwards there was burning and stinging when urinating, a little blood and some kidney pain, but all pretty tolerable/manageable.

Hope this helps anyone worrying about getting the stent pulled out.
145
Bill
On November 23rd, (2009) I woke up with (even after having stones in the past) what i thought was just muscle pain in my right side (rear). On my way to work, the pain got worse and pretty much unbearable, so i went to the local emergency room. They took fairly good care of me in the ER considering i couldn't be ignored because by this time i was sweating, vomiting and cursing in the triage room. They gave me a shot of Torodal and started and IV, and did a CT scan to find one 8mm Stone in my left ureter and a 5-6mm in my right. By the way, The Torodal that they called a "wonder drug" for kidney stones did nothing for the pain. They quickly moved up to morphine. I was admitted into the hospital and put on more IV's and Morphine injections for the pain. Later that night i was brought into surgery for A laser litho. Ive had a litho before so i didn't see much problem with this. When i woke up, i was told by the recovery nurse that the stones were bigger than expected and they had to stent both sides. This is the 7th day since the stent placement, and it's miserable. The burning urination isn't as bad as the "cut-off" when if feels like something is wringing my kidneys out on both sides. My doctors don't feel that I should need pain medications because the stents are running passed the kidney stones in both ureters and they stones shouldn't be moving. I don't care what they say, this is miserable. Ive had stones before, and a litho and neither really live up to these stents. There are so many blood clots, that i can literally feel fall of the edge of the stent and fall all the way out. Drinking does help a little, if you want to pee every 10 mins instead of every 30 mins. Now im worried as could be about the removal of these painful motherfluffers. Im hoping i can get away with him removing them while he is doing the litho. I'm not a slouch when it comes to pain tolerance either. But stents should be the new way of torturing people, cause it's miserable.
146
Christen
My goodness it is nice to see that others have had the same pain issues with their stents. My doctor just does not get it that I am in constant pain even after the stone has been removed. I am pulling this thing out myself...doc told me in a snide way over the phone that I could just pull it out myself if it was still bothering me. I going to do it but am scared shitless. Any wisdom on pulling the stent out? Anyone done it themselves? When it is removed (from a female) at the urologist office what do they do?
147
Justin
Today i was let go from the hospital. after kidney surgery, they put a stend in my kidney, Supposedly its supposed to help you urinate or something. well mines hurting extremely bad.
barely letting any urine flow. I really felt better with the kidney stone stuck Than i do with this stent. :/
148
Scott
I am so happy to have found this site! I can totally relate to what everyone is going through. I had a stent inserted after laser lithotripsy (on 12/15/09) to remove a stone stuck in my ureter. Apparently, I am loaded with kidney stones in both kidneys but this one happened to get stuck in the ureter. My urologist informed my wife while I was in recovery that I could expect some blood in the urine and some discomfort for a few days b/c of the stent. The stent was to stay in for a week and he even said that it may "slip out" and that it would be ok if it did. What made things worse was that in the recovery room, the nurses would not let me go home until I urinated, which I could not go pee no matter how hard I tried. I mean, I was standing there begging my bladder to just give those nurses a drop. So, I had the pleasure of being catheterized for my trip home with instructions to see my urologist the next day for catheter removal. As soon as they placed the catheter in, two large blood clots plopped right in the bag. At this point, I was totally freaked out to say the least. My stent was with a string hanging down from my "male anatomy" which made urinating awkward and it just looked freaky which definitely had a psychological impact. Now I don't consider myself a wimp and can usually take pain, but the pain of this stent was excruciating. I was urinating every 10 minutes (with lots of blood). I was tired, cranky, and depressed. After a few days, the pain subsided a bit but still lots of blood and the only way I could make it bearable was to drink GALLONS of water. I was counting the days until I could get this thing out. I was even having nightmares about the urologist's office closing and me having to have this stent in longer. Finally, on Tuesday of the following week, it was time for removal. I was very anxious, but with the string, it was painless and quick. If you have a choice, ASK FOR THE STRING! Let me tell you, when the stent is removed, that is when the REAL fun starts. I am two days from stent removal and am still having bladder and kidney spasms that are so intense I am doubled over in pain. I find that if I take my Percocets just when I feel the pain coming on, I am ok. So, make sure you have plenty of pain meds for after stent removal. You'll need them. I am also passing what looks like fleshy clear looking blood clots which burn like fire when they come out. I know there are worse things to go through and that all of the pain is just part of the healing process. I will just be glad when it is over. I have vowed to make water my new best friend. I do not want more kidney stones. Everyone, you will get through it.
149
Liz
Ask questions, be prepared and don't plan the operation during the Christmas season! Unless, you don't want to complete your Xmas shopping, you don't care about spending time with family & friends, and you rather be Scrooge during the holiday season.

I had a sound waves kidney stone removal operation with a sent inserted on 12/17/09. Bottom line, I had strong pain upon urination, and as is my nature, bit the lip and went with it; thereater, laid in bed most of time and minimized the Percoset intake . Initially, I requested a smaller dose of Percoset due to prior surgical experiences I don't do well with a strong doses. I was prescribed 325mg. The first dose I cut the tablet in half and pain was some what tolerable; thereafter, I decided to take the full dosage with limit on intake frequency. Three days later, I interchanged with Tylenol ( two 550mg tablets) and generally felt okay.
Today, is 7 days later and Christmas Eve, since the operation & stent placement, feel much better, slight pain upon urination. Haven't taken a dose of Percoset in 24 hours just Tylenol.
I want to assure you that each of us have varied experieneces and yours will be different. Just be prepared, ask questions, take pain medications, rest alot, intake water and take time off.

I will see my doctor on 12/29 and will udpate.
150
Scott H
I've had kidneystones for 21 years, lithotripsies, cystoscopies, and stents galore. I just had a stone removed and am the current proud owner of a stent, and it sucks.

Stents are painful. Readers of this website should not necessarily make a decision based solely on these comments. My first stent didn't cause much pain at all. The second one caused a ton of pain after they removed it - cramps and spasms for an entire day that was worse than the kidneystone itself! My current one - well, lots of blood, lots of flank pain during urination, kidney and bladder spasms, and I'm anticipating some pain after removal. But I have meds.

So yeah, you need pain medication during and after the stent. But every person's experience will be different. Heck, every one of my experiences have been different. If the doctors recommend a stent, I wouldn't turn it away. Just be aware that it's not a cakewalk and that you need adequate pain management.
151
jean marie
i am having this done to me tomoorw. i have had bad pain for seven days .i am very afraid of this. do i go back to work with the stent in /i am on my feet 6 to 9 hours a day. how long is this necessary. i want to take back my life.
152
Pete
Hi there

Know what you are all going through as I had a stent put in four weeks ago and it is due to be removed the week after next. This cannot come soon enough as I feel my life has changed for the worse as I have not really been able to do my normal day to day routine things.

I also like a few people did leave the hospital without any advise with what to expect. Contacted the Doctor on numerous occasions and have spent a fortune on prescriptions for things that did not make any difference to the pain and suffering that I have been going through over the past four weeks.

Tomorrow after the Christmas break I am finally going back to work and not looking forward to it as cannot cope with the pain, so lets see how it goes.
153
Sandra
I had a kidney stone attack Nov. 28th (2009) and ended up on the emergency room. They said I had a stone about 7mm in size and no way I was going to pass it. They put a stent in me. I can't stand the pain from this stent. I had one treatment so far and go back Jan. 11th so they can take an exray and see what's up, but in the mean time this stent is driving me crazy. I have a hard time sitting,standing, and walking. I'm in the bathroom every few minutes and often have blood in my urin. It also hurts when I pass urin and I feel like someone is trying to pull my insides out after I finish. I get the sweats and feel weak for a few seconds. My doctor has me taking Lortab 5-500, but that doesn't seem to do much. I am going to call in the morning to see if there is something stronger that will ease this pain. I'm at work now and I feel like crying because this pain not only gets to me physically, but it's taking an emotional toll on me as well. If they can prescribe something stronger and it doesn't work, can I demand that they take this stent out of me? At this point I would rather put up with the pain of a stone for a few hours and puke my brains out than to have this 24/7.
154
Lynn
I currently have in my 3rd stent in 4 months. On Dec 18 I had to have a ureter resected and then reimplanted after a stone obstructed the ureter and it was missed for a week. This stent is not as painful as the other, but I have been taking it easier, but have had to due to the vertical incision for the implant. Enablex has helped with the pain from the stent, but by the end of the day, vicodin is my pain med of choice. I will have this stent removed on Jan 25 and then have to make a plan for the remaining 2 stones that are "calcified" into the kidney itself and are not able to be removedd except by lithotripsy.
Each of the 3 stents that I have had were painful, but this one is not as bad as the other ones. The enablex has helped significantly.
Hope this helps someone out there as you have helped me.
God bless you all with better health this new year!
155
Mike
I came across this site looking for information on how uncomfortable the removal of my stent will be. I am a 39 year old male who had a 6mm stone lodged in my left ureter. It was removed with a laser and a stent was put in. The stent has a string and is uncomfortable but tolerable. I had the same experience after my surgery as Scott above. The nurse wanted me to pee, but for the life of me i could not. I had a full bladder from two IV bags but nothing would come out. The pain was HORRIBLE. I almost passed out twice. It was like having to pee REAL bad and having someone pinching your penis shut. They finally shoved a catheter in me which hurt like hell but relived the pain once it went in and drained my bladder. The real fun started after they sent me home. I was afraid to drink anything because I still had not urinated on my own. Well my bladder eventually filled up again and i was in the same position as I was at the hospital but without a catheter. The pain was terrible but a lot of blood and i guess a little urine was finally coming out. After enduring this torture for what seemed like an hour I finally pushed out the biggest blood clot I have ever seen. It looked like a piece of liver! It felt like I was passing jello or something like that. Then a strong stream of dark red urine followed. The clot was blocking my urethra completely. I would never wish this procedure on my worst enemy. The stone pain was nothing compared to this recovery process. I am drinking nothing but gallons of water for the rest of my life after this. I do NOT want to EVER go through this again. I am scheduled to have this damn stent removed tomorrow and am scared to death worrying about getting cramps and clotting again after it is removed. I just want to get on with my life. I am glad that I only have to have this thing in for a few days. I feel so bad for those of you who are forced to have them for weeks or months at a time. My stent doesn't cause much "pain" but I always feel like I have to urinate and it burns like crazy every time I go. The most frustrating part is feeling like I have to go really bad but only passing a small amount of urine. Well Im gonna say another prayer and load up on the vicodin for the stent removal tomorrow. Im gonna keep the vicodin close by in case I get those bad cramps that Scott talked about.
156
Mike
Just got back from the stent removal. It was almost painless. I was very surprised. I had the stent with the string. I could have pulled it out myself. I am a little worried about cramping but happy to have the stent out and get on with my life. For those of you who have the stent with the string. Based on my experience, you shouldn't worry about it being painful. It is quick and just feels a little strange coming out. I still would not wish this on anyone. The recovery process was hell the first few days but the annoyance of the stent never went away. It was difficult to function when you constantly feel like you have to urinate. I had a difficult time trying to sleep more than anything. Now I feel completely normal again. I am praying that there are no complications. I never thought I would actually look forward to going to work but I can't wait.
157
Ann
I am so happy I found this site. I was having urinary problems. Dr said it could be a cyst, a tumor or stones. I wasnt having any pain--some pressure after voiding that sometimes took my breathe away. Went in 12/21/09 for laser surgery. Was informed after surgery that I had a stone the size of a gumball!!! They lasered it--apparently on my left kidney I have 2 ureters and that is why I didnt have the agonizing pain from the start. I have 2 stents in and they will be removed on 1/29/10. I am having all the same complaints--pressure, flank pain, etc. Today is 1/11/09 and I just had to call for more meds--I had to call last week to ask for something for the spasms!!! He gave me samples of vesicare. Day 5 and I dont feel a lot better. Why the Heck dont they offer that from the start??? Last week I had to take 3 days off of work! I am back today and have already ran to the RR 4-5 times and they day isnt even over. I noticed a lot of people on here are teachers--which I am. Another teacher in my building went through the same thing 2 weeks prior to me. We both teach 5 classes in a row with no break. I have to leave my students in the hall as I dash (hahah i an barely walk the distance to the restroom) to use the rr. Would be interesting to see how many teachers or others who dont have access to the restroom are effected by this. I dont know how I would keep my job if this became "normal" for me. I cant wait for the stents to be removed and this is over. I feel for all of you and until you go through this no one has a clue what this does to you. Just because we "look" fine doesnt mean we are. Good luck to all!!!
158
Mike
End of the day after my stent removal. No pain, no cramping, no bleeding and no complications. Back to work I go and on with my life. Very happy now.

Ann, I am happy to hear that you had a stone rather than a tumor. I had to stay home from work during my entire ordeal. I drive heavy machinery for a living and there is no way I could keep stopping to void every 5 minutes. I think the most frustrating thing about the stent is the false feeling that you have to go all the time. I couldn't even sleep because of it. I take my hat off to you for going to work with that thing in you. I wish you the best and hope for a quick recovery for you. God bless.
159
Kim
Hi all. I had surgery on 12/15/09 for a UPJ Obstruction (Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction). Yuck! Anyway, it was a hard recovery as I have just returned to work. I have the stent without a string. I have previously had one WITH a string and remember it being annoying, but painless as it was removed. This stent is supposedly the skinniest they come (i have "narrow ureters" as they say) and is VERY uncomfortable. I cry every night! The stent must stay in for 6 weeks in order for the operated ureter to heal correctly.

It took me weeks to find the right combination of medication. I take Vesicare in the morning along with Pyridium and Vicodin (3-4 times a day). The dr. said the pyridium "doesn't do anything" but for me has done WONDERS. I can function at work, although I go to pee a few times an hour, and i get bad flank pain during the day but i can use a heating pad and more pain meds to help. I suggest you get on your doctor about pain meds. I don't care if i have to call once a week...if i have to have this thing in until the end of January, i NEED something strong. I think its a joke that a LOT of these urologists believe that Tylenol would be enough for the pain. It is NOT!
160
Michelle
Hello all, can't believe there are so many experiences on here just like mine! I had my first stone (4mm) in my L kidney 2 days after Xmas 2007...went to hospital via ambulance (thought I was dying because of the pain). Got a shot and pills for pain. I passed that one after about 3 days.

This latest stone was in my R kidney, another 4mm, on Thanksgiving 2009. Got a shot of dilaudid/phenigren, oxycodone pills for pain, sent on my way. Three days before Xmas 2009, I go to hospital again, receive demorol (sp?) shot, hydroxodone for a 6mm stone in my R kidney. Go to uroloist, who says the 6mm isn't moving so they'll have to go in and get it. Oh yeah, and another one in my L kidney, unbeknownst to me, that was 7mm and still in the kidney. They could do the sonic blast thing on that one. Went in, had the surgery (was totally knocked out for it), got a stent in the R kidney. The stent hurt worse than the stone did! I spent a week barely moving, barely eating, in pain every time I urinated, and heavily doped up on Percocet and muscle relaxers. Missed 3 weeks of work overall due to these nasty little things (I work as a corrections officer and we can't go into work when on any type of narcotic). Got the stent out today, one week after surgery, and here go those spasms again! My bladder is spasming, as well as the R kidney. I just took 2 percocets and the pain is gradually subsiding. Gosh, I sure jope this isn't going to be a recurrent theme in my life. This pain is unbearable, which I'm sure all of you know. I have never in my 36 years on this planet felt such agony as I have in the last few weeks.
161
John F
What an amazing forum. So much info in here.

I have been diagnosed with a 9mm stone in my right ureter "close to the VUJ" whatever that is.

I am scheduled to have a stent inserted next Tuesday 19 Jan 2010 as the first stage in the stone removal. I understand that at a later date, they will go in with some instrument to break the stone up.

It sounds as though I am in for a rough ride. It looks like almost everyone has had considerable pain and discomfort.

I have had stones before. I have passed a couple of small ones with just short sharp pain and I have also had larger ones surgically removed. This is the first time that they have had to use a stent however.

I look forward to following this forum.
162
Charmaine
Hi,
I had my ureterscopy January 14 to remove large kidney stones in kidney/bladder/ureters. (This was detected during a hysterectomy last November.) I also had a stent inserted with the thread hanging out. I was very fearful of the pain involved by reading these posts. So far the pain is not totally botherson but then again I have been dealing with an UTI since the hysterectomy and meds not relieving the pain to my desire. (I have also previously endured wrist surgery, major spine surgery, a uterine ablation, a D&C and naturally delivered 10lb babies) I have now been prescribed Cipro 1000mg ODx3, Percocet: 5mg/325mg 2 every 4 hours, and Detrol 5mg 3x/day. Peeing is constant as i am also constantly drinking water and cranberry juice. I am wearing a pad but there is no more blood...I use the pad as a presserary and apply pressure to vagaga when walking and periodically when sitting. I am also doing kegels. The most bothersome issue is that dang thread--I have accidently pulled it twice. I also cannot bend---that causes pain but it is manageable with a grunt and a loud groan...LOL...I am scheduled for a kidney xray next week and if all is well the urologist will pull the cord. I am hopeful the pain following will not be too bad...I feel some of my pain is actually the healing from the hysterexctomy which is not healing fully on the inside (granulous tissue growing over unhealed areas. I am now creating a new eating/exercise lifesyle to avoid kidney stones developing again and to lose weight (I also have a fatty enlarged liver. I am 43 yrs old at 205 lbs (I lost 10 lbs since November/hysterectomy) According to Real Age mybody thinks I am 52...eek...time to get fit and have fun!!!

Good luck to everyone going through this procedure!! The short term pain now will result in a great, active, painfree life! Be well!
163
Kasey
Wow I thought mine was bad but all I had was a 1mm stone. My doctor suggested I have surgery today in order to remove the stone so that I wouldn't have a miserable weekend. What a joke! They put a stent in during the surgery because the stone broke up when they tried to remove it. So much for my weekend, it's 2:00AM and I am still up. I have taken pain pills but nothing seems to ease that feeling that I have to pee every five seconds not too mention the burning sensation when I actually go. Any advice to alleviate this pain other than pain pills?
164
John F
They put the stent in today.

I didn't need a catheter apparently. I asked the doctor why and he said that it was just a feeling he had that it wouldn't be needed on this occasion. Because I was passing urine ok and all of my observations were good I could check out a few hours after the procedure and go home.

Yes it stings a fair bit when I urinate but I have no other uncomfortable symptoms and I can't detect that the stent is in there.

Subject to all being well he is going to go in there in a week and try to break up and retrieve the 9 mm stone which is located in my right ureter just above the bladder.

No pain tonight.
165
John F
I've had a very comfortable week with the stent in. It's hard to believe that I've got a 9mm stone in my ureter just above the bladder.

I go in this morning to have the stone blasted and removed. The doctor said that there is a 90+% chance of success.
166
John F
Back home from hospital today after having the 9mm stone blasted and removed yesterday.

There was slight discomfort with the catheter in the urethra but otherwise it was pain free.

He replaced the stent and I have that removed next week under a general anaesthetic. I mentioned to the doc today that I was pleased that it would be under a general anaesthetic and he was unaware that it is common practice elsewhere (as discussed in this thread) to remove it with a topical anaesthetic.

I have to say that this has been a very good overall experience in terms of pain.
167
pv356
Kasey - lots and lots of water to drink. I've had my stent in for 3 weeks today. Everyday is a new adventure of what kind of pain will I have? At least 3 more weeks with stent. I have a whole in my ureter that we're praying will heal on it's own.
168
Jack
I dont't know very much about the entire stint proceedure but I've been told that I may have to have one. I would like to know if it effects your sex life in any way and is it painful during ejaculation.
I had a bilateral lithotripsy done a few weeks ago..mulitiple stones in both kidneys. I had a stent placed in both left and right ureter. Soon after I was released from the hospital I started experiencing severe cramping during urination, and frequent urination. It hurt so bad that I had to get in a warm bath after every bathroom use. I also had to push so hard to pee, I caused myself hemorhoids. I was on pain meds during this and I still cried daily b/c of the random sharp pains in my lower back and pelvic area, as well as bladder spasms regularly. I was miserable. I went to the ER even and was givin more pain meds. I finally got the stents out, which I was told would not hurt whatsoever. Wrong, It hurt me so much. I thought I was going to pass out. I was shaking, and could barely hold my legs still. After I had to run to the restroom and urinate which helped slow the pain. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes later a new bout of pain hit me, a very sharp pain in my pelvic area. This went on for a couple days, coming and going..and again I had to sit in a warm bath to even slightly help. This was my 2nd litho and was my first experience w/ stents. In my opinion the pain I suffered the 10 days after the surgery, 7 w/ stents in.. i suffered such severe pain, I would have preferred pass 1 kidney stone a day for 10 days then repeat that ordeal. I don't know if it was b/c I did both kidneys, or was super sensitive to the stents b/c of my spastic bladder or what, but it was awful.. I caused my dog to go in to a depression during my ordeal, lol. It was that bad. I know stents are a protective measure, and that breaking the stones up is supposed to make the process of passing less painful but I sure didn't feel that this procedure did anything but make me more miserable than I already was. Not fun. Oh and now, I am super exhausted and have been having a problem w/ sweating.. randomly throughout the day and excessively at night time. I spoke to my urologist about this and he was not concerned so I guess time will tell. Fun stuff. Thats my story.
I had the stent out under a general anaesthetic last week. No Pain. The whole process of removing the 9 mm stone from my ureter just above my bladder has been very good.
LOOK AT THIS WHAT IFOUND,VERY INTERESTING THIS IS WHAT I AM GOING THRU RIGHT NOW.
Capsicum in the ureter or perianal gland works quite well to divert discomfort to other area.
I have had stents for over 2 years now and take opiates for the constant renal colic,the Doctor has finally put me on a bladder relaxant and the pain has eased 10 fold...In 2 weeks time i am having this stent out under a local its the first time having it done this way and am dreading it..They are going to see if i can manage with out it (i only have 1 kidney and narrowing of the ureter).I
I have been dealing with my kidney stone for two plus months. First was diagnosed with a testical infection because my right testical was swollen and hurt. The Dr. gave me antibiotic and it did nothing. Called a different Dr. and told him my symptoms and he told me to go to the ER and get a scan done because I had a stone. I was diagnosed with a stone. Ureoligist wanted me to pass it on my own so I was just told to go home and drink plenty of fluids and come back in a couple of weeks. Finally went and had lithroscopy done and it didn't work stone doubled in size two weeks later. Just got out of hospital they put in stint and then they are going to laser it. After reading this it sounds like my pain will only get worse and I dont know that could be possible. This sucks!!!
I am a 36 yr. old female in the teaching profession. I have heard kidney stones are sometimes referred to as the "teacher's disease" because we can't use the rr whenever we want. Last year I taught for more than 4 hours without a rr break. It was awful. This yr. is small improvement. I have passed 15 stones in 5 yrs. I had to have emergency sugery to remove a 5mm stone...said it was 4 before the surgery... and a stent put in. The stent has been very painful. Similar symptoms to the other posts...always feel the urgency to urinate and awful pain after...no relief. I too have trouble standing for too long. I get shakey and naseous...feel that "tug" effect others have mentioned. I am nervous bc I am scheduled for removel of stent on thurs. in the office on local anesthesia...also have to head out of town for work on fri. making a three hour drive. I have another big stone in the left. Dr. says lithrotrispy for that one which worries me too...I feel the pain is neverending and am running out of sick days.
I also had a stent placed in my left kidney to help drain the blockage. This was early to late January to early February 2010. I had the tube removed from the stent, and am still waiting to have the stent removed. I am also having pain in my lower back and abdomon, and it gets worse when I go to the bathroom. I also have bladder cancer, so I won't get this stent removed until my bladder removal, and that might not happen until the middle of April. I cannot wait! I am tired of the pain too.
Hi all, I'm 62, male, 84Kg, and very fit from cycling 200km a week for the last 3 years.
But Oct 09 I had cloudy pee and blood/protein breakdown products were found as well as a blocked left ureter and nephrosis of a kidney. There was no pain and I was easily riding faster than others in my cycling group. But later in 09 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. All sorts of scans were done and my urologist suggested the ureter blockage be investigated in a procedure before the prostate was removed. My pee cleared up after a week and there was no pain despite the blockage. I had the investigative endoscopic surgery about 3 weeks ago where they found I had something they could not see squeezing my ureter shut. They took samples of the lumen to look for cancer but none was found. They also put ina stent after I had fasted in the hospital for 26 hours. After the stent insertion I needed 4 injections of morphine to ease the pain. I slept 4 hours and when I woke I was peeing blood and it was painful. I was released from hospital, ie, booted out, and told symptoms will ease. During the following 5 days of pain the symptomes did ease although I had an attack of even more painful backache. Bleeding stopped after 2 days. My accupuncturist gave me a treatemnt which eased my back ache, and the stent pain steadily eased.
A few days later after beginning to eat and poop again I felt so good I went out on my bike for 35km, and there was no problem. after 2 more days, 70km, and I thought all was fine. Then after another 2 days, another 80km but this time I began to pee blood after 50km so I rode the last 30km very slowly, feeling a bit alarmed. The bleeding stopped after a day's rest and pain during peeing was bad but bearable. Then after 2 more days I rode again and bleeding began after only 10km so I have given up riding for a week now completely. I no longer bleed, but have some discomfort with the stent and some pain when peeing.

My prostate op is due in 3 weeks, and I will be sending a report on pain&symptoms to my doc. He said I would bleed a bit, and that I could ride a bike, and that the stent cannot remain for longer than 6 months. He also said that if the blockage is found to be due due to cancer spread then they would not do the prostate surgery and thatI would have to have radio therapy and hormone treatment instead. OK, so now there is not big pain anywhere, but the docs really don't know my total condition and it could well be the beginnning of the end for me. I thik at 62, longevity is an oxymoron, and what I have is shortevity, and how short that time is I have no clue, but cancer killed my father, sister, and nearly got the other sister so I've always thought my turn would come, and it did. My advice? make sure you insist on a prostate biopsy when your PSA goes to 4.5. By the time its 5.0, you will have been seen by the urologist and there's still time to catch the cancer before its spread. One has to allow for medical system delays. My PSA went from 4.7 to 7 in just 1 year and maybe I was just one year too slow to catch the cancer before it spread. The medical system here does not recommend you have a biopsy before PSA reaches 7.0.

I'm hoping the ureter problem is benign and fixable and not a spread of prostate cancer, but hope never affects medical outcomes which can be far worse than you hope for and accompanied with much pain during treatments. I had a prostate biopsy without aneasthetic and was in frightful pain as 9 samples were taken. Each was positive.

But at least I am fit and healthy (apart from cancer) and not overweight so when the docs cut me open again they don't have to work around piles of unwanted fat in my guts.

Regards to all. May the God of the Universe not torment you too much.
I had a kidney stone which I went to the E.R. for. had litho and went home, cake.
The 2nd stone not so much. I started to have pain in March, I hate hospitals, so I endured til 4/20 then when I couldn't sleep in any position, I called an ambulance and went to the E.R. they told me I had 'a life-threatening' infection in my left kidney and a stone. Put me through 7 antibiotics before settling on one so caustic it blew 8 I.V.s before having to have a midline put in. Also got the stent in April.
Since the antibiotic was to go on for 4 months, I was placed in the nursing home from hell. After the treatments finished I waited a month before they would do surgery, then it was postponed, I had a drain in as well. I fired the original doc who wasn't even aware I had a catheter when I requested it be removed, and I had just seen him face to face.
He wanted to exchange the stent for a LARGER one.
I've had cancer (ovarian, in my teens), been in labor (16), both were extreme pain, and the stent was in another timezone of extreme, off the charts. I begged for pain killers. Soon, I had spasms so horrible I would roll in a ball and cry. The blood in my diapers went from red to black, but no one did anything.
In July I was given norcos, and dermal morphine. It worked for awhile, and I bled alot. Finally in August I was given a bladder relaxant for the spasms. I had to fight for it.
By September when the second doc finally scheduled me, I was making plans to make sure my friends and loved ones knew I loved them, certain this would end up killing me.
9/9/09 I had the surgery, litho. I had had the stent from 4/20 to 9/09
afterwards I was severely anemic. Finally able to ween myself-they were happy keeping me on the pain meds forever... off norcos, morphine and the bladder relaxant they kept giving me.
I left the nursing home on Oct 23rd. Since then I still have to wear diapers because I can't make it to the bathroom. My self-esteem has plummeted. I am only 46 years old.
I looked in hiring a lawyer, who laughed at me and said if I lost a kidney I'd have a good case, if I died it would be a great case.
Hi Beth, it seems like the God of the Universe isn't on your side. Health seems mainly due to pure luck and has nothing really to do with any supernatural being anyone can accurately describe IMHO.
From reading so many cases at this forum I think I have had it easy with the temporary uretic stent I have. But even at a concert last night with Nigel Kennedy playing violin I was in pain for some of the time. I think some stent pain comes from having a length of stiff pipe with flared ends sitting in a ureter which ordinarily can bend into any shape with body and internal organ movement which happens each day in our ordinary lives. If you bend down to tie shoe laces the ureters bend around and are pressured by other organs. So if you have a stent the end of the stent can press into soft linings of the ureter and cut them thus causing pain and bleeding. NOWHERE have I seen doctors mention this aspect of stenting; ie, the practical real world ability or disability of a patient to tolerate a stent.

I have cancer as well as ureter problems and the cause of my ureter bother could be a tumour on the ureter and I am not sure at all about what the surgeons can do to prolong my life and give me back some pain free health.

Regards to all, Patrick Turner.
I am 42 I have had lithotripsy in 2005 where they broke up 9 stones. The basket stone removal and stent placement in 2002 to remove 1 stone. Constant pain sharp and cramping ended up with a severe infection and was put in the hospital on strong antibiotics for 3 days. Started developing stones 3 years after my last surgery but was able to pass them with no real problems. Feb. 6 I woke with the familiar pain of yet another stone. Same procedure pain meds lots of fluids. I ended up in ER on the 22 because things were no better. It was a 7 mm stone. When they did the CT there were 6 more in my left and 4 more in my right. I had surgery yesterday March 4 and they cleared the left kidney with litho, removed the large one with basket retrieval and also placed a stent in my left ureter. They are telling me I can go right back to work. There is no way NO SLEEP, CONSTANT CRAMPING, BLADDER SPASMS, RUNNING TO THE BATHROOM EVERY 5 MIN., BLOOD IN URINE, AND THE SHARP PAINS IN MY BACK. But they say I will be able to go back 100% With me trying to tell them I work in a warehouse unloading trucks. Are there any DOCTORS out there that will acutally listen when you try to talk to them? If you know of one let me know. I have passed 8 stones in the past 8 years and had 17 removed in the surgeries.
I am 42 I have had lithotripsy in 2005 where they broke up 9 stones. The basket stone removal and stent placement in 2002 to remove 1 stone. Constant pain sharp and cramping ended up with a severe infection and was put in the hospital on strong antibiotics for 3 days. Started developing stones 3 years after my last surgery but was able to pass them with no real problems. Feb. 6 I woke with the familiar pain of yet another stone. Same procedure pain meds lots of fluids. I ended up in ER on the 22 because things were no better. It was a 7 mm stone. When they did the CT there were 6 more in my left and 4 more in my right. I had surgery yesterday March 4 and they cleared the left kidney with litho, removed the large one with basket retrieval and also placed a stent in my left ureter. They are telling me I can go right back to work. There is no way NO SLEEP, CONSTANT CRAMPING, BLADDER SPASMS, RUNNING TO THE BATHROOM EVERY 5 MIN., BLOOD IN URINE, AND THE SHARP PAINS IN MY BACK. But they say I will be able to go back 100% With me trying to tell them I work in a warehouse unloading trucks. Are there any DOCTORS out there that will acutally listen when you try to talk to them? If you know of one let me know. I have passed 8 stones in the past 8 years and had 17 removed in the surgeries.
I am 17 weeks pregnant and I have kidney stones in my right kidney, and hydro forming in my left. They gave ma an iv and demerol in my iv assuring me that I would be able to pass them fine with enough fluid. This was on 3/3/10 i was at the er. I had a appointment with my obgyn on 3/5/10 who prescribed me percocet saying it would help with pain. It's 3/7/10 I'm in extreme pain I can't sit, sleep, and I'm afraid to take to much of the pain medication because of my baby. I went back and we are discussing the stent? does anyone have any advice to give me? Thank you
I had a stent put in my left kidney on 23rd feb because i have a narrow ureter and in the past have had kidney stones. I can honestly say that it has only caused me more pain!!! the first few days felt like i was peeing glass and the kidney spasms and the blood in my urine i had made me want to cry!! the pain wore off after 3 days then came back with full force soon after!! i went back to my doctor who sent me for blood and urine tests which came back borderline so they said take ibruprofen and it will settle down. i went back yet again and was given anti biotics because there was white blood cells and blood in my urine !! after 3 days the anti bioctics havent done anything and i have been referred back to the urologist, i hope they take this evil thing out!! give me kidney stones anyday!!
went back to the urologist yesterday after being refereed by my doctor, the urologist said its a shame the stent hasnt worked and that i should stop taking the anti biotics although i have symptoms of UTI!!!finally he said come back on 7th April to have the stent removed!! there is no way i can stay like this for another month, i am going to my doctor today to complain and ask for it to be removed pronto!!
185
Renee
I had an 8mm stone lodged in my right ureter back in November, they did a basket retrieval on that one and placed a stent. There were still 4 large stones in my right kidney and smaller ones in my left. The stent was extremely uncomfortable (and don't you love how the doctor says you should be able to return to normal working in a few days-yeah right- they've never had this procedure done to them). On top of everything else, I developed allergies to codeine and hallucinated on dilaudid - so it's just Tylenol and Aleve.
On 1/27 they did a lithotripsy with stent replacement. Once again "you'll be fine in a 'few' days". Since I didn't do well the first time, I made sure I took at least 5 days off from work - including the procedure. Even then I worked one 8 hour shift and was in so much pain - I took the next 2 days off.
I just had the stent removed yesterday, it was not as bad as I thought it would be (men may have a worse time because the removal has to go over the prostate). I had some bloody urine for a while - LOTS of stones, but not a lot of pain (at least - so far). I hate doctors that have no compassion or bedside manner, but I don't have many options - there are only 2 groups in town and the other group if kinda far to travel. If I ever have to have another litho or basket removal - I may try the other group.
Good luck to you all. My best advice to everyone is DON'T BELIEVE THE DOCTOR about the amount of pain you will be in - get the good drugs (if you aren't allergic) and take additional time off work to recover. As always - everyone reacts to pain differently - but be kind to yourself and your kidneys - DRINK LOTS AND LOTS of WATER! Again - Good luck.
Friday, March 12, 2010, and I underwent a ureteral stent procedure this morning at 8:15. The nurse came in and cleaned my groin area, squirted some novacain up my urethra (which was not uncomfortable at all), and gave me a healthy shot of demerol in the hip. After the demerol kicked in, the doctor came in and began the procedure. The only uncomfortable part was pushing the guide wire past the prostate. It felt kind of like being stuck with a hot needle. Other than that, it just felt like a little pressure. And, of course, I felt like I needed to urinate for most of the procedure. It took about 20 minutes to complete.
The aftermath has consisted of some bladder spasms that are diminishing with time. The doctor prescribed a bladder relaxer/pain killer for that. It is somewhat uncomfortable when I urinate. It stings pretty good, but that's because the urethra is still a bit irritated. And, of course, there is blood in the urine, which will diminish as well.
Overall, it was not as bad as I expected. I did not/have not experienced the horror stories you hear from some folks about this. But then it's only been a few hours. I'll have to see how I progress through the weekend.
To those of you anticipating this procedure, I say expect some mild discomfort during the procedure. And be ready for some uncomfortable urination afterwards. Everybody is different, but in my particular case, everything was very manageable. Just continue to drink a lot of water after the procedure to help flush the blood out, and to keep the ureter from becoming irritated due to lack of fluids. Don't worry, it's not as bad as many are saying. You'll get through it just fine.
I had a fairly large stone removed by lithotripsy and then a stent placed between my kidney and my bladder. Painful! I have a very high pain threshold and the Vicodin they gave my barely touched it. Now I have been dealing with kidney stones and kidney infections since 96.
I had a stent placement last year as well but my thing is I don't remember being in this much pain or bleeding this long. I had my surgery on 3/5/10 it is now 3/14/ and the bleeding is still pretty substantial
My heart goes out to all of you who have had such awful experiences with a stent. I had a stent put in a week ago for UPJ obstruction and was thankful that I did not have a "worst case scenario" like so many of you have had to live through. I have tolerable discomfort at this point which is very good since I have at least two weeks to go with this and then most likely surgery. I appreciate that my urologist was up front about the possible unhappy outcomes (although it didn't really sink in until I ran across your stories) and wish all doctors were as forthright. Thank you all for sharing your experience(s) - it was so helpful to know the worst up front.
So let me tell you guys about my kidney stone experience..i am 18 years old i have been a healthy child all my life never been hospitalized never had a broken bone nothing but the normal colds and viruses that everyone gets then one day in Feb 2010 i got the sharpest pain in my right side on my back. i have never been in so much pain in my life they had to rush me to thee nearest hospital from school it was terrible all my friends saw me get put in the ambulance it was so embarrassing..so the doctors told me i had a 4mm kidney stone in my right side and the sent me home and told me i would pass the stone..oh no not true i went back to the emergency room 3 more times after that and then finally i decided to go to the children s hospital and they had me hospitalized for my kidney stones for a week hoping that i would pass it naturally but of course nothing and by that time my kidney stone was about 5-9mm never really got the exact number but w.e so they decided that i would have that laser surgery and i would have a stent inserted so on march 10th i had the surgery and it went good for my 1st surgery but when i got home OMG i was terrified to go to the bathroom i could just feel the pain when i went to the bathroom i would scream and cry it was so bad it was like glass was coming out! it stayed like that for about 6 days...the stent isnt that bad it made my stomach sore but that wasnt the big deal it was just going to the bathroom that is a pain in the you now what..then on the 17th i had my stent for a week already and it was time to be removed and i had the stent with the string so they just pull it out it really doesn't hurt at all just feels REALLY weird the doctors then told me i would be ok and good and i was so happy thinking that all my suffering was over...oh i was soo wrong the worst was yet to come..about 2 hours after the removal i was in the WORST PAIN EVER i was just screaming and screaming in pain it was worse than the kidney stone pain no exageration. my stomach got all swollen it was so bad i took 2 percosets and NOTHING and those usually work really good for pain my mom called my urologist and told him what had happened and he said that the pain should go away and if by a couple hours the pain still hasnt gone away i should go to the emergency room he then right away prescribed an anti inflammatory to see if it would help and it did it calmed the pain down a bit for the rest of the night i had pain here and there just not that bad so i just dealt wit it and took my pills..the next day i went to the hospital because my doctor ordered an ultra sound to see if everything is ok now i am waiting for the results hopefully everything is ok...
^ im sorry that i wrote alot above but i just want other people to now how it might go for them so that they can be prepared..kidney stones are really serious they cause so much pain and i really feel for all of you that have experienced this agonizing experience only we understand the true pain of kidney stones i personally have never experienced any pain like this ever in my life and i hope i never do again..so far for me the pain after the stent removal is the worst!!! good luck to all of you that suffer with kidney stones and hang in there
I HAD A STENT IN MY RIGHT KIDNEY DOES IT CAUSE ANY COMPLICATION AND DURING ITS REMOVAL DOES IT HURT AND HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES FOR THE REMOVAL AND ANY POSTOPERATIVE STAY IN HOSPITAL I WOULD BE GREATFULL TO U IF U GIVE ME THE TOTAL INFORMATION PLEASE

THANK YOU
I had a 10 inch double J ureteral stent placed 4 days ago. While the stent was in I had a lot of pain, but it could be controlled with the right amount of pain meds, fluids and most imporantly rest. The doctor attached a string to the stent that he then taped to my inner thigh. Today per my doctor's instructions I removed the stent myself by pulling the string. I was absolutely terrified. But, to my surprise it was no big deal at all. When I first began to pull the string there were 2 or 3 tiny sharp pains, but once the string was out and the stent was coming through it did not hurt at all and did not even feel uncomfortable. It felt so GOOD to get it OUT! I then immediately got into a hot bath and soaked which felt very good and helped me relax. It's now an hour later and I am experiencing cramps similar to moderate/severe menstruation cramps. But I am resting and taking more pain meds which seem to help. A muscle relaxer or tranquilizer will also help. Don't be afraid to have your stent removed - it will be OK. Of course every stent is different and some people will experience more pain than I had, but even if you do it will be over very quickly. The key is to RELAX. Run the bath, light some scented candles, but on very relaxing music, take a tranquilizer if you have one and a couple ibuprofen 1 hour before you remove the stent or have it removed. Do NOT be afraid. It will be OK!
I have just had my stent removed (mine didnt have strings) it was uncomfortable but not painful plus a little embarassing. I was really dreading it as ive only ever had them out under a general but it took just 2 minutes.Im left with a bruised feeling in my kidney and thats it after 2 years of stents i feel like a new person.
i had a stent fitted in dec 200 due to aving my ovary out (left) and they said it was to be on the safe side i had it removed in the march 2008 .im still in pain on my left side and the bottom of my back all the doctors have not been able to do any thing and said they could not help and put me on tramadol ,morhine and ibuafen 400mg only now that i have moved that they said it could be coming from the uteral system why is it they say when it is out you will be pain free no they lie ,i might be lucky now to get something done
195
Donna E
Wow I wish I would have seen this befor I had the stent put in as well. On March 8th I went to the ER for terrible pain in my back right side. I knew immediatly what it was as I had a kidney stone 24 yrs prior after the birth of my second child. They told me I had a Kidney stone 8mm looked like a small almond. The urologiest saw me in the ER then had me come to him the next day and they sceduled a stent insertion 2 days later. As most of the people on here I was told it would give me relief and a little minor discomfort for a few hours. Well that was a very big misunderstanding as for the next 7 days till the liptrotrispy I was in excrusiating PAIN. eat Percecet like candy every 2-3 hrs doubled over in tears. I also talked and went to the urologiest and he said this was normal and everything looked fine. I had the liptrotrispy on March 18th and have felt half way better and only half of the stone has passed. I am suppose to go on 4/9 for the removal of the stent and hope to god it is better then the insertion! I have been out of work for 3 weeks and finally goin back Tommorow. Thank you to all of you who wrote and made me feel like I was not crazy!!
October of last year I had a 8mm kidney stone. Went to the E.R. had the same experience most of you had-pain meds. Had to go back the next night where I was admitted. They went in to "capture the stones" but were unable. The ureter shredded and they ended up rebuilding it and still did not get the stones. Long story short, had lithotripsy and 4 more procedures including a kidney bag and 2 stints. Thank God my stints did not cause me the problems people had, even the removal was not bad. I still have a stint, I know it is there, bleed after walking, and burn but my pain is very tolerable. I am going in for a ureter replacement in early May and hopefully this whole nightmare will be over. I will keep you all in my prayers.
is it painful when the pigtail is remove?and also my left kidney not function...is this method going to solve my problem or do i have to do more tests before i take out the pigtail?maybe my left kidney is not function cus of a stone blocage.the pyelography shows only one kidney work before i do the pigtail.how can i be sure that my kidney will work
After 2 ER trips, vomiting 5 hours, tordal, dilaudid anti nausea meds, emergency surgery was done to remove a kidney stone imbedded in my left kidney. I was scared to death after reading posts about stent removal. Nurse said that this is a good time to be female, as it is more painful for males. Procedure was done in about 30 seconds. Stent was a blue rubbery thing someone mentioned in a previous post. Removal pain was no worse than a Pap smear for me. I had been told to take pain meds before arriving at that appointment. I took 1/2 oxycodone and was fine until a couple hours later. Serious cramping and spasms.Took a whole oxycodone and went to bed. I also ended up with yeast infection to boot. 3 weeks out still having spasms during constipation issues. I quickly got off oxycodone and switched to motrin- 600-800mg every 4-6 hours(as oxycodone causes constipation) and took Dramamine for spasms .The Dramamine does work, but takes about 1/2 hour to kick in. Also, I found that while the stent was in if I waited 2 hours- and I did watch the clock- that I really did have to pee and it wasn't as painful as trying more frequently.
Don't expect to go back to work for at least a few days after having the stent removed. All in all, the stent is the worst, but the alternataive of having the uerter close up, back up urine, damage the kidney would be worse. Losing a kidney and having to live by dialysis would be worse. I hope I never have to go thru this again!
199
Linda
Last year I had 3 procedures (PCNL, Ureteroscopy, and ESWL) for very large kidney stones which caused no symptoms except blood in the urine. I had a stent in for 3 1/2 months. My experience with that was on and off discomfort and spasms. My doc gave me Pyridium to be used as needed for the spasms and I also took tylenol for the aching feeling in my abdomen. The stent is definatly the worst part of the treatments but I was still able to work. This year I'm in between 2 more treatments and the discomfort from the stent is a worse than last year. I still can work but have backed off on all other activities. I get occasional faint blood in the urine on and off. I notice when I stay home and rest and make sure to drink a lot of water, The blood and discomfort subsides. After the stent is out the discomfort takes some time to completely go away. I'll be glad when this is all over, at least for this year
In August of 2009 I was diagnoised with mild renal failure both ureter's were found to be obstrusted and I had to have stents placed in both ureter's. I am now fixing to have my 3rd placement and will have to go through this the rest of my life. For those of you who say that it is not painfull speak for yourself. I have been in so much pain that I now am on long term disability and I do have a very high tolerance of pain but this is pain that I am not able to tolerate very well at all. The doctors have tried several anit spasm medications but nothing works, and this is an awful way to have to live your life.
I just had my bilateral ureteral stents removed today and just to let those concerned with this topic, it was not that bad at all! Of those patients that have had stents placed, most of them probably also, at one time or another, had to have a catheter. If you have ever had to have a catheter removed before, the pain is similar.
I had lithotripsy, ureteroscopy & cystoscopy on 11/13/09 for a 5 mm stone that had been lodged in my left ureter for 32 days. My urologist placed a stent in my ureter that went all the way to my kidney, and I swear to you, the stent pain was FAR worse than the stone itself was. I urinated dark red blood filled urine from that Friday my surgery was on until I had the stent removed the following Monday. Since that procedure, my urologist found yet another stone in January, and then yesterday (4/20/10), I had another CT scan due to lower left flank pain, and once again, I have a stone lodged in my left ureter. This stone is approximately 3 mm, but strangely, this stone is causing me a GREAT deal of pain in my kidney. None of my other stones have caused kidney pain once they are lodged in the ureter. Oh, how I wish that my urologist could figure out exactly what's causing these stones & rid me of them once and for all!
Can I just say, that before I had my ureteral stent put in, I was looking for info on the web. I came across this sight and I have to say it frightenend the bloody life out of me. I was a total nervous wreck when I went in to have it done.
I felt nothing when they put it in through my nephrostomy tube, I had a few days of being uncomfortable, a bit like period pains and my bladder felt a little funny. I was back at work after the weekend.
I thought I would put this in case there is anyone else out there looking for info and they are terrified. I think everyone is different, or it could be that the surgeon who put mine is was brilliant!
204
Stefan
I have had a urinary stent put in last week for kidney stones. after the intense pain i got while passing the first stone the pain with the stent is almost negligible. i do have blood in my urine and discomfort in my lower left abdomen but it is all manageable. my urologist rocks for now. lets see when the stent comes out i just might have to strangle him
205
Gina
I suppose I should note that my stent was not put in as a result of a kidney stone, so that could be why I wasn't in as much pain as the other contributors to this forum.
I am 50 years old and was diagnosed with colon cancer on my 49th birthday. I have had stents in place off and on since May 2009, it is now May 2010. I am on my third Urologist. The reason for the stent was not stones but a colon cancer surgery where the doc nicked the ureter. They say you may have a little discomfort. But oh no, like all of you I have terrible pain in my bladder and kidney. I also teach and have noticed (my husband has too) that I have reduced patience for my students and think of when I can take the next pain med. After all the narcotic I am now on Nucynta. Started with 50 mg, now up to 100 and pain has just gotten worse. Cry almost every night from enduring pain so long and seemingly no relief in sight. Went to my 2nd urologist today and he basically said I have been through so much and the pain has a lot to do with my mental state. surgery to fix the ureter is due this June. Last night thought I couldn't take it any longer. My 3rd Urologist from the UW (big wig) wanted me to have the current stent removed and a new one placed by Dr. #2. Dr.#2 seems to be done with me and not even interested in doing this procedure. All my Doctors have seemed great until they get to the point were they realize it isn't a straight forward procedure they are looking at. Dr. #2 attempted surgery to go fix my ureter but encountered a complication. sent me to Dr. #3 who now wants to wait another month (give me time to recover from aborted surgery) before surgery. The cancer is gone, but the bills are skyrocketing due to the nicked ureter. what a system.
I have tried a lot of different anti-spasm meds, but was just put on another since the Nucynta isn't working as well. I now take 100 g Nucynta, Tylenol with codine ( so much vicadin I ended up with an allergic reaction) detrol and advil (800mg at a shot.) Next I am going to do a lot of self talk since I still suffer pain.
I too experienced the most terrible pain with stent removal. Thank goodness it is a quick procedure.
It has been extremely helpful finding this site and finding out it isn't all in my head. The Doctors make me feel like I am unusual in that I have so much pain. Now I know the TRUTH!
I had a stint inserted yesterday for Kidney stones and have continually had leakage since then. Is this a normal side effect that goes along with all of the pain and discomfort?
208
Holle
Jennifer (post #8),

Hang in there... I had bilateral stents for 3 months, then again with daughter for 3 months (one side). It's is awful... I want to validate that. It feel at times like a sharp knife. I would really encourage you to go on disability (I did). Take it easy. Get off your feet. Tylenol seemed to help me toward the end. I feel for you. Just wanted to let you know. Maybe you've had your baby since posting, let us know.
DID anyone else get very bad diohria with this stent, i cant eat its that bad i havent eaten for two days now
I had 3 kidney stones all of which were coming out to play at the same time. One 7mm the closest to the bladder(left side), One 10mm one (left side) and last but not least one 4mm stone on the right side. Like everyone says the pain is excrutiating with the Stints in, I dont see how I have not held up a drugstore at this point.

They held me in the hospital, doctor took the 7mm stone out in an operation and he put the 2 stints in. The 10mm stone was crushed with the ultrasound table, not sure if its out yet. Dont know what happened to the 4mm stone. The doctor prescribed Detrol LA 4mg and Uroxatral 10 mg. He perscribed Vicodins but I am already on Percocet so my pain management doctor did not want me to "OD". He gave me a prescription for Fentora and a free coupon, I can see why it was free (like eating a Tic-Tac).

What happens is when my pain medication is close to wearing off I start going into the spasms again and I feel like I have to pee more often. That part of the process is starting to lessen but I believe it will come back when he takes the stents out for a short time. I will need something closeby to take because I will be in so much pain.
I am so glad to have come accross this site, i am currently 26 weeks pregnant and have just had a stent put in for stones as i have atleast 3 stones measuring nearly 2cms each. Prior to this stent i had 2 attempts at having a nephrostomy tube, the first one fell out the second would not drain. I had the stent put in 3 days ago and am in constant pain, i am currrently taking Mophine, codiene, panadol you name it, but nothing seems to work. The spasms in my bladder are unbeleivable and also I can hardly walk. I'm conctantly going tiolet to pass a trickle and my baby is so active in there, that every time she kicks im in agony. Is any one else out there is this wide world going through this???I would not wish this on my worst enemy and struggle to think how the heck am im going to get to the end of my pregnancy!! Any words of wisdom would be really appreciated!!
I wish I had found this site long before now. I went into the hospital on April 22nd for a laproscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy. Nothing more than routine I thought. During the procedure, I began to hemorrhage and had to be cut open. During the process to find and stop the bleeding, the doctor crimped the ureter leading to my left kidney. I was back in surgery the next afternoon to have a stent put in. I guess I was lucky that I didn't experience the pain from the stent that you all did... at least if I did I couldn't separate that pain from the post-surgical pain. I did feel the burning during and after urination, the every ten minute urge to fly to the bathroom, occasional leaking and the poking sensation. The removal was the worst... there were no strings so they had to go digging with the broom handle to find it. The numbing medicine...well... didn't and burned like all get out. I felt every move the scope made and the pain as it was being pulled out was so intense that I literally wanted to vomit. A shot of Toradol and a handful of little blue dye pills and I was sent on my way... no instructions, no follow up care details, no indication of what was to come next. Within seven hours, I was balled up on the couch crying like a baby with the worst back pain of my life. (I've had 2 children by c-section, 23 hours of labor, gall bladder surgery, tubal ligation and surgery to have golf ball sized cysts removed from my ovaries... I'm no stranger to pain and have a pretty high tolerance level.) I spent the next 24 hours sleeping between trips to the bathroom because I stayed doped up with enough pain killers to choke a horse. Now... 4 days after the removal, I feel pretty descent. Only the occasional back spasm and the trips to the bathroom are out to every hour or so. I feel for every one of you that experienced such tremendous pain when the stent was in place. Mine came after... good luck to all... and keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have to have one put back in again, wont know for 2 more days.
213
Margie
I went in to the doctor's yesterday to remove a stent that was placed after ureteroscopy. After a few minutes of looking for the stent, the doctor could not find it - it apparently dislodged and moved up to the kidney area. I was told this "never" happens. I have to go back for surgery to remove the stent. Has anyone else heard of the stent moving? Was there a problem with the placement of the stent, or is this just a fluke thing?
2 DAYS AGO I HAD MY STENT REMOVED.WHAT ARE THE DISCOMFORTS AND SYMPTOMS AFTER STENT REMOVAL.I AM HAVING A BURNING SENSATION AT THE LOWER SIDE OF MY BODY.
I am glad I am not CRAZY. I am 32 wks 4 days pregnant. I had bilateral stents placed 3 days ago. I had the stents placed due to blockage on both sides and swelling on one side. I had lost weight, was constantly nauseated, and the pain would come and go. I had lost weight due to lack of appetite and nausea.

With the stents placed the nausea has subsided! I can eat again... which is great. However, I feel USELESS. I am in pain from the stents. Lots of blood & tissue in my urine. My bladder spasms are killer. (And it feels like my bladder is always full) I hate taking the oxycodone for the pain, but I can't go long without it. I feel guilty doing so, because of the baby. I have a difficult time sleeping and I can't wait to have these out! The doctor gave my husband notice to take off work for a few days. He goes back to work on Monday (4 days from now) and I am freaking out a bit. I have a 23 month old daughter at home... I don't know what I am going to do. Thought maybe I was just being too weak and needed to suck it up. Glad I am not crazy... or being a big "baby." I am so frustrated right now, it brings me to tears.
I am glad I am not CRAZY. I am 32 wks 4 days pregnant. I had bilateral stents placed 3 days ago. I had the stents placed due to blockage on both sides and swelling on one side. I had lost weight, was constantly nauseated, and the pain would come and go. I had lost weight due to lack of appetite and nausea.

With the stents placed the nausea has subsided! I can eat again... which is great. However, I feel USELESS. I am in pain from the stents. Lots of blood & tissue in my urine. My bladder spasms are killer. (And it feels like my bladder is always full) I hate taking the oxycodone for the pain, but I can't go long without it. I feel guilty doing so, because of the baby. I have a difficult time sleeping and I can't wait to have these out! The doctor gave my husband notice to take off work for a few days. He goes back to work on Monday (4 days from now) and I am freaking out a bit. I have a 23 month old daughter at home... I don't know what I am going to do. Thought maybe I was just being too weak and needed to suck it up. Glad I am not crazy... or being a big "baby." I am so frustrated right now, it brings me to tears.
Andrea i am so feeling your pain!! How long do you have to have the stents in for? I'm only 26 weeks preg and theyve told me i even have this thing in when i deliver, i want a C Section!!!
Greetings, everyone. The name is Ryan. I'm 23 and I've been dealing with a 14mm by 7mm kidney stone, which was most likely stuck in my left kidney for 1 year but potentially as long as 2-3 years… and the only option with "minor complications"? You guessed it! A lithotripsy and a stent! I thought I would return to this site (which I've been visiting off and on for the past 3-4 weeks) and cover my personal experience because all the testimonies of horror really had be believing that this procedure would involve so much pain and agony that I'd be praying for the apocalypse to take me after waking up in the hospital bed.

Well, grab yourself a cup of coffee (or better yet water - keep those kidneys healthy!) and I'll tell you the tale...

Prior to surgery, my pain would come and go in random intervals. In terms of "kidney stone related" pain, one day I'd feel as fresh as a clear summer day, and the next I'd be walking around with the most obnoxious dull ache in my lower back (from the hip to the groin). Sometimes this would come and leave within a matter of a few hours; other times it would stick with me for nearly a week straight.

I felt as if I was constantly tired, and the "fatigue" related symptoms stuck with me pretty much on a regular basis. I was essentially diagnosed with IBS symptoms and GERD at a very young age and had recently undergone a specific diet to attempt to rid myself of systemic candidiasis (i.e. a yeast infection plaguing my intestines) My situation was very miserable around Thanksgiving in terms of the "mystery lower back pain," and around Christmas was the time I finally decided I was sick of it and needed to see the doctor. IBS and candidiasis weren’t explaining all my symptoms.

So, sure enough - I'm asked to play the "pee in the cup" game and the doctor returns saying, "Wow... there was a lot of blood in the urine. 98% of the time with males... that indicates a kidney stone." I laughed at the idea at first, since the only person whom my other relatives "thought" had a history of kidney stones was my grandfather and "supposedly" kidney stones were hereditary. Well, to make a long story short, I had the CT scan done... and "family history" or not, the stone was definitely there (14x7mm) and definitely NOT coming out on its own without any help.

Next step - find a urologist! So I did in February (2010), and by the time I got to the waiting room, I was questioning whether I was waiting to see a doctor or waiting to apply for assisted living... (no insult intended whatsoever; it was simply an amusing experience walking up to the counter, "signing the roster," and then turning around to see an entire room of senior citizens stare at me as if saying- "What on earth is this crazy young-blood doing in here??")

The urologist immediately suggests a lithotripsy, to which I ask- “Oh, well I was researching that, and won’t I have to worry about the pain that comes along with passing 50 to 100 fragments of gravel?” He then explained that they would put a stent in place and I “wouldn’t even feel them passing.” That relieved me as I nodded, “went with it,” shook his hand, went home to research it in more depth, and checked my schedule so I could plan the surgery. I also was required to get an X-ray and report back to the urologist a week later with the results. So, another week later, we go through the drill, and the urologist shows me the stone on the scan. I was a full-time student, taking a tough load of core level classes at the time, so I decided to schedule the surgery after the semester had wrapped up. The first available time was May 7.

… … …

(Continued as “Part II”)
PART II

So, a week before May 7 (… it may have actually been 2 weeks…) I stumble across this place. WOW! Talk about a collection of “Tales from the Underworld” that I wasn’t expecting. The 5-letter word “S-T-E-N-T” had me scared to death, as I actually finished reading through all 200 testimonies and only 5 or 6 of them said something along the lines of “It wasn’t that bad” or “in terms of pain, this was a good experience.”

I figured it was time to conduct my own research. I started asking around with people I came into direct contact with – pretty much anyone – if they personally had AND/OR knew someone who had experienced the lithotripsy with a stent. Most of them said the exact same thing- “I was out for the surgery so I don’t remember anything about that. Once you have the stent in place, you WILL feel it when you urinate! Make no mistake – you will not feel like “running” or “lifting” anything for a couple days.”

I also read several hundreds of testimonies on various websites, and I’ve noticed there is a VERY strong correlation between individuals who are pregnant and/or have cancer and individuals who testify about horrible stent pain. At this point, I started feeling better about the whole process, and decided to stop worrying about the “demonic pain that might be.” My urologist’s assistant said that “80% of people don’t even feel the stent,” but I have a hard time buying that one… either way, it certainly can’t be true when referring to the urination process.


Anyway, May 7 rolls around (and it feels like it was just yesterday instead of a week ago) and I decided to go in with an extra chirpy attitude… I was after all, about to be put out COLD for 2 hours… why not have a little fun beforehand? So, I started joking around with the anesthesiologist and the nurses about the “fun” I was ready to undergo. I admitted that I was nervous about the whole deal, to which a nurse said, “Oh we’ll give you a sedative to relax you. I can give it to you now, unless you want to speak with the doctor (i.e. the “doctor” who was about to perform the surgery that I hadn’t even met yet). I temporarily declined and said, “Actually I think I’m going to ask him some questions first…”

10 minutes pass. The doctor soon arrives… and he is ALL “business” – very professional, not interested in “sharing a joke” or anything of the sort. He just proceeds to describe exactly how the cystoscopy works… i.e. how they’re going to shove the stent up “the tube” while I’m under the anesthetic. I asked him a couple questions about “stones potentially getting lodged in the stent,” to which he explained that it “wasn’t going to happen like that.”

Then, my father (who had been sent to say a quick farewell before they wheeled me into the procedure room) says, “Hey, it all sounds straightforward. Now it’s pretty likely that he’ll be good to go after one ‘litho’ right?” …To which the doctor turns his head toward my father and utters “… No,” almost as if in the tone- “Are you kidding me? Who told you THAT garbage??” He then explained with a stone as “big” as mine, 2-3 Lithos was not uncommon before the stone could be fully broken up to the point that it would ALL pass through… and we’d just have to wait and see how things went after the first week.

So I was wheeled away, and given the drugs. I was having two procedures done. #1. Stent placement on left side via cystoscopy. #2. Left lithotripsy…

… … …

(Continued as “Part III”)
PART III

I woke up 2 hours later with minor pain. Of course, upon eating the saltine crackers I was offered while coming back to the “real world,” I knew what came next – I would have to URINATE! Otherwise, the nurses weren’t allowed to let me leave. So, I went into the bathroom expecting to see a whole lot of blood and feel a nasty jolt of pain… well, maybe I was still under some heavy pain pills at the time, because there was plenty of blood but it really wasn’t all that painful. The nurses came in to see the “proof” that I qualified to be dismissed, and I was relieved to jump in the car and leave the surgical center with minimal pain.

The meds started to wear off and I came home ready to urinate again (one “rumor” that is true about stents – they give you a sense of “urgency” you’ve probably never experienced before!) about 25-30 minute later….

OKAY… I admit.. THAT was NOT a fun experience. The feeling upon releasing urine with a new stent is akin to a UTI with hellfire. Compared to some of the stories I’ve read, I still think I had it relatively easy during “Pee #2” because although the sting was painful, it really wasn’t what I’d call “unbearable.” I was able to stand upright and steady myself while “emptying”… and there was no screaming… ;)

From that point, on and off I would notice that same irritating dull aches in my left back… basically the same thing I described earlier (prior to seeing my doctor and discovering the stone). The first few days were the worst, but the Vicodin I was prescribed really did help with the pain. Overall, through the day, I can’t say it was really that bad. As long as I kept taking a pill every 4-6 hours, I didn’t encounter any terrible pain with the stent by itself. Of course, urinating continued to cause the typical “stent” burning sensation, but as I drank more water and green tea, the intensity lessened and it became easier to deal with the discomfort.

Days 2-3 were the most annoying, which probably doesn’t come as any surprise. For the first 5 nights I could NOT find a comfortable position when trying to go to sleep. I think this is because whether you’re reclining on a couch or lying down on a bed, you’re putting pressure on the stent. That discomfort also eventually subsided, and now (7 days later) I can lie on the side opposite of the stent without causing much pain. Waking up in the mornings was probably the worst part of each day… the pain meds had worn off, the bladder was full (or at least felt full), and pressure had been applied for several hours… needless to say, I haven’t been a “morning person” for a week since the surgery. ;)

There was indeed plenty of blood upon urination. In fact, today (once again, Day 7) is the very first day since the litho and stent placement that my urine has actually started to look like clear urine… and NOT dark cranberry juice. Don’t let the blood or clots intimidate you… it’s typical and for the first couple days, it may actually look like 99% blood… 1% pee. It’s all part of the “experience”… nothing disastrous.

… … …

(Continued as “Part IV”)
PART IV

This afternoon I went back to see my urologist and presented him my latest X-ray taken yesterday. The new X-ray appeared to show a stone similar to first X-ray, except it had taken a “wave” shape. At first I figured this meant to prepare for Litho #2 without question, but the doctor actually said that the shape was primarily dust and small particles that could clear up in due time. I was getting worried about the “success” of the first Litho, because all I had managed to capture when straining was a few VERY small glass-like particles of the stone. However, it seems the Litho process can reduce these giant stones to miniscule sand fragments and you’ll hardly know you’re passing them.

Well, this just about concludes my history tale of Ryan’s Litho / Stent adventure. My urologist prescribed some more Vicodin to deal with any recurring stent discomfort, and I’m sitting hear typing this with very little pain at the moment. Urinating is still “annoying” but it’s most certainly not unbelievably painful by any means.

I will be getting another X-ray next week and return to see my urologist for further instruction. I shall then post my new tale with Update II.

My whole point in going through this long story is because I know there are others out there who (like I did) are considering or about to go through the Litho / stent placement procedure and have their eyes popping out at the some of the scary stories here. I wanted to assure you that NOT everyone suffers “tremendous pain” while dealing with a ureteral stent. As for me, it was certainly tolerable… at least so far. I will, of course, update you with honest feedback no matter what direction my condition takes.

NOTE: I am by NO MEANS attempting to downplay other people’s testimonies when they claim they have experienced terrible degrees of pain. I do sympathize with those of you who have had to deal with excessive pain and discomfort and wish you the speediest of recoveries.

Update II to follow.

- Ryan V.
I have two kidney stents ,been in PAIN for two months ,24/7 BACK PRESURE TO THE KIDNEYS WHEN URINATING HAS NOW SUBSIDED , After op make sure you dont have urine infection, they can cause a lot pain, ask for detrusitol from doctor, only after infection has gone ,good luck...
I last left a note here in june 2009,everything had been okay until about 4 weeks ago when i got that feeling of a U.T.I .Had 2 lots of anti-biotics (14 days worth) during that time i passed 2 pieces of stone (been having a lot of pain on my left side again)this was nowhere near as bad as the time i first experienced passing a stone (i would have rather been in labour its a lot less painfull).I got in touch with my G.P. who said to call the hospital to see my urologist asap ,still waiting for appointment,but in the mean time i am on anti-biotics again for U.T.I. so something is definitly going on again. i pray to god that this can be sorted out without any STENT.keeping fingers crossed for myself and everyone who has this problem.Good luck
Dear Laura,

Ugh! That sounds horrible, and I hope you can avoid the stent procedure.

Are you fairly certain it's a UTI? I ask because 2 years ago I went to the doctor with standard "UTI symptoms" as well and he quickly diagnosed me with a UTI, which of course came with a significant does of anti-biotics - Cipro and Levaquin. After noticing that the symptoms were only growing worse, I went to a different doctor who immediately suggested running several blood and urine tests.

I ended up developing a nasty yeast infection (see "Candida ablicans" or "candidiasis") and all those anti-biotics were only adding fuel to the fire, because they destroy the "bad bacteria" along with the "good bacteria" that fights off fungus within the body.

If the anti-biotics are relieving those symptoms and you are noticing a difference, you're probably fighting off a standard UTI. However, if feel the symptoms growing worse or no change, you may want to return to your doctor and start asking about testing for yeast overgrowth. They can spread to the bladder, kidneys, etc. and cause infection very similar to a UTI.

Best wishes,

- Ryan V.
225
Frank
I went in to hospital to have a kidney stone removed, and have now been back home for a week with a kidney stone and a stent. Same pain as everyone else, but what concerns me is that this thread is several years old and nothing seems to have changed in the medical profession. There must be research into these things; can nobody find a way of reducing the pain levels by way of different shape or design or composition of the stent. There is no "plan" for pain relief, despite everyone needing it.
My father had a kidney stone 20 years ago, went into hospital, cut open, stone removed, back to work 10 days later. So far I have been to the hospital 6 times prior to the recent, first, surgical attempt to remove the stone - that failed and resulted in the stent - and another operation is proposed in 3 to 4 weeks. In the meantime there is no way I can work unless there is sudden improvement in my condition (which seems unlikely after reading this page). It seems like the old way would be both quicker and less painful for me, as well as taking up less of the consultants and other hospital staffs time and money.
Maybe the old ways are the best.
i have been dealing with some large kidney stones my dr wants to do Ureteroscopy and stent placement surgey next week, the stone is stuck in my ureter and is a centameter in size. i have been in a lot of pain and just want to be back to normal, but i am a bit nervous about the surgery and about how i will feel after my surgery, will i be able to jump back into my regular routine & how much pain will i have & will the stent hurt & how long will it take to heal from the surgery my family wants to go camping about 2 days after my surgery will i be up to it?
i have been dealing with some large kidney stones my dr wants to do Ureteroscopy and stent placement surgey next week, the stone is stuck in my ureter and is a centameter in size. i have been in a lot of pain and just want to be back to normal, but i am a bit nervous about the surgery and about how i will feel after my surgery, will i be able to jump back into my regular routine & how much pain will i have & will the stent hurt & how long will it take to heal from the surgery my family wants to go camping about 2 days after my surgery will i be up to it?
My situation is a little different than most of the ones I have read about here. I recently underwent a hysterectomy and the dr cut a hole in my bladder by mistake. Now I have to have the hole repaired and part of this process involves the use of a stent and a catheter. These stories have made me anxious and nervous I must say. I was in horrible pain after the hysterectomy and am certainly not looking forward to any more pain of that magnitude. I just wondered if having a catheter helps with the pain of a stent?
i wrote above on number 227 i ended up in emergancy surgery due to the stones and so far i feel much better and the pain is nothing compared to what the stones were doing the only thing isa im still light headed and nauseated due to all the pain killers and meds to any
one who has kidney stones this surgery really dose help
Dear Michelle,

Wow! It's good to hear you're feeling better now after emergency surgery.

Did you end up having a stent placed? If so, I wouldn't be surprised if the discomfort attributed to the stent is a cake-walk compared to a blocked ureter with a 1 cm stone... from the testimonies I've heard, that can be absolutely horrible.

Anyway not trying to guarantee that the rest of your recovery process will be like riding down easy street compared to your previous pain, but if you're feeling much better after surgery, then it's very possible that your body tolerates stents well and the 'worst' may be over.

Good luck and keep us updated!

- Ryan V.
I had lithotripsy and a stent placed on my right kidney on Friday 6/4 and that was the worst experience of my life. I woke up from the procedure in such horrible, intense pain, the surgical staff literally overdosed me on pain meds before the pain would subside. For a 2 hour out-patient procedure, I was kept for 11 hours. Upon going home, I have been in pain every day and need pain meds. The pressure and pain just to urinate is horrible. I still have blood in my urine and am due to have the stent removed on 6/9. I am NOT looking forward to that. One of the stones I had was lodged in the ureter and the doctor had to push it back into the kidney in order to blast it. I am not sure why the pain was so tremendous, but I hope I never have to experience this procedure again. Anyone else out there...if your doctor recommends this, please inquire to some other form of treatment. This is NOT a pleasant experience.
My husband just had a 5mm stone removed and the dr left in a stent. We are suppose to remove it ourselves on Thursday. Is this normal for the Dr to let the patient remove the stent?
I had my stent removed yesterday at eleven o'clock in the morning. I bled very heavily and passed many, many clots until five o'clock this morning. After that, my urine cleared up and no more clots. This is my second time I have had lipotripsy, the last time was September, 2006. The same urologist did both procedures. After the first one, I had the visiting nurse association come to the house and check on me daily. Naturally, the biggest problem I had (so I thought) was excessive blood clots, was on a Sunday morning. I called their office and within thirty minutes the nurse was there and assured me that the clotting was nothing to be worried about. After a week, the visiting nurse came to the house to remove the stent, she was excellent, explained everything that she was going to do and removed the stent with no pain what so ever. Yesterday when I had the stent removed in the urologist's office, the nurse injected some numming jelly before the urologist did his thing, I would say there was discomfort but it probably was due to him looking at the bladder while he was in there. I did not have the pain with the second lipotripsy as with the first. When I went to the bathroom, it was so painful, both in the kidney area and the bladder, this pain tapered off during the second one but with the first one the pain did not stop until the stent was removed. When a CT scan was done this time, they noticed another stone in the other kidney so now I feel like a walking time bomb. This stone is supposed to be smaller than the one they just crushed. Today I passed four stones, one fairly large one, (Hopefully the smaller one) and three smaller stones which were probably remnants of the one he just crushed. Anyone facing stent removal, be prepared for some discomfort, I think I have a high level of pain tolerance so I guess what I am saying, each case is different. Do not wait to go to the urologist as I did, the pain started on a Wednesday afternoon, I thought I would possibly pass the stone, had severe pain and vomiting Wednesday night, same situation on Thursday and Thursday night, hoping it would pass, more severe pain and vomiting. Called the urologist on Friday morning before eight o'clock and was told to come in as soon as possible, when I got there, I had to go to the restroom and vomit then they took me in and gave me two shots, one in each cheek, one for pain and one for vomiting. Thank goodness the pain and vomiting stopped within fifteen minutes, he could not get me into the hospital until first thing Monday morning, thankfully the two shots worked until Monday morning. Hope this little bit of information helps someone else. As soon as you feel the pain of kidney stones, get moving and get the ball rolling.
My wife has had many experiences with Kidney stones and presently has a stent in place, which causes her plenty of misery and pain, especially upon voiding. In her case her ankles are swelling, and just a general feeling of misery. She certainly does not look forward to ever having a stent put in place again. Ater some 200 stones hopefully after this surgery she will get a few good years of quality of life!
235
Ann
I feel for all of you whom have had or have ureteral stents. I also had a stent place in the my right kidney at 20 weeks pregnant due to a blockage of the ureter to the kidney. I had tons of inflamamation of the kidney and a severe kidney infection. The pain of this was horrible. The stent placement went fine, although the pain directly after from contractions of the uterus and the infection was just as bad. Docs finally gave me a shot of morphine which helped within a few hours. The first 3 weeks with the stent were painful and uncomfortable. However, the pain did subside until about 10 weeks later. The stent developed calcium deposits inside the stent, and my kidney again backed up with urine. Having the stent removed this week, at 33 weeks pregnant, and am hopeful that everything will be resolved. All of you pregnant women with stents, I understand your pain...and your worry for your pregnancy. Lay low (I have been on bed rest for 13 weeks) and I do believe it will all work itself out in the end.
Just found this website which is really helpful for people going through kidney stone trouble - I was diagnosed with several stones in the kidney in June last year, the largest being 12mm and started ESWL in January with a stent placement. The ESWL didn't work and am now facing a PNCL procedure, which is a relief as it seems that five months have been wasted in treatment that didn't work and having the stent in for five months was not fun at all - constant discomfort and a kidney infection! - it was only after the stent removal that I realised how awful I had felt. I was nervous about having the stent removed having read all the stores, but I can honestly say that it wasn't really that bad, with some slight discomfort as the stent was pulled out. Feeling fine now so just waiting for hospital appointment and hopefully it will all be over and done with soon.
237
Terri T
Wow! After reading this I thought the only thing I had to consider was the anesthesia. Wish me luck ~ tomorrow, June 30, 2010, I go in for a cystocopy, retrograde study, ureteroscopy, with a possible biopsy & stent. I have no pain. I have had a little blood in my stool for a few months, had a CT scan that shows my ureter has a "kink" in it by my right kidney, which I may have been born with. They are going in to find out what is going on. She said there is a slight chance of a stone. She may put in a stent for a week or so to help deter a blockage, especially if it's a natural kink. I'm not worried, I will just have to do lamaze breathing every time I go to the bathroom. I did take off a couple of days. I'll let you know how I did.
Ta Ta For Now!
238
kerea
Hello, well i had a kidney stone back in march 2010, sooo painful would rather go through child birth at least you know you get a bouncy bonny wee boy or girl & not a lil stone!!After having an operation the kidney stone was too high up for the surgeon to get the stone so had to have stent put in, after the op all was fine stayed in hospital for two days, when i got home everything was good until the evening the pain was so intense i had to ring my GP for advice which he decribed me more pain killers, 2 months laater i had my stone blastered which was a little uncomfortable but bearable, January 2010 i had breast cancer again & had a mastectomy & reconstruction & im having a breast reduction
239
kerea
Hello, well i had a kidney stone back in march 2010, sooo painful would rather go through child birth at least you know you get a bouncy bonny wee boy or girl & not a lil stone!!After having an operation the kidney stone was too high up for the surgeon to get the stone so had to have stent put in, after the op all was fine stayed in hospital for two days, when i got home everything was good until the evening the pain was so intense i had to ring my GP for advice which he decribed me more pain killers, 2 months later i had my stone blastered which was a little uncomfortable but bearable, January 2010 i had breast cancer again & had a mastectomy & reconstruction & im having a breast reduction in August this year, the only problem is i might have to cancel my operation because the stent which i still have in is just constant pain, going to the toilet every five minutes, drinking loads just to try rid the pain & once my bladder is empty the pain starts again & its been like this for almost 4 months, im still waiting for a referal to have the stent removed, ive been back to my GP who kindly wrote a letter to whoever is dealing with me but still no luck, having the stent removed does not bother me if anything im looking forward to the relieve & getting back to normal...
Iam having a stent connected to a cathedar removed tomorrow, from a hystrectomy. Has anyone ever had this done. They tore my bladder during the hystrectomy so I got sent home with a stent and a cathedar that is connected, they cant take just one out they have to come out together. Very anxious about the pain because of what i have been through. Can anyone help answere this question.
241
Jere
hello Ryan V.

I had my procedure and stent placement last june 10. My doc said the stent will stay for 8 weeks. My main concern right now is the bloody urine... until now, my urine is not very clear... I can still see fresh blood and its been like 19 days since the procedure... do you think that is 'normal'? anybody has a similar experience? Thanks in advance.
I have had urteral stents for 20 years - yes, 20 long years! I had stents on both sides for eight years, went two years without any stents, and since then I have had a stent on the right side. For the first 15 years I was very fortunate in that I had little to no pain. At that time I was having the stent(s) changed every 3-4 months. I would have them changed on Friday and return to work on Monday. Unfortunately, my urologist had to retire. My new urologist changed the stent to one that could possibly be left in place for up to a year. Since going to this new stent, I have had a lot of pain and discomfort. So much that they have had to change the stent after only 3-4 months. I have burning/irritation on urination, frequency (as often as every half hour), and general discomfort/irritation in the vaginal/uretheral area. I am not getting any sleep at all, as I am up every hour and a half to urinate. I have tried Pyridum (which did not help) as well as Detrol (which I had to stop because it caused chest pain). Besides which, I just do not believe that it is overactive bladder as I do not have incontinence. I am just so tired and frustrated with it all. The only way I can leave the house is by taking pain medication. I cannot go anywhere unless there is a bathroom nearby. I just had the stent changed again today and the first thing I felt when I woke up was an overwhelming urge to urinate and the usual irritation/discomfort that has been going along with it. I just cannot seem to get through to anyone just how debilitating this is. Is anyone else having any of these symptoms? I have also been having a rash/redness on my buttock area which no one seems to be able to get rid of. I am beginning to wonder if this is all connnected. Oh well, thank you all for listening to me vent. GLTA.
243
Mike
I'm on day 2 of having my stent in after the cystocopy and stone removal and for the first 24 hours, every time I urinated, I had to prepare for the 1 2 punch of having the burning first and then the extreme pain from the stent. Hydrocodone has helped as has Prosed, though and now, 48 hours after the procedure, the pain from both is rather minimal, however, there is still blood in my urine (not as dark) and there are still periods of discomfort followed by a few hours of feeling ok, and then discomfort that makes me want to lie down. Fortunately, I am a teacher and am not working because of summer break right now. Can't imagine going back to work this soon. Get to keep the stent in until after the July 4th holiday, but I will be all too happy to get it out as the urgency to go is constant if I am not lying down and without the hydrocodone, I fear that the pain from the stent would still be strong. The first night (8-10 hours after the procedure) was the worst and I was up reading this site for 1 1/2 hours at 2 in the morning waiting for the hydrocodone to kick in. Up to that point, it hadn't been too bad . . . probably the anesthesia still working. I honestly have never felt that much pain that I can remember, but it does get better. DRINK A LOT! I didn't want to drink the first 24 hours, but it has helped as has obviously the pain killers. I'll make it through (and so will you!)

Mike
I have had two stents since April 24th. 7 mm stone removal through uteroscopy and stent placement. Stent removed one week later. Not bad and no pain in the Dr. office. Two weeks later I had severe pain and they diagnosed a UPJ and congenital blocked ureter. Stented again under general anesthesia to decompress kidney which was totally blocked by UPJ until davinci surgery could be scheduled on July 27th. I cannot wait, This stent makes me crazy unless I stay on lortab or percocet. I do not want to take them for a month due to the addictive nature, but I do have to have some relief. 800 mg. motrin is like taking a sugar pill. My wife says I am complaining too much, but I am not a wimp. Pain meds are necessary. Going to the bathroom to pee is my worst nightmare. Cramping spasams after each release and takes 30 min to get back to regular breathing. My Dr.s are great, but I do not think they have a clue as to the constant reminder of the alien in my body. My personality has changed and I have not slept in my regular bed with wife for a month since I have to get up multiple times to go through the ordeal of urinating. I have always been healthy and I know many more people suffer far more than me. I am scheduled to have the davinci robotic pyleoplasty July 27. My nest fear is the stent removal 4-6 weeks after the surgery. How bad is the stent removal after surgery. I am going to be asked to be placed anesthesia. How can I control the pain without eating meds like tic tacs all day long?
I too am a long term user of stents due to a congenital problem. Ive been taking pethidine (demerol) its ok for a quick burst of pain relief but thats it and after almost 2 years of taking it my body has got used to it.I am now on BUTrans patches and its great,it took about 10 days to work but now i can get out and about with out sufferering renal colic and bladder pain.

Someone asked about stent/catheter removal ( nephrostomy) it doesnt really hurt at all more discomfort, ask the doctor to tell you to cough when they pull it out.
246
Dan
Thanks to everybody for adding your comments. I had an 8x12mm stone laser blasted out of my lower ureter yesterday. I've been in and out of pain for three months, since the first doctor overlooked the stone in my kidney. Overall, I feel very lucky. I have not experienced the amount of pain many of you have described. I have a stent in, and it will be removed in about a week. With the stone gone, I was researching stent removal. With manageable pain today, I feel like I'm simply indulging my fears. So once I understand the procedure, I'm going to move on and wait for next week. Thanks again for all who contributed.
247
Heather
I will take the pain of a stent over the agony of kidney obstruction any day. Sure it hurts to urinate with the stent, but obstruction hurts constantly. Two days after the removal of my stent and I feel back to normal. Thank God for my awesome Urologist.
Message for Nancy,

Hi Nancy, i've read your note and have recently heard about permanent stents which are made from titanium, called Memokath, and are much more comfortable and less likely to cause infections. Perhaps you should ask your urologist for more information on this. There is nothing worse than an infection when you have a stent in - I really feel for you! Hope everything improves for you.
Yes, you can, and often are forced to, change urologists after a stent placement. My initial urologist who placed my stent, no longer accepted my particular insurance plan after 6 months. Long story short, I just had the original stent replaced with another.

My ureteral constriction is caused by an aneurysm that has developed scar tissue around it. That is pressing on the ureter causing the restriction of proper urine flow resulting in SEVERE pain such as is the case with a kidney stone.
I had my stent placed 2 weeks ago today. The first week after placement was the worst pain I have felt in my life. I'm suppose to have the stent removed tomorrow and I fear it will hurt as bad as it did when it was placed. I ended up with 2 infections right after placement and I honestly though I was having kidney failure. They gave me pain killers and I was taking alot of them and was still in tons of pain. I would like to know if it is about the same feeling as having it placed afterwards? If so will they write something for pain in case it is? I know thats a silly question but I had such a bad experance with having it placed I'm afraid it will feel the same. I also feel like I'm getting a uti so will that affect the procedure at all? If anyone could answer this question please do because I think I will be up all night nervous. Thank You. :)
251
Ann
I have a small question... I have to go for the kidney stent removal tomorrow, and my period has just started today... Is it going to affect the process, make it more inconvenient for the doctor or more painful for me?? Do I have to reschedule the procedure?..
Hi Anne ... No it will not make any difference at all or make it anymore painful. My last stent was removed durning my period and I was fine.
i had a stint put in last monday today is friday i have been in the worst pain imaginable its worse then when i had my kids i get these sharp pains and then it feels like something is trying to push its way out of me can anyone tell me what the heck is happining to me
254
Karen
Jennifer,
Adjusting to having a stent in place can be really difficult, especially in the beginning. What I've learned from reading this site is that the response to stent placement seems to be very individualized. Some of us experience excrutiating pain, while others just annoying discomfort. Here are some things that I have found helpful: use pyridium, detrol, or anti-inflammatory meds if your urologist has ordered them (they decrease the discomfort significantly); drink loads of water; see if changes in your position help. I find that if I am walking alot, I am very uncomfortable. Certain sitting positions are more comfortable than others and when I am in pain, I try to move around until I find one that is tolerable. Lying flat seems to be best for me.

I wish you luck.
Hi, first of all thank you all for your sincere testimony it has helped me understand better what I was experiencing and ground my fears as well as expectations. I have currently a stend with a thread on my left side. It is very unconfortable and have to lay downmost of the day. It also iritates my urthra as well as private area which make it even more unconfortable to wall around. This is my second stent in 4 weeks and can not wait for its removal in a few days. My only advice is remember how painfull a Kidney stone is ... the stent has definetely cancelled that pain but added also some side effects which is though much less painfull.
256
Angel
I had a 5mm stone on my left side in march 2010 and because I had no insurance couldn't have it removed until I was approved for medicaid. Which was 4 months later. I walked around with that pain for 4 months and lost my job due to the inability to work. Finally had that stone removed 1 day ago and had a Stent placed. It is really painful and I'm seeing a lot of blood when I void. It hurts to bend over and to stand straight up, so I walk a little hunched over. Thankfully the doctor has given me a scripts for Dilaudid for pain, Ditropan for relaxing of urinary muscles and Phenergan for vomiting. They seem to be working at easing the pain. I have to admit I am nervous about having the Stent removed in his office but the Stent placement was less painful to me than walking around with that stuck stone for 4 months.
I was told I had a 4mm stone and would need to removed. was told that a stent would be put in for 5 days. After surgery,, i was told that I did not have a stone I had calcium in the left
lower portion of my kidney..The stent removal was no FUN at all, but since then I still have times that I PASS BLOOD AND i always feel strange down south. How love does it takes for everything to heal...Tired and the pain and not knowing what is normal! should i call the doctor and make a appointment! thanks in advance and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I ended up in the emergency room 4 weeks ago as my kidney stone was making it's way down. I have a 4mm kidney stone in my left ureter. I had surgery 4 weeks ago to have a stent placed to so call help this stone pass through. I was told I would have little discomfort if any and was told to go home and take Tylnol for any discomfort. UNREAL!!! 2 evenings later after going through the Tylnol like candy which gave me ZERO RELIEf, LOng story short. 2 cat scans after an infection was found and noone could locate the stone. Stent from an infection that formed removed and full of blood clots surrounding my stent. Stent replaced. Continuous unreal pain.Stent being removed this morinng in 3 hours. Terrified.If I ever get another stone? Someone please shoot me.
I just had my stent removed about a hour ago after 4 weeks of constant pain and discomfort. All I can say is I found it barbaric to have this removed in a doctors office. We are put under aniseia to have this place inside of us. The same should be done for removing it as well. **UNREAL!** It looked like they were placing a snake up inside of me and the pain was so horrific, not to mention I had a student doing doing the removal that could not remove it after 10 minutes of shear pain and tears falling from my face and being in a cold sweat from the pain so the doctor had to start from scratch and take it out himself. The stent looked to be about 8 inches long that came out of me. I will tell you first hand I would much rather pass the stone on it's own then to go through what I just went through the last 4 weeks and today. During my 4 weeks, the very first week I had to have my first stent removed due to infection and running a fever of 104.6. They said the stent was full of blood clots when they removed it. They replaced the old stent with a new one. 2 days after that besides the pain and constant discomfort not to mention spasms where I urinate every 15 minutes that I had to go to the bathroom to let 2 tea spoons worth of urine out? I ended up with a really bad UTI infection. I developed Pneumonia. If I was given the breathing machine that should have been given after surgery both times to practice and work my lungs just for this exact same reason? I would not have developed this on top of everything else. The doctor feels my stone was in with the blood clots when they removed my first stent and replaced it with the new one. So now I will never know what actually created the stone to begin with because their is nothing to biospy now. This whole experience was a complete nightmare. Never ever ever again will I allow myself to be put through this again. I will take passing the stone verses any of this B.S. I was put through. I feel for each and every single person that has gone through this. My heart truly goes out to you all. Thanks for letting me share my personal experience with you. For the people that had their stent/stent's removed and found it to be just a little uncomfortable? My hat is off to you. I did not find that the case what so ever.
260
Dan
I had stents in both ureters for 6 days - constant urinating, burning, back (flank) pain non-stop. Had to take Percocets every 4 hours just to tolerate the pain - it never went away. I had the surgical threads hanging out of me, and my wife pulled the stents out of me after the Dr. said they could come out(she is in the medical profession). Not a pleasant experience at all - lots of pressure and moderate pain (I had premedicated myself heavily in anticipation of the procedure!) Had lots of pain that evening about 3 hours after they came out and into the morning hours. At around 10am I passed a dozen small blood clots and the pain simply vanished - no more meds, nothing. It did burn a little when urinating for a day or two, but nothing like when the stents were in. I am three days post-stents and feeling fine!
I will never have stents put in again - nothing could be worse than the hell I went through for six days.
Hey Jere,

Sorry for such a late response, as I have not been through this forum in a long time. I fear my response is a little "too late," but I will reply nonetheless.

If I remember correctly, I believe I had orangish to darkish yellow urine (i.e. blood) for at least 2 weeks after my stent placement, if not longer. I wouldn't see dark clots unless I had engaged in some sort of outdoors activity, which apparently agitates the stent and can cause more bleeding.

I never completely understood the dangers or complications of exercise while having a stent; my doctor essentially said I'd be fine as long as I could tolerate any side effects. I do know that running or jogging roughs up the stented area (whether it be the kidney, ureter, bladder, or a combination of them) and I certainly wouldn't recommend doing that, as I'd often find myself peeing dark orange urine and having extra stent pain for a couple hours as a result of any extended jogging or jumping activity.

Your stent may be very sensitive to motion - so keep in this mind, this does not simply apply to running, but activities such as swimming or biking too. If you do "rough up" the stent a little, it's probably not anything serious to worry about (unless you find yourself in unbearable pain); it's just irritating to endure for a while. Just be careful and take it relatively easy, because apparently it is possible to dislodge the stent from its placement, and I hear that's not a fun experience.

- Ryan V.
Now to address the general community here:

I apologize once again, because I failed to update as early as I had announced with my last story (See posts 218-221 above).

In an attempt to make this follow-up story short and sweet, basically I did have to go through with another lithotripsy. Recovery from this 2nd litho was much easier than the first, and any pain afterward was negligible. I only saw heavy concentrations of blood in the urine for the first day or two.

3 weeks and 3 x-rays later, my doctor said he believed only about 30 percent of the stone remained; the rest had dissolved to dust, courtesy of the 2 lithos. Then my doctor told me it was time to take the stent out. I have to admit - that worried me a bit, because at that time, I had grown accustomed to the stent and was not enduring major pain. I wasn't understanding how it was a wise idea to remove the structure that opened up my ureter to prevent stone pain as they were passing, especially when I had a decent sized chunk of stone left in there. But I went ahead with scheduling the removal, since this doctor seemed to have a very good grip on what he was doing.

I had the stent removed with a local anesthetic on July 9. Like others, I was worried that this was going to be an absolutely dreadful experience. Honestly, it wasn't too bad for me. The feeling of the cystoscope used to remove the stent really isn't so much painful as it is extremely weird and uncomfortable. The insertion is the most awkward part. After that, you just feel this extremely odd (difficult to describe) feeling of something bumping around in your bowels. The entire removal-part of the procedure (involving the cystoscope) only took 2-3 minutes. Note: If you fear you may have developed an infection, have yourself double-checked before proceeding with stent removal. An infection would make this procedure a lot more painful than it needs to be!

Since then I've been doing better, except for the past couple days I've been feeling that same nasty, dull ache throughout my kidneys. I woke up today, drank a bottle of water, went to the bathroom and POP - out came a 2mm by 1mm (oh yeah, I measured it!) stone and about 6-8 tiny stone fragments. This is by far the largest stone I've been able to capture in my life, and I was relieved to see a 2mm stone plunk into the toilet without experiencing any agonizing pain. I pray the pain is over for a long time!

I go back to my urologist for a check-up on August 30 and will have a new x-ray taken the day before. Hopefully, this run-around is just about over. I have been following the lemon detox treatment for 6 weeks now (though I did skip a week in between) which is supposed to be good for dissolving and assisting the passing of calcium oxalate stones. Maybe this is contributing to the recent breakage of stone fragments in my left kidney - I'm not sure. If anyone wants details about lemon detox, let me know. I'd be happy to share! I only wish I had started it while I still had the stent in place.

Best wishes,

- Ryan V.
Most of the people who post here are stoners. Not me. I had a blockage from scar tissue in my bladder as a result of a trans-urethral-resection to remove a sizable tumor 7 years ago. The scar tissue covered over the opening to my left ureter. It was like having a stone all the time and this has been mis-diagnosed for years. It was so bad that my left kidney swelled up. When they finally figured it out, I had another TUR but this time to remove the scar tissue. My doctor put 2 stents into the left ureter side by side. Two! They were in there for a month and they were not easy to live with. There was constant discomfort and bleeding. After reading some of the posts here I was simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the removal of these stents. They came out today and I can honestly say that it was not as bad as I thought it would be. I've had dozens of cystoscopies since my cancer and this was not too different. Today I feel reborn. Pain and stent free. So for anyone looking for some positive news, let this be the message. I feel reborn.
Reference comment 262, what is the lemon detox? I read in Readers Digest to take one shot of lemon juice each night before going to bed. It supposedly has helped in keeping stones from forming. I am really interested in the lemon detox. Thanks
265
Angel
I made post 256 and I have had my stent removed 2 days ago. For those who are about to have a stent removed, It feels like a large catheter being removed and only took about a minute. Some what uncomfortable and I had a stinging feeling during urination for about 8 hours after it was removed. My doctor used no local pain reliever during this procedure and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. So don't be scared and everyone's experience is different along with pain toleration is different from person to person. I would recommend taking a painkiller of some sort 30 minutes before your removal appt it will help with some of the discomfort and may help you feel less scared. At least it did for me.
How can you tell if a stint has become dislodged? What are the symptoms?
I had lithotripsy on august 18th. My stone was in the left kidney and was a little over 1 inch in size. The dr placed a stint from my bladder to kidney prior to surgery. Now it is very painful towards the end of urination lasting around 15 to 30 seconds after urination. The pain starts at my urethera and travels towards my left kidney. I wonder is this normal for a stint problem? Has anyone else experienced this? Can anyone tell me what the symptoms are for a dislodged stint?? The pain is horrible, like glass is traveling up my hiway. Vicodin just takes edge off.
REgarding post 267. Jacque, Living with stents is not fun. When I first had mine installed there was the most remarkable pain for about 30 minutes after every urination. This lasted 3-4 days and subsided gradually. I could not work for the 1st week. I had the stents in for 4 weeks and it was a pretty miserable time. I actually had 2 stents side by side in the left ureter. I felt the constant urge to pee. It felt like there was a sharp stick in my bladder and there was always blood in the urine. Walking made it worse. Once the stents came out, the relief was immediate. Also the removal of the stents was not nearly as bad as I anticipated. Hang in there.
well good luck to all. this wont be your last surgery,stent bladder infection etc, i have been battling this for years. 20 to be exact. i have had esl 5 times I am on my second stent for three months and looking forward to the perk procedure.If you formed one stones you will continue for life. i did everything the stupid doctors said if some else tells me to drink more water i am going to scream. Its all bullshit. the tecnology hasent improved over 20 years. learn to live with stents and fricked urologista that basucally just keep us going throught the hampster wheel of surgery,

good luck see you all at the doctors office
I had a hystorectomy in October 2009 the doctor that did the surgery cut my ureter tube in two. I had a nyphrostomy tube out of my back til the end of December . They put a stint in to connect the two pieces that were cut. It is now the end of august and I an in terribe pain on my left side, foul smelling urine, and have started having a vaginal discharge but it not near as bad as it was before they put stent in. I am just tired of hurting all the time. What shud I do I have no insurance to go to a doctor
To Janie. Geez. I am not a litigious person. I think there are far too many frivolous lawsuits but if ever there was a case for legal action, this would seem to be it. Even the threat of a suit should make your doctor try to fix this.
Dear Ken (comment #264),

I’ve actually been going the “heavy lemon detox” route for nearly 2 months now. Some may find it a bit extreme, but I read quite a few positive testimonials about it and will continue the course.

You will need several lemons and a juicer or some tool / appliance that can be used to drain the raw juice from the lemons themselves. According to many detox advocates, only juice from real lemons will do the trick.

This particular lemon detox requires 20 oz. of lemon juice. I was able to accomplish this by aggressively squeezing 5 lbs worth of lemons. Each lemon varies in size, so you may need 10 – 20 lemons. The important part is making sure you’ve measured out 20 oz of juice by the time you’re finished.

You immediately drink an 8 oz. glad of pure lemon juice – NO water and NO additives! This might seem somewhat intimidating at first, because raw lemon juice tastes bitter going down. However, it actually has a very sweet after-taste, and the juice isn’t as difficult to swallow as it may seem.

You then proceed by drinking one 8 oz. glass of water, mixed with 1 oz. of lemon juice every hour until the lemon juice is depleted. In other words, you will drink 12 glasses over 12 hours.

I believe there is some debate as to whether or not fasting is necessary during your “detox day.” During my first couple experiences, I ate 2 small meals / snacks during the detox, but then switched over to a “no food” policy, which is supposed to be optimal. I didn’t find resisting the urge to eat for one day to be very difficult, since the heavy water consumption nullifies feelings of hunger.

You can repeat this process once every week for “better results.”

As for my personal experience, I’ve been following the weekly detox for two months, with a “by-week” after every third week. I was never able to pass any noticeable stone fragments until I started this lemon detox. Even my doctor admits my situation is unusual in that I never passed visible stone fragments until a month after my second litho with a stent in place. I actually passed two stones last month – a 2 mm and a 1.5 mm stone – one of which came out the morning after I had finished a “lemon detox day.” Neither experience was very painful at all.

Coincidence? It’s possible, but even my doctor informed me that statistical evidence shows that the acidic content of lemon juice breaks down calcium oxalate stones.

I’ve personally witnessed enough to deem the lemon detox worthy of a few more monthly trials. If any of you have calcium oxalate stones and decide to give it a try, please return and post your results. I’ve love to hear about it!

- Ryan VanDorp
Dear Jacque (comment #267),

Depending on how the stent is dislodged and many other factors regarding each individual’s condition, the symptoms may vary from little discomfort to extreme pain. If you have reason to believe you’ve dislodged your stent, you would probably have to see your urologist and have an X-ray taken to find out for sure.

However, given what you’ve described, I think you’re just experiencing the symptoms of “Lucky Week #1” with a new stent. It’s anything BUT fun! Your symptoms sound very similar to my own experience during my first “stent week.” The good news is that after 1-2 weeks this pain will probably subside (though it may not entirely disappear) and your body will begin to adjust to the foreign object currently propped up within your left ureter.

Bill (comment #268) is right – walking and movement will make the pain worse, especially during your first few days as your entire urinary tract is still extremely sensitive. Take it easy during your first couple weeks!

Vicodin usually alleviates some of the pain, but even ES (750 mL) tablets won’t remove ALL your stent pain. You should notice a considerable difference within a couple weeks. If not, make sure you talk with your doctor. Good luck and keep us posted!

- Ryan VanDorp
274
jessica
i have a similar story to most of you. i am getting my stent removed tomorrow morning and i am wondering if all this pain magicly disappears or if their will be lingering pain after. Thanks in advance to anyone who knows.
I am an RN and while working experienced excruitating pain during my shift, causing me to go to the ER. Within 3 hours, the pain had completely vanished and I went back to work. The ER physician thought I had a bladder infection, but I was sure it was a kidney stone that I had passed. On Monday evening, the pain returned to the point where I could not stand. A friend drove me to the hospital, where a CT scan confirmed that I had a kidney stone measuring 7mm X 17mm, stuck between the kidney and urether. The urologist figures that the stone is just "popping" back and forth between my kidney and ureter The doctor placed a stent in the following afternoon and I am awaiting further treatment. He states it is way too big to pass. While the stent is not the most comfortable thing, I would rather deal with this than the pain of the stone.
Hi Jessica (274)
My stents (I had 2 in the same ureter) were taken out 2 weeks ago. First of all, that procedure was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The relief was immediate. When I urinated right after the procedure there was all sorts of flotsam in the toilet. A couple of days later, there were two instances where some blood was visible present in the urine. That is pretty normal as things scab up and break away. Since that time, there is some tenderness in my bladder. That will probably not be the case for you since I had tissue resected from my bladder to clear the uretal opening.which was closed due to scar tissue from a previous surgery 7 years ago. But there is also some minor discomfort in my kidney and ureter just prior to urinating and during as well. It passes as soon as I am done and I think it is slowly getting better. It’s not nearly as bad as the pain before, and after the surgery and while the stents were in. Since my kidney was blocked for so long it was swollen. I am going for a sonogram in 3 months to see if it is returning to its normal size. I’ll give the discomfort that long to go away before I tell the doctor about it. To all you people who have chronic stones and have to endure this more than once, my heart goes out to you.
277
jessica
Thank you so much bill, I was very scared. Turns out the removal was fine, not really even that bad. You were right. I have had this stone for 3 years and was misdiagnosed like 6 times. It has been a real rollercoaster ride. Today I am feeling great I didn’t realize how bad I even felt till today when I remembered what feeling good really is. I am sure you can relate from the sound of your story.
278
jessica
To all the newbies. I know it seems never ending and the pain is much worse then expected but now that i am finally done after 3 months a lipto, that didnt work and a cyto/laser/stent that did. i am feeling great and i have almost forgotten how bad it was i am just happy to be better and you will too. GOOD LUCK! my stent has only been out for 2 days and i am all ready this much better. Thankyou so much to all who post knowledge is power and the support is unbelievable.
279
John
Had a stent put in my ureter for 5mm kidney stone and lithotripsy performed. Every time I urinate it's like someone punches me in the kidney as hard as they can. I take it from what I've read here, this is par for the course. Does it go away after a week?

For the first couple of days I was only able to urinate 2-4oz freqently during the day at one time, but at night 12-14oz at a time. Now only 2-4oz regardless of the time of day.

Feels like I always have to go. When I am urinating, I seem to stop suddenly after the 2-4oz, even when I feel I need to go a lot more. Getting to the point I am afriad to drink too much so I don't burst. Is this fairly normal?

I've strained about 12-15 grains of stone for the last 5 days. Any point in continuing to strain my urine for the next week and half before my doctors appointment?

Thanks in Advance.
A week ago tomorrow I had a ureteral stent put in after surgery for kidney stone. When I awoke from anesthesia i was informed by the Dr the they couldn't get to the stone due to a swollen ureter. I was so upset knowing I have to do this again in 3 weeks. The pain is almost constant and sometimes need percs or oxicodone. Can't even do the things I want to do. I teach, so in 2 days I must go to work. It seems from all the comments here that I will have to deal with the stent pain for the whole 3 weeks. I'm hoping that the swelling is gone by then and the surgery will be a success. I can't see how I will be able to withstand this pain for that long. I can't imagine what those that have it in for months go through.
281
jessica
My experience with the stent was first 2 days were worse then anything ever. on third day Advil liqi gels helped better then 2 percocets. and by day 4 i was functional on advil. i had very very bad pain those first few days. The constant urination is from bladder spazems(spell?) my doctor gave me overactive bladder pills they were great if i didnt take them i felt the same way. my doctor also took mine out early because i passed all my stones right away so if you feel like you have passed all yours maybe u can ask too.
282
kelly p
My ureter was cut in two by mistake during an outpatient procedure to have my endomitriosis, ovaries and tubes removed. That was on 7/30 and then back in to have stent in and ureter repaired on 8/3. This has been very uncomfortable, same symtoms as everyone with the stones. Except I don't have any. I stopped taking the vicodin, because nothing can help when there's a foriegn object in your body! It's been over a month and the stent is just plain annoying! And my left side hurts real bad at the end of the day...I need to keep taking time to lay down during the day, but I guees this is all "normal" experiences. And they wanted me to go back to work! But I'm not til the stent is out. I get the stent out on 9/20 and am scared. (Thank you to those of you who have said you were ok after,that helps.) I'm not sure if I should be taking any legal action, since I should've been back to work and my life already. I feel I am recovering from this, though it's not over yet, so I don't want to make any rash decisions, and this happens to be my obgyn of 3 years. He also did my partial hystorectomy 3 yrs ago without a hitch, and I still believe he's a good doctor. But they aren't supposed to make mistakes. I just can't wait to wake up and feel normal again...will this happen when I get the stent out? How do I know the ureter is healed before the stent comes out? Well, thanks for reading, have a good night and thanks for letting me vent!
283
Dan M
I just had a procedure to remove a 9mm stone on 8/30/10. When my doctor tried to grab it a couple of small fragments broke from the main body and he couldn't locate the remainder of the stone. A stent was inserted and the stone was later found on a CAT scan. Now I have to go back in 3 weeks to have laser surgery to get rid of the stone. My urologist told me that the stent would later be removed in his office. I had this done once before about 10 years ago in hospital under general anesthesia. The idea of having it removed while consious is terrifying. This is my 16th stone so I'm used to pain, but this sounds inhuman. The constant ache from my back to groin isn't so bad because of the stent. But when he told me about the removal I seriously wanted to cry. Reading these experiences here just made it worse. When I had the catheter removed after the first surgery my head actually spun completely around. But this is a whole different ballgame. Any suggestions?
Hey Dan,

When I found out that my urologist recommended stent removal without a general anesthetic, I did the same thing. I searched online and read a bunch of horror stories, combined with some "oh it's not that bad" testimonies.

So, I went back to my urologist and drilled him with questions, to which he explained that the standard stent removal procedure only took a few minutes. According to him, the process was somewhat awkward and rather uncomfortable, but not very painful. He also stated that if I was completely against the standard procedure, I could always opt for general anesthesia, but that it was often viewed as overkill. Supposedly the standard procedure was far more convenient and less expensive.

I went ahead with the standard removal procedure, and although I admit it was downright uncomfortable, I can't say it was anything horrifying or extremely painful. I would probably go this route again if I needed to have another stent removed.

However, if you are 100% opposed to it, you should be able to demand a general anesthetic and have it done the way you prefer. I'm sure each individual's experience will be slightly different. Don't be afraid to bring on the questions next time you see the doc.

- Ryan VanDorp
285
Dan M
Hey Ryan
Thanks for the imput. I've been climbing the walls with anxiety over this, but knowing I have other choices is comforting. I can handle the pain when its thrust upon me but volunteering for a painful procedure is a different story. I may opt for the general anesthesia because I'm a bit of a chicken. I'll speak to my doc about it. Perhaps he can give me strong sedatives in the office if I choose to have it removed there.
Thanks again
Dan
When a stent is in place, can you have intercourse?
287
Laura
I had a stent put in place for three days following surgery for a kidney stone. The stent was removed nine days ago, but I am still feeling quite a bit of soreness on my left side (where stent was) and lower back. The pain is not as bad as it was the first few days after the stent removal, but I'm just wondering if it's normal to still feel some pain after nine days.
Thanks!
288
Kristy
I currently have a double J stent in my left kidney down to my bladder. I had the procedure done last Thursday to remove three stones from my right kidney (there are two smalled stones still in my left kidney). The stent was put in place during the procedure. Needless to say, I went home from the hospital the day of the surgery, and was in the ER Friday night. I was doubled over in severe abdominal and lower back pain on my right side, plus urinating a large volume of blood. Don't get me wrong...I have a high tolerance for pain...I've given birth to four children...my 9lb baby I gave natural birth to and each of the others were long and hard...but this stent pain was much worse!!! It took two shots of morphine just to take away the edge of the pain. I was admitted to the hospital and didn't get out until yesterday. The doctor told me that severe pain after a stent is put in place is "rare". I told him I had this same problem 8 years ago when I had a stent put in. And from reading the posts on this page, I am not the only one that has suffered. I have missed a week of work already from this situation. I will have the stent removed on Wednesday, and I have to say I am nervous. The doctor said he will use some numbing gel. For some reason, I don't think that will do anything. I will be happy to get the stent out of course, as will my co-workers and family, so I can resume my life, but I'm not looking forward to the pain of having it done.
i just found the other day that i have a stint in for over a year. is this normal? i do have pain everyday since the procedure
Jim,

I would see your urologist immediately. Stents are supposed to be removed or replaced every 6 months. If they remain in the ureter too long, they can calcify.

- Ryan VanDorp
291
Rod
I had a stent inserted after most of a 6.7mm stone was removed four days ago. The pain isn't bad during or after urination and the urine showed little sign of blood as of last night. My worry is the stent removal. I was given instructions to remove it myself at home, today. This is my first stone, first stent and first stent removal, so I feel like I'm getting ready for a bungy jump. I have the necessary pharmaceuticals, so should I be so worried, or am I just spooking myself?
292
Rod
I had a stent inserted after most of a 6.7mm stone was removed four days ago. The pain isn't bad during or after urination and the urine showed little sign of blood as of last night. My worry is the stent removal. I was given instructions to remove it myself at home, today. This is my first stone, first stent and first stent removal, so I feel like I'm getting ready for a bungy jump. I have the necessary pharmaceuticals, so should I be so worried, or am I just spooking myself?
Glad to have found this site. I underwent a Cystoscopy and ESWL or Lithotripsy last Aug. 19 and it had gone successfully. Didn't have major pains and as I can recall I never took any pain meds. I had a 5mm stone already in my ureter so they placed a stent. I have a strong tolerance of pain and I can just say that the stent that they placed in my ureter is very uncomfortable but didn't cause me too much pain to take any meds. I'm just scared that it might be dislodged or something when I bend or do strenuous activities. I experienced the burning sensation every time I urinate and there's always blood in my urine. My PCP doctor put me in another 2 weeks of CIPRO antibiotics until I have my 2nd Lithotripsy tomorrow (9/21) I'm not able to tell if I had passed the stone in my ureter since the hospital didn't give me any strainer to collect any fragments. My procedure tomorrow is for my stones in my left kidney because after the 1st Lithotripsy, my X-Ray showed I still have it on my Left and possibly on my right kidney. My Urologist also informed me that I will still have to undergo 2 more procedures after my 2nd since I have stones in both of my kidneys.
I feel for all of you who have experienced this. It is very uncomfortable and its like you can't do your normal activities since there is that thing inside you. I try to stay out of pain meds since they make me vomit and just go through all these mild pain and pray that all my stones be removed and never to come back again.
Everyone is different so they experience different kinds of pain level. But as soon as you have your first stone, try to live healthier so as not to form any stones again because going through this kind of ordeal is not fun at all. Wish me luck tomorrow on my 2nd ESWL!
Rod,

Congrats! As I think most would agree, the worst pain associated with stents is usually experienced during the first week. It sounds, to me anyway, that your body is tolerating the stent very well. Congrats!

Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about the self-removal process of stents. My last stent had to be pulled by my urologist. If you're uncomfortable with the process, make sure you alert your doctor. Better to be safe than sorry.

- Ryan VanDorp
Rod,

Congrats! As I think most would agree, the worst pain associated with stents is usually experienced during the first week. It sounds, to me anyway, that your body is tolerating the stent very well. Congrats!

Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about the self-removal process of stents. My last stent had to be pulled by my urologist. If you're uncomfortable with the process, make sure you alert your doctor. Better to be safe than sorry.

- Ryan VanDorp
I am due to remove my ureteral stent in next couple of days. Hope this is done properly
Hi,

I had the unfortunate complication of having my right ureter badly damaged when i went in for a radical hysterectomy and fibroid tumor removal. The urologists had to move my bladder up under my right kidney, and tip it on its side, and cut the bottom of it off so as to fashion the remaining parts from the r kidney to the urethra. Of course a stent had to be put in. I have becme a hateful, bitter monster: just call me Sybil. The bladder spasms are much worse than labor pains. I am five weeks post op and if i hadn't pressed for meds they would not have given me anything. Now i am on loritab5mg, ibiprofin, and utira-c. together they work to minimize the qty of spasms but they still keep happening anyway. Each episode lasts for 30 minutes. So i am comiserating with you and want you to know that i feel better now that i have venterd a bit and see that there are so many of us stent people out there!
Reading this has kind of comforted me as it makes me realise Im not alone and not the only one whos going through all this pain and trouble of stenting.
Had one first put in early June and had nothing but problems since. More so because apparently my tubes from the bladder to kidney are smaller than a "normal" persons so Ive had to wait longer for things to "take affect".
I finally had the stone removed two weeks ago and was extremely disheartened when told that the stent had been left in and would be for a few weeks, especially considering the amount of pain it had left me in, especially when going to the toilet.
Also because of other health issues, Ive been on alot of painkillers this past year and anything I seem to be taking now, my body is resistant to... HOWEVER, I have been prescribed Oral Morphine Sulphate which does the trick for a few hours or so. Ufortunately though the pain has got quite bad today, feels like I constantly need to urinate, and when I do (as usual) nothing or not much comes out.

And like many others, I am terrified of having it removed knowing that I'll be awake during the procedure.
Thanks for reading
Reading this has kind of comforted me as it makes me realise Im not alone and not the only one whos going through all this pain and trouble of stenting.
Had one first put in early June and had nothing but problems since. More so because apparently my tubes from the bladder to kidney are smaller than a "normal" persons so Ive had to wait longer for things to "take affect".
I finally had the stone removed two weeks ago and was extremely disheartened when told that the stent had been left in and would be for a few weeks, especially considering the amount of pain it had left me in, especially when going to the toilet.
Also because of other health issues, Ive been on alot of painkillers this past year and anything I seem to be taking now, my body is resistant to... HOWEVER, I have been prescribed Oral Morphine Sulphate which does the trick for a few hours or so. Ufortunately though the pain has got quite bad today, feels like I constantly need to urinate, and when I do (as usual) nothing or not much comes out.

And like many others, I am terrified of having it removed knowing that I'll be awake during the procedure.
Thanks for reading
300
Richard
Had laser for two 4mm oxylate stones in same kidney. Prior tried the Coke cure, 5 lemons & 5 limes and vinegar and lots of water. But the "cures" did not work as the uro said. Surgery was not too awful but stent caused pain, especially on urination. 4 days later had stent removed by string pull. Took less than 30 seconds and during that time made have to pee bad sensation but not much pain. Took 2 Percocets an hour before string pull. 4 hours later felt good and no more pink pee. 4 hours after that peed out blood clot and had pain = to original stone attack.

Doc never said a word about Detrol or the orange stuff. Oxycodone stops most the new pain but worried about all the acetominophen and tired of the narco constipation. Doc never said a word about that either. Cipro and pain makes me mean. Ready for the ordeal to end.

Heard Fiuggi water helps and coconut water with lime. Doc is very skeptical. Have a month before they go after other side. Heard drinking too much tea sets the stage for stones. Heard to drink skim milk WITH any meal containing oxylate foods and there are a lot of oxylate foods! If you drink soda pop, QUIT!
I just had my stent removed today after wearing it for 2 weeks. The bleeding is normal and can even come and go, so you might not bleed for a week or so, and then start again. I experienced discomfort and fatigue while it was inside, but didn't need to resort to even aspirin. Removing the stent, however, was another story. Wish I'd read the comments on this board and requested, make that demanded, the Detrol. This procedure is easy for some, but I would refuse to comply without some sort of anesthesia if I had to go through it again.. My doctor said he'd been through a stent experience twice, but once was enough for me. I don't mean to frighten anyone, but I am shocked and outraged that doctors perform this procedure without even so much as a local anesthetic. I signed a patient's bill of rights in the hospital when I had it inserted that said I had the right to request and receive pain meds. Doctors offices should be required to submit to the same code.
Hi again...I'm #282. Had my stent out on Sept. 20th. No bleeding, procedure went great and I watched the whole thing on the screen in the doctor's office. My only problem is it's been 2 wks already, and I'm still having pain where the stent was. Today is worse, calling the doc tomorrow. I have a very physical job and have to go back in 2 wks. I'm not taking anything for the pain. I've slowly been doing my chores and exercising to get back in shape...not overdoing it. But I don't know when this pain will chill! It's not muscle pain, it's something else. This has been a very frustrating 2 months, as I am an active person.
303
Neil
Hi everyone! Well I'm on day 2 going into day 3 since the stent placement and I have to say reading all of your stories has helped me to know that I'm not alone. I particularly relate to the teachers as I am one myself and I have been out of the classroom for 2 weeks now going into the 3rd week. I'm beginning to get worried that I'll never get back to my classes this semester and they will have to have a new teacher :( You can't teach an hour and 15 minute class having the constant urge to urinate and running to the restroom every 10 minutes!

My cousin (who is also a teacher) only missed one week of class when the stent was in and said when he had his removed, he was back to work the next day. I am really wondering if that will be the case with me.

I hope Ryan V. is right and that this is just a "week from hell" and I will feel better and be able to return to classes next week!

I definitely understand what you all are going through with the urologists. Mine was a nice enough guy in the office but come surgery day on the hospital, he almost had an argument with me about staying overnight (which he offered as an option in his office TWO DAYS PRIOR) telling me I must have "misheard" him. Well lucky for me I pushed the issue because I ended up waking up with a catheter in me and my nurse Mary having to wake me up every hour on the hour to irrigate all of the clots. She told me had I been sent home I'd have been in ER that same night in extreme pain. Oh and when I woke up, the dr. was gone. Guess since it was Friday, he was in a hurry to start his weekend. Hope he had a better one than I have!!

Since coming home, I experienced a lot of bloody urine yesterday. I took Phenazopridine (the stuff that makes your pee orange) before going to bed and I did sleep through the night only having to get up twice to pee. Today, I don't have any blood in my urine and after the phena wore off my urine went to an interesting yellow color. It is still painful and burns to urinate and I feel it EVERY time going through the stent and have to hold my back with one hand in order to urinate without extreme pain.

I'm glad to read some of your stories about this becoming a distant memory after the stent removal. I plan to call the doctor tomorrow morning to find out when this thing is being removed and plan to stay with a friend for the night after it's removed just in case! I will keep you guys updated as to how this all pans out. I bookmarked this site as I feel like once someone has been through this, it's like we're part of the same "family."

Oh and just to put this in perspective: I have suffered from extreme migraines since I was 16 years old and I'd take a migraine ANY day over this! At least a migraine is a day long event and then it's gone. This is ongoing all day long! Ugh! Thanks for listening :) I spent the night reading all of your stories and they really helped me feel that I'm not alone!
After writing last week, Ive received a phone call from the surgeon last Friday saying that someone from Endoscopy would be contacting me about having the stent removed.
Received a letter in the post this morning saying that the removal will be TOMORROW!

Im relieved that Im not waiting weeks on end again, but also quite scared about it reading some peoples experiences about it.

Well, I shall report back tomorrow or during the week to let you know how I got on
305
Neil
Oops! Sorry that I posted so many times, don't know why it did that! I just got off the phone with the nurse at my urologist's office. Looks like I will be going in for a return appt next Monday where he "may" remove the stent that day after an x ray. I really hope he does! I will keep you all informed.
Had the stent removed today. It wasnt as bad as I was expecting, a slight pinch as they went in, feeling of needing to urinate as they went into the bladder, then slight pinching as they pulled the stent out.
I was more shocked that the whole procedure took roughly 2 minutes to do, and even straight after it felt easier to pee.
A few hours later, as Im writing this, the need and urge to urinate has gone. Its still ever-so-slightly painful to pee, but I was expecting that.
So Im hoping this is it. The pain now is nothing compared to what Ive been through the past 5 months and Im so glad its over
Hi,I am a 43 yr old female. Thru a CT Scan for another condition it was determined the my right kidney was dilated. I went in on Tues Oct 5th for stent placement. I have had two kids, 2 uterine ablastions,gall bladder removed and a hysterectmy. None of that pain compares to this.The pain is indescrible. I was taking Percocet every 4hrs like clockwork and 800 motrin in between. The string from the stent is taped t my inner thigh and I was instucted to remove it myself in 7days. That is tommorow. I am in a panic after reading the above comments
I was asleep when the stents were inserted and I was given absolutely no warnings,no precautuions to take.ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION.I had no idea where they were would I feel pain,
But the worst part of this horror show is.I was sexually molested and repeatedly tortutures by a densist and a church deacon at the same time.When I grew breasts the dentist lost interest and begane to hurt me instead,telling me i was bad and I said anything I'd go to the New England Home for little wanderers.He said all bad girls went there and god only gave big breasts to bad girls.I cannot lie down in a spreadeagled position with all kinds of poking and misery going on down there.I was terrified of that place and everytime i feel apinch or burn from the stents I get hysterycal.This is more Than I can take and nightmare are torture and so real.Has anyone been thru anything like this?
309
Karen
Yolanda, sorry I am too late, but I removed my stent this morning and it was easy and not very painful at all. I was supposed to leave it in until Monday, but the doctor said I could remove it myself if it became "unbearable". After three days with the thing, I decided it had. He also warned that I might have worse pain from early removal due to the swelling that is still there in my ureter. And he was right, in that the flank pain HAS returned, but I am treating it with vicodin and frankly, I'd much rather deal with it then the agony of the stent. The combination of the pain it caused AND the constant urge to go was a horrible combination and I finally decided that I just couldn't deal with it anymore. This website was helpful to me in making my decision because I read so many people saying they'd rather deal with the pain from a kidney stone (which is commonly compared to labor) than the pain from the stent. And I agree 100%! I don't even have a stone. My problem started nearly four weeks ago with flank pain, but they've never seen a stone during two CT scans, and IVP and the U-scope the doctor did this past Tuesday when he inserted the stent. They still don't know what's causing the abnormality in my kidney, so I'm expecting him to order more tests next week. But I'll be damned if I let them put another stent in me if it can be avoided in any way!
I had stents placed after not urinating for 5 days and going into acute kidney failure.The original diagnosis was incomplete and I was released from the hospital after 2 dialysis treatments and thinking my problem had been caused by long term use of nsaids and metformin.Upon arriving at a friends house after discharge,i started counting the hours and realized I had been 9 hours without urinating and was in severe pain.I had passed 2 large stones before leaving the hospital but these were not mentioned.I was sick and in pain and the hospital readmitted me after midnight on the day I was released.A Urologist was called in and I was told I needed stents and never went into any detailing about stenting and it's side effects.I was horrified and scared and feel I was rushed into a procedure that I did not understand and my biggest fear was being naked with my legs spread after a horrible sexual molestation and sexual torture by a health care professional(also a male member of my church)I said that I could not bear anything like this being done because of the molestation that happened when I was 12 and would have to be out like a light,especially after a horrible experience with 2 nurses who tried to insert a Foley catheter into a bone dry bladder(no urine in 5 days)I bled and traumatized again as this dredged up the previous horrors I suffered.I was getting ready to go under anesthesia and was trying to get what info I could,and when I said I would have to be knocked out to have these removed,I was told not to worry and they put me right out.Now I am terrified,cannot possibly suffer any more "procedures",feel my feelings were totally neglected,and I am seriously considering not ever going back to another doctor and let nature take it's course.This procedure should have been completely explained or not done until I was comfortable.Now I am just living with nightmares.I pray nobody gets treated like I've been treated.
With no insurance and no money at all, savings or otherwise and basically trying to stay affloat week to week to support my family rent, groceries, son's school, etc..., I was rushed to the hospital in July 2010 after a build up of pain that i have basically tolerated and put up with for upwards of 9 months not knowing what it could be they found a 16mm kidney stone stuck in the upper region i was admitted after roughly 5 hrs in the emergency room, the next day more tests were taken and the the urologist(whose bedside manner was horrible)told me that a double J hook stent needed to put inside me, the hospital unfortunately did not have the proper facilities to blast the stone, remove, litho or otherwise, so the stent was put in. I was discharge and sent on my merry way, with evereything totally up in the air!!! It is now Oct 24th 2010, and I have lost weight cannot function properly and the stent and the stone are giving me hell as far asw pain, but i press on and endure.
Hello NYStone,
I was just curious to what the procedure was to remove your stent as well was it painfull? I had one placed on 10/15/2010 and I have to have it removed on 11/2/2010. I was just wondering how it was removed as well am I gona be in lots of pain being that Im not going to be put to sleep! Well if you can,respond and give me the details! This way at least I wont be going into this blind folded. Thanks!
313
Neil
John,
You need to see another doctor IMMEDIATELY! Stents are not meant to be left in unchecked and they shouldn't have even put it in without going in and doing something to remove the stone. The stent is probably calcifying and is going to immobilize you eventually if you don't get it removed. I would suggest going to a hospital in a neighboring community or larger city and trying to work out a payment plan. If you pay some upfront, most will work with you! I feel really sorry for what you are going through :( Please keep us updated! God Bless!
Hi again,I am No.310 and after having my bilateral stents placed on Sept 8,I am experiencing constant bladder burning and discomfort.I cannot get comfortable in any position and of course there is no sleeping due to the fact that you pee every hour.The intense burning and discomfort started 10 days ago and the doctor is not even slightly concerned.just tells me he'll see me on Nov 2 after an x-ray of the area.to me this discomfort is like reliving the sexual abuse I suffered as a child,over and over again.It has caused nightmares,and extreme anxiety,and it is so bad that I cannot walk more than a few steps without the need to void to stop the burn.I have been totally housebound for the last 10 days.the main thing I'd love to know is how many of these uncaring doctors have had lawsuits against them.It seems that their malpractice insurance should be unaffordable.My doctor never explained a thing about stenting,the complications,and possibilities of pain,infection,complications.WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM?
The article is very useful but why there are no anwsers for the questions to ask the doctor?
I wnat to know the anwser for •Why is ureteral stenting recommended? and
What type of stent will be used, and when will it be removed?

Thanks
316
s. crandall
I have passed many kidney stones in my life,but the latest was too big. I had it lasered,but I did not know he would leave a stent inside of me. I hate him and I would have told him not to if I had known. I am in bad pain and I take loratab. I am sick of it all. I can only pray this nightmare is over soon. It is disgusting for foreign objects to be left inside a person without getting permission.
i had a stent fitted in my right ureter about 4months ago because,i was told off a urology proffesional,i had a blood vessel pressing against my ureter therefor squashing my ureter closed.the doc said as she inserted the stent she had to push hard to get the stent to pass through this blockage.my right kidney was taking much longer to empty and fill than the left and so was causing me alot of pain and was making me very ill.now im being told that iv to go for a treatment for stones called lithotripsy which i have read is to help remove stones.i have been told several times that i DO NOT have stones.my question is,if i had a stone in my ureter causing this obstruction would the doc have been able to get the stent past it without pushing the stone into my kidney?and can they do the lithotripy when i still have a stent in?and why would they be sending me for that if i dont have stones?its really worried me because iv been suffering with this complaint for a year now and im just about to visit the third hopsital.im worried they dont know what theyr doing.the stent is also making me very uncomoftable making me need the toilet all day i cant go walks anywere because i need to be near a toilet at all times its stressing me out and im sick of never getting the help i need untill im sick or in pain.im only 24 and have a young daughter whos three so this is a hard time.why would they be sending me to get stones removed if the blockage was caused by a blood vessel.another doc told me at my last app that the next step would be to remove the stent then a couple of weeks later remove the peice of damaged ureter.so were are they getting stones from.i was sent for a body scan a couple of months ago (stent was in).and was told after that id be going for an op.no one ever mentioned an lithotripsy to me before and had to look up what it was.i am so confused and if you can make sense of this letter id really much appreciate if you could help as i dont have a clue and clearly neither do the docs.heather thanks.
I had a stent put in on Nov 10th after having kidney stones blasted. I get my stent out tomorrow ( Nov 17th ) I am not looking forward to it at all. I know that I am bound to be in alot of pain, because I have been right from the beginning. Trouble urinating, pain in my kidney and stomach. Can hardly walk and feel like I have to "pee" every minute of the day. Was prescibed oxy's and it isn't even touching the pain. Does it hurt to get the stent out and how much pain are you in after it is out? Does things go back to normal?? I sure hope so because this pain is unbearable.
Greetings, everyone. I've already told quite a few stories about the dreaded "ureteral stent" and kidney stone treatment. I've got yet another...

Starting with post #218, I told the L-O-N-G story of my kidney troubles and my first experience with a lithotripsy and stent. This continued in post #262, and unfortunately the lithos were very ineffective in destroying or wearing down my 1.6 cm stone.

So, upon seeing my urologist a month ago, I elected to just "get this all over with" and go with the ureteroscopy laser surgery and have them blast the stone to bits. I had this procedure done last Thursday and started my "2nd recovery journey" with a stent left inside.

I don't know the exact cause - maybe I had a bunch of stones trying to pass through and blocking the flow of urine (causing pressure), or maybe I just didn't receive the right pain meds in time, etc. - but for whatever reason, I left the hospital in agonizing pain - worse than anything I had encountered during my previous stent experience. The ride home was absolutely miserable, and upon arriving, I immediately shoveled down four 200 mg fast relief ibuprofen tablets. I had already been given 1000 mg vicodin, so my pain relief options were somewhat limited based on the doctor's recommendations. I managed to almost immediately fall asleep on my couch and then...

Poof! I awoke 2 hours later... and felt as if the surgery had never happened! No pain! Whatever was causing such agony must have run it's course, because I was able to walk around and gained my appetite back almost immediately. Of course, upon urinating I still felt the inevitable pressure of the stent, but compared to my last experience, it wasn't bad at all. This time around I am taking a daily "blue" bladder relaxant (or something similar) type medication, in addition to 500mg vicodin tabs every 6-8 hrs. The pain has been minimal and I really can't complain.

I do continue to pass very small stones almost EVERY time nature calls, which I suppose isn't surprising, given the fact that a 1.6 cm stone was blasted to fragments and dust. I will probably be having the stent removed in 1-2 weeks in the doctors office under a local. It's not "fun" by any means, but I don't recall my last stent removal procedure as being anything unbelievably horrifying... just very weird and quite uncomfortable for a few minutes.
I had a curly tail stent placed in Feb 2010 while I was pregnate with my son because I kept ending up in the hospital with Kidney infections. It was suppose to be removed when I had my son in May, but no later than July. But for some reason, no matter how many times I kept asking the doctor about it, they didn't remove it. Now I don't have insurance. Just wondering, what are the dangers of having it in so long? Basically how much should it cost to get it removed? I am haveing the most problem because I have basically no control of my bladder, if I can't make it to the bathroom as soon as I feel like it, then I usually don't make it. Thanks for any help.
321
Daniel
I just had a 4mm Kidney Stone removed 11/23/10 they put me to sleep and done it went threw my penis, and took it out they put a stint in me it hasn't been in a week yet im still sore in my lower back and burnin in my penis is it normal for your penis to burn? , and my stomach feels bloaded, Been checkin my temp its been bout 98.9 mostly all I been doin is sittin in my recliner, I get up and walk around for a little bit but i give out fast. I am goin to the bathroom alot, I go this wed 12/1 to get the stent removed, was wondering what do they do to remove the stent? Its not the stent with the strings hangin out.
322
Neil
Daniel,
They go in with a scope and pull it out. It sounds worse than it is. It takes about 2 minutes and within about a week you will feel normal again. Sadly though don't be surprised if you get more stones. I already have another one :(
323
Daniel
Neil, I had the stint removed today it hurt a little when they hit my bladder alot of pressure, Im sore now, they gave me some blue pills to take every 4hrs makes my pee blue, and some more antibiotics, they got me goin back to work on monday hope i get my energy back by than, how long has it been since u had your last stone? I hope I don't get anymore ones enough for me. Thats the first one I have ever had. My dad had them he passed his on his own.
Gdzie mogę kupić (najlepiej w Polsce) Ureter Stent, one coiled tip, REF 334479, Size: 90 cm Ch.8
LOT 06340 0B . Został mi taki stent założony i potrzebuję na wymianę co 6 tygodni.
Pozdrawiam, Lucjan Nowak
I have a great urologist here in Atlanta GA. I was very concerned about the pain I anticipated to be associated with the stents (not "stints"). Lucky for me, I got a stent in both the left and right ureter. My case may be rare but really all I have had so far is light dull pain in my abdomen and pain in my kidneys during urination. Of course I write this to you 24 hours after I got out of outpatient surgery. I have a smaller-diameter stent in place and it does not have the string hanging out of my urethra. Come time for removal, they will have to go in with a Cystocope, which I am not excited about, but thats only 9 days away. Everyone handles stents differently and has issues because of different reasons.

For example, the pain in my abdomen (most likely the bladder) and the pain in my kidneys when I void urine is explained simply as the emptying bladder pulling down on the pigtail in the bladder thereby also pulling down on the pigtail sitting anteriorly in my kidney. This pain is sharp, but only lasts for a few minutes.

These internet forums where people read horror stories are the last thing anyone should read before going in for a stent. They scare people, and many posts are from 3 or more years ago. Stents have changed considerably in urban medicine and I consider myself lucky that I have not had some of the complications that the rural patients posting in these boards experience.

The best thing you can do is find a Urologist with a great bedside manner, lots of experience, and who is willing to understand your concerns and remain empathetic post-op. But isn't that what we all are looking for in a doctor?
326
Rose
I had a hysterectomy 7 weeks ago. During the op my ureta's were damaged so had stents fitted. Since then I have been in and out of the hospital with infections and blader spasms. I swear I have never felt such pain even during childbirth.The pain in my kidney area is constant. Pain killers do nothing. I am due to have the stents removed on Tuesday and can not wait, however I am scared that the pain will continue even after removal.
327
#325
Ok so 72 hours after the procedure I am still doing okay. Mind you I have a good amount of blood in my urine because I have stents in both sides (Bilateral Ureteral Stenting) but overall, I am still doing much better than the majority of people who have posted on here. I am not writing to brag; rather I write this post to assure readers that you can get a stent and still do okay.

I'll be honest, I thought I would be off from work for 2 weeks... and while that DOES sound appealing, I feel like after just a couple more days I will be able to go back to work without issue.

The Pyridium is making urination less painful and the Vicodin and Percocet does alleviate some of the dull pain. Thank goodness for Ducolax to keep my bowels flowing.

Don't be surprised to experience some acute pain in the morning when voiding - some blood clots may come out too.

So far, the hardest two things for me have ben drinking enough water, and avoiding sneezing and laughing - both of those things seem to cause some brief sharp pain.
328
Neil
Daniel,
I already have another stone :( It's smaller and he's hoping it passes on its own but so far it hasn't moved so I could be in for another round :(

Neil
329
Jack
I had both stents (L and R) removed anda temporary stent(R) installed on Monday, 12-06-2010 under geneal anesthesia.About 0.5 - 1.0 inch of double-stranded wire tied off in a knot at the ends stuck out of my urethra. By Tuesday morning, one of the strands bowed out, i.e. became longer than the other. The usual discomfort (flank pain, frequent urination, gas) was being felt.
Durig the night and early Wed-morning, I notice a vey strong stream when urinating and when I woke up for the day, Wed.-morning, I discovered the sting had come out approx. 5- 6 inches and I was continually dripping urine around it.

A trip to the ER resulted in my urologist's order for the stent to be removed. I was surprised at how easy and painless (safe for a mild itchy sensation) that procedure went! No futher complications and I am now urinating freely and comfortably.
330
alyson
Could I just say that after over 20 years of kidney stones and pain (I amd 42)I had an operation on 26th november to remove a 15mm stone and also several others. Unfortunatley they had to put a stent in. The stent from my kidney felt like a bad stitch which has now subsided. However I am having to pee frequently and the last drops feel like razor blades passing through. As soon as I get the urge to pee I have to go or I wet myself. Today I have been going about every ten, fifteen minutes and it is painful but not as painful as a kidney stone. I am on no medication and have my stent out on Christmas Eve. I will be glad when its gone as the need to pee all the time should go with it. All in all it has not been a pleasant experience but I have not been in constant pain or agony and only had painkillers for five days and now every now and then. If you have to have this operation don't dread it as I have said before it is nowhere near as bad as having a stone. I understand when they take the stent out they pass anaesthetic into the urether through a syring with no needle in, freeze you then slowly pull it out.
331
Ruben
It's been 2 days since I got my Surgery and had a stent put in due to my ureter being blocked by a 8mm. kidney stone. I thought the pain would be all down hill from here but I was wrong it's almost the same pain as the stone. I just wish their is something other then pain meds to take to help the pain when I urinate... Does anyone know when my kidney will stop hurting? Or will it not unitl the stent is out...???
332
GSD person
FOLKS, I have has 3 rounds of litho with in indwelling stent of the better part of 15+ years. I also have a kidney transplant. The stent is now placed due to a stricture.Where I am having it done now i have NO pain AT ALL! I usually go to work the day after. the pyridium is very nessary due to the irritation of the scope up there. I have mine changed out every 7-8 months now.
yes sometimes it feels like I am "trying" to pass it out but that only last a bit usually
333
GSDperson
yes sometimes it feels like I am "trying" to pass it out but that only last a bit usually
I have had over 30 stones and I am 40 years old. I just found out I have a 2cm stone blocking my left ureter and had my 3rd stent placed on tuesday. I am waiting to hear what procedure I will have done as my stone is so big that lithotripsy may not work for this stone. I am glad I found this sight with so many people who share my experience. The stent is not bothering me as it has in the past, I still feel like i have to pee all the time, but I don't have that awful pain. Either the stent is a better fit or the urologist knew what he was doing. I am grateful for that.
335
Ash
My son who is almost 4 just had a sent placed on the 16th of December. About a month prior he complained of extreme pain while urinating. So I took him to pediatrician. Ped did UTI test and diabetes test (this was on a tuesday) it came back with no infection and they cultured the urine for 3 days too still with no infection. I wasn't ok with that answer so I took him on wednesday to a urologist. The urologist did the same thing ran UTI test with a negative result. The urologist said to go ahead and give him a x-ray of bladder and kidneys. So Thursday we get xray done. Friday my son peed a full stream of blood. I frantically went to urologist office (who of course was on vacation) and the other dr came out and said I dont know what to tell you his xray came back normal and he looks fine. Of course I was livid...I didn't want to take him to er but after a whole day of having visible blood in the urin I felt it was best. So I take him to er on friday evening and they test urin (of course with UTI coming back negative) and they tested kidney function which came back fine too. The nurse comes in and says and I quote "so Ethan is diagnosed with hematuria which is blood in the urine some causes can be very serious and other not so serious, so here is the paperwork you guys are free to go" UM WHAT?!?!? did they miss the fact that my 3 year old had been peeing blood ALL DAY! So monday I go to the urologist and he orders a ct scan of abdomen (my son had to be put to sleep for procedure) and that came back supposedly fine. So we go to Dr for him to read results and he says "well Ethan still has blood in his urin and I dont know why." WTF! So I am livid beyond livid...he was just giving up. So I called UCLA pediatric urology told them the situation and they got him in right away. Did all the "regular" tests all coming back negative and resulting in cystoscopy which this particular dr didn't think she was going to find anything but wanted to finish all urethral testing possible. What was supposed to be a 45 minute procedure turned into a 3 hour surgery discovering potention tumors, urethral deformity, scar tissue, and blood all over. She couldnt even get the camera up the right ureter. So he had a stent placed and is in INTENSE pain...it is the sadest thing. He has to have it in for 2 weeks and the surgery repeated to biopsy tissues for cancer HOPEFULLY (praying REALLY HARD) this stent will dialate the ureter enough for the camera to fit through on Jan 4th. WOW what a journey this has been...and he is only 3 :-(
336
TampaArt
I had a stint put in a few days ago and I'm tolerating the discomfort. What's bothering me the most is the NIGHT SWEATS - been having them now for a week. The stone has been removed but the night sweats are continuing. Three to four times a night, I'm not getting enough sleep and it's frustrating. Any suggestions?
Wow Ash my heart goes out to you. I am complaining all day about my discomfort because I feel the urge to have to pee, but your post's really puts some perspective on it. I will keep you and your son in my prayers! TampaArt, what can one say, stents just plain suck. I have also had night sweats with this stent, I guess you just have to bear with it until the beautiful day comes when the doctor removes it. You are fortunate that the day will be coming sooner than later.
I have just had my stent removed! It was the worst experience. while the stent was in I was having increasing pain and discomfort. I got a fever and had to be in the hospital for a week for IV antibiotics. I wish I had this site then. I kept asking my MD if there could be a problem because I couldn't pee. He didn't give me anything for the removal at all and I seriously haven't been able to sleep since as he was jabbing me to get the stent out. After 45 minutes and me in tears I told him he needed to try something else. He said that the stent was no longer in the right place and he had to surgically remove it the next day. Today is day 3 after the removal and I still can't sleep and have chronic aching in my flank. I am a RN and now that its been 3 weeks I have no sick time and still have pain. I am hoping it gets better soon! I was also just told there are 2 more stones in my kindey that have yet to pass. I am so hesistant to return to work with this pain and the pain meds all make me sick. I hope everyone gets through this experience!
339
Stephanie
Gotta tell you guys I had a 8mm stone. I went to the emergency room and after diagnosing my kidney stone, I was given a stent while under anesthesia. Tho it wasn't comfortable and I felt like I had to pee all the time, it didn't hurt. In a week I had a uretoscopy to break the stone. I ws under anesthesia so that didn't hurteither. I was given anther stent to make sure any "residue" from the stone could pass painlessly. I had that for another week. I had that removed by a different doctor because his office was closer. Again. Painless. I felt like I had to pee BAD for an hour or so and think I might have passed a little more of the broken up stone that night but it wasn't bad. NOT ONE PROBLEM AND NO PAIN since. If you are in as much pain as I've read about before you need to go to a different doctor. Both mine were great. (GLendale Arizona area)
Am i right in assuming that all or most of these comments are US based?. I live in SA and was horrified to read of the pain and suffering of the writers. was taken to casualty with severe renal colic at 5am,Pain medication was given with immediate results, warded, then taken to theatre within 6hrs.Diagnosed with 1 large stone which was too large to remove manualy, stone lasered, partialy removed manualy, stent placed into kidney/urether, discharged next day with strong pain killers and high dosage antibiotics. Stent removal scheduled for 3 weeks time under general anasthetic/overnight stay.It apears that a good urologist is worth his weight in gold if he is competent and has empathy with his patients. Have had pain and discomfort over Christmas plus blood in urine, but getting a bit better each day. was horrified to read of suffering of other people and upset to think that i would have catheter removed in drs rooms, but Dr confirmed the above information, MUCH to my relief! Maybe you should all complain more or research internet for the good Drs. I am not saying i have not had pain, but it has been manageable. My best wishes to you all for a speedy recovery, especialy the ladies who have the added burden of pregnancy.
Today is day 15 with a stent in my right ureter. Bleeding appears to have stopped. Urination continues to be quite painful, but only for a few seconds. I have noticed that the more I exert myself, the worse the bleeding and pain intencity is.Looking foward to removal the day after tomorrow.
Havinga a stent put inside you is just unbearable. Although the kidney stone was extremely painful next to labor pains, the stents is so uncomfortable and it's hard to be yourself. I rather have the stones blasted out immediately then to have to go this route or options. I've been pretty misable sine having to go through all this and it's only been week. Reading everyones comments hasn't helped much either because we are all going through hell and the worst thing about all of this is, it's the holidays with a new year approaching and I can't even celebrate or enjoy any of it.
Personally, I had a totally different experience that most of the people commenting seem to have had. At 32 weeks pregnant I was sent to the hospital in debilitating pain which turned out to be a 8 mm kidney stone. I had a stent placed. I did have a complication of undiagnosed pneumonia that flared up after the surgery, but the stent, though not comfortable is not a big deal. It is so much less painful than the stone I thank GOD for the fact that stents exist. I told the same to my urologist and he laughed. He said some people complain about the stent because they forgot how much the stone hurt. This doctor has had two stones and two stents of his own.

I'm with him. If it weren't for the stent, I'd probably have gone into premature labor from the pain. As it is, my baby is safe, still happily gestating. And I will probably miss no more than a week of work, even with the pneumonia to battle too.

So yeah. Whatever. Don't let everyone scare you. Some people just like to complain.
I am 35 years old and had to have a hysterectomy. During the procedure the Dr. cut my ureter. I had a tube put in through the kidney where my urine drains into a bag.(the pain was worse than child birth.) Now they have put in a stent and removed the bag.(the tube is still in my kidney through my back)The problem I'm having is I keep getting these infections in the bladder and also in my kidney. I'm scheduled for another surgery in 2 days. my question is should I have this surgery while I have this infection? And am I supposed to be in this much pain? If so why are the Doctors giving me a hard time about giving me pain meds?
Is this a possible solution for a 93-year-old female that has a mass causing the blocked ureter? Or is it recommended that a person of that age have the mass removed?
I have a restriction in the uretra in my penis, caused by radiation given to me because of prostate cancer in 2003. Can a stent be used in a case like this? What are the risks? will it be better than regular dialations that I need like once or twice a year?
After browsing through all the comments above, I see a lot of anxiety in the messages and no indication on the page that seems to respond even to some of the recurring questions or concerns. What I am suggesting is that either these people be answered individually, or as a group with enough general information about what to expect, including more information about possible side effects, such as spasms, their likelihood, frequency, severity, and possible treatment. Spasm suggests muscular reaction to nerve impulses from pain. Nowhere is discussed localized pain in the kidney region, during stent use or after removal, only bladder spasm pain, which should manifest in the lower front abdomen.
348
Hubert
I have a stent for one month. It was like hell. the whole month there was a blood in urine.during the stent removing procedure the doctor found that the grasping tool was not working.it was so bad to hear that. then he insert another tool and finally the stent was removed.the pain was totally tolerable.
Hi, It is so good to read some of the comments above - a lot of which I have been experiencing myself and reassures me that others are in the same boat!! I was diagnosed with an 8.5mm stone in my left kidney and a 7mm stone in my right 3 months ago and have been on a waiting list to see a urologist ever since. I have been in and out of hospital with renal colic and have lost a lot of blood in my urine over the last 3 months. On Saturday (after thinking I could handle the pain with the prodeine and a lie down - no such luck) - I was rushed to hospital - the left stone had blocked the ureter. I was in agony for the next 10 hours. I was put under and the surgeon pushed the stone away from the mouth of the ureter with a stent and I am waiting now for an ESWL. I have been experiencing cramping in my kidney every time I pass urine and am feeling pretty unwell. I will be having the ESWL next Thursday. Not really sure what to expect, although the comments above have been very helpful - I expect we are all different and I will just have to wait and see what happens. They said that they wont take the stent out when the ESWL is done, I will have to go back at a later date and have that removed. Feeling a little overwhelmed with it all and trying to stay positive. I am almost frightened to go to the toilet for fear of the pain each time. It really helps to hear the stories above though.
350
Paige
I am dealing with my 2cnd bought of kidne stones. This time I have A 20 MM by 15mm stone (2cm) the doc attempted lithotripsy which sisnt work and put in a stint. I have to keep it until the stone is gone which at this point will be weeks away. We have to attempt lithotrispy again and then when that fails find another route. I am so glad that i am not the only one who is truley suffering with this thing. I was told that it would cause "discomfort" REALLY!!!this is not just discomfort this is pain that narco dosent take care of and i have the "im about to pee my pants" feeling all the time. The last stone I had I ended up with a nephrostomy tube and that sucke dbut i would rather have that. But I also have a very sensite urnary track and even foley caths are unbarable for me.
hi.ive been passing kidney stones since i was 17 im now 29.but since2007 every year 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011 ive had to have lithotripsy shock wave wave surgery and a stent placed place for help of removal of the passing stone.im so done with the surgerys and the pain.my last stent placement was dec 22 2010 and its still in to this day and its jan 23 2011.i was wanting to ask others if there stent hurts them when you pee or move a serton way or position.also were told that you had to change the way you eat because foods that we eat are forming stones.but everything they want us to cut rom our diet is everthing out there.so ive been stuck feeling like what do i do eat or not eat.starve myself or eat what i want because ive been told i will always have stones for the rest of my life so should i torsure ny self by noy eating or live happy and eat what i want since ill always produce anyways.ive had stents removed befor and it didnt hurt at all i was affraid for doing it but it was no big deal.but the stent is so uncomfurtable.please if any one has any suggestions or comments or questions please write me at my e-mail drummondjanita@yahoo.com .thank you have a nice day.
352
Nigel Brooks
Greetings one and all from a fellow 'stented' poste in London.

I have had renal calculi for the last 26 years and have so far 'passed' over thirty of the little blighters often after Lithotripsy and, latterly after laser and lithoclast therapy.

Currently I have a 'double J' stent fitted to ease the passing of the latest two stones and while it is uncomfortable it it nothing compared to full-blown renal colic which is the worst pain that I have ever experienced. I do wonder how many here complaing about painful stents have actually had full-blown renal colic with the associated 100+ temperature, vomiting, palpitations etc.

If your stent is casuing you real distress, demand that your urologist scans to ensure that all if 'seated' well. They do take a week or more to 'settle' and you will notice blood in yu urine. Think about it, the cytoscope is snaking around bumping into the wall of your ureter and bladder, there is bound to be some associated bleeding. There is also a significant risk of a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) caused by that nasty little pice of bacteria-ridden stone passing through your system. Antibiotics will take care of it in the vast majority of cases.

As to stent removal, don't worry about it. The procedure is quick and the only concern, from puely a point of modesty, is powwerfully urinating while it is removed. Given however that you are laying there awake and with your genitalia fully exposed to a surgical team (my urologist was a soccer fan and spoke about his favourite team and his registrar was chatting about her favourite fim) then peeing yourself is the least you have to worry about :-)

Good luck to anyone with a stent, but they are so much 'nicer' than renal colic, ask any urologist.
353
lee
A 7.5 stone was found in my rt kidney, a stint was inseted in the rt uretal, and the stone was hit with the sound wave to bust, I have found that percs do not help that much with the pain I have during urinating with the stint in, what i did find out was depend how i breathe and use my prostate muscle has alot of effect on the amount of pain, is there any other option?
had stent put in under general,they said they had to by pass it,then in 5 weeks time there going to have a look againe under general ,im confused
WOW after reading all the stories im more nervous than ever.I had a hysterectomy on 1/21 8 days later a ureter stent.Bloody urine aching in my kidneys not too bad though.Going pee isn't always pleasant but better than before the stent.I'm supposed to go for checkup to see if it needs to stay in or come out.I DON"T do pain im VERY anxious about getting it out in an office setting..HELP!!! does it hurt REALLY REALLY bad??? If givin the option should I go to hosp??
I am writing to you from Maple,Ontario,Canada and I have had kidney stones for about 11 years. This website is one of many that I have come across while researching kidney stones.Every single website had e-mails from many people who have their own horror stories when it comes to stents. I can relate to every horror story out there. The thing that really bugs me is the callousness of the doctors towards the pain. I really thought I was crazy as the doctors would always tell me that stents don't cause that kind of pain. To all of you who suggested the urologists should have a stent put in so they can experience the "discomfort" are all bang on. I have been saying that to my husband for years now. Thank you all for sharing your stories. It will help with my next stent insertion to know that I am not crazy and that I am not alone with all my pain. Good luck and God speed to all who have to endure this hell!!
Hi I have been reading everyones problems with kidney stones this is the third time I have had them there has been a twenty year gap since my last stones and stent and years ago the stent looked more like the size of a small garden hose compared to what they have today!!! Just wanted to give you all a few tips my urologist put me on water pills when I had the stones for the second time in two years after that I have had a gap of twenty years between having stones my problem is also too abnormal a ureter tube seems they didn't grow when my body did and are quite small so this time Thank God the hospital up here has a lazer machine last Tuesday night in some terrible pain I ended up going up to the hospital in an ambulance and they did the emergency surgery then. I woke up to find out it was a large kidney stone blocking the exit of my kidney which was what was causing all the pain. I had a stent put in after they zapped the stone with lazer causing it to go into very smaller pieces. Yesterday I experienced something I have never experienced before and that is ureter spasms and believe me I never ever want to experience that again Ever!!! I did not know what it was until the doctor gave me two shots in the hospital one in each arm then he came back in about ten minutes later to ask me if that worked and I told him yes it did work and it had worked so he then told me what I experienced was spasms of the ureter and now i am at home once again taking it very easy not doing much of anything! Praying and hoping those stone fragments pass with no more pain. Drinking lots of water and fluids to help this procedure. So remember talk to your doctor about water pills it kept me from having these kidney stones for twenty years and if it can help me I am sure it can help you as well... Blessings to Everyone here. hugs it is a horrible ordeal to go through for anyone so God Bless Ya and ask about the water pills...
358
Denise
February 5, 2011: Had a kidney stone since Thanksgivng. It was 7.0mm. It completely obscured the ureter and it would go in and out causing blockages. Finally i was able to see my urologist..he scheduled me for immediate uroscopy with laser stone removal and stetning. I can honestly say the bladder spasms associated with the stent are horrible. THe narcotics don't help except totake the edge off. I got another med called VESICARE which has improved the situation 1000%. Glad this only has tobe in for 3 weeks. Not lokking forward to having it removed though!
I am 19 years old, and wish I never would have gone through this procedure. I had surgery for a kidney stone on 1/31. I have had urological issues in the past, but this was the first time I had gotten kidney stones. They ended up going through my back,and placed a stent. For the first two days I had a sharp pain in my chest that they associated with the stent (I was in the hospital for 4 days). After that, they removed the catheter and man, when I went to the bathroom I had a sharp pain in my kidney while urinating. It has now been three days since I left the hospital and 7 days since the surgery and I have a burning feeling in my bladder. It doesn't happen when I urinate, but just while Im laying on the couch. It is constant. I tried taking my pyridiam but it hasn't helped much. These stents are very painful. I am getting it removed on 2/10 and I cannot wait no matter how much pain it puts me in. I will be one step closer to feeling normal again.
360
Chelsea
I am 17 and recently had a 7mm stone removed and a stent inserted because of ureter scarring. I have had 3 kidney stones starting at the age of 12. I have a normal diet, and not to mention on a no soda no caffeine diet. The stent is not fun at all, though I don't have much pain with urination, when I walk I can get into positions where the string is tugging. I'm going to get the stent removed tomorrow and I hope that it is less than the nightmare I expect. For all those suffering with kidney stones my heart goes out to you, this is pain I would never want another human to feel.
361
Dorothy Hennings
I have just found this site and have been through hell as well. I had stents put in left and right ureters back in November 2010, due to tumors from Ovarian cancer blocking them and causing urinary tract infections. Saw my urologist on 9/2/11 and he is taking them out all being well, within the next month. Had I not had this done I could have gone into renal failure so what is worse??? I wholeheartedly agree the pain is the most unexplainable excruciating pain I have ever had and never want to go through it again. But must think of the alternative for sure. Until reading all this did not think of my vision being affected but now realize that another problem one has to endure. Sitting is most uncomfortable and I just take a cushion with me to take the pressure off the bladder to ease the pain. I try drinking as much water as possible at least two litres a day and limit my coffee intake to just one cup per day (sometimes two). Hold fluids as long as possible as well, that helps also trying not to become constipated and keep regular bowel movements. Good luck to all you poor people going through this painful procedure, it is not until you go through this yourself that you understand what others endure. I can't wait to have mine taken out and hopefully the pain will go with it!!!
A month ao I was admitted to hospital with a kidney stone in my right kidney and in severe pain, worse than labor. I then had a Nephastromy inserted and went into ceptic shock spending the next 5 days in intensive care. The next step was the insertion of a stent via the hole from the Nephrastomy - no anestetich and very painful. This stent was not placed well and a few days later I underwent surgery in which I had the stent replaced and the stone removed. 16 days of hospital and pain. 2 weeks ago I had the second stent removed but still experience pain down my right side speifically strting in the back. The doctors all say it is muscles. Has anyone else experienced pain so long AFTER the stent is removed and how long does it take before it passes
363
alan tannenbaum
Since they put me out to insert the stent, i have prevailed on them to put me out when they remove it. my urologist said that we can do it in his office as it only takes 30 seconds. i have chosen to spend a few hours at a surgical center to avoid being aware of what is going to go on during those 30 seconds.
A month ao I was admitted to hospital with a kidney stone in my right kidney and in severe pain, worse than labor. I then had a Nephastromy inserted and went into ceptic shock spending the next 5 days in intensive care. The next step was the insertion of a stent via the hole from the Nephrastomy - no anestetich and very painful. This stent was not placed well and a few days later I underwent surgery in which I had the stent replaced and the stone removed. 16 days of hospital and pain. 2 weeks ago I had the second stent removed but still experience pain down my right side speifically strting in the back. The doctors all say it is muscles. Has anyone else experienced pain so long AFTER the stent is removed and how long does it take before it passes
I had a uretery stent placed yesterday, as part of a procedure to removel kidney stones using a uretoscope. Post-operative bleeding with clots occurred while urinating immediately upon awaking from my anesthesia, a result that my urologist felt was normal. Lots of pain while urinating, only partially controlled with drugs, including morphine! I still have difficulty urinating at the 24-hour point, and blood is still very evident in the effluent. There are still more stones in the same kidney, indicating that another similar procedure is needed, probably around 2 weeks after the first. This will require another stent, hopefully to be removed after one more week.
A month ao I was admitted to hospital with a kidney stone in my right kidney and in severe pain, worse than labor. I then had a Nephastromy inserted and went into ceptic shock spending the next 5 days in intensive care. The next step was the insertion of a stent via the hole from the Nephrastomy - no anestetich and very painful. This stent was not placed well and a few days later I underwent surgery in which I had the stent replaced and the stone removed. 16 days of hospital and pain. 2 weeks ago I had the second stent removed but still experience pain down my right side speifically strting in the back. The doctors all say it is muscles. Has anyone else experienced pain so long AFTER the stent is removed and how long does it take before it passes
A month ao I was admitted to hospital with a kidney stone in my right kidney and in severe pain, worse than labor. I then had a Nephastromy inserted and went into ceptic shock spending the next 5 days in intensive care. The next step was the insertion of a stent via the hole from the Nephrastomy - no anestetich and very painful. This stent was not placed well and a few days later I underwent surgery in which I had the stent replaced and the stone removed. 16 days of hospital and pain. 2 weeks ago I had the second stent removed but still experience pain down my right side speifically strting in the back. The doctors all say it is muscles. Has anyone else experienced pain so long AFTER the stent is removed and how long does it take before it passes
i am in my 30's and i went thru 3 ureteroscopy operations in 2 years. I had 2 in my right kidney and 1 in my left. As everybody agreed, for me also it is one of the most painful, I have ever had in my live. The procedure of the operation is to insert a JJ Stent to drain the urine for a period of time as the kidney was dilated for a long time.
The first time was in 2009, I had a hell of pain after operation due to the stent, especially the first few times peeing after operation. I took pain killers for a week after that the pain was tolerable every time I pass urine. In 2010 I had another kidney stone blockage problem of the urethra, chronic pain again but this time in the right kidney, a big stone was blocking (~25mm long with 9.2mm diameter), again, the same procedure but this time, I have requested the doctor to give a strong pain killer before I go to pass urine for the first few time. I succeeded to avoid the pain for the first few time but I still got a strong pain for the 3rd time. I kept the stent for 3 weeks after that, we removed it. The pain was tolerable during those 3 weeks whenever I pass urine.

The 3rd time was on christmas 2010, in the right kidney again, this is a part of the big stone that jumped back to the kidney during the previous laser operation. During this operation, the doctor find a stenosis in the erethra due to calcification of the wall of the urethra, I don’t know if someone had this case before and I hope to get answer on it. Anyway, the doctor inserted the stent and I still keep it for almost 2 month now, I will remove it this week. i understand that keeping the stent for 2 month is to avoid stenosis again.
However, this time the stent discomfort was really minimal, I didn’t have pain during passing urine after surgery (for sure I took morfin for passing the first and second time) but after that and till now I can say that I am not having pain, just little disconfort.
I understand you guys, whom you are having pain because of the stent. I know how painful it is. I really do not know the exact reason why this time it is not painful for me, but I assume that is related to the length of the stent, the loops inside the kidney and blader,…etc. we can say success of the operation.
I have an opinion that worked for me when I was having pain of stent: while passing urine, push the urine out, let it go out under presure and fast, don’t keep it at ease. This way you will feel pain just at the end little. I know that it scary because you are worried of having a lot more pain when pushing, but it was the opposite for me. when I use to let the urine drain at ease, I use to have a lot more pain.

Sorry Ann, I didn’t experience pain after removing the stent and i hope noone have it. and I hope you will be recovered soon.

wishing that I have contributed and help sharing the above information with you,
369
Jim
I wish I had found this blog BEFORE my procedure as just like many others here my doctor didn’t go into the details of this operation as I would have liked him to. I am an otherwise healthy 46 year old male with a history of twice having kidney stones, the first when I was 19 as a result of orthopedic traction for 47 days and again when I was 26. Since they had not reared their ugly head in 20 years I incorrectly assumed they would never be an issue again. To preface my story, I have two friends who only have one kidney as the result of kidney cancer. They discovered they had cancer from blood in their urine so when I saw the discoloration in my own urine I made my way to the doctor very quickly.

My CT Scan showed a stone in my right ureter which was causing some blockage and of course the blood in my urine. The doctor gave me two options but the obvious choice was to have him remove the 3mm stone and get this over with. My outpatient procedure was performed on a Tuesday at 12:45pm and was out of recovery and on my way home at 2:30pm. When the anesthesia completely wore off after I was home, it was a lot different than everything I had read or even what I was expecting as a “worst case scenario”. To steal a line from Bill Cosby “…and the pain was tremendous”. It felt like I had a kidney stone with massive pain in my right flank that none of the prescribed medicine would even put a dent in. By 5:30pm was back at the hospital but this time in the emergency room. As a side note, I found that you will be seen faster in the ER if you are more vocal with your pain since the loud moans and groans do not make for a relaxing environment to the other patients. Within 15 minutes of arrival I was in my own little room and within 30 minutes was given injections that alleviated the majority of the pain. This was done not by design but by the simple fact I could not stand the level of pain I was in. Emphasizing to the medical staff the fact you are in extreme pain is a good thing, they will be able to tell you are in pain because your blood pressure will be very high.

I spent the next 48+ hours in the hospital receiving pain meds and antibiotics. I am very glad this turned into an inpatient because of the amount of pain I was in and the awesome care I received at my local hospital. After getting out of the hospital on Saturday afternoon I took it easy as I could feel the stent when I moved and a sharp pain in my right kidney when urinating. Another side effect from the procedure has been a persistent sore throat that nothing seems to help. Six days after the fact this is still my major complaint and hope it subsides soon.

Today is Tuesday (Day 6) and I didn’t sleep very well because of thinking about what it will be like to have the stent removed. The doctor tricked me and said “I am going to take the tape off” (the tape holding the suture thread that is attached to the stent) and before I had a chance to freak out, the stent was out. It was a weird sensation but no pain of any kind. If you are in a similar situation there will be a few days of pain and discomfort but it is better than any of the alternatives out there. Good luck!!!
Here is my story Part 1. I woke up with severe lower right back severe pain (which radiated to right side and abdomen) at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning. After trying to find comfort and realizing it wouldn’t pass after 3 hours, we went to the ER around 8 am, who then sent us to the OB unit since I am 28 weeks pregnant. This is my second pregnancy. Last one was 14 years ago to which I had no problems. Docs thought it could be kidney stone based on lab results, location of pain, and pain itself. Ultrasound didn’t show one so we thought that maybe it was hidden in the ureter. My options where to go home, take pain meds, and wait for it to pass, or stay overnight in the hospital to be monitored in the ob unit due to my pregnancy, take pain meds, and see if it will pass. So I chose the second option. Well, I stayed in the hospital overnight on Saturday night, in pain but on pain meds, of which I made double sure would not affect the baby, but nothing passed. So on Sunday morning, I went under general anesthesia, they examined me internally with camera, and found what they think to be the problem. The ureter had a kink in it, which caused my kidney to balloon up and some blockage, which caused the severe pain I was experiencing. I apparently have a longer than usual ureter. With my uterus enlarging, it may have caused the kink or I may have already had the kink (but it wasn't so bad prior to pregnancy that it caused me problems before). So I had to have a stent put in the ureter (apparently it took him trying 3 different lengths of stents because of how unusually long my ureter is). We then stayed a second night in the hospital for observation and recovery.
More of my story to follow...
Here is the rest of my story (Part 2). Sorry for the double posting above. Website is to blame. Stent has been in for 3 days. My right side of back feels sore, my groin to bladder area is really sore. I can't get comfortable/find comfort. I can't be on my feet longer than about 20 min at a time or that area becomes even more painful plus I feel like my lower stomach is really heavy. When I urinate, I feel discomfort (kind of like light contractions) in my right side and bladder area. I just have to breathe slowly through it. When I get done, I have to stand up slowly. Most times (not just during visits to the bathroom) I can't stand up straight at all because of the pain. I have to stand/walk sort of hunched over. My urine always looks like I put some food coloring in it as there is always some blood. And yes, the more active I am, the more blood that shows. I take Tylenol every 6 hours (even though I’d like to take it sooner). I was told I could take Vicodin being it’s the safest hardcore pain reliever during pregnancy as long as I don’t abuse it (in other words, only take it when the pain is too much, but if I can handle the pain to some extent take Tylenol instead). I can handle the urgency to urinate and can handle the soreness feeling in my right side back area (which I believe people refer to as their flank), but the groin/bladder pain is something I can’t. I pray my body gets use to this stent and that the pain in that area fades over time. My doc said I should know in a week if the pain will fade. If not, and I feel I can’t handle it, my options are that we try a smaller stent (but that just means going under anesth again which I don’t want to do because I’m pregnant), or that I take it out and deal with the severe pain that brought me to the hospital in the first place, or I have a surgical procedure where I have to carry a bag on my side (which is where the urine would drain to) that would be connected to my kidney through an incision. Umm, none of those options are appealing (the bag on the side option is especially a big H*** NO!)… So I have to suck it up and deal with my current situation for another 9-12 weeks. As to sleep – being pregnant, I’m suppose to lay on my sides. I am uncomfortable in doing that now. So I bought a wedge pillow and have put two regular pillows on top of it so that I can sleep on my back at night, but at an angle (so I'm slightly sitting up). As to labor/delivery…I was told that should go as normal. I pray that I don’t have to have this pain on top of labor pain. I wanted to go through labor without medication, but it looks that I’ll be requesting an epidural this time around.

As to follow up care, they usually take out or replace these stents every 6-8 weeks. Being the baby is due in 9-12 weeks, they are going to leave the stent in until after the baby is born. I've read that some are put under a local anesthesia for the removal of the stent, but the doc who put mine in me said it's not needed. It's an easy two minute procedure apparently. Well I am going to demand SOMETHING! I’ll be damned if I have to go through that without anything (I don’t care how comfortable it was for some people). I've read a couple horror stories online about how people are after the stent removal..and it wasn't good (most reviews stated that they had on going pain problems in the kidney area, some severe). That worries me. If that's that case, then I'd have to have something done in the way of care that would be a long term fix (like shortening my ureter). I want to make sure that nothing will stand in the way of me being able to take care of our daughter. They said that discomfort/pain remains in maybe 5% of cases after a stent is removed (in other words existing pain after is rare..and being this happened during my pregnancy, which could have been caused because of my enlarging uterus during my pregnancy, the chances I'll have any existing issues once it's removed is slim.)
(...)
372
Bryon
About 2 weeks ago My wife and I moved into a new house.That night i started having pain in my right flank and was voiding blood.The next day it got much worse and went to the hospital and found that i had several 3mm stones but only one had come down the uterer and got stuck.The hpspital referred me to a urologist and 2 days went there we they got me in..The pain was pretty bad at that time.The Urologist scheduled me for surgery 3 days later.They went in broke up the stones and put a stent in.When i woke up from surgery that was the worst burning feeling i have ever felt before in my life..I am no stranger to pain because i have rheumatoid arthritis.The stent was put in on Monday.Well today i made a mistake when changing and caught the string attached to the stent and pulled it out a few inches.Well i called the Dr and had to wait about 1 hour before they called while i couldn't control the urine that was readily flowing...They finally called back and said that i had to pull the stent out on my own..because it wouldn't stop.Well i decided to go ahead and pull it out.It was mildly uncomfortable when i got it out and thought this is wonderful no more burning or painful urination..so i jumped into the shower to get cleaned up...About 20 minutes later i started getting real bad right flank pain that dropped me to my knees..I decided to take two pain killers and hoped that it would help but it didn't. I began sweating and vomiting due to massive amount of pain i was growing through. My wife got worried and called the Doctor to see if this was normal.The Doctor informed that this would be normal and the pain should last about 3 hours but could last up to 2 days.They also told her that a heating pad sometimes helps...Surprisingly the heating pad did help.Well im sitting about 3 hours later and can move around some so i decided to write to this site.

For the people that had mild pain after that stent was removed was very lucky...This is the worst pain i have ever went through in my entire life. I thought i was dieing due to intensity of the pain.I'm no stranger to pain at all and can handle alot of it before i break down...My wife had never seen me cry in the 6 years we have been together til just a while ago and she got real scared over it. All i can say if you can avoid the stent..Do it dont get that stent if you can help it..I will never let them do it again to me if i can help it. I personally think that Doctors need to be informing there patients alot better as to the extent of the pain this surgery causes. I will wait the next time and deal with the pain of the stone passing...

Good Luck to all that is going through I know how you feel And Its horrible
Anne: 2 weeks ago i went in2 hava biopsy dun,followin a catscan which showed that i had a 3cm tumor in my ureter. However,unexpectedly bottom end of ureter was very narrow and tube waz doubled back on itself. The ureter waz stretched and a stent inserted,wot a shock i came round 2 excrutiating pain and remained that way 4 almost a week,i also passed lots of blood. Not 2 mention the colic. Thingzz hav settled down a bit now,still feel like im sitting on a broken glass,and still painful when urinating. Iv another 4 weeks 2 wait for another procedure and possible biopsy,if they can find the tumor this time,they wer unable 2 detect it last time. I cant wait 2 hav the damned thing removed.Still awaiting new catscan results,due this week.Its been a long struggle as my G.P told me in December i had cancer in the ureter. i was told 2 days later it was inconclusive until biopsy was dun,i was also told 3 wks ago my kidney was 2b removed. Roll on,a conclusion 2 all this!!
I have gone to same day surgery twice in the last two months and was going to have my kidney stones blasted but both times the dr could not do it so now i am going in tomorrow 02-23-20011 for a Ureteral stent surgery and hopefully i will be back to normal . I have had pain from the kidney stones now since November 2010. . i will comment on this after i have this done to let you now how i made out .
I have gone to same day surgery twice in the last two months and was going to have my kidney stones blasted but both times the dr could not do it so now i am going in tomorrow 02-23-20011 for a Ureteral stent surgery and hopefully i will be back to normal . I have had pain from the kidney stones now since November 2010. . i will comment on this after i have this done to let you now how i made out .
376
Robin
I have spent the last week plus reading the posts on this site while bedridden with horrific stent pain. Knowing that I was not alone and wasn't just a wimp was very helpful. Thanks to all for your posts.

I'm with the majority that the stent pain was much more difficult to deal with than the stone pain. I had my stent removed today and am feeling human again. I was fortunate and experienced very little pain with the cytoscope removal. Like many others though within about an hour I was having significant back and flank pain. I took a good dose of dilaudid, laid down with a heating pad and now a couple of hours later am relatively pain free.

For those still suffering with spasms and stent pain I found relief in frequent warm baths, a heating pad and as little sitting as possible.

I told my doctor that stenting is inhumane and I wouldn't wish that pain on my worst enemy.

I wish you all the best and speedy recoveries.
Stent Removal Not So Bad -
The flexible scope which is used for stent removal is really not of a very wide diameter. In my case, there were only a very few drops of blood in the urine immediately after the procedure. (As many on this site know, that is not the case following stent insertion and/or stone removal, where you may experience ongoing varied amounts of blood in the urine for a period of time which, although it's not "serious", can be a bit distessing nonetheless). In the patient preparation waiting are, I asked the nurse whether she would recommend that I take any of the co-codamol tablets that I had with me (which are not terribly strong codeine based tablets that I'd been prescribed at the time of my stone removal 10 days earlier, but none of which I'd used); she said "absolutely!", so I took the normal dose of two tablets - each of them was 30 mg of codeine phosphate hemihydrate and 500 mg paracetamol, i.e. "30/500" caplets - about 90 minutes before the procedure. I didn't feel too "buzzed up", but I'm glad I took them and I would HIGHLY recommend that anyone undergoing this procedure not be braver than they need to be. I think the nurse was VERY sensible suggesting I make it easy on myself - and I recommend that you do the same! As for the procedure: first, they use a non-needle syringe (nothing scary) to squirt a numbing gel into your willy; a little uncomfortable (you'll probably feel a sense of pressure and perhaps even a sense of temperature differential from the gel), but nothing to get too worked up about; it's really not bad. They then, almost immediately, carefully work on inserting the flexible scope into where they just squirted the numbing gel. It's not particularly pleasant having the scope go in, but the discomfort is quite bearable (no beads of sweat on the forehead or anything like that). HOWEVER, when the scope passes through the prostate gland, there may be a very momentary sharp zinging pain where you will perhaps feel like "where the bleep is the numbing gel these guys just squirted into me??!", but it is only a VERY MOMENTARY pain. It's a little like if you've ever been at the dentist and he/she is drilling a tooth and suddenly the drill gets too close to a nerve and (if you're like me) you make a noise to let them know they're hurting you - and usually such pain is only very fleeting. The procedure is literally over in about 3 minutes; it's so quick you'll likely surprise any loved ones waiting for you in the waiting area.There was virtually no sensation that I sensed as they extracted the stent itself; the only thing I felt was the insertion and removal of the flexible scope. And, of course, the joy and relief of having the stent out was instantaneous - I felt improvement on the spot: no more of that sense that something unnatural was poking me on the inside of my bladder! I felt almost 100 percent recovered by the next day (I'm writing this four days later and, other than oddly experiencing nights sweats for the past few nights, I feel fine - no discomfort at all. So GOOD LUCK to anyone who's reading this with whatever you're up against, and know you're not alone. (And do take something before they remove your stent, if you can).
378
Tom
Wow! I wish I would've seen all this negative feedback sooner.I just had a stent put in on Friday and wished it never happened.Granted I figured anything that has to be inserted in your body through your privates would definitely ruin one's weekend, I thought I would at least be able to sit up and enjoy doing nothing.This clearly was not the case. The amount of blood coming out of my urine was enough for me to be on alert to a trip to the ER. My wife was freaking out because she never seen my actually cry this much before in her life and the doc tells me all I can have is TYLENOL for the pain.Today I have a followup with him and hope I can actually get something to actually curb the pain. I saved a lortab just in case he decides he wants to pull the cord today.When does a doctor get to gauge the pain you are going through? When you do not tell him how painful it really is.Unfortunately for me, I was sent in and out of place so fast I was not able to voice my opinion.The whole situation went like this: I arrived at the surgery center at 7:45, got checked in, had to lay on a gurney for almost 2 hrs. b/c doc was running late (something amiss??) talked to anasthesiologist who more or guaranteed I would not feel a thing and had nothing to worry about,ok.They roll me into the OR and I slide onto the table, I wake up completely stunned and unaware of where I was and what happened, nurse rambles off a bunch of important instructions I have no clue what they are thank god my other half was there!And next thing I am being driven home to 3 days in hell.Thanks doc! See ya in a couple hrs.
my father in law, have a stone of 9*5 mm stone in the upper level of ureter, of right ureter, which is causing hydronephrosis, and his post health condition is , open heart surgery has been done before 7 years, and related to this , he is on cardiac medications, keeping in mind the cardiac health, what is the best technique to take out the stone from the ureter, please suggest the best procedure to opt.
i have a PKD problem and only have one kidney functioning. The ureter in my functioning kidney is shrinking that is why they put double j stent to drain properly my urine from my kidney to the bladder? is ureter can be replaced by a stent for lifetime or is there stent that can replace our ureter?
hi jus came out of surgery 2 days ao with problems with my kidney i have had a stent put in and this my first day with out the cafiter is it normall to feel realoly sick wen going toilet and i know the pain is bd but t gettin alot better .
Like everyone else, I am glad I found this website. I appreciated reading the good and the bad experiences; they make you feel less alone. Mine, so far, is similar to what has been experienced by most everyone else. I was in some bad pain and was having fevers. I went to my doctor who told me to go straight to the ER and I find out I have a "large" stone (unfortunately, I didn't get the size of it, just a notification that it would not pass on its own). It hurt very much and I had lost 5 or 6 pounds in a week, so they admitted me to the hospital and gave me antibiotics and Dilaudid. My urologist, a wonderful doctor, told me that he would put in this stent and that I'd be able to walk out of the hospital and back into work. Well, I was all for that, I just didn't realize that it wasn't going to be that way. I figure I just traded one pain for another. Add to it the almost constant urge to go to the bathroom, and the subsequent burning when you do, and this might just be worse. I have an appointment with another urologist to see how to handle the stone on Monday; until then, it is just pain medication and drinking what I can. I can't say that the stent is a positive experience, but I suppose it could be worse. At least my doctor, even though he said I might have some "discomfort", gave me appropriate pain medication and I can call him or email him if I require more. My heart goes out to those who have doctors who are not empathetic to their pain. Good luck to all who are suffering. You are not alone.
383
ahmad
i had urethral stent two months ago since then i cant have any sexual intercourse with my wife beacuse of severe pain during erection and no ejaculation happened since the stent was implnted.
is this normal. please help me.
I am 24 weeks pregnant now and had a stent put in at 20 weeks. The pain prior to the stent placement was so severe that the ER was giving me medicine 10x more powerful than morophine. Due to not wanting to expose my unborn child to any more medication than necessary, I chose to have the stent. I am not in severe pain any longer, but I am far from comfortable. I am still having a good bit of blood in my urine and pain when I void. As well, I stil have a constant dull ache in my side/back. I am drinking 2 to 3 liters of water every day and trying to not do too much. I cannot stand or walk very often, so my days are spent in a chair, lying down and in the the toilet. I do find the more I drink, and the less I do, the clearer my urine is and my pain is a little less in my side/back. But then I am visiting the toilet even more often and I have more of a burning sensation down there. I also find sex very difficult. Is that normal? I feel like I have a constant UTI. Not fun. I am not due until July and I am miserable. I find everyday tasks to be burdensome, especially with 2 other children and a husband at home. I wish there was something I could do to make all of this more bearable. July cant come fast enough for me. Also, has anyone gone through delivery with a stent in? Im not sure what to expect because of the stent. I have never had kidney stones in my life, nor do I have any family history. The doctors feel that this is all pregnancy induced, so when my pregnancy is done, hopefully I never have to deal with kidney stones again. I do agree they are way worse than labor.
I have scar tissue on my uretha tube from cancer over 20 years ago and beaten breast cancer for the last 9 years! So i hate to complain! I got real sick in jan, the scar tissue had blocked my urin and caused me t o get a septic infection. I was n hospital and they put n a stent i have been n horrible pain every since then! I hated to say anything but i couldnt go on this way! So they did surgery the 18th of march put in another one assuring me it would be better and its all ready becoming a nite mare!! I feel like the doctors dont believe me, iam 50 years old live alone its ruff, thank goodness for my coworkers cas they know me and no iam a very hard worker and show up and carry my load but its hard! Was so good to find this site and to hear other people say this about stents! I just wirh the doctor had more to explain things to me, i know they are so busy and thank them very much!
386
Clancy Garner
I am so glad my wife found this page for me. I've had the stent 4 weeks now and went back to the doctor today with a list of symptoms. In week 4 I had a week more of a lot of blood, distended abdomen on the right side, pain walking, inability to sleep on the stomach, more blood clots, loss of 16 lbs, no appetite, all kinds of pain, and all the doctor said was they were all related to the body trying to reject the stint and he gave me a big prescription of Lortabs.

I do not like to take pain pills, but the last 2 days it's been around the clock with them. It's good to know I'm not crazy and that I'm not alone in this. It is really depressing seeing that much blood come out everytime you urinate. The blood clots are large sometimes and before the stent were as bad as stones.

what's depressing now is I have 7 weeks till school is out and I will not let him take it out when I would have to miss teaching my classes. I guess I'll be walking around in a "belladonic haze" till then.

thanks so much for sharing what we are all going through.
My wife have done tunnel surgery. Then the surgeon place ureteral stents. Her next appointment is schedule in 2 months time. Right now she having pain and fever once awhile, esp for not taking enough water or doing vigorous work like walking for long distance during shopping etc. Could having sex with her causes the pain. She dosent complain during sex, but she urinates blood and complain of pain.
Please advice me on this
388
Clancy
Talked with my GP about the pain of stents. He said part of the problem is that we think the ureter is nice and straight because in pictures and x-rays that's how we see it. In reality they have to pass other organs and sometimes intertwine with blood vessels. As a result, they put in a stent, that is essentially straight into a non-straight region.

Along with this, the the ends have a curlicue like a pig's tail to keep them in. As we move around, the torsional motions will cause these ends to twist around in the soft tissue.

I do not feel any better, but I understand a little more now. I wonder why mu urologist does not explain it in these terms?
I had a cystoscopy in early March 2011. This is medical torture. The Doctor will tell you pain is minimal and even tell you they use numbing gel. Don't believe any of it. There is no numbing, it hurts like hell, and once they have you by the genitals they just ram it in. If your doctor says you need this, find one that will put you out and do it while you are asleep or give you some strong sublinquil morphine.
390
Pamela
I had stent put in after a kidney stone removal. I have been bleeding for 6 days and I have the urge to go the the bathroom, also I have pain on the right side of my kidney. Every time I go there is blood in my urine is this normal.
Can you still get erections with a stent in place.
the first time i got pregnant and when i was about 6 months i had to have a stent that connected from my kidney to my bladder, how it was caused is because the baby in my stomach was moving to much or some how pinched that ureter on my right side and so the urine was all backed up in my kidney. so i had to get a stent placed in. during the process of the surgery my baby almost came out the doctors had to stop the baby from coming out. so i stayed with the stent for two months. hurt so bad the first time i had to urine, i mean so bad. so the doctor did tell me that every time i get pregnant i'm a need a stent placed in. just to add than i month after i had the stent put in i caught the swine flu. life sucked than but now i have a beautiful girl she is 19 months now
393
Denise
I started my period on March 14th. I passed one kidney stone that week but had a blockage causing a fever. I had a large stent put in on March 23rd to help pass a 7mm stone. It was removed on April 1, No Fooling. They also lasered the stone and put a smaller one in to help with swelling. This was removed on April 7th. I have not had a period yet. It has been 52 days since my last period. Is this normal. My genitals are still inflamed.
Hi. I just got my stent 2 days ago.they told me not to push hard,let it come,,,i have had to bear down and push everytime. im scared i might be messing my insides up,anyone know?
395
Tamara
Having a stent was the worst experience of my life. Now I know that I am not alone in the pain I suffered, and am still suffering, and I am not crazy. After a decade of constant UTIs my urologist finally found something on a CAT scan. He said it was a stone, blood clot or tumor. He said whatever it was he would remove it and I would be better! Music to my ears, sign me up! I was not well prepared for the aftermath of this procedure. When I woke up I couldn't believe the pain. Then the doctor came over to me and said he didn't find ANYTHING. So my stent pain was for nothing! For 5 days after the procedure I didn't understand why I felt so terrible when I was told I should be able to go back to work in 2 days. I couldn't take care of myself, the pain was unbelievable. I finally called my doctor who had me admitted to the hospital because he said my body rejected the stent and I was dehydrated. The doctor at the hospital took out my stent without giving me any pain killers prior. She told me it would feel like I was getting splinter taken out. Really?? I had no idea what pain was. My family told me they heard me screaming from down the hall. I had to stay in the hospital for 2 days to get my pain under control. It has been 2 months and I still have pain, especially when I walk a lot, but nothing like it was. I don't understand why doctors think "oh my textbook says you're supposed to feel this way, so since what you're reporting is different, you're crazy or wrong or sensitive." I'm scared to ever go to the doctor again, meanwhile still having UTIs. I wish you all healing and strength to deal with these doctors.
Natives of Canada's far Northern Regions use the gin berries boiled up into a very strong tea concoction.This dilates the urinary tract dramatically allowing the stones to be eliminated.
It tastes really awful and bitter but works extremely well..
Gin is flavored with a very small quantity of this low growing bush whitish grey colored berry.
I have heard that when all else fails this works, it opens up all the plumbing as it were.
I have a stent now for kidney stones and I feel like I'm going to die it hurts so much. I've only had it for 2-3 days though so I'm hoping the pain will ease up.
398
sarah
I have a 10 year history of kidney stones. I had a stone in October of 2000 that the urologist had to go in with a "basket" and grab and pull out. He placed a stent in that ureter so it could heal from the *trauma* of having a stone stuck in it for 2 weeks ( the local ER misdiagnosed me, and it took my family doc a few weeks to get the tests done). I spent the entire week that stent was in in agony. I had to take a percocet just so I could pee--the pain was so bad that I almost fell off the toilet the first time I tried to pee with the stent in. The doctor only gave me pain meds...

in 2007 I had a small crystal looking stone that I passed at home. I had no clue that I had any sort of stone until I couldn't pee one morning. I thought I was dehydrated so I drank a big bottle of water, then was in excruciating pain for about 6 hours from not being able to pee.

On june 12th of this year I woke up at 530am with a bad pain in my right kidney. I thought I was dehydrated or possibly constipated, so I drank some water, and took a hot shower ( with the hot water aimed at my kidney). I took my 3 kids to the zoo for 3 hours, and then the pain came back super bad. My neighbor's husband watched my kids and my neighbor drove me to the hospital. The ER diagnosed me with a stone and gave me a shot of dilaudid for the pain, and told me to call the urologist the next day. The urologist told me my stone was 14x5mm and I needed to have a stent placed, then have shock wave therapy to break it up. I was not looking forward to the stent placement after my experience 10 years ago, but honestly, it hasn't been so bad. I am currently on ditropan and pyridum to help with the spasms and irritation. The shock wave therapy did not totally break up the stone, so I am going in next week so he can use the scope and a laser to deal with it. He says he will take out any fragments through the scope.
Hi there, nice information provided. thanks for that. keep posting of blogs in the future. thanks once again..
I am taking medicine to relax the ureter. There are a couple of brands, the one I have is Flomax. I have a ureteral stent. It is better than the same thing I had 10 yrs ago. I think it may be because this time I'm taking the Flomax; last time I did not have it.
I had a 8mm stone removed on Tuesday of last week. I returned back today to have the stent removed. My Doctor, as yours also, was not informative.
Since I have never had this problem before now, I did not know what to ask. I felt like an insignificant number in his computer.
I have had a lot of abdominal pain since the procedure and passed a lot of blood. My abdomen is extended and bloated. I was not asked if I needed any relaxers, nor was I was ever asked about my current symptoms. He did prescribe Lorset on the day of the stone removal, but I try not to take too many of these as they are highly addictive. I thought I could go back to work today (law firm), but that was not possible.
I am seriously thinking about asking for another Doctor. This guy has no personality or bedside manner at all. I guess I should have done more research before the procedure, but the stone was discovered on a Friday and I received a call at work from the urogolist on the following Monday telling me that I would not be able to pass this stone and to be in his office on Tuesday if I wanted it out.
Looking forward to getting better...
My doctor wants me to have a stent put in if i have a blockage in my ureter, i have not had a history of stones or back paid, just a decrease in my kidney function, possibly needing dialysis anytime or very soon. Is this different. When I read all your notes, i was schocked and the doctor only mailed my some list of possible side effects, but nothing about the paid you all talked about. should i do this or just wait it out until dialysis.
403
Diane Sarabia
I AM SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS DONE NEXT MONTH AND I AM VERY SCARED, IT IS SUPPOSED TO IMPROVE MY RENAL FUNCTION, BUT AFTER READING ALL THE 350 REMARKS THAT ARE BAD, I WONDER IF IT IS BETTER NOT TO HAVE DONE. MY KIDNEY DR GAVE ME THE OK AND MY UROLOGIST JUST MAILED ME THE INFO, NO EXPLANATION.
404
MJ
My first kidney stone was in 1999. I had litho done on both kidneys (6 months apart) and it cleared me out. Fast forward 12 years, moved to a new state, and I've been dealing with a 9 mm stone which the urologist misdiagnosed as a 4-5 mm stone when it was really 9 mm (what I wouldn't give for my original urologist). I had an attempted laser litho Friday, it failed due to the size of the stone. He put in a stent. I had shockwave litho done Monday and was originally told the stent would come out. This made sense to me; I did not have a stent with my first two lithos so I didn't feel it was necessary once the stone is blasted. But, he left it in and I don't get it out for another 10 days. I hate my stent. I can't do anything...I live out in the country and driving to the grocery store is 20 minutes one way! I run to the bathroom all the time. After reading all of your stories, I have no guilt telling my doctor that I will never consent to a stent again!!
405
Sharon
I just had a stent put in this afternoon and I am in a huge ammount of pain. The doctor recommened paracetamol should be enough for pain relief - I guessing he has never had a stent himself. As well as the constant pain I am experiencing, I am overwhelmed by the constant need to urinate, and how much it hurts before, during and after peeing. I have found it useful reading this forum and knowing that what I am experiencing is 'normal'. The urologist played it down big time when explaining it to me. My stent is for a UPJ obstruction of the left kidney and I expect to have a second procedure in the coming weeks to cut the obsructed portion of the ureta out. Right now the pain of this stent is far worse than the pain from the UPJ obstruction. I just pray that I am not left with any complications and that I can have this aweful thing out soon and be back to normal. My best wishes to all of you experiencing the same discomfort at this time
how many days thus polyurea will stop after renal stenting?and if creatinine is 9 is there a chance that it will go back to normal in how many weeks?
407
MJ
I am experimenting today. I did not bother calling the urologist because every time I do that, I get put on hold for 10 minutes. I read in some comments here about taking the phenazopyridium for calming these constant urges to go to the bathroom. I have a supply of the over-the-counter version of this (AZO) and I took some this morning. We'll see if this helps with my discomfort. I will stop taking it a couple of days before getting my stent out though...AZO can screw up the results of a urinalsysis, and the urologist will probably do one of those when I go in to get this stupid thing out. But if I can just have a few days where I can actually get out of the house and get a few things done, I will feel a lot better mentally.
In a moment of sheer lunacy, I've decided to name my stent so I more easily complain about. My husband suggested "Stein" which means "stone" in German...quite appropriate, I think! My experiment yesterday was a moderate success. The AZO did help some, but not as much as I was hoping for. Stein was still a little bothersome. I was about to get out of the house for a little while with the kids, but the small trip to the store was exhausting and I slept the rest of the afternoon. Stein is least annoying when I am horizontal.
I did not take any AZO today and Stein the Stent has been far more uncomfortable today than the two days that I did take it. So, I infer that it did help some. The AZO I took yesterday was standard, not maximum strength. I may send my husband out for the maximum strength tomorrow and see how that works. I will be calling the doctor on Monday, hopefully for a stronger bladder spasm medication (Detrol?).
I didn't wait until Monday to call the doctor. When bladder spasms wake me up at 4 in the morning and I can't get back to sleep, I've had enough. He called in a prescription for Vesicare. I am more comfortable today. I can tell you that I feel hot and sweaty, which is a normal side effect (and it is well over 100 in Texas today). I was also warned about blurry vision and dizziness as side effects, but I haven't experienced those yet.
Hi all,
I last wrote to this group on 20 Feb 2010 concerning effects of having a temporary ureteral pig-tail stent fitted to bypass a constricted left ureter. At the time I wrote, I was due to have prostate cancer surgery within weeks.
Its now 8 August 2011, some 18 months later. I'm on my third temporary pig tail stent, and the 40mm ureter constriction problem is un-changed. I have now been scheduled to have a memokath permanent stent installed to try to resolve the problem.
For the last 18 months I've been continuing the cycling on my bike 3days a week, with average rides of 65km each, all without much bleeding or stent pain. However, If I ride furiously with a bunch of young blokes who might average 30kph, I will get a bleed from the stent after about 45km. I can ride 90km alone OK without bleeding, enjoy the warm afterglow without the utter exhaustion of keeping up with younger men.
Weight is up 1Kg. All my problems would be far worse if i ride for the 10 hours a week on the bicycle, about 220km per week and yesterday I got a 24.3kph average speed. I think riding a bike is better than riding a woman. I can jump on any old time I like, no dramas, extremely low cost, and its a great pity I cannot find any woman interested in road cycling, and who'd have something to share with me without all the huge whinges and dramas of daily relating. What seems to be missing from so many negative posts I've read here about gross agonies regarding stents is the absense of people keeping healthy by means of exercize. Most other people I know of 64 have a litany of health bothers and most are overweight, and they won't exercize. So I'm the odd man out, and I never ever socialise with any of them. I've been lucky to have had such little pain from stenting so far. See Dr Haxhimolla's video of a memokath install. Google for it. ) I hope the memokath solves my problem and offers some long term freedom to allow cycling longer distances without ever bleeding. I eat well, lots of fruit and vegetables, and probably I pay twice what other people pay for the calories I eat because NONE of it is processed food or junk food. Last time I went to McDonalds was in 1993, and I felt sick afterwards. I cook for myself each day, everyday. I have one bottle of dry red every 3 weeks, and it takes 2 nights to drink it - the alcohol hi is a glory with good music, maybe strawberries, and a bar of 70% cocao Lindt chocolate. Guess what's missing? For those wonderin', the radio therapy hasn't yet affected continence or hard ons. Things still work like being 25, but of course there's "no address for the letter". Bowels have been fried a bit by radio therapy, so sure, I am now officially an "old fart". Ah, but I have so few worries. If I die, I'll at least be a good lookin' corpse.
Cheer up everyone, and good luck.
Regards, Patrick Turner.
Went in Friday for lithotripsy as I had a 7mm stone in the ureter on the left,just above the bladder, and another (8mm) in the left kidney. Dr got held up and they didn't get to me til about 4:00 pm.
When I came to, I had two stents, although I had said that I didn't want one, and the Dr. was gone. No one told me why I had them, or when they would be removed. No one offered me any info or medication, and I lived 75 miles away.
I have spent the weekend passing what feels like broken glass, and lots of blood.
The pain is constant, in my prostate, both kidneys and general discomfort all around the bladder region. I can't walk much, sitting hurts, standing hurts, and I'm both frustrated, and angry.
Most of the time the stones were not as troublesome as this.
Why on earth do these practitioners think that they can just do as they like, and we should just accept it with no help or adequate explanation.
Stents? I want them gone!
I've been taking Vesicare for the bladder spasms for 2 days now. I need 10 mg but it seems to be working now. This is a medicine that takes a couple of days to be fully effective. I called the doctor's office today to request a note in case I can't go to school on Friday (I'm a teacher), and the wench on the phone said it wouldn't be necessary, that people can go back to work right after getting their stent out. I told her that is NOT what I've read online, and her only response was "Oh." I will be looking for a new urologist once I wrap this nightmare up. I find my doctor's staff as helpful as my stent.
Stein the Stent came out this morning. The removal itself was not as bad as I thought it would be. I rank the discomfort with that of a pap smear. And yes, the euphoria at having it out is wonderful! When it was all over, my legs and arms felt like jello...like all the frustration and anxiety of the past month was just leaving my entire body.
The big problem though, was when I got to the doctor's office, they said I had to walk across the street to the hospital to have a KUB (kidney-ureter-bladder) x-ray. This ticked me off...why didn't they tell be before that I would need an x-ray? I could have done that the day before and saved an hour of time. So my advice is to check with your doctor to see if any imaging is needed before the stent removal. The doctor did warn me about pain for the next two days. At first he dismissed my request for more Vesicare, saying that the urgency/bladder spasms will go away now. I asked if he could give me a 100% garauntee on that, and he said no. I insisted on more Vesicare, and he ended up giving me two packs of samples.
I also followed the advice on this forum and took a vicodin as soon as I walked out of the office. They tried to get me to make a followup appointment in two weeks, but I said I needed to get my school year going first, see if it will be easier for me to do an afternoon or morning appointment, then I'd call. I have no intention of going back to this doctor. Right now I feel pretty good, but sleepy from the Vicodin.
415
diana
what can i do to help ease the discomfort of having this stent in my kidney its driving me nuts i have lower pain when i urine it feels very sensitive and it hurts
416
MJ
Diana- I would look into one of the following: AZO (over the counter), Detrol, or Vesicare (latter two by prescription). You might be experiencing bladder spasms, something that my doctor never warned me about. I first tried AZO, and it helped a little. I finally called the after-hours number and got a prescription for Vesicare and it helped quite a bit. I've also heard that Detrol can help.
hello has anybody had the removal of the stent without having had kidney stones im due soon to have mine removed i had a blockage thanks to a doctor doing a full hysterectomy on me nicking my uretur causing that blockage had two procedures trying to get rid of the blockage it was to much so they had to take me in cut it out fuse my ureter back together after that and placed a stent in while i was in surgery im wondering if the stones are causing the pain i sure dread this im scared to death to go in and have it removed
Traci- I too, dreaded having the stent removed. I thought, "how in the world can they get this thing out in the doctor's office when I had to be under full anesthesia to get it in??" The removal was not as bad as I thought. It wasn't pleasant (I'd rank it with a rough pap smear) but the anticipation was far worse than the actual removal. Hang in there!
I had a stent removed 6 hours ago. I have been thru these stones over and over for many years on and off. I seem to get one stone a year and end up in the hospital however this is the 1st time i have experienced the pain that is currently going on right now.

I had a KUB prior to the stent removal. I was told the results did not show any fragments so I was able to have the stent removed. I am in extreme pain do to the pain and I do not get it. why and what is this pain. I called my Dr earlier and all he said was go to the Emergency room. I Do not want to end up back in the hospital. If the Dr tells me there is no fragments what could this pain be.
I have ureter stints and am experiencing less volume in my passing of urine.

How concerned should I be?

My stints are metal, so not due to be replaced until next year.
Linda- I would let the doctor know. On my discharge instructions it said if I notice less volume of urine to contact the doctor. Granted, mine were more temporary than yours, but if you're not supposed to have them replaced until next year, I'd let the doctor know.
Peter- hopefully you are better by now. I have heard that you can be in extreme pain in the 24 hours after the stent removal. I took Vicodin as soon as I walked out of the doctor's office, slept the rest of the day, and woke up the next day feeling much better!
hi everyone please can i get some feedback on those of you who have had a stent in for hydronephrosis/kink in the ureter and if it made any kidney function better. A little about why I am asking my 2.5yr old has Hydronephrosis and whats looks to be a narrowing or a kink in the ureter the Drs cant give a proper answer as the ureter goes behind the cava artery? sorry bad spelling. and that is where they think the narrowing is. My son has only one kidney which is the one they are trying to preserve the life of...He has had a JJ stent in the the past year (replace three times) and I was wondering if the stent has made any improvement to renal function for any of you?. Even with the stent in the creatinine is slowly increasing, now the Dr's want to take it out and see how he does without it, even though i know its not good for son to go through this operation every 5-6 months i am worried if without the stent will the kidney crash from the crutch that was helping it or will it improve. The only reassurance the Dr could give me is we will find out in less than six weeks if the stent has to replace. Just asking for anybody's advice as i cant shake the negative thoughts for the what if for my little man. Thanks
I ad a stent put in two wks ago and my urine has only looked clear this last few days. I av discomfort but the severe pain has settled. I have been told i need to keep this in for 4-6 wks. I had a kidney stone which caused hydronehrosis. When they went in however the stones had gone so i may av passed them the mornin of the surgery but still put stent in due to me avin a narrow tube. Today i gave my gp a urine sample and it showed blood, leukacytes and protein. Is this normal to expect this followin stent insertion ? I av just started antibiotics. I feel very tired most of the time and av a low grade temp.
I will have to agree with almost everything on here, I was recently hospitalized for horrible pain, i couldn't walk, eat, or keep any food down due to the pain. I am pregnant with my first child, I am 27 weeks pregnant now. I was put into a s**t hole hospital that doped me up on Demerol through an iv as much as they could, granite it did numb the pain enough for me to catch a breather and sleep for an hour maybe hour and a half, along with nausea medication through an iv, I stayed in that hospital for 1 day and 1 night, and was discharged after they ran tests to see if i had a kidney stone with nothing showing up on the x-ray of a possible kidney stone. I went home that day, still couldn't eat or drink or keep anything down for that matter, the doctor pretty much told me i had to deal with this pain until the baby is born december 5th, there is NO WAY i could deal with the pain, So i went back to the hospital the next day, and they transferred me to a hospital 2 hours away, I stayed there for a week as they monitored the baby, tried to keep my pain under control, did Ct scans and it seems like a million other tests, The urologist decided to put in a stent even though i had no kidney stones, no swelling, no infection, I literally got no answer as to why i am in this horrible pain. Once they put the stent in of course i felt much better, I was able to eat something after 8 straight days of not eating or drinking anything, i wasnt even able to keep anything down if i tried. It has been 16 days since my surgery, everything seems to be getting worse, the pain is now coming back which the doctor said the stent will be "uncomfortable" but this is much more then uncomfortable, I am barely able to walk, I cant stand for long periods of time, Its also very freaky that im urinating ALOT of blood (the urologist also said that is normal) but its scary to see when your pregnant, But as of the last two days i am having a pain from my kidney literally to my knee cap along with numbness, I dont want to go back to that urologist for him to tell me nothing is wrong, i know my body, and i know when something is wrong. Im debating on what to do next, I have a major loss in apatite, I am starting to vomit everything i do eat back up. Im just not sure what step to take next, any advice?
Meagan- I don't know how you got the urologist you are seeing, but (if this isn't how it already happened) talk to your ob-gyn and see if there is a urologist that he/she recommends. Then it will more likely be someone who can deal with the pregnancy aspect as well. At the least, start looking for a new urologist and get a second opinion on why this stent is in. Given your description of where the pain is, have they ruled out sciatic nerve issues? I had kidney stones and sciatica with my first pregnancy and they are not the same.
I'm almost 36 weeks and had a stent put in at 28 weeks due to hydronephrosis - they suspect a stone but u/s was inconclusive.

I went to have my stent exchanged last Friday (after 7 weeks) and it was SO encrusted that my Urologist could only safely remove HALF of it. He actually cut it in half and left the other half in. He then proceeded to put a new stent in alongside the old one and sent me to u/s to check the positioning. The u/s showed that the new stent isn't 'quite' in the right position (b/c the crusty old half stent is in the way!), so now we're taking a 'wait & see' approach. I've had bladder pain the past few days and mild discomfort in my kidney. I'm not sure if it's just residual stent exchange pain or if the new stent isn't draining the kidney as it should b/c of its incorrect positioning.

Urologist said that the only safe way to get the half stent out is to laser the crust off of the pigtail end. But that would require general anesthetic and lithrotripsy and i'm not sure my midwife/OB will be down with that. Have any of you preggos had lithro while pregnant? And do we really need to be knocked out for it or would an epidural suffice?

At least the end is in sight for me - due in 4 weeks but likely to get induced sooner so we can deal with the kidney issues sooner than later.
I'm almost 36 weeks and had a stent put in at 28 weeks due to hydronephrosis - they suspect a stone but u/s was inconclusive.

I went to have my stent exchanged last Friday (after 7 weeks) and it was SO encrusted that my Urologist could only safely remove HALF of it. He actually cut it in half and left the other half in. He then proceeded to put a new stent in alongside the old one and sent me to u/s to check the positioning. The u/s showed that the new stent isn't 'quite' in the right position (b/c the crusty old half stent is in the way!), so now we're taking a 'wait & see' approach. I've had bladder pain the past few days and mild discomfort in my kidney. I'm not sure if it's just residual stent exchange pain or if the new stent isn't draining the kidney as it should b/c of its incorrect positioning.

Urologist said that the only safe way to get the half stent out is to laser the crust off of the pigtail end. But that would require general anesthetic and lithrotripsy and i'm not sure my midwife/OB will be down with that. Have any of you preggos had lithro while pregnant? And do we really need to be knocked out for it or would an epidural suffice?

At least the end is in sight for me - due in 4 weeks but likely to get induced sooner so we can deal with the kidney issues sooner than later.
429
Cat
How many days off are generally needed for cystourethroscpy stent procedure?
I have never heard of anyone pregnant having a lithotripsy. As close as you are to delivery, I would think they'll just wait.

I hope all goes well for you Lisa!
431
Lisa
Thanks MJ.
Saw a different Urologist yesterday and he said 'no way' to laser so close to delivery. Too many issues with regards to: the anesthetic, the required CT scan(s) and even the laser procedure itself. Pre-term labour is an issue, so I'm just going to have to tough it out for at least a few more weeks. It sucks b/c since my stent exchange, I've had HORRIBLE bladder spasms. It makes walking difficult - I just want to sit / lie down all day, which is impossible while running around after my almost 3 year old. Urologist prescribed oxybutynin (detrol) for the spasms, but upon calling MotherRisk, have discovered that NO human trials have been done on pregnant women so i'm not willing to take it. I'd love some morphine though, and I know that's safe for baby (unless birth is imminent). Yeah, morphine, that would probably feel pretty good right about now.
432
Lisa
I also wanted to add - for any pregnant ladies out there with long-term stents - DON'T WAIT TO GET THEM CHANGED! Make sure you get in to have them exchanged every 4-6 weeks. Mine was in for 7 weeks and it started to fail after 6 weeks and became so encrusted that it was not able to be properly removed.

In non-preggos it can stay in for 3 months even, but for some reason, pregnant women are prone to crusting up their stents so change them often!
I HAD A STENT PUT 2 WEEKS AGO ON MONDAY THE DOCTOR WILL GO TO REMOVE I'M SCARE I WANT TO KNOW HOW THE DOC WILL TAKE THE STANT OUT? PLEASE IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN ME STEP BY STEP I WILL APPRECIATE.
tendre@hotmail.com / Claudia
434
Cass
I am glad I found this... I thought I was being such a wuss. I was 36 weeks pregnant when I awoke with agonizing back and side pain. Long story short... stent was inserted because baby is basically crushing my right line. I went to work the next monday and was in soo much pain thoughout the day that I did the lung test at 37 weeks to see about inducing early. The test came back negative so I had to wait it out. Luckily the urologist after hearing that the stent would be in 3 more weeks agreed to take me out of work...Looking back I don't know how I even went to work, I now lay around all day in pain and forget about walking around. And every time the baby moves it feels like he is reaching out of the uterus and just twisting my stent. My main concern is how is labor with the stent in??? I know I saw some people go though this so hopefully you can answer my question. Also I am supposed to go in 4 days after delivery and get it removed (no string that I can tell) that sounds super fun after giving birth, any experience in that also?
Thanks
435
Lisa
Hey Cass,
Welcome to the forum that should actually be renamed "ihatemystent.com".
I'm a little concerned about labouring with the stent as well. I'm hoping that the labour pains cancel out the stent pain. Wishful thinking? We'll see.
I may be induced a bit early as well. My urologist wants to attempt another stent exchange in a few weeks but I'm thinking I'll be 39 weeks at that point and there's no EFFING WAY that I want to go through that hell again especially WHILE PREGNANT. I'm hellbent on having this baby before any more talk of 'stent exchange' takes place. At least your problem should resolve upon delivery of the baby and your uterus shrinking. I'll still have to go under general anesthetic & laser surgery post-partum to remove the crusty old half stent & any stones in my kidney. And then I still have to have a stent for another week or so to make sure the kidney is draining properly before removing it. So basically two post-partum procedures. Super stoked about that - caring for a newborn, sore nipples, sore everything down below and no sleep. awesome. can't wait!

I also would love to hear from any mums out there who laboured with a stent? anyone?
436
Cass
HAHA I love the new name! And wow my thoughts are with you! I feel like maybe now I shouldn't complain. :) I hope people will answer us before we go have our own but if not, I have 2 more weeks(at most)and I will be sure to answer back. I can hope, like you said maybe labor pains will cancel the stent pain but I imagine with the extra pressure down there it will hurt more, and the spasms will help push the baby out! Good news is if planning to use an epidural I am told it should numb out the stent pain also.
437
Lisa
I'll for sure keep you updated as well Cass. I should know more regarding a plan of action by the end of the week after apts with both my midwife & urologist.

I've been doing too much the past few days and now I'm paying for it. So. Much. Pain.
It's tough trying to fight the nesting instinct though - today I painted for a couple of hours (don't worry - it was the low VOC paint).

I had a baby almost 3 years ago and I seem to have forgotten what my labour pain was like. I'm almost wondering if I'm actually in labour and just forget what it feels like. haha.

I didn't use an epidural with #1 and hope to avoid it again with this one. #1's labour was 5 hours start to finish so there was really no point in messing with the labour since it was going so awesome and fast.
MJ, The urologist i am currently seeing is the one who my OB recommended, He is the only urologist withen a 100 miles radius that is willing to see me and work on me during my pregnancy, He did rule out the sciatic nerve. My next step next week is going to see him to talk about possible surgery, putting a cath. in through my back for the duration of my pregnancy. The pain has simply been too unbearable for me to do with. I have never felt pain like this in my life, and i would never wish this pain upon anyone. Im glad to see a forum where people who are going through the same problems as me can discuss everything.
I was on a plane from Tahiti to New Zealand after an awsome holiday when a uncomfortable pain began on my left side (kidney area). The pain grew very quickly and I started to worry. This happened 3 hours before plane landed in Auckland. When The plane landed the pain was unbearable to a point that I could not stand up probably. Walking was another major problem. The pain at this point was nothing I had experienced before.

I was out of the plane to a wheel chair, ambulance and to the hospital. I was at the hospital for that night until the next day with pain that did not go away. I had so much morhpine injected to me that I was talking with out knowing what I was saying but the pain did not leave me.

The CT scan showed that I had 7 mm stone in my left ureter just below the kidney. However, I had to wait for another day until my operation. My kidney stone was blasted and 2/3 of it was removed and the rest of it was pushed back into the kidney.

The urologist explained that he could not get it out ( not sure why tho?). Nevetheless, he inserted a stent and he said that the stent will be removed in 4 to 6 weeks.

After the stent was inserted, I always had the urge to unrinate every 20 minutes or sometimes less than that. I was pissing blood for 4 days after and continue to do that if I do any physical activities. Just going for a walk 15 minutes made me rushed home to go to the toilet. When I had the urge to go to the toilet, it seemed that I had to go, I could not control it anymore.

I felt tired, uncomfortable (especially the kidney area), most time painful and sleep a lot which I hated doing nothing.

I am a fittness fanatic, I go to the gym everyday and out walking up the mountain for at least 4 hours (especially inthe weekend), jogging at the beach and very active. And for me to do nothing I am frustrated but I had to comply because I pissed blood.

Next week I will go into the hospital for the stent to be removed. Thank you for everyone in this site that unconditionally shared their experience and we all benefit from each other.

The fact that the doctor told me that I would hardly feel or notice that the stent is within me is a straight lie. He also told me that I could return to work in 5 days did make me wonder how inaccurate his advice on this occasion. It makes me feel that may be the doctors had these ideas in mind:

1. too much information for the patients may scare them
2, provide basic information only unless we ask more questions
3. doctors may be too busy, not enough time to explain more information to us
4. doctors may be like to tell us only the good things not the bad things otherwise we worry too much
440
Lisa
meagan - catheter in your back sounds BRUTAL, especially since you still have about 10 weeks to go in your pregnancy! i'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'm interested to hear how your labour goes as well as Cass' with the stent vs. catheter. Out of curiosity, are they considering running the cath out of your kidney and then back into your bladder - so that you'd have two incisions or would it just come out of your kidney into a nephrostomy bag? I would think that the first option would be better, b/c then you don't have to worry about changing the bag, but I know infection is a risk in both cases.

Mo - i know what you mean about the doctors being vague about the possible side effects. The urologist who put my first stent in said 'you MAY feel the urge to urinate more often' and 'you MAY experience a bit of blood' and 'you MAY experience some discomfort'. He also said, 'many people have them and don't even realize it' YAH RIGHT is what i say. I'd bet at least 50% of the people with stents have at least some symptoms from it. How could you not? It's a foreign object in a place that is meant for liquid only.

I think it should be mandatory for ALL urologists to have a stent placed in their OWN kidney/bladder for at least 2 weeks so that they can be a little more honest about the potential side effects.

At any rate - i have a consult with my Urologist tomorrow - may start talking about early induction depending on his assessment.
441
Lisa
UPDATE - so my Urologist is now happy to take a 'wait & see' approach re: my current stent. He originally wanted to change it 4 weeks after insertion b/c the original one became too encrusted and stopped functioning at 6 weeks, but I'll be so close to delivery that we're going to wait it out and hope that the stent holds out until after I have the baby. I'm going to start some natural induction methods next week and hope to get things moving with the baby.

Once the baby is out, CT scan will be able to determine the next course of action. I'm now told that it's quite probable that I'll need more invasive surgery than traditional lithrotripsy. The Urologist may need to cut into my back and go directly into my kidney to laser everything and pull the stents out that way rather than down through my bladder/urethra. This is b/c I now have one & a half stents in my ureter and it is likely that there wouldn't be enough room to manipulate the laser into the correct position. I'm okay with this, but am a little concerned as i'll be in the hospital for at least a day (maybe two) and I'll have a newborn and I'm not happy about taking my baby to the hospital at the risk of germs / infection. I was told that I wouldn't be allowed to recover from this surgery on the maternity ward, which would be ideal.

At any rate, let's hope this baby comes before the stent begins to cause me problems. Hope you're all surviving.
Hi everyone. I am so glad I found you!! I am 46 years old and was diagnosed with MSK (Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease) in 2007. MSK gives me the pleasure (NOT!) of having hundreds of stones in each kidney. My doctor has scheduled surgery, a Bilateral Ureteroscopic Stone Removal, to try to clean out some of the stones and said if he is able to do both kidneys I will be going home with two stents. He has told me they are very uncomfortable and sometimes painful but will be removed in two weeks. I wasn't thinking and didn't ask the basic questions: When am I going to be able to walk, stand, sit, drive and even spend 1 1/2 hours in the morning and 1 1/2 hours in the afternoon driving my three kids to three different schools? How long am I going to be laid up after surgery? My doctor said I will be in the hospital one night. He also gave me the good news that recovery will be worse for me because something in the anesthetic always stops my urinary tract from working for a few days. Recovery time is going to be based on whether or not I am able to pee after surgery or if I will need to go home with a catheter. Thanks and good luck to everyone!
443
Cas
alright I tried to write a detailed update but it kept saying I was using bad language? So here is shorted version. Had baby thursday, Labor pains kinda overdid stent pain. I anything had just a sharper pain down there but never having a baby before don't know if that usally happens or not. After baby stent pain was night and day. It was soo much better. Still had to use bathroom, or felt like had to use bathroom a lot. But instantly better. Had stent removed today, awkward and a little bit of discomfort but not unbareable. Took about 5 long minutes and that was even with the doctor having problems finding it at first. Now feel like pretty much normal. Can walk around without instantly having urge to use bathroom. and may sound crazy but I can not wait to go to the grocery store!
444
Mandy
During my hysterectomy in June my doctor damaged my right ureter. Of course I didnt know this until a week later when I had renal colic and in the worst pain of my life (I've had 7 children and 3 kidney stones btw). They tried then to put a stent in but the ureter was too damaged. After 2 more months with a nephrostomy ( did I mention my youngest just turned 1?) I had surgery to raise my bladder and reimplant my ureter into it. Even tho my doctor warned my the stent he was placing then would be uncomfortable I was not prepared for this! It actually wasn't bad the first few weeks because I wasn't very active because of the major surgery I had. But now that I'm working, even on light duty, I'm miserable. I seriously feel like someone had a pair of hot sharp tweezers and is pinching inside my vagina. Urinately makes me cry out loud and then the pain doesnt go away. I left the hospital with 15 pain pills, thats it after major surgery and the stent. This is so frustrating. I have 2 more weeks before the stent comes out and I dont know how I'm going to make it :(
445
Lisa
Cass - congrats on the birth of your baby! I had my baby on Sunday and I agree - night & day difference pain-wise. It's like I don't even have a stent anymore and wondered if maybe I'd delivered the stent along with my baby! Guess the weight of the baby was putting a lot of pressure on my bladder and was causing the discomfort. At any rate, our news is good for Meagan who still has a ways to go in her pregnancy - Just get that baby out Meagan and you should have some relief! I didn't feel it at all during labour either - my labour was super-fast though, 2 hours of contractions 15 minutes of pushing and he arrived!

Now I'm scheduled for surgery for Nov 3rd to remove both stents. As i mentioned before, they can't get the laser up my ureter with TWO stents in the way so the urologist will be cutting into my back/kidney to access them that way. I'll be under general anesthetic for almost THREE HOURS! this freaks me out a bit, especially since i'll have an overnight stay and my nursing baby will only be one month old. It's likely i'll pump while at the hospital and send the milk home as we don't really want the baby at the hospital (germs). Good thing we live really close to the hospital.

Mandy - I'm so sorry that you are dealing with such pain, especially as a working mother with little ones, that must be tough. My first stent was inserted at 28 weeks gestation and i gave birth at 38 weeks and it was 10 weeks of hell; i know your pain. Hang in there and try to rest as much as possible. Good luck!
Hi MY name is vineesh i had stone in digestion bag so they have removed on 2004 april after that i am not able to go urine freely it takes 5min to go urine it become slow so i checked with the doctor he said that my bladder is not compressed In bladder 500 liter can store and while going urine after that 250 only is staying insite itself so i taken MRI scan also but this isnot able to clear so please help me
447
Ashley
Let me say..I am so glad to find out I am not the only one going through this. I had a stent placed on june 30th of this year because of a 9mm stone in my left kidney...let me just say this has been nothing but pain!! Its horrible and its something I have been dealing with because the hospital that put it in is refusing to remove it until I get with their insurance. But now, my insurance kicked in at my job and I have been told that my ins. wont cover because its preexisting and the hospital wont because I have "health coverage" I have been battling this for months now, dealing with the pain this stent causes when moving, going to the bathroom, sex, just about any wrong move or twist. All the doctors keep giving me is 5 mg hydrocodone, which anyone who is experiencing this, knows it isnt enough..anyone found a decent pain medication that can actually subside some of this??

But finally good news and a break!! I was able to get on the schedule for Nov. 3rd..hopefully all goes well and there are no more delays in getting this stent and stone removed. good luck to anyone who has to go through this!!!
448
Lisa
Ashley,
November 3rd is my scheduled surgery date too! My urologist can't do traditional laser so he has to cut into my back/kidney to get the stones/stent out. Not looking forward to that since i'm currently recovering from labour and am caring for a 10 day old. Hope it all works out, just nervous about leaving my new baby at home for a whole 24 hour period!

good luck to you!
Lisa,
I can imagine the stress of having a newborn and trying to get that done also! Anything more than the pain from this is over the top for me! I bet you will be glad to get it over with though, I know I will be. I am at the point I don't care how they get them out, as long as they just do it. I am sure everything will be fine for you!!!

Thanks and good luck to you also.
Lisa and Cass, I am so happy to hear the babies arrived safely! One of the few positive things about the kidney stones I had back in the late 90's was that it made labor a piece of cake. I made it to 6 cm (dialated, NOT the size of a kidney stone) and asked this nurse, "isn't this supposed to hurt soon?" I hope all goes well with removals and future surgeries!
451
Jan
Positive stent story- Reading all this about stents had me very worried. My 3rd stone, 1st surgical removal and stent. Had laser removal of 1 cm stone 8 days ago, then Very annoying stent. Drank a LOT of water, used pyridium for spasms, severely limited activity all week. Certainly was Much more irritating than I'd been led to expect. Stent removal 5 hours ago was a breeze! Took all of 2 minutes with the cystoscope. It felt a bit strange as the stent slid out, but no pain or cramping, only a bit of bloody urine. The discomfort/pain I'd had with every single breath and movement is gone. Still need to do IVP since stone or it's removal had punctured the ureter, but hopefully all is now fine. I'm wondering if primarily people who have stent problems are the ones who find this site. Yesterday after the Dr's office failed to get back to me so I'd know what to expect I looked online. I can't imagine how awful it must be to put up with these things for as long as many of you have had to, much less be pregnant with one! You have my deepest sympathy.
I have a ureteral stent. It was put in about a month ago, the 22nd of September. I had a swollen left kidney which was caused from a birth defect (my urethral tube is too narrow at the top, so very little flow is allowed through it.) I had VERY painful flare-ups. The flare ups would make my vomit sometimes, and heavy breathing. I would take hot baths to ease the pain, but even that wouldn't help most of the time. One time I ended up taking 5 baths in one night because the pain. The only way I could be sure the pain would stop is if I fell asleep, and slept the pain off. This was very difficult, falling asleep when you feel like your dying. So one night I went into the hospital for it. And they thought I was going into diabetic shock, I don't have diabetes. Thats how bad the pain was. I was very pale, weak, and vomiting. They then found out it was my kidney, after a CT scan and lots of blood tests. The stent was put in very nicely. I was under anesthesia and woke up with no pain, no incisions (they went in through my pee hole) I had a little blood in my urine that ceased days later, and a little pain when I urinated but nothing unbearable.

Weeks after my procedure, I had the sharp pain again. I layed down and tried to stick it out like old times. I fell asleep and woke up feeling normal again. My pain still happens but doesnt last nearly as long. I have pain pills from the doctor. ITS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IF YOU HAVE THESE PAINS. I cannot stress that enough.

I went in to have my uteral stent taken out the other day. I was literally on the table, feet in stirrups, naked from the waist down, numbing cream on crotch, when I start to eye the tools on the table next to me. I see a large tubed 'scope' and a smaller wired cord, alongside a tube of lube cream, and a horse sized pill. First thing that comforted me is the horse sized pill, ''Oh good, a pain pill plus numbing cream. This wont be so bad.'' The nurse comes in to check if the numbing cream is doing its job. I ask, ''Should I take that pain pill now?'' 'Oh, that's not a pain pill' she says, 'Its something you take after the procedure to prevent infection.' Mind you readers THIS SCOPE AND WIRE CORD ARE BOTH GOING UP MY PEE HOLE TOGETHER! Just then my surgeon from my last operation comes in, hes also my neurological doctor. I look up at him from the table, eyes wide with fear, and pleadingly ask ''Do I have to have this taken out today?!'' ''Well, no. Your kidney will swell up again since its still blocked technically.'' Then why remove the stent if it's draining the swollen kidney. He then told me to get dressed then come to the other room to discuss 'kidney repair surgery.' I've never jumped off a table quicker than that day. Wiped all the numbing gel off (which took forever) then discussed my options. Stent still aboard.

I will have to have the stent removed in a couple weeks, but this time I will come prepared with a couple Vicadins in me before I allow them near me with the tools. Then I will have my kidney repair surgery. Hopefully I'll be pain free after that :) Good luck to anyone who has to deal with these strange awful pains. For the longest time I though I had a bad gallbladder, then leaned my gallbladder is on the other side. I waited a year before I went in to the hospital for it. Dont make yourself suffer with the pain, they can fix it. And in the hospital, they will load you up on Morphine. It knocks the pain out in seconds.
Day three of this tube inside of my body and two black strings hanging out of my penis with the ends taped to my penis. Having it removed tomorrow and not sure whats up with the strings. Am I going to be put to sleep or is this going to be a hold your breath and pull. Way more nervous about tomorrow than having the stone lasered out of me last friday. What should I expect?
454
di-n
I am so glad I found this website! Now I know that I am not the only one that thinks their Urologist needs to experience a stent before they ever place one and tell you it is "minor discomfort". I had my stent placed 12 days ago due to a possible congenital stricture in my ureter. I had no previous symptoms as the problem was found in an abdominal ultrasound for another issue. I was placed under general anesthesia and went home 4 hours later only to experience moderate to severe discomfort(PAIN) 24/7. Cramping, burning, flank pain, urgency to urinate, blood in urine, and difficulty standing or walking and concentrating. Lying flat on my back was my only relief. All the urologist gave me was pyridium (which slightly eased the burning) Toviaz(for cramping and made my mouth extremely dry and made me dizzy) and Vicodin (which I could not take because I have to function at work) Remember, they tell you that you can go back to work with no restrictions! I am in the health care field on my feet all day and I had to work only half days due to the pain. When I went back today to have the stent removed, the urologist told me that it would be better if I kept it in another week. I Politely told him "NO WAY!" The only thing keeping me sane was knowing it was coming out today. The removal was not that bad. It is removed so fast you don't have too much time to dwell on it. And I feel 80% better! I have burning with urination but the unbearable pain and pressure are gone! I have never had such pain in my life as I have had in the last 12 days! I hope I will never have to have this procedure again!
455
Stephen
Going through massive stent spasm at the moment and reading these comments have really helped. Thanks you to all who have posted here. I feel we are all in a special club that if you havent experienced the pain you have idea what you are talking about. Wives partners family can sympathise but they cant understand. Oxy will kick in soon. Then sleep, hopefully.
456
Wes
I thought I would share my experience after reading through some of the horror stories in here and not knowing what to expect. I had two 7mm kidney stones that required outpatient surgery with the laser to be removed and I had a string stent in afterwards. The first night after surgery was pretty terrible the first 3 time i urinated- It felt like i was peeing out glass shards or a razor blade and there was a lot of blood in my urine. I highly recommend taking pyridine as soon as possible after surgery. The string didn't bother me that much besides having to urinate every hour, it just stung if it was touched.
Afterwards, I was supposed to take the string stent out after 3 days, but was too scared to pull it out myself. I was genuinely terrified thinking about having it removed, so I had to wait 2 extra days to see my urologist who removed it. It honestly was not that bad at all. He basically had me look away and pulled it out in a second-1.5 seconds, It stung when he did this but it was nothing worse than stubbing your toe or stepping on a rock. I doubt I could have pulled it out myself that fast. I had some minor burning on the inside of my penis for about 10-15 min after that. I took a 50mg Tramadol and pyridine about an hour prior to this. I haven't had any bladder spasms yet, but ask for something to help and your urologist should give you something, mine gave me Vesicare. The worst part of the ordeal was thinking about pulling out the stent. I still never want to have another kidney stone or stent in my life.
457
Wes
Edit to my post above: I meant pyridium instead of pyridine.
458
LisaLisa
SO glad I found this website! I am currently 31 weeks/6 days pregnant... Had a stent placed on Thanksgiving (13 days ago).
Here's my story...

I was in the hospital for 4 days enduring the WORST pain I have EVER felt ... The pain caused vomiting, uncontrollable body-shakes, and contractions about every 2 minutes. I was given a steady stream of morphine, anti-nausea meds, anti-contraction meds, suppositories (because I couldn't poo... causing MORE pressure and pain), a cath (because I couldn't pee) ... OMG ~ this was the most torturous experience of my life! All the while I was worried SICK about my baby and how all of the stress and meds would affect him/her.

Finally, on the evening of my 4th day in the hospital, after realizing that, if indeed this was a kidney stone (ultra sound was inconclusive... just showed a WAY swollen kidney) - my body was NOT going to pass it, my urologist implanted a stent.

So, here I am almost 2 weeks later and although the stent is DEFINITELY NOT pleasant... it is far better than the pain I had in the hospital. I am still enduring painful urination (that wringing feeling... OMG!), blood in my urine, and passing small blood-clot-like flecks about once or twice a day when I urinate. Being pregnant... the blood and the little clot-like passings are VERY unsettling. This is my first pregnancy and seeing blood in ANY way shape or form is not fun. My mind is constantly wondering if this blood is coming from my cervix or my kidneys...

I am trying to stay positive ~ but, this has been very difficult. I have been taken off of work because the bladder spasms have me contracting about every ten minutes... SO... my life consists of laying on the couch... counting contractions, counting fetal movements, inspecting my urine like an obsessed freak, and trying to steer clear of pain meds. Believe me, this begins to *eff* with one's mind after a while.

It is comforting to read the stories of the other girls here who were pregnant... and to learn that it does get better after delivery. I am SO afraid of being in constant kidney pain when I have a newborn who needs me!
459
Emma
Hi there, I've been reading alot of your stories and I know how alot of you feel :-(.
Back in 2009 I was in severe pain in my left side of my kidney and in severe pain in my right side of my groin.
I was in this pain for nearly a year and pain got to the maximum,I kept going to the doctors and they kept saying it was irritable bowel syndrome,so I went to ane a few times and they kept turning me away saying that the doctor has got to refer me.in the end the hospital kept me in after months n months of screaming to them and did swabs and a 2d scan which doesn't detect much !!! Anyway the results come back n they said ' oh we think you might have endometriosis coming'.
They sent me home ,still in major pain I then went back to doctors and got on my knees and begging a doctor to help me.
She sent me for an internal scan,I had results within a few days and they said my womb didn't look normal and then they
Sent me for a biopsy and within two weeks of having this I found out I had cervical cancer and it had been left that long that it had grown out of my cervix and grown up the out sides of my womb and the left Tumor was leaning on my left kidney tube and blocked it and caused me to have kidney failure.within a couple of days they sent me down theatre for a stent put in kidney,omg,it was the worst thing I've ever known ,it was like living out a horror movie,I was awake through the whole procedure,they tried numbing my back and kidney twice and I still felt everythink going on,cutting into my back,feeling and hearing my kidney pop,the pain going all the way down into my bladder and all through that I had to keep very still ,pure torture that's all I can say.
So anyway went through chemo,radio ect and had stent changed when they could be bothered which should of been changed every 3 months,but no they decided to leave it in for 12 months and for months a kept telling them that I was in alot of pain,infection after infection and then Christmas 2010 I started to bleed and told doctors and they kept saying that it would go but it just got worse,I started going to toilet alot lot more and I would have to forse my wee out and before my wee came out I would get a big blood clot come out fist and then my wee would gush out.
Over the weeks the blood clots got bigger and the end they got as long as my hand,the pain was so bad,I was scared to go to the toilet.anyway Christmas day came and I couldn't even lift my head to watch my children open their presents,I was as pail as a ghost and I couldn't breath,it felt like someone had put a tube in my chest and was sucking my life out of me.
The day after I went for a blood test,I managed to walk into the hospital to have it done,next thing I know people are rushing to me,the doctor told me that my blood was at 3 and I'm lucky to still be alive,so had the blood and then got told my kidney was blocked and I had to have a drain bag attached to me for two weeks and all together I had to stay in hospital for a month being prodded with needles a few times everyday and different fluids pumped through me,it was a nightmare.
And just think!! This was all because they couldn't be bothered changing my stent after 3 months of having it put in.
I'm so angry because after all that I went through and nearly died through it!! It's happening again,started bleeding yesterday,I rang them up to say it's happening again and all they said is ' oh your not due a review until February 2012' I'm fuming,my stents a month over due now and they know the torture I went through before,they don't care at all.
I'm going through legal proceedings now to sue the lot of them,they've not only wreaked my life but my family too.
Hope this has helped someone find out early signs of cancer or with the kidney,please dont let it get as bad as mine did.
Good luck xx
Hey guys,
I read the article and a lot of your comments and found it very informative.But I have a question. One night a little over a month ago, I was experiencing severe pain that started in my lower back, then moved to my flanks on both sides. I thought it was gas and moved on. When the pain came back a day later, I went to the emergency room. There, I was diagnosed with two 8mm kidney stones on each side lodged in my ureters, plus a smaller stone behind the big one in my left ureter, plus several small stones still in my kidneys. The doctor prescribed flomax and pain meds and told me to try and pass it and see a urologist. When I saw the urologist, he said I probably wouldn't be able to pass them and I wound up having to have a cystop(sp?) - the thing with the laser removal and stent placement. I was put under general anesthesia for the procedure and afterwards I wasn't feeling too bad. I had a lot of blood in my urine, I had to pee ALL THE TIME, and towards the end of my urine stream it would hurt. But it was better than the pain from the stones. The other day, I went to get my stent removed. I was very worried about it but it wasn't bad at all even though I had stents placed in both ureters. It was a little uncomfortable but no worse than a pap smear. Since my stent removal, I have had severe pain in my flanks worse than the kidney stone pain. And, I have a difficult time urinating unless I literally drink a GALLON of water. I have also passed several blood clots. Does anyone know what is the cause of this pain? Or how long I should expect it? Or if I should go back to the doctor? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
461
jessica
Hello,
I am just hoping to offer some help to anyone experiencing the pain fromm this procedure. I am pregnant and had my stent inserted 2 weeks ago. While I did experience excruciating pain for the first week, I can not take my pain meds all of the time, or my child will be born with an addiction- something I could not bear to do to anyone let alone to a newborn infant.
The following things helped me dramatically...

#1 they gave me Alfuzosin- I accidently missed 2 doses and noticed that almost all of the urgency pain associated with my bladder ceased. The point of that medicine was to 'relax the bladder neck' which created constant pressure to urinate, which was mostly gone after I stopped taking it
(I am not a Dr- ask your Dr before you stop taking any medication)

#2 even after I stopped taking the Alfuzosin my urethra would still sting for awhile after I urinated so I asked my doctor for some lidocaine cream/jelly - this was a lifesaver for me, I put a dab into my urethra with a swab and had instant relief of all of my urethral symptoms.

#3 I had very occasional ureter pain, which would have normally been relieved with a heating pad (I know this from prior stones) but because of my pregnancy - no heating pad, so I sit in a deep warm bath till the pain subsides, a bonus to this is that urinating after getting out of the hot bath is nearly painless due to the relaxing of all muscles.

#4 as repetative as it sounds- drink as much liquid as you can, but NO CAFFINE, nothing is worse than urgency with no relief, so drinking the liquid will insure that you have some urine to release. Caffine will ALWAYS make you have to go more often, which is the worst thing you can do to yourself.

also a note to those having a hard time getting stronger meds from the Dr...
Plead your case to the nurse, explain that he seems to underestimate the severity of your pain, and that your current meds are not working for you, and that your not sure that you explained that in a way that he understood. dont call him a blockhead (even though he might be)
I personally would mention that the first week after my insertion was WORSE than post partum pain- by a longshot, and that I have had 3 kids so I would know.
But the nurse is more likely to take you seriously, The Dr has to learn to cope with the fact that he did that to you in the first place, and human nature kind of demands that he minimize your pain so he doesnt feel like a monster- and thankfully so, because whether we know it or not, this procedure has probably saved some of our lives.. a diseased kidney is a very dangerous thing and its always better to save our godgiven parts!
Good luck and I hope you guys get some relief!
462
Eileen
i went to er with pain in my right side on 12.18.11, found out that it was a kidney infection caused by a kidney stone that was 8x6mm. the urologist put a stent in on 12.20.11, and told me to make appt to remove the stent the next week. well they never called be back to make the appt. today 1.4.12, i have some blood in my urine... could this possibly be from still having the stent in 2 weeks later? what exactly does it feel like if i were to pass the stone? this is the first time with a stone, and i have no idea what to expect.
hello..i dont know how to explain what is going on with me..but here goes. back in Nov 2011 i was admitted into the hospital for severe kidney infection, severe UTI and my white blood count was severely elevated. anyway i was in there from nov 8th till nov 11th. on the 10th they found a kidney stone lodged in my uretha and on that friday morning they did surgery and removed it. after the surgery they did not do any xrays or anything else..in fact they released me that evening. well i went home and ever since then i have had the most unbearable pressure and pain when i go to urinate and this happens everytime i go to urinate. well here it is Jan. 6, 2012 and i am still having the same problem. 2 weeks ago i went to the urologist and said i had an infection, but did not tell me what kind of infection it was. all i know is since i have been out of the hospital i have already took 3 bottles of cipro and they also have prescribed 5 bottles of pain pills. please someone tell me what is going on. i am tired of this pain and this pressure that causes pain. i dread going to the bathroom cause i know that where i pee from will always hurt for at least 2 hours after i pee and it is very uncomfortable...i try not to take the pain pills but it is so unbearable and uncomfortable that i end up having to take one. if anyone has any they can tell me on what to do please help me...thank you so much.
464
Beth Schweikert
Hello, I am 46 and going through a night mare! Two years ago I found out I had a UPJ obstruction that I had been born with. I had been always sick as a child and spent time in the hospital but it was never discovered. It had become my normal to be sick. I had surgery and then a stent. Both very painful and was sure I never wanted a stent again. Fast forward to September 2011. Kidney is not draining again. My doctor did surgery again and put in a stent. Ended up in the hospital for five days this time, so painful. He took the stent out then decided to put it back in and a week later took it out. Last week he did surgery again and before he went in he said he has never seen a case like mine. My Kidney is only draining when I lay on my stomach. When I woke up from surgery I began to cry because I could tell he put a stent in again! This time the pain is unreal. I am cramping all the time and can hardly stand it. Next week I have an appointment after an xray to see if it comes out. So frustrating wish He knew what was going on. Anyone ever hear anything like this? I am beyond frustrated!
465
Jim
I agree with the people that say having is a stent is very painful. The doctors always say that is a minor discomfort they are so wrong it is a constant pain. I will never forget wneh my kidney stones passed and all I wanted was for them to take the stent out. They took the stent out in the doctor's office. I still have nightmares about that pain and seeing that stent come out of me. Now I always have them take the stent out in the hospital where I am put under. my thoughts and prayers are with anybody that has a stent put in them. I am scheduled for a stent on 2/1 and I am sick thinking about it.
466
Blanca
Hello I'm 36yrs and I have had a very long history of kidney stones, from shock wave, to big kidney surgery where i have scars on my back.I have a stent in now,second one in two weeks,this last stone was 1.5 cm...in all these painful procedures and stint placements i have had,never have I ever felt so much pain from stent,is it possible that the wrong size stent was used? When first one was attempted to be placed in dr.office ,never again, urologist was trying to find smaller one, after attempt fail I went under and had another placed with other dr. A week later first dr. Broke stone and replaced stent.im having upper kidney and lower bladder pain when I walk,sit,and lots more pain when I void,,,Help?
467
Bill Griffin
Tried to put a stent in my ureatra tube ;blockage.
I have a conduit . Now to try again on Monday but doctor not optomistic
it will work. Now What Happens

My other kidney is working real good.
468
Sharon Lewis Mcgechie
Hi all my name is Sharon and like every reader here I have a jj stent on my left kidney. My nightmare began back in November last year I!d been to work all day finished at 5 came home had tea showered all the normal things you do on a evening. About 10 I went to bed feeling fine woke up a 12.30 with pain in my side thinking I had slept awkward I came downstairs just to try and shift the discomfort by walking around but this pain was going nowhere in fact it got a bloody site worse, thinking I needed the toilet i ran to the bathroom where nothing happened and the pain move to my front then the sickness kicked in. Thinking I had just picked up a bug I tried to go back to bed but my pain just intensified by this stage it was 1.30 having no choice I had to wake my poor partner Paul telling him what was going on he phoned for a doctor only to be told to give me 2 paracetamol and if no better phone back in 3 hours ( by this stage I am rolling around the bed in agony) acting on instinct paul went to phone the hospital but the doctor phoned back immediately saying to get me to a&e trying to get dressed was an task in its self but I got there the journey to the hospital seem to take forever rolling around the car in extreme pain and throwing up out the car window whilst Paul was driving as quick as he could. At last we arrived at st Mary's we went straight through after an examination they gave me some painkillers( morphine) great it will soon be over I thought WRONG so they gave me some more still nothing the pain was not going to go away so a pain killer was administered up my backside at last the pain subsided. Not really knowing what was going on I was sent down for X-rays (didn't know they done this at night) finally the problem was brought to light kidney stones but not in one kidney I have them in both( how luckily am I ) thinking great now they can give me some medication and I can go home WRONG again I was admitted tests and more X-rays were done the following morning then came the results surgery that night at 9.00pm ok that's fine I can do that so long as the pain stays away. So surgery I had I woke up to fine extreme pain once again I blame the catheter they had fitted but was told it had to stay fitted until the following day so another' night of pain ( great) rolling around the bed and sobbing to myself ( nobody took any notice) the night passed. The following morning arrived and at last the catheter was remove(ouch) but the pain hasn't gone. It's been about 8 weeks now and still the pain is with me I've been to a&e on numerous occasion to be given anti-biotics for an infection to more pain killers than boots none of which work of course. I'm due back in hospital next week 18th jan 2012 for the removal of the stent and hopefully the stones as well. I pray that maybe all this will be over in a couple of weeks and I will be back to normal . Never ever will I have a stent again I thought I was becoming abnormal the stent was suppose to help me has it hell it's just prolonged this nightmare of pain. Fingers crossed for me peeps!
469
Rosa
After a radical hysterectomy (robotic surgery) "coincidentially", I was diagnosed with hydronephrosis of the right kidney that required ureteral stenting. My stent has been changed about 6 times in two years(I was too busy fighting cancer to remember the exact times)My last stent is causing a buzzing; it feels like a bee that got trapped in there. If anybody has similar experience, please share...
470
Sharon Lewis mcgechie
Hi peeps. Well today was the day the jj stent came out( 9.30 am 180112) so far things haven't been to bad. Yes there is discomfort but my painkillers have been changed once again and I am now on tramadol two tablets for times a day. Peeing is painful that I can't deny but then that's nothing new. Blood back in urine but they say that will subside so hopefully things will only get better now with the stent out and the stones gone I guess the only way is up now. Will keep you all up to date with progress. Love Sharon x
471
Sharon Lewis mcgechie
Hi all day two of stent removal. Things on the whole not to bad still taking the painkillers and peeing still painful. Things seem to be ok as long as I do nothing but the moment I try to do normal day to day activities boy do I know about it. The painkillers work well they just knock me for six maybe that's a good thing as then I can't do anything apart from rest. Last night was quite a good night for sleep only got up the once a big difference from 4/5 times a night. Another day tomorrow so we will see what that will bring. Will report in again tomorrow with hopefully more good news. Fingers crossed. Love Sharon x
472
Randy
Hi, had surgery (laser) to remove a 5 mm kidney stone and a stent was left in for 3 days. I had to remove the stent myself which was not fun, but actually wasn't too bad. Problem is the PAIN after it comes out! Nobody tpold me there would ne this level of pain, it's worse than the kidney stone had caused. I'm day 2 now with the stent out and have found that an anti-inflammatory pill called "Voltaren" has eased the discomfort. The ureter tract is actually a muscle so decided on my own to try this med which I had on hand for muscle spasms and it is the only thing which is saving me. I hope I can get off it soon and be back to complete normal. Hope this info helps others.
473
Caitlyn
Im a 15 yr old femsle, that just got a 5mm kidney stone removed last week. I wasnt surprised to have heard feom the urologist about getting a stent. so after several days of the worst pain i finally get it removed...no numbing cream or anything it did feel uncomfortable after that i never felt so much better i went back into walking, and other stuff until about an hour later. i had to get rushed to the hospital once again and they admitted me, they told my parents and i that i had a urine infection, i was speechless. so we waited till the next day was at the hospital till the afternoon waiting for the surgeon to come tell us about whats going on. apparently im gonna go see him in 3 weeks. and he prescribed me with Percocet.and i have to take it every 3-4 hours bcuz thats around when the pain comes, and it really does work well. i've never experienced this much pain in my life! =( but for sure it will get better!
474
anil
I am 35yr old male and experiencing kidney stones last ten years. I had different sizes of stones varying from 8mm to 2mms but never had trouble passing them out naturally. I used to feel very bad kidney stone pain and then used to go to the hospital for pain relief for a day and then used to pass stones. This time it became worse, I suffered with pain for nearly five days even after having pain relief. Endone stopped working so I presented myself to ER third time in four days. in my scan there was a 5mm stone in my left side of kidney. they admitted me and put me on emergency list for the procedure to remove stone. I waited for two days fasting whole day for my turn. Third day they took me for surgery and this urologist came and told me that they will try to crush the stone and leave a stent in my ureter. I had no idea about the stents and their complications that time. so i got agreed with that. After surgery they told me that they didn't remove the stone as it was migrating and another DR told me that they left the stent in because they were not able to reach to my kidneys because of narrow passage of ureter and they have to leave a stent. I didn't know whom to trust. When I got transferred to the ward I tried to urinate and GUYS I can tell you that was the worse pain I ever had. I passed a lot of blood. after three urination the color started getting better but it was still pink. I stayed there for one more day and got discharged with Tramadol and Minipres Xl. The pain i experienced every time I urinate was excruciating till one week but since yesterday I started feeling a little bit better and pain is reduced and urine is clear now. I am taking extra care to avoid any UTIs by drinking a lot of water and Ural sachets. The more u drink the better u will feel. I am due for surgery in early March. hopefully everything will go smoothly and I will keep u updating regarding my experience.
475
Alison
I wrote once about a year ago, this site is truly wonderful for getting information from people who are experiencing similar situations. I had a stent put in because of a kidney stone on Tuesday and pulled it out (it had a string on it) on Friday, following instructions from my doctor. Today (Saturday), I am in significant pain- pain that is higher on the "pain scale" than before I got the stent in. I don't remember this happening the last time I had a stent. Does anyone have some information or suggestions regarding pain after a stent removal? I have pain medication prescribed by my doctor, which I have been taking, but it seems as if I should not be having any pain now that both the stone and the stent are gone. Good luck to all.
476
Becks
Hi everyone,
I am on my third stent, which was needed due to scarring of one of my ureters. All my stents have been the long-term ones without the thread. My experiences with them have ranged as follows:

First one was causing excruciating pain for the first 2 days caused by severe spasms. Only IV morphine helped to make it tolerable. Wasn't able to pass urine for the first 12 hours as I would nearly pass out. Severe pain with very bloody urine for at least 2 weeks and I felt like I needed to 'go' every 10 minutes. Excruciating pain on the toilet due to urine reflux. During that time I was unable to work. But my body 'got used to' the stent slowly after that. The bleeding got less and only occurred with physical exercise. The pain settled into something I could deal with with the occasional hot water bottle or painkillers. After about a month, I was doing physical exercise for 30 minutes a day. 3 months later I was able to complete my first ever marathon, using a funny kind of 'shuffle running'.The first stent gradually got less and less effective and I found it more and more tiring to live with. Noticeably so after about 5 months.

I had a laparoscopy to try and free up the ureter. After 8 weeks they found that the ureter was still blocked. So they placed a new stent. This one bled for about a day and was uncomfortable for quite some time (about 2 weeks again). It never once bled, even with sweat-inducing exercise. No bladder spasms with that one either, hurray! Occasionally it would stop me from doing things, but I was back at work fulltime within a few days. I had 3 UTI's with this one, all caught early witb antiobiotics. Having learnt from stent number 1 that you get a 'good bit' in the middle of it's life span, I was able to run two half marathons (actually properly running this time!) and go travelling with that one. I found it very painful to walk around much in towns but softer ground was fine so being outdoors was very good during that time and helped my head to recover and feel 'normal' for a while. After 5 months, the tiredness returned and I was able to do less for the last 3 months.

Number 3, experiences so far. Again, very painful for the first 2 days. Passed blood on day 1 but this has settled. Back at work 4 days after the stent was changed under a general, but finding it very hard going so far. Bladder spasms, reflux and tiredness from the pain are making it hard to drive, walk any distance or 'appear cheery'. Not that easy this week, but I know it will get better soon.

I hope this helps some of you who have to go through this. Basically, every stent is different. It depends on how they 'sit' inside you whether they hurt, and when they'll hurt. Exercising as soon as you feel able to do something will help eventually to get it to settle. The more I drank, the more I try to keep fit, the easier they settled into my body. I can't do much to start with, but swimming is possible. So is cycling a short distance after the first week. I try to stay off pain meds to give my kidneys and liver a break, but it is not always possible. Painkillers don't actually do much. For me, heat (hot bath, as hot as I can tolerate without feeling faint, or a very hot water bottle) or smooth muscle relaxants (IBS medication such as buscopan) help a little bit. But the bottom line is, you have a piece of plastic inside you that is nearly a foot long and has two spiky curls that can touch your kidney or bladder and irritate or scratch them, continuously or sporadically. It makes you feel sore and tired.

I hope a good story like this helps. I try and think of the stent now as something that needs constant attention and affection.
Take care, all of you.
477
KingBuba
Just found the site. I currently have my 5th stent in within the past 11 months. After the urologist put it in, while I was in recovery, he told my wife we ay want to see my GP about the depression and a pain management specialist about the continuous pain.

I trusted this doctor so we did. Then I get an email saying, "Once you have your pain under control, I would like to revisit your kidney, and consider our treatment options. "

I still have the stent in and am now trying to get into another doc, but has anyone else had this happen?
478
KingBuba
One thing I did get from the pain doctor that has really been a life saver. It is called a TENS Unit. That is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit. Looks like a pager with wires coming off to 4 adhesive pads. You place them around the area of pain and adjust different settings to maximize the stimulation.

I do not know how many meds I've taken, some of them were really scary strong, but none of them have given the level of relief I get from this thing. I have been getting blood clots stuck in the stent and I'm sure most of you know that's very similar to a fresh stone. This is the only real relief until they pass.

You can google TENS Unit and find it. The pain doctor charged me $80 for it, but it is worth FAR more based on the level of relief it has given me.
479
rhajan
I have severe loin pain of last 10 days. in scan report is pelvic calyceal system MILDLY DILATED. 8CM CALCULUS IS SEEN IN THE DISTAL URETER. 1.5CM AWAY FROM VUJ. what treatment take?
480
Della
Been going thru hell! On 6 1/2 weeks of the stent saga! I thought i was alone unitl i found this site. Thank you all for sharing. When i have time i will write more
481
Sugar L.O.
After reading tons of comments decribing the same torments. I know this many people are not lying. I have heard my whole life. There are things worse than death. I now understand what they were talking about. After watching my poor husband suffer unbareable pain that was suppose to be some discomfort who's lying. (This being the 7th day)It's taken Ureteral stent surgery and 60 years to realize. The medical field is the only profession that have a licenses to legally embaress, humillate, neglect and torture people in this country. Not even to mention rob you without a gun. If this many people have not managed to change what they have been getting by with for decades. One more comments not going to either. With this many comments. They not only know it, they simply don't care. I can honestly tell you it hurts knowing treating human being in such a manor is premitted in our country. For which if you treated a dog such as you would be put away for life.
The only solution being to suck it up and hope you live through it. I wonder how many haven't? My phamacist said with as many avaiable legal drugs that there are for pain. There is absolutely no excuse for human suffering. I happen to agree.
482
Jeanna
I am 26 weeks pregnant & in 2weeks the doctor is going to replace a stent in my ureter. This going to happen after I got a new doctor when my old doctor retired. I learned more today about my condition than I ever did with the old doctor. I am very nervous about the possibility of having a premature birth though. I've already had a very painful & stressful pregnancy since Nov. I was admitted in the hospital Nov, Dec & Jan. for kidney stones. They finally realized that my left ureter is obstructed, but can't repair it until after the birth. I have past 3 stones so far. I am always constantly urinating (it has been so bloody)or always feeling that I have to. Walking is even uncomfortable & the leakage has gotten so unbearable that I am having to wear pads. The doctors & nurses keep saying this is "normal". Well, these last few months have been total hell, normal or not. I was also keeping infections & now on antibiotics until thry can repair the obstruction. Not to mention, my husband & my lack of a sex life. It is very uncomfortable & painful, so we have just stopped trying. My mood has changed since all of this & it's not just from the hormones. I am also nervous about taking the medications the doctors have given me. I don't want to do anything that will cause problems for the baby. Hopefully the pain & spasms won't be as bad as it was when I had the first stent put in. I really haved liked reading everyone's experiences. I don't feel so alone now.
483
lou
Im 27 years years old and recently (11 days ago) had surgery to remove a 4.7cm kidney stone via my back (Percutaneous nephrolithotomy)as well as having 2 yes 2 stents fitted to my right side,
the stone had formed from a stent i had inserted 3 years ago that was left in longer then it should have been after having surgery to remove some of my kidney tubes. (may i add i never had no pain or discomfort whilst having the stent in for 16 weeks)
i went to my local hospital to have the stent removed in jan 2009, as they began to remove the stent it got stuck so was sent home with 2cm of the stent hanging out and the following day was sent for a x-ray that showed some form of growths on the stent, the following day i was admitted to the day hospital to have the stent removed under general anaesthetic, after the procedure i felt great with no pain or discomfort, and was advised a follow up appointment would be made for a few months later, what a surprise i got lost in the system 3 years later experience mild lower back pain and was advised that the growth from the stent 3 years ago was stones and that over the 3 years had grown to a very large 4.7cm, underwent the operation to remove the stone and felt great for the first 5 days discharged from hospital after 2days with mod pain as you would expect after a op, day 6 chronic stomach spasms in my abdomen (no kidney pain) saw my gp antibiotics given but water sample came back clear so was given cocodamol 8/500mg for pain (what a joke) returned to gp 5 days later advised to keep taking pain relife, extreamly worried i googled kidney stent pain and to my relief i found this site, i sympathizer with everyone on hear i would much rather be in labour then have the pain that am experiencing (i have 2 children and had 2 bad labouring experiences) i could hit the roof when i pass water and the spasms well they are that painfull i can not describe them and constantly have abdomen pain. my stomach is that hard and tench a feel i brick wall is softer, tomorrow i will be going to my emergancey gp with a list taken from of this site of pain killers and muscle relaxants that i shall be demanding as it obvious that they have no intenshion of offering me anything then cocodamol 8/500mg. good luck to every one and hope you all feel well soon
484
lou
Im 27 years years old and recently (11 days ago) had surgery to remove a 4.7cm kidney stone via my back (Percutaneous nephrolithotomy)as well as having 2 yes 2 stents fitted to my right side,
the stone had formed from a stent i had inserted 3 years ago that was left in longer then it should have been after having surgery to remove some of my kidney tubes. (may i add i never had no pain or discomfort whilst having the stent in for 16 weeks)
i went to my local hospital to have the stent removed in jan 2009, as they began to remove the stent it got stuck so was sent home with 2cm of the stent hanging out and the following day was sent for a x-ray that showed some form of growths on the stent, the following day i was admitted to the day hospital to have the stent removed under general anaesthetic, after the procedure i felt great with no pain or discomfort, and was advised a follow up appointment would be made for a few months later, what a surprise i got lost in the system 3 years later experience mild lower back pain and was advised that the growth from the stent 3 years ago was stones and that over the 3 years had grown to a very large 4.7cm, underwent the operation to remove the stone and felt great for the first 5 days discharged from hospital after 2days with mod pain as you would expect after a op, day 6 chronic stomach spasms in my abdomen (no kidney pain) saw my gp antibiotics given but water sample came back clear so was given cocodamol 8/500mg for pain (what a joke) returned to gp 5 days later advised to keep taking pain relife, extreamly worried i googled kidney stent pain and to my relief i found this site, i sympathizer with everyone on hear i would much rather be in labour then have the pain that am experiencing (i have 2 children and had 2 bad labouring experiences) i could hit the roof when i pass water and the spasms well they are that painfull i can not describe them and constantly have abdomen pain. my stomach is that hard and tench a feel i brick wall is softer, tomorrow i will be going to my emergancey gp with a list taken from of this site of pain killers and muscle relaxants that i shall be demanding as it obvious that they have no intenshion of offering me anything then cocodamol 8/500mg. good luck to every one and hope you all feel well soon
485
Andrea
I am currently 19 weeks pregnant. I had a blocked kidney in January (at 12 weeks) and the drs decided to put in a stent. About 5 weeks ago I passed a very large stone and have had small sand like pieces coming out every time I go. I have had lots of discomfort, pain, and a couple infections. Two weeks ago I had been more active than usual(I went to the grocery store) and suffered that night with lots of pain in my back again. My dr ordered a renal ultrasound last week and discovered that the stent was blocked by all of the "debris" in my kidney. This past weekend has been tough and I am going in for surgery later today. They want to put in a larger stent, that will cause more discomfort and irritaion in my bladder. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I will have to keep the stent in until I deliver in July.
486
Andrea
I am currently 19 weeks pregnant. I had a blocked kidney in January (at 12 weeks) and the drs decided to put in a stent. About 5 weeks ago I passed a very large stone and have had small sand like pieces coming out every time I go. I have had lots of discomfort, pain, and a couple infections. Two weeks ago I had been more active than usual(I went to the grocery store) and suffered that night with lots of pain in my back again. My dr ordered a renal ultrasound last week and discovered that the stent was blocked by all of the "debris" in my kidney. This past weekend has been tough and I am going in for surgery later today. They want to put in a larger stent, that will cause more discomfort and irritaion in my bladder. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I will have to keep the stent in until I deliver in July.
487
Iris
I am 20 Yrs old.
I had a 6mm kidney stone in my right side that they took out with the bucket and placed a stent.
When I woke up form the operation, my pee was like molasis and I cried when I peed but that went away after a few hours.
I had it in for 2 nights and while it was in, I hardly felt it. Just could feel it when I sat up sometimes but other then that, it felt alright.
I was told to take it out on my own, I did it. It felt weird but didnt hurt much, and made a mess.
I thought it was all over and could get back to normal. WRONG the worst was still to come
an hour after taking out the stent, i was in so much pain, i went to the ER and they gave me Morphine and anti-biotics incase there was an infection.
Thought it was over again, WONG..
The next night i was in just as much pain, went back to the ER and they hardly took me seriously. Again morphine. Perscribed me Oxy and FloMax and told me to just take pain pills when it hurt and to follow up with the urologist.
I wont be able to get an appointment with one in weeks and now it is 4am the next night and I am in serious pain even after taking many pain pills. Dunno when this will end but i will never agree to a stent again, would rather have kidney stones any day of the week.
488
JOY TALUKDAR
hello
i am JOY.I had undergo through pyeloplast one month ago..after the surgery there was great pain.it was so painfull that one day i cried for an one hour at a stretch..but now i feel fine...this thrusday the doctor will remove the stent..so i am bit worried,will you please tell me how it will be processed...& will there be any pain???
489
Mike
I underwent an emergency ureteroscopy in mid-February to remove a six-millimetre stone that had become lodged in my left ureter. I was two weeks away from an appointed procedure, but intense pain in my left kidney (which had also become abnormally engorged) and the presence of blood in my urine prompted the emergency procedure. Under general anesthetic, the stone was lasered and a stent was inserted in my left ureter. I was told the stent would have to remain in place for five weeks. I was told in advance what to expect in terms of blood being present in the urine for the first few days after the procedure as well as the burning sensation that would occur. I was not prepared, however, for some of the other pain and discomfort associated with a stent insertion. It felt like I had to void all the time and, on many of those occasions, the feeling was extremely urgent to the point I felt I might have an accident in my pants if I didn't get to the bathroom in time. While voiding, it also felt as though my left kidney was getting the life squeezed out of it. Some days have been good, with little or no pain or discomfort, but others are horrendous with tremendous pain in my kidney. I never know from day to day what I'm going to experience. I was beginning to think there was more to my situation than I was led to believe, but, visiting this site and reading from others' experiences, I can see I am not alone. My stent is scheduled to be removed in two weeks. Although I can't wait to see it gone, I dread facing the way in which it is to be removed. I don't have the outside thread to mine, so it's to be removed by way of a cystoscopy. I haven't read much about this process to put my mind at ease, and I'm sure it's going to be extremely painful. Is there a reason why a stent cannot be removed while the patient is under a general anesthetic? I concur with most of the others who have posted their experiences on this website that the phase in which the stent is present is even more painful and uncomfortable than that during the original presence of a stone. I hope and pray the post-stent phase will be no more than just a short period of pain and discomfort. This issue has been with me now for the better part of six months. I will take whatever measures I can to prevent this from ever happening again. This has been, without a doubt, the worst time of my life in 52 years.
Update:

Two weeks ago I posted that I was having my second stent surgery. They did it, and found some other problems when they got in there. Not only was the stent blocked, but it also had a kink in the ureter and stones had formed on the stent in my bladder! The dr decided to put in two stents, instead of a larger one. The night and morning after the surgery were extremely painful, and I cried while voiding. My pain while voiding subsided before I left the hospital, but I have had continuous pain and irritation in my kidney. Now the pain in my bladder is back, along with the spasms, and now the baby wants to kick it too. I'm going to get a second opinion to see if there is anyting I can do besides drink lots of water and take cranberry. I can't be miserable like this for 4 more months, knowing it is going to get much worse as the baby grows.
491
Jamie
I'm getting ready to go in and have my stint removed. It has been a painful few weeks. And a Uroligist who mumbles. And dosnt explain much. My pain was so severe and the Norcos made me so sick that I took tO edible marijuina. This honestly helped. I'm worried because the docs not doing X-rays to see if stones are gone. I just want this to be over.
492
Sugar L.O.
Mike of course your concerned about having your stent removed. My husband was too he is 64. He had surgery the 23 of Feb. He only had it 2 weeks. Much like you he was stressing over having it removed. I called about having him put to sleep. You can but it's an act of congress. I ask for a sedative that helps believe me. They sent him one Valium. Do Not take it until you start into the doctors office. The peek is within that first hour. My husband also took 2 pain pills 2 hours before. The good part is it does only take a minute. There is mild pain only for a second. They will put some numbing gel in which I'm sure helps. The worst is the humilation of the procedure. You will feel like the biggest weight has been lifted. Until you get home and need to void, grab the walls you will think they drug it out with a claw-hammer. I hope your is different. Good Luck to you.
493
Janet
I had surgery on 5-3-12 to remove a kidney stone that was 2X2.5X4 cm from my left kidney (interesting that most of the ones posted had been measured in mm). Came home on Sat. with a drain tube from my back, a stent and catheter, two bags (one for each leg). The drain tube and cath were removed on the next Wed. but still have the stent, which is to be removed this upcoming Friday. I am told that they got most of the stone but I still have 3 or 4 passable pieces. I am supposed to have X-rays taken this Wed. so that we know where we are at. I visited this site to try to get some insite what to expect come Friday when they remove the stent. It is really good to read that some of the problems that I am having with the stent other people are experiencing as well, and no the dr. doesn't say all. Maybe they haven't experienced first hand this "pleasure". Especially where when you are "voiding" it feels like someone has their hands on your kidney and squeezing it like it were a lemon and trying to get all of the juice out of it. I have peed myself several times over the past three weeks, not being able to get to the toilet IMMEDIATELY! I am allergic to codiene so they gave me Norco as a pain killer. After reading this site and the first hand experiences I have decided that my husband is going with me Friday, just in case! We live a distance (35 mi +/-) from the dr. and I need to make sure that I can get home. I wish all luck with whatever they still have to experience, and I thank you for some of the advice given on this site so I can prepare. I don't know if I have a string on my stent. I assumed I did as it seems like most do but apparently not all and I don't feel a string so I guess I just get to find out on Friday.
494
Denese
Once a stent is removed, how long does it take for the urination to become infrequent?
495
Jennifer
i certainly don't have time to read every post on here since 2008, but i've scanned through many... it appears that most everyone has had pain with their stent insertion, so i'm not certain if their experience of the stent removal will help me, since my stent insertion was fine due to a size 8-9stone. i have had it in for three weeks now and i've only had mild, tolerable discomfort, no pain to speak of. i feel fortunate, as so many of you have had a terribly, painful time. however, i am having my stent removed tomorrow and i am hoping that the process will also be mild, tolerable discomfort and little to no side effects. but most of all, I REALLY JUST NEED TO KNOW IF MY BLADDER WILL FEEL NORMAL AGAIN INSTANTLY!! the CONSTANT feeling of an 'overflowing' bladder and then feeling like i can never get it all out, and there's nothing really even coming out... this is all for the birds! i literally finish on the potty and by the time i wash my hands, my bladder feels like it's going to explode again (full feeling)... WTH!! i am having the hardest time with that part. just like denese (above entry), please inform how quickly i will get back to normal, toiletwise, lol :)
496
Jennifer
i certainly don't have time to read every post on here since 2008, but i've scanned through many... it appears that most everyone has had pain with their stent insertion, so i'm not certain if their experience of the stent removal will help me, since my stent insertion was fine due to a size 8-9stone. i have had it in for three weeks now and i've only had mild, tolerable discomfort, no pain to speak of. i feel fortunate, as so many of you have had a terribly, painful time. however, i am having my stent removed tomorrow and i am hoping that the process will also be mild, tolerable discomfort and little to no side effects. but most of all, I REALLY JUST NEED TO KNOW IF MY BLADDER WILL FEEL NORMAL AGAIN INSTANTLY!! the CONSTANT feeling of an 'overflowing' bladder and then feeling like i can never get it all out, and there's nothing really even coming out... this is all for the birds! i literally finish on the potty and by the time i wash my hands, my bladder feels like it's going to explode again (full feeling)... WTH!! i am having the hardest time with that part. just like denese (above entry), please inform how quickly i will get back to normal, toiletwise, lol :)
497
Ed
Had laser lithotripsy 4 days ago. The stent is supposed to come out in 9 days. Can't wait. Terrible pain last night. On-call urologist told me to double up on the pain meds (Lortab). That helped a lot. Thank goodness I keep extra around. Beats a 3 hour wait in the emergency room. Got me pretty high! Still have some blood and the aching can be very painful, especially at the end of a rest room visit. I have some Flomax and will restart it tonight. I was never offered Pyridium (phenazopyridine), the orange dye. Don't see it used much lately, but would have been happy to give it a try.
498
Steve
I had first kidney stone 3 years ago. Worst pain I could ever imagine anyone having. Ended up in ER and a dose of diladoiud? Was better. Urologist scheduled me for lithotripsy at a separate facility. I wake from the procedure in horrible pain. Since I was last patient of day, the nurses were pushing me out the door. I hurt so bad that night awoke my wife and returned to ER. The doctor had to give me 4 doses to get me calmed down. He said he had never given 3 before and anyone be able to stand like I was. Urologist called me next day and said we would have to do surgical removal. All went well but the stent was so bad for five days I said I would never have another. He took it out in office with a string. They forgot to tell me the possibility of spasms. When I got home I ended up in the floor hurting so bad. It subsided after a couple of hours.

Three weeks ago I felt pain in my lower back and then severe blood in my urine. Dr. Sent me to ER to have a CT scan. It was over 1 cm near my kidney. Go back to original urologist and he schedules me for lithotripsy again. I just didn't feel right plus they called and wanted 6k up front because I had not met my deductible. I told them I did not have and they dropped me immediately. I found a new urologist. She took me through CT scan and told me I could lose kidney if I delayed too long. I agreed to a laser and had it done two days ago. Again the stent is killing me. I still have gross hematuria and small clots. Cant go over 2 hours without voiding and pain is severe each time I go. They treat you like an addict if you ask for pain meds. Two things are for certain 1. Each stent is different but they are all horrible. 2. I'll risk the kidney next time before having a stent placed.
499
Marilyn Nicholson
My husband had a PUJ obstruction and required pyloplasty. Prior to the operation while he was waiting to be operated on his urologist inserted a stent to relieve the blockage. It caused the worst pain imaginable and had to be removed 3 days later. The doctor that removed the stent said he had removed hundreds of them and it would only take a few minutes. It took 10-12 minutes of sheer horrific agony and during this time my husband was told to take deep breaths and try to relax. This happened in Auckland Hospital. I find it hard to believe that people are subjected to this inhumane practise in this day and age. My husband has had his operation for pyloplasty and has had another stent while it heals. It causes pain and bleeding daily and he is unable to do very much and is tired of having to sit or lie around while he waits to have it removed. He also dreads having it removed now that he knows what is involved and the pain he will have to go through. Makes me think we are little further ahead than the dark ages.
500
Lisa Hansen
I had a ureteroscopy last Tuesday for removal of a 4 mm stone that was blocking a ureter and the doctor inserted a stent to help the ureter heal (it was red and angry, they said). Although the stent discomfort was different from the vomiting and radiating waves of pain from the stone itself, the stent kept me from resuming any normal activity and made me feel isolated and sorry for myself. All I could do was focus on the discomfort. What sweet relief to have it gone! Removing it today was nearly painless. I was lucky enough to have one I could pull out myself, so I could go as slow as I wanted. I was surprised how long it was!

Shortly after getting home from the hospital after the stone removal, my side starting hurting as much as it ever had when the stone was there (more even!)and I was hardly peeing anything. My husband suggested a hot bath. That did it. It relaxed the whole system, and I think it actually unblocked the ureter. I haven't seen anybody talk about the benefits of a hot bath, so I wanted to post this.
501
Vytautas
I am now nearing my third full week at the hospital. I came in, because I had a benign tumor in my stomach. The removal of the tumor went well enough unfortunately through the swelling the doctors hadn't noticed that they left a cut in my ureter when they sewed me back up. Some days later I had to undergo surgery again to fix up the ureter, the urologists sewed it up and removed a part in the middle that had been strtched and bent by the tumor. The stent is staying there for a month, so a couple of weeks yet to go. It's not too bad, I can hardly feel it most of the time. Except when I sit up wrong or my side muscles spasm, then the pain is intense, although it doesn't last very long. I was told they would put me to sleep when they take out the stent, so I'm not really worried about that.
However, my other urether is still swolen after the first surgery nearly three weeks ago, they tried to stent it too, but it's too inflamed for a stent to fit. Hopefully that will clear up some time soon, I'll try the hot bath tip from Lisa above as I couldn't find much advice online on what to do to reduce ureteral swelling. Hopefully it will fix itself up and I wont need to get my kidney punctured in order to reduce the hydronephrosis.
502
Greg
I read a few of you postings and definitely feel your pain from a stone I had over 30 years ago. It was very rough like many of you have experenced. In my case of 30 years ago they scheduled surgery to remove the stone but I was admitted early because of the pain. Demoral was the only thing that worked for my pain.

Just in the last week or so I recognized the pain in my left flank. Within two days I was put under and a stent was inserted. After a week which was yesterday I was again put under and the stone was blasted. I have absolutely no pain, no blood in my urine and am not on any meds. Doc want me to wait a week to remove the stent but I think since I have no pain or blood in the urine I should get it removed immediately. Waiting on a call from doctor's office and I hope he agrees. I am so thankful this recent kidney stone experience was so easy compared to the one I had 30 years ago and to those I have read about.
503
wes
had a ureteric stent placed 6 weeks ago because of a kidney stone (worst pain you can ever have, until I told my wife, and she said have you ever had child birth because its like having an apple pulled thru your penis)
After reading some of the comments I,m not looking forward to having stent removed next week
I am 57 years old, and I had 3 stones in the last 45 days, the largest 6mm x 4mm. Because I did not want a stent while I was in the hospital, I was just taking dilaudid every 6 hours until they could fit me in to somebody else's lithotripsy cancellation, but I spiked a high fever and the urologist told me that I had to be stented immediately for drainage to prevent possible serious kidney complications. The stent is definitely uncomfortable, and I did experience a lot of the problems described on the site, but to a much lesser extent than most of you. It was very minor when compared with the kidney stone pain, which was by far the worst pain I ever felt in my life. I am able to exercise, but it is painful both during and afterwards, and I do have blood in urine after exercise. However, the pain and bleeding does diminish if I can keep forcing myself to do it - it is a big psychological and physical challenge. I have found that I have a lot less energy since I've had the stent placed. I'm also not looking forward to removal, but it can't be any worse than having the stones.
505
Richard
I have had a double j stent inserted on 2 occasions and have found the best way to deal with the pain is a full bladder drink loads of water, if the irritation becomes too bad lie on your back with elevated legs, have another operation lined up this month for a 10mm stone removal from my ureter no doubt yet another stent they are not very nice but bearable.
506
Kevin
I recently went to the hospital ER to find that I had my first kidney stone. I will say that is the most unpleasant pain and discomfort I have ever felt, so I thought. I was advised by a doctor to have a stent put in to drain the kidney. Boy was that a mistake. The pain I have been in since the stent is worse than the stone. After doing a little research on the subject I found that a stent is just to buy the surgeon time until they can get you in. It all depends on the hospital and doctor, but there are now newer and less painful ways to deal with kidney stones. I work with someone who gets 3 to 5 stones a yr and has told me that a good urologist does not have to put a stent in if they are caught early enough. I am going in in a day to get this stupid stent removed and to break the stone up. In conclusion I would like to say that those who know the pain of getting a kidney stone and cannot pass them in a day or to look at the better less painful methods before getting a stent.
507
Lynne
I wanted to say thank you to all my fellow friends in kidney stone land-I am struggling through a post cystoscopy, lithotripsy stent placement and removal flare up again. I had the kidney stone get lodged last Sun. 6/24, had surgery on Mon, 6/25 & like Lisa was able to remove the stent myself on Thurs.but did so begrudgingly & I might add I am a RN. I thought the urologist was crazy when he said I could do this myself. I scheduled an appointment to have the doctors PA remove it but after showering prior to the appt, I felt a fullness in the urethra & assumed I had moved the stent w/ all the activity of showering, so I pulled it out, that wasn't bad at all, it was the aftershock that near killed me. Immediately after, I had bladder cramping that went into spasming w/ cramping & within one hour I was in such excrutiating pain I had to take 2 Vicodin, lied down writhing in pain,after 3 hours felt a moderate relief from the stabbing pain but the ache & soreness prevailed so after the 4 hour mark of taking the Vicodin, I took 1 more. The pain never really went away, I was so sore but it became manageable, however that is when the vomiting started, I vomited 4 times. I proceeded to finally feel better about midnight, 12 hours after removing the stent & 3 Vicodin later. Fri,I went easy on my stomach & pain meds & saw my regular GP, I was doing fair that day. I told her I was to return to work Tuesday, 7/2 to which she responded, Um, I don't think so Ms. Lynne, she released me for 7/8,that is still iffy. I thought the worst was behind me until Fri. evening rolled around, I beganfeeling that welling up of pressure on my right side & the dull back ache across my mid back,the pain continued to increase, getting more severe, sharp & stabbing almost contraction like again. I had to take a Vicodin, it took one hour to give me some relief & I remained sore for the rest of the evening. Sleeping has been a joke, I am so uncomfortable when I lie down, there is not 1 position I can say I am completely comfortable in. Last night I took a Vicodin around 10pm, I was beginning to get sore, I went to bed around 2am & never fell asleep,so around 4:30 I try again thinking I need to rest, we're going to church at 8am,the pain only increased, here come the waves of pressure & sharp stabbing pain, I finally take a Vicodin around 6:30 or 6:45, I am in tears, rocking myself back & forth,my poor husband & son have no idea how to help me,trust me, I don't even know how to help myself, I was a few minutes away from paging my urologist to ask how normal this is, I mean tomorrow is 1 week post-op & today is 3 days post stent removal, when does the pain/soreness go away??? I thank you all for sharing your stories. I can't wait to feel "normal" again. Why don't they tell you to expect this. I found this website only because I was researching appendicitis, that is how much pain I am feeling that I am now fearing I have something else going one because supposedly my kidney stone situation was fixed. And PS Wes, tell your wife, I have experienced childbirth, natural childbirth, no epidural, no meds! At the end of childbirth, you have a baby and the pain goes away, I never had repurcussions 3-7 days later that made me feel I was going through it all over again, sure I had soreness and cramps but each day I felt better and was able to take care of my newborn, hell, I can barely take care of myself during the flare-ups. God bless to all of you on this site and any future friends in kidney stone land. It is nice to have a place to come and have others completely understand your misery. Also Lisa I am going to try the hot bath, however, when I first came out of the hospital I was told I could only shower while the stent was in place, you don't want to introduce any more bacteria into the urethra that is already inflammed and potentially infected, so be careful with that.
508
Bridget
Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences, being able to listen to what others have been through has kept me sane these last couple of days.

I'll write about my experience later - only got out of hospital this evening, and too wiped out for anything other than sleep - but I wanted to echo what many have said with respect to the pain associated not only with kidney stones and renal colic, but also that associated with a stent. I have suffered extreme pain before, including pelvic abscess and peritonitis. I would rather suffer them all again than go through this kind of pain. But that isn't the worst part. The playing down of this aspect by some physicians is. I came round in recovery from having a stent inserted under GA in terrible pain, and not understanding why, and why no-one seemed prepared to do anything about it. I was given paracetamol. When I said my pain was getting worse, the anaesthetics nurses actually laughed at me. The ward nurse refused to take me back to the ward until my pain was sorted out, but they completely refused to give me morphine or something of equivalent strength. 24 hours later they wanted to discharge me on minimal meds, saying they were unhappy to send me home on oramorph. So what was I supposed to do? It was the only way I had managed to get through the previous 24 hours, and now they wanted to remove it, and pack me off home, alone, with the same inadequate meds that had me admitted to A&E in the first place?

Aware that I am rambling now, so will stop and write about my experience when I am less wiped out.I just think it's important that this blasé attitude to the pain experienced by patients really is addressed. Because for all that I have absolutely been through the mill physically over the last couple of months, the pain I have experienced during this process and the way this was handled by the medical staff has left me feeling completely traumatized, something I have never experienced before, and hope to never experience again.
509
Vivian
During CE,RPG, DJ stenting,a doc has complication in iserting the the stent because the stricture in the distal ureter is so narrow..CBD was inserted..is thr any complication if the CBD is being removed early 1hour post op?
510
Pam
I have officially had over a hundred kidney stones to date. They don't get easier to deal with as time goes on. I have had several surgeries to remove stones and have always dreaded the stent being removed. Tomorrow I have yet another stent removed. I wish the pain would stop. I also wish people would stop telling me to drink more water. I drink more water than a marathon runner. Just wanted to vent.
511
Bridget
Pam

Just wanted to say my thoughts are with you. My stent is due to come out next monday. Last week I developed an infection - again - and it reset the bar for pain. I didn't think anything could be worse than the stone, and then the stent. But the stent plus the infection - I have never experienced anything worse. I hope it went okay
512
Mark
had ESWL on July 6 for a 15 mm stone (left kidney) that had been killing me for a 2 month period when I was traveling for business. They said i would need a double J stent to help allow the large amount of "gravel" to flush properly and not clog up the ureter. My anesthesiologist and urologist had both had them for over a month and did not lie to me. They said the stent would be painful, but was the "least eveil of all possible evils". On the followup Xray that next monday, my fears were confirmed that the stone was not completely broken up, but was down to 8 mm and still too large to pass naturally. So I was told the stent would have to remain in situ till the next litho could be done, about 30 days or so. It has been a miserable, pain and drug fogged 28 days, but I had the second litho done this morning. More heavy bleeding, but my hope and prayer is that they got the SOB and can get this miserable plastic torture implement out of my body soon. I really feel more "beaten up" this time, so I hope that means they blasted the stone to dust this time. Thank God in Heaven for Percocet and an understanding wife. I always considered myself a pretty tough guy, former professional kickboxer, been through multiple broken bones, a near fatal car accident that led to a full fusion of my left wrist (the most painful experience I ever went through, but 6 days on the morphine pump to help), so I am no stranger to pain, both acute and chronic. But I can say that this stent has been the most miserable experienc, since I wasn't getting better in those 28 days, just in a holding pattern till they could slam the smaller stone again. I will remember this group in my morning prayers and I am also thankful to know this is a shared experience and not a journey I have been on alone. I will keep you all updated on the follow up and eventual removal of this misery-causing stent. Wishing you all less pain and eventual recovery in the future.
513
Lin
I had a 2.5 CM that right CM not MM stone removed from my left kidney 10 days ago. Dr said it was as big as his thumb!! Getting the stent out today. Hope it is not as bad as it sounds!
514
Jenz
I am currently 31 weeks pregnant. When I was 26 weeks pregnant I started having this horrible abdominal and back pain. I went to the ER and they hooked me up to a fetal monitor, gave me a bag of IV fluids, and tested my urine which came back showing blood but no infection. The doctor's discharged me saying that I had a kidney stone. I dealt with the pain and ended up seeing my OB doctor the next two days in a row and they still wouldn't do anything, I understand not much can be done for a pregnant woman so they just put me on tylenol with codeine and hydrocodone with acetimitaphin. They did do a renal ultrasound, but were not able to find the stone. The pain finally started to get better, but then at 28 weeks the pain came back even worse then before. I went to see the on call doctor as my OB doctor was booked that day. The doctor sent my urine to be tested and have my blood drawn, he came in the room and just told me I looked icky as I was bawling my eyes out in pain. He had my in for a renal ultrasound the next day. I ended up in the ER that night as well because the hydrocodone with acetimitaphin wasn't even touch the pain and I took two. They wouldn't even do anything, but put me on a fetal monitor, I was NOT happy. Finally, the pain did get a little better and I went to my ultrasound the next day. 15 minutes after I got home I got a phone call from the clinic an hour away which has urologists specialists that an appointment had be set up for me at 9 the next morning. I went to my appointment and the urologist basically told me I could either deal with the pain or that they could do a uterscopy and insert a stent. They never found a stone on my second ultrasound. My blood count had risen to 16.9 and normal is 11. I have three kids at home to take care of and I wanted to be able to spend more time with them and get myself off of the pain medications so after talking to my fiance about the risks of the surgery we decided that it was the best thing for me to do.

I had my surgery two days later after my first visit. I got the spinal instead of being put under general anesthia as they felt that was best for my baby. I had him monitored before going into surgery, when I got into the room, and when I went into recovery. I could hear the doctor's talking the whole time my surgery was going on as I was awake for the whole thing. They told me that they couldn't find the stone, or even any evidence that a stone was even present. They did find that my ureter was kinked due to the baby laying so low and inserted the stent to straighten it out as they thought maybe this could have been what was causing my pain. When I first agreed to the surgery I thought I would only have the stent for a week and then when I was done with the surgery they told me they wanted me to keep it till the end of my pregnancy.

The doctor told me that the sent would be uncomfortable, I didn't expect it to be painful. The reason why I had the surgery was to get off the pain medication and be able to function more with my children. Now I am more dependent on the pain medication and I need to lay around even more because it hurts to do anything, I can't even go shopping anymore. I had the stent placed at 29 weeks, so it has only been a little over a week since I got the stent. I am trying to keep myself from taking too much of the pain medication a day, as I already know that my baby is going to be born and go through withdrawals from the medication. If I had known what it would be like after the surgery I would have thought it through a little more. Truth is I feel like I was kind of rushed into it because when I called to ask questions about when it would be done they told me it could be done two days later and they started putting me into the schedule. I can't wait to get this thing out.
515
Anna
Hi.. I had a laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy on june 23 2012. During the procedure,
my doctor put a suture through my right ureter and sewn it shut. 11 long painfull days later, I
had emergency surgery to undo the suture and had a stent put in. here it is over a month later,
and it leaks. tried a cathereter= but too painful. still leaking but now my pee smells very bad.
i think my body is starting to rot on the inside. i will find out more in 3 days. PAINFUL. Very
painful. I'm only 45
516
Diego
So I had my stone Laser and a Stent placed in 2 days ago. and since I feel all 515 of you are like my family now, I am begging for someone to answer one simple question.

So far this page has been a great help to know what is normal of this horrible horrible ordeal weve are all going through, takes my mind off from contemplating suicide to make the pain stop. however there is one thing Ive been looking for in all these anecdotes, is it normal to pee pure blood, even without drinking, and the Blood/Urine to smell so nasty?
I think Ive peed half a liter of pure blood just tonight, and its only 2 am.

please... anybody?
517
Emily
Hi all :). Im a 28 year old female with my 8th stone and first stent, and I just wanna say that I was thankful for the commenters bc i felt they gave me a head's up on what I was about to experience. BUT,, I need to tell those who are getting a stent, theirs has NOT been my experience so far. I AM IN COMPLETELY NO PAIN (except for just a little stinging and a little tug while urinating) and I had mine yesterday. I am praising God!! My sister's mother in law has also had several stents and has no problems or pain with them. I just wanted to encourage everybody that it will be okay. You might have pain, you might not, but you probably need this procedure to make you better, and God knows exactly what you are facing and He is in there with you. I've had a lot of prayers, ask Him to be your comfort in your experience. May God bless you, and may you not have any pain either. :)

(Ps i was really scared after reading this site and then the last comment I saw told me to trust Jesus. Im so thankful for that commenter. Thank you for reminding me.)
518
Neil
Diego, I hope you went to your Dr. or the ER. Peeing blood is not normal, especially in the amounts you described. I didn't see your comment until just now. I hope it all worked out well for you!
519
Mary
Diego---I was told that peeing blood is normal. I would suggest you call your doctor if you have any concerns. I had a cystoscopy and ureteroscopy done on 9/27/12 and have a stent and I don't remember it being this painful before--mainly when I void. (this is my 4th stone)Thanks guys--all this info helped me feel better and that I am not alone in this
520
joy
I would just like to offer encouragement to those seeking info regarding a ureter stent. Due to cancer I have had one in and out several times. I had no problems what so ever. Each insertion and removal was under a general anesthetic. I have to have it changed every 4-6 months. So sorry to hear so many on here have had problems. I don't think that is a general rule so don't be scared if you have to have the procedure done. I have left the hospital and went shopping and another time out to dinner, don't think I have ever went right home. My daughter and I use the "event" to spend some time together as she is my driver.
521
anjul
Thank you joy! I just scheduled a ureter stent with retrograde pyelogram for Oct. 25. When I read through all the posts here, I was beginning to get worried and considered cancelling. My doc. said 10% of patients feel so much pain they can't make the 6 weeks. He said ALL patients feel the stent, just some more than others. He did tell about all the possible side effects and when to phone, so I have that knowledge. If I can just buck up and go through to the 6 weeks, I should be fine. They are still determining the cause of my hydronephrosis and this was the "next step." Dietl's Crisis is suspected. Thank you for your encouraging words. Hopefully I can be one of the 90%!
522
anjul
Thank you joy! I just scheduled a ureter stent with retrograde pyelogram for Oct. 25. When I read through all the posts here, I was beginning to get worried and considered cancelling. My doc. said 10% of patients feel so much pain they can't make the 6 weeks. He said ALL patients feel the stent, just some more than others. He did tell about all the possible side effects and when to phone, so I have that knowledge. If I can just buck up and go through to the 6 weeks, I should be fine. They are still determining the cause of my hydronephrosis and this was the "next step." Dietl's Crisis is suspected. Thank you for your encouraging words. Hopefully I can be one of the 90%!
523
NAD
I had a ureter stent put in on 10/13. All went well my problem is the continual fever that I have. Has anyone experienced this? CAn't seem to get the fever lower that 100 degrees. This makes a 51 year old woman feel awful. Once infection is gone they will blast the stone.
524
ANgie
anjul, I just had a stent put in on Oct 5th and you certainly do feel the stent, unlike most mine wasn't for kidney stones, I have large cyst blocking the urether causing my kidney enzyme numbers to go up so instead of letting my kidney go bad they inserted the stent. I am supposed to have it for 3 months. I work fulltime and have a small child and I am always uncomfortable, not in excucuating pain but in pain that I just push through because I have no choice. Can't wait until January to get this thing removed.
Good luck to you.. It definitely chnages the way you manage day to day. Lay down way more often than I used to.
I was first treated at 21 with a birth defect in the P.U.J, with narrowing and kink of the ureter.

My first 2 stents never had a problem with and even rode my horses, still continued with problems and they did another procedure which kept me trouble free until this year.

Well on my third stent for this year and all 3 have been unbelievable pain have had to resign from work and basically live on a long list of tablets . One was so bad i could not even stand to lie in bed the pain was that bad.

I then this year also had a Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty which unfortunately was not successful, first thing that went wrong was surgery went from 45 minutes to over 4 hours as when they got in their stent had crystalised plus scar tissue and kidney had adhered to my side. Post op i was placed in ICU due to low oxgyen and collapse of lung, I then continued to lose over a litre of fluid a day 14 days post op, which apparently no one had seen before.

I had my 6 week stent removal which showed blockage so within a week had to have another stent placed back in.

My surgeon is not sure what to do next and wants to do some further tests but leave this new stent in for another 3 months so that hopefully swelling and everything goes down so they can get a camera up and see what is happening.

I feel I am in the same position as I was 9 months ago with pain and quality of life.

I also woke up in a pool of blood with huge clots this morning which they are not sure what is going on there.

So I guess to be continued.
526
Susanne
Hello everyone. I just wanted to let people know that having a stent is not always a terrible experience. Due to a 1.5 cm stone in my right kidney I have had 2 stents so far. They do not ever feel good, but I have been able to carry on with most activities with minimal pain. Here are a few tips I have to help get over the first few days, which are by far the worst... drink lots of water (yeah, we all have heard that, I know); understand that the feeling of needing to pee is usually not real but is because of the stent poking the inside of your bladder. It actually feels less bad if your bladder is not empty, so try to wait to void until you really need to. If you keep track of your fluid intake you can get a better idea of when you really should need to go. If possible, don't let your bladder get completely empty, because that is when the stent will poke you the most and cause the most pain.

Regarding the stent removal, if there is nothing unusual (like crystals that have grown on it as some people report), the process is quick and almost painless. WHen I had the stents removed they squirted a bit of lidocaine into the urethra to numb it, waited a minute or two, inserted the cytoscope, grabbed the stent and zip, it was out. I felt nothing but a tiny bit of stinging when the cytoscope went in and then a very slight tug in my kidney as the stent was removed. Afterwards the relief of the stent discomfort in the bladder was immediate. I could pee and not have that stinging at the end. Whst a wonderful thing that was!

A word for Nad and others - pay attention to the signs of something going wrong, like excessive blood in the urine after more than 3-5 days or fever. Get help if you have those signs of infection. And for those considering not getting a stent when your ureter is blocked, don't do it! Because of the initial misdiagnosis by my GP my kidney was blocked for anywhere from 2-4 months and is now permanently damaged. The stent can be the difference between a healthy kidney or having the kidney die and need to be removed completely.

Good luck to all!

Susanne
527
Stephanie
I had my1st 3 stones in 1994 and they did the stone basket retrieval without placing a stent after. In a couple of days I felt great. Then, in May of this year I got more stones. After 6 weeks of agony and not passing them, I was scheduled for ESWL. I was told a stent would be placed, but never told of any complications or pain being a possibility. When I went in for my 1 week check up, I was sent for X-rays because I told him that I was still in a lot of pain and didn't think the stones were all gone. X-ray came clear and he sent me home to follow up with my doctor because it must be another issue. My PCP said she was sure that it had to do with the stent placement. He has no plans to remove the stent and she doesn't know why. It us now mid-October and I'm about at my whitts end! I constantly have kidney pain and spasms. I can't go on a walk for very long...grocery shopping wipes me out. It has been 5 months and I'm not sure why or how long to expect this going on.
528
Virginia Brown
I had a stent put in because a cancer cell was pushing against the ureter. My cancer is now gone but the doctor said they want to reinsert the stents and put new ones in every three months.
529
Sandy
On October 25 I had surgery to remove a blocked area in my right kidney. They had to put a stent in. Worse pain ever. On Monday 5 days latter the stent came out. Worse pain than the stent. 4 hours after the stent was removed I was rushed back with horrible pains more than the pain with the stent. They gave me a shot of morphine which was great and new pain meds. I am now on day 5 and still having kidney spasms 2 yesterday. they feel like my inside are going to fall out when I have an attack I call it, also burns like crazy. Dr said they should go away soon and gave me more meds. Really they have no clue. It was not explained to me how much pain this was going to be. Has anyone else had it last this long? I will never get a stent put in again.
530
Vanessa
My son is 2 and was born with left hydronephrosis and has had 9 urine infections since he was born. we were recently told that his kidney seems to be healing and then discovered he had 5 kidney stones one of which was 16mm. He has been sent over to Great Ormond Street who have been fantastic with his care, however after reading these im really worried. Daniel is having a PCNL with a drain and a jj stent put in at the end of the month nov '12, and he isnt having the stent removed until jan '13 and im terrified that he is going to be in pain for the entire duration. Is there anything i can do???
531
Sandy
Get a second opinion on how long it needs to stay in. I was told longer than 4 days is to long. He will get crystals that form on the stent from it being in so long. I am also convinced the stent is useless. People pass large stones at home without help from the Dr and they don't have one put in. But I am no Dr. I will pray for your 2 year old. hopefully he is one of the lucky few who have no pain. The stent hurt but the kidney spasms after we're aweful. Get a heating pad, it was my only releaf when the stents was in and helped after a hot bath once the stent came out. My heart goes out to you.
I will never never allow a stent in my body again.
532
Luke
Hiya, Not used to these things so please excuse my lack of grammar. I am 21 and have been suffering with kidney stones for 2 years, 3 in tottal, im still currently suffering the third. The stent was placed to flush my kidney from the infection. I have a VERY high pain threshhold but this is just next level. I dont like taking medication for any thing unless its needs to be done. Its getting to the point where i live on pills and as a 21 year old british person isnt a nice thing. The stent is not only causing pain but its making me a Mother f**ker to talk to. The pain its self is bad, takable but bad, But its the constant onslaught of pain with no let up thats getting to me. Its the constant tingling at the tip of me penis, When im about to finish my wee its burns so bad that i tense up, Some times theres just blood sometimes theres alittle somtimes theres none. I've ended up putting ALOT of weight on thanks to not being able to do any thing. I've never talked about my self so much before but if i didnt get this of my chest im likley to brake down :D.
533
Mark
Hello again, all. I was comment 512 back in August. Even after 2 ESWLs, my doctor found 2 remaining stones of approx 7mm EACH remaining. So, on November 21, I was back in for a laser lithotripsy to get the remaining fragments, God willing, once and for all. And again with the stent, but this time for just 5 days. Have been filtering my urine, but mostly been getting bits of my kidney and no stones. Stent was misery itself, but I can stand 5 daysof nearly anything, so I endured it. Yesterday morning i had the stent removed by cystoscope and other than a strong sensation of the need to urinate, I was only in the mild discomfort associated with having a tube sent up one's penis. Everything was OK for about 30-45 minutes, and then the spasms started. We all know the level of agony this is, so I will not revisit it here. Almost went to the ER, but called my urologist and he said I was likely passing a fragment. Well, I had passed fragments as large as 5mm before and nothing compared to this pain wise. Finally did urinate and filtered out a largish peice of flesh about 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Can't imagine that getting down the ureter without clogging it up. Pain finally diminished somewhat and did finally pass some broken fragments, very sharp and jagged. That was yesterday. Today, I woke up and the pain greeted me shortly after first urination. Here we go again. My prayers will remain with all of you still suffering and I will hope you all are "out of the woods soon".
534
Linda
I have had a stent in my left kidney since Jan 2008 when I had cancer surgery..have to have stent due to damage to left kidney...I can tell you it is the most miserable painful thing I have been through besides the cancer and the year of chemo...I have asked the Dr about taking the kidney out because I will have to have the stent for life...I have no quality of life...don't feel like going anywhere or doing anything...get sick and have to lay down when I cook or clean house...I know taking the kidney out is a radical thing..but I'm miserable and desperate? Does anyone have any advice? Thank you, and God bless and help each one of you..Merry Christmas
535
Nita
I have severe hydronephrosis of the right kidney during pregnancy. I'm pregnant with my fourth child now and just got my 9th stent placement on 12/10. The last time I had one was in 2008. The whole ordeal of having a stent is painful but manageable if u follow all the instructions the doctor give u. I drink lots and lots of water and take my antibiotic everyday as ordered. I won't sugarcoat and say it's just uncomfortable because it is very painful. When I had my last baby in October of 2008 I was hospitalized for the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy because the pain was so bad and I ended up having to deliver 8 weeks early. I've always been put under general anastesia when they put it in and took it out, but this time my OB doctor is talking about removing it in the office after reading how painful removal is I will be letting him know that I will go back to my urologist and be put to sleep for removal. As far as the pain goes right now it gets a little better everyday.
536
Linda
I have to have stent replaced every 3-4 months...I just wonder if I would feel better and have better quality of life if I have the kidney taken out..my cousin's husbandhad prostate cancer and he has one kidney..he says he does fine...I just feel so miserable all the time..I have talked with my kidney Dr and he said he would take the kidney if that's what I want to do...it's really scary to think about going through surgery..I have had 2 malignant tumors removed and it's very scary...I had the stent taken out to try and see if I could make it without it..Dr did it in his office with no meds...it was VERY painful..but he was quick..if I had it to do over again I think I would insist on a local...I'm so thankful to have found this page...it's so good to be able to hear others experience and know your not alone...Is there anyone on here or do you know anyone who had had their kidney removed because the can't tolerate stent...I will have to have this for life..and right now it's very miserable...love and prayers to you all, and thank you for any advice you can give...
537
Rose
Thanks all for your candor- I've had a stent in for a couple of weeks and am counting down the minutes through the next 3 weeks til it gets removed.
I have an eating disorder and though I'd passed a few small stones on my own in the past, quite a few clustered were found this time after continued
Blood in my urine since August. I'm struggling with drinking enough water- I'm frequently dehydrated so that's been my biggest
Challenge next to trying not to exercise and get the pain rolling. I'm so happy to read these other accounts-
I didn't know what a stent was until I woke up with one after laparoscopy. I wasn't advised on
What was normal or routine effects from it and my husband has been worried out of his mind over me
As well as my employer who sent me home again today doubled over crying from pain. It's just a
Comfort to know I'm not alone. I've been bleeding every time I urinate for the last 4 weeks and they think I am
Now possibly getting anaemic from this do I've gotta go get that checked out too...
538
Stephanie
I am truly glad that I had found this site! I am experiencing everything that everyone has mentioned. I still have my stent in and am waiting to have it removed in 4 days, (it would have been longer but I had to call the doctor regarding pain and the urgency to have the stupid stent removed) I have been hospitalized twice since the surgery of removing a 7mm stone in the left ureter. I truly feel like the hospital staff have no sympathy or true understanding of the amount of pain some people deal with when they have kidney stones or a stent. I still have a larger kidney stone in the kidney that is not active? That we know of? The feeling of guilt is multiplying as I am not able to play with my 3 year old daughter, or be helpful around the household, to have to be driven to the emerg every two to three days and have a family member pick you up at all hours of the morning, (after 4-5 hours of agony) I am missing out on activities and being with the people i love, due to a stupid stone!I still have blood in my urine and traces of an infection. I have taken both antibiotics that were prescribed to me, and haven't worked, and am now on my third prescription of antibiotics. I cannot get my prescription for pain medication renewed, and was told if i am in pain to return to the emergency room, a place where i feel judged, like i am going in for my routine "FIX". Its an awful feeling to need medication to help with pain and have doctors who make inappropriate comments, indirectly indicating that I have some drug addiction? It makes it worse when you are from a small town, and had a grandmother who was addicted and had passed away from her own drug addiction. (That's why the feelings of being judged are so intense and bothersome for me) Doctors and Nurses need to be more compassionate, learn to show empathy and understand that going to the hospital does not affect only the physical aspect of life, but the mental and emotional aspects as well!
539
Don
Ive had a stent in me for 3 years is this dangerous?
540
David Gray
Thank everyone for your comments on your experiences! That alone is so reassuring. I am on my second stone and stent round this year. The first was in January on my right side. This time around is on the left side, and I am scheduled for stent removal tomorrow. The first stent was removed using only a local. I WILL BE PUT OUT THIS TIME! I would NEVER recommend the local. Yes, it is quick (not counting the 2 hours my doctor was late arriving for the procedure), but 30 seconds of ABSOLUTE MISERY and a lifetime of memory.
The stent pain has been horrific. I have missed 2 weeks of work (I am a mailman) because of the pain and the narcotics. I can not sit for more that 5 minutes without being in extreme pain. The most comfortable position is lying on my back. The next most comfortable is standing/swaying from side to side. After trying to deal with the pain with OTC ibuprofin, I resumed taking narcotics that were left over from the kidney stone pain prescription, but quietly because everyone freaks out, thinking I am not really in enough pain to warrant taking them :(
My doctors have generally been quite good - except the late dr. My MAJOR issue is with the office staff. TERRIBLE scheduling and service. Average wait time for each appointment has been 1 hour. Also, I called early Thursday morning with a question concerning my pain level and blood. As of this morning, Monday, I have not receieved a call back. Their voicemail message says to please leave only one message. That should say ALOT about their proficiency :(
Good luck and God bless any/all future kidney stone/stent sufferers. I feel your pain!
THAT POSTED?!?! OK I'm really confused. Sorry if I offended anyone. Email me if you want to hear my story I guess.
542
Tonya S
Day 2 of ureteral stent and tether. Still burn and hurt REALLY bad when i try to urinate. The dr. told me that there would be a little discomfort with a stent. Yeah right, i am going to sneak one in on him and see if he thinks it is just a little discomfort. The frequency and urgency is some better today, and did actually manage to sleep a couple of hours today in the recliner. I called the Dr. office today to see if i could go ahead and get rid of the stent, and he said he wanted it to stay for 5 days, but it was my choice but i would be back in the same shape i was in before the surgery, so i guess i will tough it out. And i am sure everybody that has stones knows this, but i will put it out there just incase, because i did not know until a couple of days ago. If your stones are uric acid stones, they will not show up on an xray, they have to be found with CT scan. So if you are for sure you have a stone and they tell you that they don't see any, keep that in mind.
543
Tonya S
Okay, following my post above #542 I had accidentally pulled my tether string a little bit last night. thought everything was ok, then realized that I could not control my urine, and had a dull burning pain in my side that the stent is on. Well, got everything settled down and thought I would try to sleep a little bit (which has been something I have truly missed this past month, especially this past week) and woke 3 hours later with a very full bladder and urge to void. I urinated on myself all the way to the bathroom and when I sat on the commode to finish urinating I felt a sensation that a bubble or something really soft had passed. Well something did pass it was one end of my stent, and I was still passing urine uncontrollably, I had no choice but to pull it the rest of the way out. To my relief was no pain at all, just a weird sensation and instant relief from the bladder burning and spasm feelings. I don't know what to expect from here since it came out too early. I just hope and pray that all goes well. I have had enough of all of this, and hope to get life back to normal.
544
Alfredo
Hi there, I've had my stent for about a year due to many reasons. I'm looking forward to getting it removed sometime soon. However, I have pain not only while urinating but also if I'm walking or just in bed. I'm taking a medication that my doctor gave me that turns the urine a orange color but it doesn't help. Does anyone have any suggestions?
545
Stephen Lewis
HOW LARGE ARE THE STENTS AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THEY CAN PUSH THROUGH THE BLADDER?
546
Lisa
I had a stent put in on March 23rd, due to kidney stone and kidney infection. The stent has caused me alot of discomfort and pain at times. I have the continuing urge to urinate, which alone is a huge pain, especially when doing activity including walking. On April 25, I go into have the stone blasted and the stent removed. must admit I am a little scared about this procedure. The first one ended me up in the hospital for 7 nights. What am I to expect with the removal. I am being put under for the procedure.
547
Andy
First kidney stone 3mm. Incredible pain, went to ER via ambulance. I have a high pain threshold - 12 knee surgeries. Ended up with a low grade fever so my urologist put in a stent. Have to say that after 2 weeks, I hardly know it's there, except when I pee. Then I get a dull to medium sharp pain in my side. Urologist said this is normal - indicates that the stent is working. Sure I passed a lot of blood and clots and burning for 2-3 days after stent insertion, but it all stopped. I am a marathon runner and in training. Went for a 10k run last weekend and no stent issues other than the feeling I have to pee very frequently. Guess I am lucky, Will be glad to get the stent removed on May 17 though, but really this has not been a big deal.
548
Andy
First kidney stone 3mm. Incredible pain, went to ER via ambulance. I have a high pain threshold - 12 knee surgeries. Ended up with a low grade fever so my urologist put in a stent. Have to say that after 2 weeks, I hardly know it's there, except when I pee. Then I get a dull to medium sharp pain in my side. Urologist said this is normal - indicates that the stent is working. Sure I passed a lot of blood and clots and burning for 2-3 days after stent insertion, but it all stopped. I am a marathon runner and in training. Went for a 10k run last weekend and no stent issues other than the feeling I have to pee very frequently. Guess I am lucky, Will be glad to get the stent removed on May 17 though, but really this has not been a big deal.
549
Dianne
I had a stent put in at 18 weeks pregnant. The pain was awful and still is not that great, I am now 32 weeks and will have thus in until after delivery of baby. I have found that staying down is the best possible source, of not hurting, also sitting on a cold pack after urination, and when in pain it burning is,present. I keep 3 I've packs in the freezer constantly. Drinking plenty of liquid is a huge key to some relief. But the truth to it all it's hard to have one of these, and continue a normalcy life. The doctor said it's,much more painful for pregnant good luck.. women because of all the added baby pressure, gaining weight, but it beats having a tube out the back..
I had a stone that was caught in the left tube. Doc put a stent in that side. Surgery was early Monday morning, heavy bleeding for the first couple days, looked like I was urinating pure blood. Drink lots and lots of water! By Wednesday it started thinning out and by friday most of the blood was gone. The sharp pain felt in the kidney during urination as well as the burning during urination is normal, it will subside in a couple days. The stent is definately uncomfortable, but not painful. My complication came as a result of constipation. Appearantly, the anesthesia and pain meds are known to cause constipation, a fact that was not disclosed to me. Use tylenol as a pain med substitute as soon as possible, drink lots and lots of water, eat foods high in fiber as well as fruits to keep things flowing. I found the constipation problem is much more painful than the stent!
551
Anna
I had a stent put in exactly one week ago and I am still in a lot of pain, both in my kidney and groin. I have taken several different pain killers as recomended by the doctor but none seem to help. I would even say that this pain is worse that the pain of the stone! I am beginning to get very concerned because I have not had bowel movements since the operation and my nurse says this may be causing the stent pain to intensify. I have taken laxatives and still nothing. I have run out of things to do about this pain!
552
Anna
My doctor told me that it I should be able to remove my stent by myself by pulling the string, does anyone know if this will be very painful? I am only 15 and this stone and stent have caused me enough pain already. I'm ready for this to be over!
553
Davey
I have a bilateral obstruction whereby my right ureter has a stone 12mm wide and my left has 2 slightly smaller ones. Stents have been placed in both ureters and up until recently I was passing blood and in a lot of pain, has anyone had trouble in respect of when needing a wee there is great urgency as it is impossible to control it and in trying to do so causes a lot of extra pain in the lower back, side of the body and down into the groin and in my case the testicles. I had the stents put in on 11/07/13 and I constantly have a feeling of needing a wee and when I do go it stings like mad and my kidneys ache, I too am constipated though that is being addressed with the use of Senokot tonight. It gives me some consolation that there are others going through a similar process with similar symptoms and I agree drink plenty of water certainly at least 4L a day. If you drink very little as I did initially the pain can be even worse than it is now - good luck people, my heart goes out to you all.
554
Starchild
Hello all, I also have utetric stent, been in since aug 9th, I also had severe endometriosis.
Stent pain isn't fun, I get pain after urinating, pain after doing pooh.
Lots of groin pain, & shooting pain down my front left leg.
Today needed tremadol, feeling all loopy.
Mine has been in for 5 weeks getting it removed 25th September.
Not under general, I will be awake yuck.
I'm hoping once its out hopefully won't get lots of pain after the removal.
Thank you all.
555
Rob
Early October 2013 my mother had a stent inserted because her doctors thought some residual breast cancer had migrated there. There was no blockage inside but something was putting pressure on the outside. She went home and began to feel stomach pains. It worsened over the days and the doctors said some pain is normal. During this time she did not have any bowel movements, ate very little and her stomach distended so much it looked as if she was a few months pregnant. She described it as the worst pain she had ever experienced. We finally brought her to the ER, but by then it was too late. Within 36 hours she was dead from sepsis.
556
Jill
Anyone have the problem of being unable to find strings? I was told to remove my stent today (Saturday) and I can find any strings even when I used a magnified mirror. I'd happily remove this thing. Surely the pain of having it in is worse than the seconds to remove it. Any advice out there?...
557
Ahktar
I had a 8x5mm kidney stone removed on 6/20/14 and a stent put in. For three days I only had the "normal" side effects of stent placement but since yesterday I have started to bleed. Actual bleeding like a period, not just in my urine. I called my doctor and was told this happens sometimes but I am very worried. Has anyone experienced this type of bleeding? My stent will be removed in two days, can't wait!
558
Kathy
I went in to the ER twice last week. They found a 5mm stone lodged in my upper ureter. I went in to see my urologist, and he wanted me to wait a week to see if it would pass and then scheduled an appt. for me to talk about a stent--he wanted to insert it in his office. However, the appt. was on a Monday and I was in severe pain from the stone (knock-down, I'm-having-a-baby type pain). I couldn't wait, and when I went to the ER the 2nd time they called him in on a Friday night. (I had tried to call his office for the previous two days and couldn't get a hold of him). I had read online that ureters should be put in under general anesthesia, so told him in no uncertan terms was I having him put it in in his office. I had a stent once before during a ureteroscopy for a 7x4mm stone but he did it during surgery when I was knocked out. Anyway, he admitted me and scheduled me for the stent insertion on Saturday morning. He discharged me to go home yesterday, and I have been in SO much pain, I found this website. It's a little better to know others are going through this, so I guess I can wait until I see him tomorrow for my follow-up to talk about it. I have had bladder spasms that hurt worse then before he put the stent in, when he had me admitted with a morphine pump. I noticed from the comments on this site there is a bladder spasm drug he can prescribe, so I will ask about it. I have gone from tortuous peeing the first day to barely tolerable. My urine has been getting redder and redder, and seem to also be passing pus. Has anyone else had the pus? I was put on antibiotics (macrobid) when I went to the ER the first time a week ago. I am taking Opana, a morphine-type drug, but upped myself from 10mg to 15mg (after looking it up online for the dosage) because the pain is so bad. I feel like I'm having the worst labor pains of my life. I have had kidney stones before, a lithotripsy done, a ureteroscopy, and passed several on my own. Both of my kidneys are riddled with them. The pain from this stone has been more painful than any of them. He said he was going to leave the stent in for a "week or two" and then go in after it during a ureteroscopy. I don't know why he couldn't do it all at once like he did before. He said the stent helps dilate it, maybe he's hoping it'll go lower, it's pretty high now. about halfway there. But he said not very likely it'll pass with the stent in. So I have the stent, STILL have the stone and in some of the worst pain of my life (2nd maybe to my rotater cuff repair surgery). I've missed work over the weekend and am only part-time, so don't know if they'll hold my job, I walk around at a huge antique mall. The doc said I should be able to work (HA!). No chance of that, the pain is excruciating and having to pee every few minutes and having to strain it, how can I? At least it's somewhat comforting to know that this is "normal" even though the urologist didn't warn me, he thought I could tolerate it since I had one before, but that was AFTER MY STONE WAS OUT! I don't remember it being like this at all.
559
Kathy Moore
So when I told my urologist about my horrible pain over the weekend, he said "bladder spasms." BLADDER SPASMS? You knew about these and didn't warn me? Or worse yet, leave me w/o a prescription over the weekend when I couldn't get a hold of you? So belatedly, he writes me a script for OPIUM suppositories. The pains are much milder now, and the idea of opium up my butt appalls me, so have been suffering thru. These bladders spasms felt like the stone pain on my worst day. I feel like my body has been thru a hellatious war with my bladder, and my bladder won!
560
Kathy
I'm 558 & 559. Update: I am over a week with this stent, scheduled surgery next Tues. 7/22/2014 to get it out and another doctor who's trained in the higher area is going up into kidney to zap as many stones as possible. Feeling extremely fatigued, not normal. Don't know how to get my energy up, took green tea capsules (I don't drink coffee). Are others going thru this extreme fatigue? Pain when urinating has gone away, and bladder spasms have finally subsided (after 3 days). Don't know how I'm going to go to work tomorrow, walk around an antique mall doing customer service/security.
561
Sherry
Had surgery for blockage in right kidney 2 weeks ago and they put in a new stent which I'll have for a month. I'm having a good bit of discomfort with this one and I'm passing air. Not sure what to make of it. I had robotic surgery and the incision at my belly button has opened up. I guess I'll be making a phone call in the morning. My urologist is 2.5 hours away. (doctors around here suck!)That's another story in it's self!

Anyway, have any of you passed air with a stent in? :/

Thanks
562
Sherri
I went to the E.R on 8-2 due to extreme right flank pain and vomiting. CT-scan revealed a 14.6mm stone blocking my kidney and severe infection. I knew and did not like the urologist on call but it was either accept him or travel a hundred miles out of town to a different hospital. I wish now I would have traveled out of town to a different doctor. I went ahead and let them admit me and had a stent placed the next day. Went home on antibiotics but no pain meds. The doctor said he would not prescribe pain meds or anything for the spasms that I was having and to just take Motrin. I spent a week in debilitating pain before he finally relented and gave me ditropan but still no pain meds. I finally made an appointment with my general doctor begging for something for pain. I was given 14 tramadol tabs and told to follow up with the urologist. I had lithotripsy 3 weeks latter but I told the urologist I would not have the procedure unless he prescribed something for the pain. I insisted on the prescription before I was taken to the procedure.. A week after the lithotripsy I ended up back in the E.R with vomiting and severe pain again. Repeat CT-scan showed that the stone had broken up into two 6mm stones that were not going to pass as well as another infection. The E.R doctor wanted to admit me for IV antibiotics and pain management. The urologist refused to admit me and instructed the E.R doctor to give me oral antibiotics and send me home. I was supposed to follow-up with the urologist a week later after I had an ultra sound and a KUB x-ray. I had the x-ray but have not been able to get the ultra sound because it needs prior insurance authorization and the person in the urologist office that submits the form has not done so. She keeps saying "I'm sorry its taking so long. we might have to reschedule your appointment again (3rd time). I am frustrated and angry. I can't live in constant pain anymore. I called my insurance provider today requesting a different urologist and was told I would have to see my primary care doctor to get a referral and start the process all over again. Wonder if I can cut out my kidney with a sharp kitchen knife? Yes I am that frustrated and desperate.
563
MAE
Hello all! Spent the last hour reading comments going all the way back to 2006. WOW. I had a stent put in one week ago, apparently a 6 mmm stone caused damage to my left ureter. The procedure under GA. Very little discomfort or perhaps the absolute misery that soon followed is why I don't remember any pain from the procedure because 36 hours later Im in the ER with severe flank pain on urination. HORRIBLE pain. Worst than the stone, worse than childbirth. Im not kidding. Nobody in the ER could figure out what was wrong with me. Neither could the staff doctor on call who was a UROLOGIST. They couldn't get painkiller injected into me fast enough. After admitting me for observation and pain control, just enough to make me comfortable, someone on staff called my urologist because I was still having this mystery illness. My urologist knew exactly what was happening. The stent was causing my bladder to spasm and push urine back into my kidney. They gave me Flomax to calm my bladder and it worked(not my first time using it, no issues, just weird bladder sensations)By this time it was Monday night, and by Tuesday morning I didn't even need the painkiller and was released from the hospital later that day. A complete turnaround. A round table discussion advised me the stent needs to stay for a few more days so I got a medical excuse from the doctor. SO here it is Thursday and Ive been laying around all week. I cant sleep, cant eat. I feel edgy. Today I paid bills and THAT was a real drag because the of the dizziness. I drank a cup of coffee looking forward to the buzz but even coffee didn't clear my poor cobwebbed brain. I made myself do a little housekeeping that took up most of the day. Windex one glass end table, sit for an hour watch Hoda and Kathie Lee, windex the coffee table, sit for an hour watch The View etc and so forth next thing I know its 4 pm and time for Ellen. Im not joking. Tomorrow the stent comes out and Im going to speak up for myself and ask if what happened to me is such a common complication, why wasn't Flomax prescribed when the stent was inserted, even just as a precaution?? Wish me luck. God bless all of you thank you for sharing your stories. Scary stories.
I had endometrial cancer and was operated on September 3rd. I have an external kidney stent which is to be removed. I
am being told I need an internal one now. There is very little drainage going into the external bag. Why do I need an
internal stent if the tumor has been removed? A friend has one and says it is uncomfortable, I do not want something
like that if I do not need it. Thank You
565
Claire
I have never been in so much discomfort after having a stent put in as my
Kidney stone was stuck in a tube, pain when weeping pain on how to lay
Blood in urine not pleasant and I've had a baby naturally
And this is more painful also getting pain inthe back
566
Neal
I had a stent fitted 3 years ago and the pain was horrendous. It did the job though. I had another stent fitted 5 weeks ago (was only meant to be for 3) and I have been off work for the whole time. I had forgotten how painful it was. I cannot walk too far without needing to go to the bathroom, I am visiting the bathroom at least every 20 to 30 minutes, I cannot drive and am glued to my heated as that is the only thing that is giving me relief.

I am due to get surgery on Tuesday and I hope the stent will be removed then and I get treatment for the tumour in my kidney. Last time it was chemo.

Some people get on fine and others have a terrible time as if their body os rejecting it, I am the latter sadly. Horrid things.
567
REGINA NELSON
When I asked my urologist about the blockage he didn't mention a stone, he said "crystals". I had a stent put in a year ago and thankfully, there was no pain but after 11 months my stomach started swelling up again. An x-ray showed the stent was colluded. A 2nd one was put in and he said he put a bigger one in. My stomach swelling never went down. I have had 2 UTI's since the 2nd one and think I have one now. I have a steady pain in the rt. kidney and I do not urinate very much in the course of the day. This bigger stent is not working for me. I see the dr. tomorrow. I am not fond of him either. He acts like I should not be having any problems at all. He said if I wanted the smaller stent put in, he would do it. I don't want to go through that again but obviously, this one is not working and my kidney should not have a steady pain in it. I will definitely have it changed if it shows that I have another UTI.
568
Lorrie
I chose to have my 9 mm kidney stone in my right kidney removed before any blockage occurred. Stent was uncomfortable but with meds tolerable. When the stent was removed 5 days after surgery I didn.t make it 20 minutes away before my bladder started having spasms. Took a couple of pain pills and it subsided for a few hours. It started spasms again. Went to ER and given pain meds and sent home. My dr did call me and told me to just take 2 ibuprofen every 6 six hours and it should be cleared in a few days. It did stop by the next day. Had I been informed that spasms could happen I sure wouldn't have gone to the ER. I will now have to go have the other three 6mm stones in my left kidney removed and know what to expect. I do however have the little twinges to pee frequently still.
569
Jeff
I have had 4 different times in the last 13 years that I have had kidney stones. I have had to have the stone removed the last two times. I had a urinary tract stent between a kidney and the bladder the last two times that stayed for around a week before being removed. The first time I had a stent there was only minor pain and minimal blood after removal.

I am in the second day after removal this time and it is a different story. The doctor did not sedate me to remove the stent like several others comments I have read this was not that bad just uncomfortable. The Doctor stated that there was a lot of blood when he went in with the scope to remove the stent. The Doctor had prescribed me Urispas for Spasms and Tylenol #4 for pain when he put the stent in. However; he told me after stent removal I might have some spasms. He did not subscribe me any medication. 30 minutes later in the parking lot before I could even get home the first spasm started. I had three doses of the spasm and pain medication left and thought since he did not make a big deal about the spasms it would be short time thing (Wrong). every four hours or less my pain would be so intense that it would double me over with pain.

I took my last meds at 2:00 am the next morning at 8:00 as soon as they opened I contacted the Doctors office and told them I was having severe Spasms and pain. I was sent to the doctor's nurses voice mail and had to leave a message. I called back several times during the next few hours and never got to talk to the nurse personally. Around 11:00 I called and the receptionist put me on hold for approx. 15 minutes and came back and said the nurse was in clinicals this morning and would listen to her messages after clinicals. Around 3:00 pm I went to another Doctors office that is associated with my Urologist office to try to get someone to refill my medication. My local Doctor told he was going to call in my medication. I bekieve he called my Urologist because when I got to the Pharmacy they told me my urologist had just called in my medication. Within the next 30 minutes while I was getting medication my wife received calls from both my MD and Urologist office one telling me that they called in my medicine the other telling her that they could not duplicate the prescription that my urologist had just called in. I am a cancer survivor and had several surgeries and treatments related to the cancer and have never had the kind of pain that I have had with this stent. I do understand why so many urologist are just like mine that do not prepare and treat their patients for the pain and discomfort related to a stent.
570
Denise
Is it normal when a stent is removed for the Urologist to put his finger in your vagina? My MD did this and it really upset me as I was not expecting this.
571
kristineW
I was rushed to the hospital 3 weeks ago with the most intense pain of my life. The Dr there told me I had an 8mm and 4mm set of kidney stones blocking my ureter...I wanted the pain to stop so badly I agreed to whatever they said they needed to do, which in this case was put in a stent and then go in later for lithotripsy. I was fine wheb I left the hospital thanks to tbe morphine but as soon as it wore off I felt like I was being murdered from the inside out. The pain killers barely took the edge off but the pyridium helped somewhat. After the lithotripsy I honestly couldnt tell the difference I was still in so much pain. I just gor rhe stent removed yesterday and I was still in pretty bad shape and I slept it off as best i could. Today was pretty good until a few hours ago. Now it hurts to pee every five minutes and my stomach hurts again. Not sure what im gonna do exactly but theres no way in hell im going back to that damn urologist, they removed that stent like they could care less about the person it came out of. Its almost as bad as when this all started. And i missed work to top it all off because i cant work while on pain killers. Im also diabetic and this experiance sent my blood sugar through the roof with the constant infections. Seriously if this happens again please just take the kidney.
572
PJ
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I go today to have the stent removed 7 days after the laser blasting/pulverizing of a 1.6cm (not mm) stone. Please pray for me that the removal is complication free and no replacement stent is needed. I came looking for how to prepare for this removal and what to expect afterward. Guess the answer is prayer and more prayer.
I recently had a kidney stone the size of a quarter in my left kidney, after having the neph tube in I came down with an infection. After getting over the infection I went in to have the stone lasered and removed to discover it had disappeared. The doctor removed other small stones he saw but said my kidney was all clear. They took the tube out and a week later took the stent out. I'm experiencing a little soreness/pain/discomfort in my kidney and in my front pelvic area. I'm wondering if this is normal after this kind of surgery, I've never had surgery before or kidney stones so I'm not sure what's normal. I go in for a final ultra sound in 2 weeks and I'm hoping there's no stones or anything wrong and that these symptoms are normal. Please let me know if anyone else has experienced this or has suggestions or info.
574
Janine
I have read with interest the comments above (the last being only two or so weeks ago). I think that ONE of the major problems for patients is a lack of good and thorough communication between practitioners and their patients. As I said to the nurse to whom I spoke today (having rung the Urology Dept. at the hospital (NSW) at which I had a procedure yesterday which involved the placing of a ureteral stent), 'it's perhaps a bit like teaching someone to drive'. When the learner driver actually understands what exactly is going on under the bonnet; around the chassis with the operation of the clutch (manual); wheels; brakes; sockets, etc. etc., he or she will likely be a more confident, and more capable and adept driver.

Most patients would probably like to be given a complete explanation regarding:

WHAT is going to be done to them, involving diagrams (even if using hand-gesticulations) etc.;

WHY (a) or (b) (c) [etc.), procedure/s are going to be done, in the patient's PARTICULAR case;

ALL of the significant/serious RISKS associated with the operation

ALL of the likely SIDE/AFTER-EFFECTS of surgery itself - including realistic TIME FRAMES

ALL of the likely SIDE/AFTER EFFECTS of any placed device (such as a stent,) or of P.O. medication

ALL of PAIN AND RECOVERY METHODS that can be utilised to minimise pain and discomfort

Patients want, need, surely are entitled to open and thorough discussion on all of these issues. They should be fully informed, and feel themselves to be in a reasonable position to discuss with the practitioner initial treatment/procedural and options, and post-operative care, etc. As one of your contributors has emphasized, practitioners have a duty to make sure that the patient is given adequate and supportive post-operative care, irrespective of how brief, or, on the other hand, how protracted and complex. I felt so much sympathy for so many of the people who have written so far, and also certainly identified with many of those, too. To everyone still suffering, I hope that you do come to an end to your problems and pain, very soon.
575
Kevin
Last year I had severe pain in my back and ended up in hospital where they went in and removed many stones from my urinary track and then inserted a stent because of a size seven blocking the tube and while under they discovered part of my bladder was trapped in a large hernia so after a few weeks I had to go back to hospital to have it repaired and because my body had a reaction to the stent i had to go under and have it changed on three more occasions before finally getting the OK, but according to my DR I ended up with a huge blood clot up my leg which he thinks was caused by five surgeries and now a year later I am still passing blood and tests show instead of having 9 parts to the measurement they use I have 900 and today dropped a container of cola colored urine off to be tested again. one hint if you are having a stent removed for a couple of days before take sodium bicarbinate in a glass of water, it makes urinating a lot less painful. good luck to you all
576
Ann
Since April 2015 i have had a kidney stone in my left kidney, On one occasion i went to accident and emergency department in such terrible pain i felt like rolling around on the floor. I was told to sit and wait my turn which could be three hours. With this information, i went home, took so many pain killers and lucky for me the pain stopped. On numerous occasions i obtained prescriptions for antibiotics until my urology appointment at my local hospital. I explained my symptoms and was told to come back in six months time, if the symptoms got worse to go to my local A&E department.The only way i would receive treatment was if my kidney started to swell. With this knowledge, i went online to find a private hospital either in the UK or abroad. My consultant also sent me for a scan a few weeks later. My oh my...at the scan i was told to go to A&E asap. The same hospital that had told me to come back in six months now told me my kidney had swollen and it was now an emergency. At the moment, i am recovering at home after having a 9mm kidney stone blasted and a stent put in. I have got to the point that i have lived with pain for so long that it has now become part of who i am, Any one who says stents or kidney stones do not hurt are clueless. The misery and pain they cause can be unbearable and the quality of life can be limited due to the associated pain they cause. On one occasion i was on my hands and knees begging God that if the only way the pain would stop would be death, then please let me die. A bit extreme but i have even thought about getting a knife and cutting the stone out myself. But, i am still in tact, still in pain and have accepted that i will always have kidney stones and as the consultant told me, my body make up makes kidney stones regardless of diet and i will visit the urology department until death. But, its the in between times when i am pain free that i live each day as though it is my last. I laugh,joke raise money for charity and fill each day pure and utter sunshine. Kidney stone pain is horrific but it is better to be alive at any cost.
577
Brett
I have been a chronic stone former for the last 37 + years. I have passed over 1000 stones, and that would be a conservative number. Right now I have a Stent in my right ureter due to a 5mm stone blocking the exit of the kidney. My kidney started to shut down and I developed a severe infection in my kidney. I have stones every day of my life, though they are not always passing. There are usually a few stones in each kidney all of the time. I have been on disability now for the last 23 years, and I also suffer from many other things such as Celiac Disease, Fibromyalgia, a broken neck and back and Chemical poisoning all from my job in the Military. I am scheduled to have the stone lasered in the next couple of weeks, but right now I'm going through the pain from the Stent and the stone. I too had been to the emergency room for this last attack twice and I had to wait for 10 hours screaming in pain while doctors and nurses all walked right over and around me! My wife of 35 years has been through this so many times that she gets aggravated with the whole system. The only thing that I can think of while I'm on the floor is that I would like to beat these medical people silly. Let me tell you, in all of my experience, it never gets any better. I hope that some of you in the medical field experience this horrible pain so that you will be more empathetic with us sufferers! To you all who are in my shoes, God Bless you!
578
Lee
Hope someone has advice for me

I had a Ureter stent inserted about a month and a half ago due to narrowing of my ureter which the doctor cannot determine a cause ,anyway I experience excruciating pain in my bladder while urinating which I assume is normal and I also have extreme pain in my penis while urinating ,I honestly thought after some time this would go away but it is still there after a month. is this normal?
579
Nicole
I had a unfortunate experience.with a stent a had a large kidney stone which I couldnt pass so I had a stent inserted prior to having surgery to hekp break the stone up its called.lithotripsy which is were.they send sound waves through the kidney are to.break the stone up. I had it done ,2.twice the doctor I had.left my first stent.in 3 months when he went.to remove in his office it was terrible pain worst than child.birth because it had grown into my bladder and kidney well lets just say couple hours later I was.in back of ambulance on way back to hospital because I was.bleeding terrible when.I peed but I finally am straightened out and I wpuld never get another stent again
580
Lyndsey
My father went to hospital in beginning of Dec 2015. He had a stent inserted and laser done for kidney stones.
A week or so later we took him back to hospital as he was complaining of stomach pains and a swollen stomach. Doctor said he has a bowel obstruction. He was in hospital for a few days (catheter put in ) they gave him anaemia for two nights. He came home from the hospital with the catheter for Christmas. Just after new year we had to rush him back to hospital , he had been shivering during the night and had a high fever, he could hardly string a sentence together.

They admitted him for 8 days, the nurse used the words blood infection. He came home after 8 days. A week later he was in the same state again. Doctor took out the stent but his temperature was still very high and now he was delirious.

He is now under another doctor , who last week operated on him and told us he had a perforated bowel. He has been in ICU since last week Wednesday. He has a catheter in again and a colostomy bag. When he came out of the operation, he had a tube in his mouth to drain something. That was taken out. His temp is still very high and blood pressure high.
His gout is getting worse. He is in a lot of pain. He stopped breathing and they put a tube in his throat to breath.

As a family we don’t understand how you go into treat your kidney stones and he is now critically ill. Is this all coincidence or has something gone wrong somewhere.

Please can you advise what we should do.
581
Deborah
What is the longest time a stent for the bladder to kidney can be left in place? If it's left in too long what complications could happen? Can you get a kidney stone from one being left in for over a year? Can it damage your kidney?
582
Deborah
Had one in for 17 months because Dr. forgot to remove it after major surgery. Can you have problems with bladder and kidneys like I am from it being left in too long?
583
Carla Fleece
I have had a stint put in 3 times for kidney stones. The first I was living in PA I had a stone attack went straight down and was vomiting driving to a hospital. I had to have them blasted and a stint put in. It didn't hurt to bad and when they took it out. They hooked up a IV looking thing put the tube up a little in the urethra and open up a water flow and it judt slid out. It's not painful at all at least not as bad as the stone. I think the reason whyy first one was easier is because they gave me a shot in my back since I was on morphine all day waiting g on surgery. So I was out with twilight but numb from the waist down. Then later had 2 more here in Ohio and I was uncomfortable after each stint. But they didn't numb me from the waist down. I just pray the stone all falls out and I can get this out within 10days. Stones are serious. There is medication for people that produce them. I haven't had to take pain pills since just after sugery. Thank God. Carla
584
Pam
I have ovarian cancer and it spread to the outer areas of my left ueters, of which I have two. My urologist placed 2 piggy tail stents Sept. 10, 2015. In December I had them replaced. Two days ago my new urologist (I had moved to another city) was able to remove 1 and replace the other with a temporary which will be removed in two weeks. A week before this last surgery one of my stents slipped causing complete loss of bladder control that went on for 6 days before surgery. This also caused an infection in my uereter. The only upside to that is the extreme kidney pain in my flank was completely gone. Two days ago, after sugery and in extreme pain, I accidentally took 2 loraepam about 10 minutes after my hydrcodone/pap and within 1/2 hour my pain completely subsided. The pain started to creep up on me again about 6 hours later and this time just the lorazepam worked. (I try to stay away from anything that can cause constipation because it just makes evertything more intolerable and painful). My original urologist did say "I'm not going to lie to you, this could be almost immobilizing with the two stents placed so closely", and it was. An icepack along my spine and heating pad over my flank and pelvic area did help ease, but not rid the pain. I tried daily walks and 5 minutes into my 30 minute walks (needed for my cancer) I was doubled over and creeping back home. Eventually I had to stop because it just caused more bleeding, small clots and extreme pain. I am going to try a small wallk today with the lone temporary and see how it goes.

It is fairly simple to change urologists. Make sure to find one that specializes in whatever condition you have going on, search the internet for reviews on them and move on. Do not stay with a doctor you don't have confidence in or one that doesn't explain everything you need to know or promptly respond to your concerns. If you have to have a primary care referral, tell your primary what the problem is and why you need to change. Listen to that little voice inside you. There is a reason it's talking to you. Best of luck to everyone. These are not easy procedures and this board is full of tough warriors!
585
Gan
Hey, thank you for sharing your experience. It was very helpful. i was also face to a Ureteroscopy and Laser Lithotripsy two weeks ago, after found that my both left and right kidneys were blocked by 9mm and 8mm kideney stones. It was very painfull and the only way to overcome the pain was using a suppositters(i used supp only for pain due to stones not for stents).In the surgery both stones were removed using laser and two stents were put on. i was also told by the doc that i could able to go to work on next day and he cracked me a joke when i asked him that how many days i should rest until im recovred. (that was funny :D). Anyway, even though after ten days i feel like his NEXT DAY is still no there. It hurts more than it is expected. i feel tired all the day. i think it pain a lot bcoz i have 2 stents. Anyway it is nt a piece of cake as people say, those who not ever faced a such surgery,. good luck guys





l.
586
Nick
I just had a ureter stent replacement and during this the guide wire broke. The broken piece of about few inches is inside next to the new stent from the kidney down. What do you think should I do? a. Go to a radiologist and at no time fish it from the kidney? Wait a wile to have the stent relaxed in the ureter? or when I will have in four months replace this stent do it all together?
587
Marsha
I was diagnosed with a kidney stone two days ago which, of course, caused intense pain. I was told I would be put under general anesthesia while a doctor used a laser to remove the stone and place a temporary stent. The doctor told my spouse that he could not get all of the pieces of the stone out and that my ureter was distended to almost two centimeters in diameter. He was afraid any further attempts at sludge or stone removal could pierce the ureter so he left the stent in and said I would have it removed later. At discharge (on a weekend) I received no information on a timeline for removal or any activity restrictions. Since pain meds (that I am already listed as allergic to) were also handwritten by the doctor, I'm assuming a couple of things. First that some kind of pain is expected - is that right? Second that there probably are some kind of activity restrictions but no one took the time to tell me about them; and finally that since no one looked at my chart closely enough to see what my allergies are, they probably didn't list any other follow up information I should have, or how long I should leave the stent in. Can anyone help me with this information?
588
Teri
My son has had kidney stones since the age of 7 he is now 22. My husband and I found an herb called white oak that has helped our son with his stones. It is supposed to kill the bacteria that causes the stones. My son actually passed a stone that broke down into sand in his hand when he showed us, he said it was so much easier to pass. For those that might want to read up on this I hope it helps.
589
Jim
My wife had "360 back surgery" in February and after seeing the surgeon for eight months prior to the operation, she was informed, the morning before her surgery, she would have ureteral stents inserted before the back surgery began. Absolutely zero information was provided about the stenting procedure. Just another example of doctors making sure they get to check out every cell on or in a females body.
590
Jody
Good evening,
Can't sleep, as I'm suffering from colic due to the stent that was placed in my body, after my 7mm stone removal 6 days ago. Took 1 percocet and an hour later, I'm finally able to lay down comfortably in bed. It's been a long week. I have one more day of this and then it (stent) can come out. All week I have had pain, pressure, bleeding, cramping, colic, tugging, and burning. Not fun! I am nervous about the removal of the stent, but at this point, I'm use to being in pain so, can it be
any worse? I'm going to go prepared by taking a percocet before the
appointment. Hope that will mask some of the pain that may occur after it's out. So glad I found this forum. Lots of good information. This is only my first surgery and stent. Bless all of you that go through this on a regular basis. My heart goes out to you.
If I could give any advice to someone who is going through this for the first time, find a great doctor with an award winning bedside manner. Write your questions down and ask ask ask. When you get home, rest, relax, wear loose clothing, and rely on friends and family to help out. Drink lots of water, it really helps. Heating pads work to some degree, if anything, the warmth makes you feel better. (2) 325mg Tylenols help with colic pain, but don't kick in for a few hours. 1 percocet helps within the hour.
Best wishes to you all!
Peace out,
Jody
591
Alexi
Due to my verbosity my original contribution was too long so I have completed it here:
Now I have to wait till the end of this month for my next op at the hospital for which they booked me in today - the earliest date available due to a large number of cancer operations - but they also put me on their "short list" so I might be lucky again. Meanwhile I'll have to put up with the pains and take Panadols. I'm just hoping they are able to successfully remove the tumour and that cancer hasn't spread anywhere else in the body. I'll also have my doctor discuss with the urologist and hospital staff re the diagnoses and treatments and we may have to consider the private hospital if necessary. I hope my experiences narrated here may help some people. Thanks for your time.
592
Alexi
Please read this before my previous post as it “disappeared” when submitted so I have re-written it.
I’m Australian – Caucasian age 75 – live in rural area. My problem: tumour on the ureter right at the bladder. Right kidney not functioning. I had a routine blood test as part of annual check and my general practitioner (GP) said there was a kidney problem and would monitor it. My wife and I decided to go to an old friend. I should have gone to her long ago. She does most thorough physical exams I’ve had and is very proactive. She had new blood tests and was most concerned; so ultrasound and referred me to urologist in city 100kms away. He wanted me to have renal CT scan before seeing me and then told my GP it was a chronic condition, no urgency and would see me in 18 days.
We wanted it seen sooner so asked GP for others. Phoned clinic of 6 in a city 150kms away and got appointment in 5 days. The urologist, professor at uni, teaches at the public hospital and practices at a private hospital. On seeing ultrasound he said it was a tumour, needed urgent treatment, could be malignant and aggressive. How different to the other guy. I was shocked! So was my wife. An awful life turn. Briefly explained the cystoscopy but I absorbed little. He said I could be treated in private hospital, cost $5K - $6K for first day treatment or at public hospital. Said to try there first. Went to the hospital and booked in with 17 day wait but no worse than the private place. Also had renal CT scan – luckily a vacancy that afternoon. Things were moving. Hospital had me attend preadmission checks, blood tests, scans and interviews 4 days before admission. Day of treatment: anaesthetist came to me and in the prep room told me I was in good hands – 3 anaesthetists, 2 urologists – Why? They weren’t sure where they were going so they wanted best care for me. He, like all other staff there, instils confidence. Lovely, friendly and helpful people. In the operating theatre, oxygen mask on for a full anaesthetic, told to take a few breaths. Then a voice, “Wake up Mr..”. A nurse was beside me in post op. In the past hour they had done the cystoscopy, looked at the bladder etc, taken a sample for biopsy, inserted 2 stents to R & L kidneys.
I was moved into the rest area and THE PAIN started with first urination. I had managed to walk with wife to toilet but excruciating pain left me shuffling back to my recliner with her help. I was an old guy – I’m a fit healthy 75! I was supposed to go early afternoon but was kept to late afternoon due to pain and weakness. We had to stay in the city for 3 nights in case of complications – luckily we have relatives to stay with.
For 2 days and nights I dreaded urinating due to extreme pain. I thought it was like childbirth! I see a 2008 contributor said it was worse than childbirth for her – I was right. Staff had told me to take Panadol (paracetamol pain killer) which I did 4x2 per day. First midnight I had a lot of relief when I vomited –lots of fluid. But then the pain was on again. After 2nd night pain diminished to near bearable levels. Blood in urine also decreased. Before returning to our rural home they gave me a full body bone scan and a chest CT scan – looking for cancers. Blood test showed vast improvement to normal/good levels to kidney functions – my GP was delighted when she heard about that. BTW urine tests before going to hospital showed “suspicious carcinomas type cells”.
At home, pain down, urine in day 4 was clear, took less Panadol. But last night pain returned – too few Panadols, so back to full dose. Yesterday, hospital phoned booking me for end of month – a long wait but I’m on “short list”. Perhaps earlier treatment. Will discuss with GP and urologist whether it’s still urgent and perhaps private hospital. BTW all treatment so far is Medicare and has cost me nothing.
Will let you know what happen at next operation which involves replacem (...)
593
Alexi
2nd op was on 30th June. The urologist ugly explained it. She had to go into my left ureter to check to see that it and the kidney are good because there is a cancerous tumour on right ureter and she will need to remove it and kidney provided the left are good. If the left is not good they would need to decide on some other treatment. Following the procedure she told me the left is good and that she had removed the stents. I was so glad about the stent removal as I dreaded them being replaced. I have an appointment with her Thursday of this week to discuss all reports and the next operation and will book into hospital. I have been told that all MRIs, bone scans and ultra sounds show no cancer elsewhere apart from that on the ureter. So at this stage I'm hopeful that the next operation will be the end to all of this and life for us will return to normal. By the way, I felt really good straight after the operation and have regained all of my usual cheerful self. I'm very confident in the urologists and the hospital staff. Being in Australia all my treatment is on Medicare so I have paid virtually nothing - only the difference between the urologists' fee for consultation in the clinic and the Medicare rebate. Everything else - the operations, MRIs. ultra sounds, blood tests and so on are all covered by Medicare. A great system that we have here as it means everyone can get proper medical treatment.

I'll let you know what happens with the next operation.
594
Alexi
In the previous it should have said, "The urologist fully explained it."
Makes one wonder how words get changed by the computer at times!
595
Alexi
Had my 3rd operation 22nd June. A 4 hour job in which the two urologists removed right kidney and ureter along with a small part of the bladder where the ureter goes into it using laparoscopic technique.Luckily they didn't have to change to open incisions. So 5 ports plus one vertical incision on mid point of my lower abdomen.
Both urologists saw me next morning and both felt the op was very successful and think there was no cancer in surrounding tissues. I'll know for sure at my follow up appointment on 8th September.
Stayed for 5 nights in hospital, the registrar urologist saying he didn't want to discharge me unless I could tell him I was "100%" as I had almost passed out on the 2nd and 3rd mornings there. I was on a morphine drip for a couple of days, then some other painkiller, and then Panadol tablets. They felt my recovery was rapid and say it was due to my general good health and fitness. The hospital staff were wonderful.
I stayed in the city for a further week before coming home but at 3 weeks since the op I am still fatigued and any exertion makes me extremely tired. Pains are relatively minor but if I sit up in bed I have to do it carefully as otherwise I get severe sharp pain in the lower right side.
I'm fortunate in having a wonderful GP who came all the way to see me while in hospital and phones frequently to see how I feel. My darling wife has been a source of constant love and support. What more can one ask for?
All in all I feel quite satisfied with my treatment and progress and am looking forward to a complete return to my normal self.
596
Trevor
Thank God for this informative site. I"ve had my second stent after 5 years on the 19/07/2016 and experience the most uncomfortable feeling and passing blood not to mention the pain. My pharmacist recommended Renaltone to assist in the breaking up of the stones. I am not sure if the stones came down but I had a ugly brown in the urine combined with the blood. I hope to God this has happened since my operation is only due on the 28/09/2016. Meanwhile I am worried if everything is fine since I still experience pain, blood and walk like a duck.My friend Yulene Noland bought me a herb called Horsetail which is also relieving so we try anything to get rid of STONE!
Has anyone had a stent placed due to retroperitoneal fibrosis which causes the ureter to crimp? I had a stent placed in last Friday, and was very uncomfortable Friday night but only took one dose of pain medicine (oxycodone). I am guessing removal is no better in my situation??? I was not told about removal till after the stent was placed (I actually thought it was permanent to keep the fibrosis from kinking the ureter continuously) Was told it would be done in the office but was NOT advised on the pain and discomfort you guys are describing, and I am really steamed. I Love my urologist because he found early stages of renal cell carcinoma 13 years ago and removed my kidney, saving my life. Another urologist in his group placed the stent. Someone should advise on the WHOLE process including removals and the ultimate multiple placements of the stent. My sympathies to all of you who suffer with kidney stones...I am lucky.
598
Dee
Has anyone had faint blood in thier urine more than a coupleof months after stent removal? Doctor says Im fine. How can it be. He says drink more water.
599
Jason
I've recently had a stint put in my kidney. I have stones that will be removed. It's been on now 12 days. Last night, I noticed that it wasn't draining like it has been. There seems to be air pockets in line. No problems yet. I'm drinking plenty of water. Still not refilling bag, like before? It's supposed to be removed in 5 days. What should I do?
600
Glenice
Having had a stent inserted 8 weeks ago due to a kidney stone which was too large to pass I had the stone 'blasted' and another stent put in on the 14th November and as I had experienced pain,bleeding and difficulty in moving around it was agreed to remove the stent today the 24th November
Having read other people's experiences of having stent removed I was very apprehensive but have to say it was so easy. You feel a slight pull (similar to what I was experiencing when going to the toilet and catching thread) and then it's out around a second in time
I can't believe how easy it was to remove
I developed severe pains in my back within the area of my left Kidney, dealt with these unbearable pains for 3 hrs. while throwing up many times. I was rushed to the hospital via of an ambulance. CT scan revealed a 9mm Kidney Stone lodged 1/3 of way down my left Ureteral. I was given pain killers for the night and was scheduled for surgery the next day. The Doctor inserted a Stent which pushed the Kidney Stone up the Ureteral close toward the Kidney and sent me home the following day from the hospital. One week later back to the operating room, the Kidney Stone was removed via of Laser. During the removal of the Kidney Stone the Ureteral experienced some damage as the result of the Laser. A second Stent was then inserted into the Ureteral for healing purposes, I was then sent home. one week later, back to the Doctor's office. X-ray revealed two fragments were lodged within the Ureteral. Scheduled for surgery 01-06-17 to remove the second Stent and the two remaining Kidney Stone fragments. One month later 2nd Stent still causing much discomfort, very weak, just starting to get my appetite back. Hopefully once the second Stent is removed along with the two Kidney Stone fragments I can return to a normal way of life live without the constant urge to empty my Bladder and the never ending sharp pain within as the result of the Stent will leave me once and for all.
I feel for anyone who has experienced the discomfort of Kidney Stones. I do believe the Doctors do understand the pain and discomfort experienced by their patients as the result of having Kidney Stones.
My advice to all patients under Doctor's care with Kidney Stones is to remain patient and follow your Doctor's orders for a full recovery.
602
Catherine Bicada
I had this pigtail stent 1 month ago, but then the time comes to remove, the doctor said ...I removed the first one but then I'm putting another new one again , because your kidney still in problem.. Doctor said it's nothing, but this a big shit!!! pain that can drive you crazy..You can't do your daily routine , you feel very tired and it seems like difficulty breathing sometimes , is this all normal..
603
Alexi
I'd just like to update my previous posts. I've had a number of urine and blood tests and other cystoscopy in November, '16 all of which shows that I appear to be free of cancer. They got it all in the operation. Incidentally the cancer in the ureter had doubled in size from 2 1/2 cms (about 1 inch) to 5 cms in the time between diagnosis and removal. I was extremely lucky that it had not broken through the ureter wall into surrounding tissue. On talking to the urologist in November I asked as to why I wasn't kept in hospital for a couple of days and given morphine to ease the horrendous pains. She told me that morphine would actually have been worse for me as I would have become constipated as well. I have full confidence in her and her colleagues at the clinic and would recommend them to anyone here in the SE of NSW, Australia. Just put a message here if you want their names.

I'd like to emphasise again as to the importance of getting second opinions if you are not satisfied with the first ones. In my case the first GP was just going to monitor th GFR blood tests so we went to a different GP who acted straight away. The first urologist saw the ultrasound and wanted a MRI done and then let my GP know that it was a chronic condition and not urgent. That seemed ridiculous to us. The urologist who I then saw took no time to say that it was urgent and an aggressive cancer. Without the second GP and the second urologist we would have gone on a 3 month holiday and not been treated till much later when it may have been too late.
604
Alexi
Further to my Post above #603. When I said about asking re staying in hospital longer that was in reference to the first cystoscopy when the stents were put in.
Incidentally it took well over 3 months for me to become normal again. I was absolutely weak after the major operation and could barely walk anywhere let alone do anything else for some time.
605
Haylee
2 weeks ago I had litho on a 1.8 cm stone in my left kidney. I also had a stent put in. Went back to the Urologist today. Still have large 3 fragments/ stones in my kidney (4mm, 8 mm. I am still in quite a bit of pain in my kidney. Feels like pinching/ piercing pain. We are giving it another week to try and pass the remaining stones or I will have to have another litho. I do not do well with pain medicine...makes me very sick. I can't tell if my pain is from the stent or from the remaining fragments/ stones. If anyone can relate, please let me know. It may help put my mind at ease. Thank you.
606
Paul
I'm new here and it seems we are all looking for results
I recently had cystoscopy lithotripsy
after trying to pass a stone that was 9mm
Doctor said it wouldn't happen on it's own and my kidney could fail if stone doesn't pass
I broke down and went into surgery for them to blast the stone
I woke up after surgery thanking god it's over
I went home had alittle discomfort urinating and in couple days I felt better
I had to go in to urologist to remove stent left in my ureter 7 days after surgery
This would be fun they do it in his office while I'm awake just some anesthetic gel in my urethra pathway
Doctor places a tube the width of a cigarette maybe bigger and about 2 feet long
As he inserted the cystoscope into my penis (urethra) down into my bladder it felt very uncomfortable
Then the flushed water into the bladder so they can see the bladder better with the cystoscope
In conclusion the removed the stent successfully the second try
I felt the process of stent removal was very bad
In this case doctor located the stent had nurse turn something then he pulled like he was starting a lawnmower
I don't know if this was a normal removal or doctor had a bad day or something
This pull had not retrieved the stent so they had to go back in again
It was removed I felt like thanks a lot it's over now
Again I went home and had alittle discomfort while urinating only which got better within 2 to 3 days
On day 11 from stent removal
I woke up with a burning in my bladder
Day 12 called emergency number for doctor
Doctor had me in on day 13
For urinalysis for infection
Day 13 I could only urinate only alittle at a time maybe 1 oz if I was lucky
The feeling to urinate really bad had never left me it was bad
Day 14 says no infection showing
Maybe you have a fragment of the stone coming out
Catscan and sonogram that day
All negative so in the end
Doctor says everything looks fine
Urinary retention was causing the pain my bladder was full but couldn't really empty my bladder
Get off pain meds I was told from someone other than the doctor
Day 15 I call doctor and tell him something is wrong
He said ok we will have to scope you again
I was in so much pain in my urethra
I'm like really so I scheduled the appointment reluctantly knowing this is what hurt me in the first place
Day 17 I was finally able to urinate a long duration after something was happening while urinating
My urine was coming out like there was something in its way
Kind of like a slow sprinkler
Then stream got straight and I was going for a minute straight but a very slow flow
The only thing I did change was my liquid intake
I said if catscan shows no stone
I don't need to drink so much water
I probably drank 1 1/2 liters
Maybe this helped something I don't know but ever since that day I could get my bladder to empty
I cancelled my cystoscope and told doctor I felt better
Day 27
I still have a pain in my urethra when urinating and my left testicle has risen
When I urinate my bladder stops letting urine out then it will start again and I urinate again several times in one bathroom trip
If I touch the bottom of the urethra it kick starts my bladder to release the urine
My bladder muscles and opening muscles don't operate correctly anymore
Or I have strictures in my urethra
Something is wrong and pain has subsided a bit
My game plan stay away from the scope
I've order ezeee flow tea
Cranberry extract capsules
D-massose capsules
Aloe Vera juice
Hopefully I get my life back here
As for anyone getting this procedure done
They make it seem like no biggie
It's been a nightmare with only option to test further with that scope and possibly cause more problems than now if there is strictures (scarring)
My hope is this gets better anyone out there that can help give me some insight
607
Nikki
I am 35 and had an 11 mm stone that was recently blasted through lithotripsy about 4 1/2 days ago. I have a stent in my left side and the nurse said I'd be able to go back to work in 3 days. Ha! I have only been able to lay down and forget about even sitting or walking. My entire job is sitting and walking and I can't even think about going to work right now. It's just simply impossible to do. Oh the pain! I have had an abortion, a tubal ligation, and a foot surgery where my foot was cut open and bone was shaved down. Let me tell you...this hurts worse than each one of those. I am tired of going to the bathroom to pee (feel like I live on the toilet). First couple of days,I got up every 10 minutes to 30 minutes to pee and this was when I was trying to sleep. I didn't get any sleep and the sleep I got was totally messed up with me getting up so frequently. The Dr. doesn't tell you of the burning when peeing (like a UTI). Your first pee after your surgery is a blood bath. If you're a woman, your first pee will be like your period. I am going to call my Urologist and see if I can get the stent out early. My stent removal is in 18 days!! I can't even conceive of keeping this thing in that long. I'm so afraid of the pain of having it removed. I am freaking out right now about my job (how long I can be gone...didn't expect to be out this long), if the Urologist will remove my stent early, and the actual removal of the stent. Can someone please tell me what it's like to remove a stent (the pain and experience that you endured?)
608
Nikki
I am 35 and had an 11 mm stone that was recently blasted through lithotripsy about 4 1/2 days ago. I have a stent in my left side and the nurse said I'd be able to go back to work in 3 days. Ha! I have only been able to lay down and forget about even sitting or walking. My entire job is sitting and walking and I can't even think about going to work right now. It's just simply impossible to do. Oh the pain! I have had an abortion, a tubal ligation, and a foot surgery where my foot was cut open and bone was shaved down. Let me tell you...this hurts worse than each one of those. I am tired of going to the bathroom to pee (feel like I live on the toilet). First couple of days,I got up every 10 minutes to 30 minutes to pee and this was when I was trying to sleep. I didn't get any sleep and the sleep I got was totally messed up with me getting up so frequently. The Dr. doesn't tell you of the burning when peeing (like a UTI). Your first pee after your surgery is a blood bath. If you're a woman, your first pee will be like your period. I am going to call my Urologist and see if I can get the stent out early. My stent removal is in 18 days!! I can't even conceive of keeping this thing in that long. I'm so afraid of the pain of having it removed. I am freaking out right now about my job (how long I can be gone...didn't expect to be out this long), if the Urologist will remove my stent early, and the actual removal of the stent. Can someone please tell me what it's like to remove a stent (the pain and experience that you endured?)
609
Iain Shearer
I am 53 I had severe pain in my right kidney 12/07/17 which went a way but returned that night, went to A&E and was kept in for a scan. 8.5 mm Stone was found in my tube between the kidney and bladder I was kept in had to drink copious amounts of water. The stone was stuck so after 2 days I had a tube inserted into my side under local anesthetic into the kidney to drain urine and blood as I had started to get a temperature this involved having a bag to carry around which collected urine and blood . This was a painful procedure but once done stopped the pain of infection etc. Three days later I was admitted for an operation which involved being put under and having a wire inserted which then zapped the stone to break it up. After 2 hours the op was over and I awoke to find a tube draining my bladder, the stone had been broken and the main piece removed for analysis. After 2 more days of drinking water the tube was removed and I was allowed home but had a stent still in me attached to what a layman would call fishing line. I was amazed that I was then released and informed that in 5-6 days I could remove the stent myself by pulling the fishing line, I was a bit apprehensive about this but took 2 pain killers and had a shower. The stent came out fairly easily with only a slight pain, I was shocked that the stent was 10-12 inches in length. Only slight blood in urine which cleared up after 3-5 days, all appears ok now. I was signed off for 2 weeks by the DR at hospital. I hope this helps anyone else who has a kidney stone, the process is not nice and can be painful but the result it worth it. Pain value 7/10.
610
Elizabeth Douglas
I've read most of the post here. Doesn't sound good. Did anyone/does anyone have a not so bad experience...or doesn't that happen?
611
Melissa garcia
3 days after stent removal and still having painful spasms and passing tissue. Anyone else have this happen and how long did it go on for before they were 100% back to normal? I’m just so tired of how this stent has made my life miserable.
612
Joyce Coologhan
At ER, it took Morphine, toridol, Fentanyl patch and Fentanyl to lower my BP enough (due to pain) to send me home. I had two natural birth babies and that doesn’t compare to the pain when that stone gets lodged. I had surgery on Friday afternoon to remove a 5mm kidney stone. By this morning (Sunday) I was tired of hiding the damned string from the cat or accidentally catching it on my panties or shorts. And I was really tired of that elephant that was sitting on my bladder, so I pulled the stent out. Nice firm, stead pressure. No pain drugs. None needed because there was zero pain taking it out.
613
Natalie
I’ve had bilateral jj stents in place now for nearly 7 weeks. I had them placed 5 days prior to a hysterectomy due to adhesions around my left ureta and bladder. I felt so ill when I came round from the aneathestic, the nurse said if I was to carry on crying and being in pain I’d have to stay the night. I ended up being the last person to go home on the day ward. Well by 10pm that night I was throwing up. I literally felt sick and didn’t get out of bed for 5 days. Then I had the hysterectomy. Felt ok in fact better than when I woke up from the stent placement procedure. A week after my hysterectomy by urine turned to just pure blood I went to see my GP who called the urology department and they said to treat as an infection with antibiotics. As well as the red urine I had a constant pain in my uretha. I went back to the GP’s 5 days later as still the same. It was a different GP, she called urology again and was told these symptoms are pretty grim but very common and go give me painkillers and anti sickness tablets as they wouldn’t take them out earlier than stated. I was told 4 weeks after my hysterectomy so 3 weeks after my hysterectomy I called the day case waiting list to find out if a date had been planned. It hasn’t and the lady said you paperwork says December so it will be December sometime. I was furious. I called the communications team at the hospital who called urology then got back to me and basically said the same. I then had to go to my GP again last week to get more anti sickness tablets and she was really cross about it all and told me to contact the complaints department I said I already had and she said do not worry about how many times you contact them you tell them this needs sorting and you need to know what’s happening. I’ve never had problems with my bladder or kidneys before this so I seriously hope this doesn’t leave me with any long term symptoms. I’ve been off work now for 7 weeks and there’s still another week and a half before my stents can come out. I’m seriously fed up. The hysterectomy was a breeze compared to these bloody stents. I actually wish and sometimes feel like pulling the damn things out myself. I wish I’d insisted on the ones that have the strings so you can remove them yourself. I was finally given a date after a second complaint. They will come out on 19th December. Apparently there was literally a cancellation as the guy I complained to called the day case waiting people to see when I could get in. I say that’s rubbish and they’ve squeezed me in as they did when they had me booked in for the wrong procedure when I originally went in to get them placed. I’m so sick of this and can not wait to get them removed.
614
Kim Harsoyo
I just had my stent removed from my right ureter today. It was inside of me for seven days after kidney stone surgery. The surgery was okay since I was asleep the whole time. The stent was another story. I felt it every day. When I moved a certain way it would zing me. When I peed, it would burn. I also had flank pain and towards the end of my seventh day, I had the symptoms of a UTI. The burning and urgency to pee were unbearable. I took AZO and that helped a lot. AZO can only be taken for two days though so I was fortunate that I was toward the end of my stent time. Removing the stent was uncomfortable but very quick. Just take a deep breath and by the time you realize it hurts it will be over. I hope I never get another kidney stone again. Once in a lifetime if enough.
615
Natalie
Today I had bilateral JJ stents removed. Thought I would share my experience... it took literally about 3 minutes. I hardly felt a thing, feels a bit weird when the pull out the stents and the cystoscope but definitely not painful. Within half an hour the pain is endured for the 8 weeks I’d had the stents in had almost dissapeared. First wee was ok not stinging, burning or blood. I literally feel like a different person to the one I’ve been the last 8 weeks with the stents in. So if you are having stents removed don’t worry it isn’t painful and it’s really so quick.
616
Penny
I had a uteroscopy (double stent) a week ago (I've had 7 Lithotripsies before this - no stent) and mine went almost exactly as many of yours went, hellacious. This is for the people who are doing this while working, pregnant, other major health issues, I salute you, you must be the strongest people out there. I have the luxury of being off work, free procedures and pain meds and am still feeling like I want to chew leather, I can't imagine doing this with the extra added burdens you have. I wish all of you well and I hope this period of your life is over quickly
617
Doreen
I went in for laser kidney stone surgery a week ago. After surgery I was told there would be little discomfort and small amount of blood.. Once I got home I had severe kidney and back pain and what looked to be a lot of blood. 5 days later had the stent removed which was 2 days ago. I was told in two hours the pain would be gone. Later again that night the pain began lasting two hours and again in the morning. I have 2 or three episodes a day with no pain management. I'm afraid to leave my house in case the pain starts up. At this point I regret having surgery
618
Cheryl
I am SO glad to have found this site/page! I was blessed to have been referred to a PHENOMENAL urologist. My 22 year old daughter saved my life. She somehow got me into her vehicle and took me to the nearest hospital. After finding out I was severely dehydrated, the doctor on call ran labs and ordered a CT scan. I had large (up to 17mm) stones in both kidneys and I was in Acute Complete Kidney Failure. I had to be transported to a larger hospital in our area for emergency surgery to install bi-lateral stents. That was November 1st, on November 25th I had my first laser Lithotripsy on my left kidney. The next surgery came December 11th, for laser Lithotripsy on my right kidney and removal of the left stent. My doctor left my right stent in place... I opted to have him remove the stent in his office because the "string taped to my leg that I could pull out myself" frankly sounded like a form of medieval torture. I went in December 23rd, he told me everything he was going to do, and I was blessed beyond with no pain. I did have a twinge when he pulled it from my right kidney. However, six days later... I'm in intense pain in my right kidney. I called my doctor and was told by a nurse "stent removal just hurts" (I was also told when I called about the stent discomfort "stents just hurt"). Did anyone have a problem AFTER the stent removal? I don't know what to do and I'm so tired of being in discomfort. My family has been wonderful, but I feel so bad! We have 2 sets of stairs in our home and my fantastic husband has to help me up and down the stairs because I'm so fatigued he's afraid I'm going to fall. If anyone has any advice... PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND
Patient Details:
MALE – 67 YEARS. (O+ Blood Group).

After Admission in Private Hospital Kolkata
Day-1 (20.2.20 5pm) : After admission, antibiotic course started and CT Scan report stated few abscess near the ureter & one ureter is blocked (do not have any calculus(stone)). Nephrology Doctor told that URS-Stent will be required which will be done by Urology Doctor. At the time of admission, Hemoglobin : 10.9 (17.2.20)
Day-2 (21.2.20) : Dialysis was started on evening for the 1st time in his life. ( Hemoglobin-8.9, RBC-3.41, WBC-14.4, Platelet-270 , Creatinine-9.9)
Day-3 (22.2.20) : ( Hemoglobin-9.4, Creatinine-7.7, K-5.3, Urea-144)
Day-4 (23.2.20): ( Urea-144, Creatinine-8.3,) , Dialysis
Day-5 (24.2.20) : CT Scan of KUB (Plain & Contrast Done)
Day-6 (25.2.20) : ( Hemoglobin-8.8, WBC-13.47)
Day-7 (26.2.20) : ( Hemoglobin-9.3, RBC-3.41, WBC-14.57, Platelet-270 , K-4.19, Creatinine-6.38)
Day-8 (27.2.20) : ( Hemoglobin-8.9, RBC-3.41, WBC-14.4, Platelet-270 , K-3.8, Creatinine-7.2) After dialysis Creatinine- 2.5, K-2.8. Gradually back-pain deceasing.
Day-9 (28.2.20): At 2AM, K-3.29, At Morning 9AM, URS & Stent (URETEROSCOPY WITH LASER-AIP) procedure was held
Day-10 (29.2.20): At 2AM, ( Hemoglobin-8.1, WBC-18.31, Urea-82) Red color urine in catheter. Patient is normal.
Day-11 (1.3.20): At 2 AM, ( Hemoglobin-8.2, WBC-20.26, K-3.7 , Urea-97, Creatinine-6) Light Red color urine in catheter. Patient is normal.
Day-12 (2.3.20) : No Red color in Urine, Patient is normal.
Day-13 (3.3.20): At morning, doctors told us that they will do USG procedure for those abscess. But it was noticed that (Hemoglobin - 4.7 , Creatinine-6.2. ,C-Creative Protein-77.6). Immediately they gave 2 units of blood followed by dialysis ended at 11:45PM on that day. After that patient took dinner.
Day-14 (4.3.20) : After 1 hours ie at 1:15AM, patient was transferred from general ward to ICU because of huge continues bleeding in stool. Blood Transfusion started. Hb was 5.1 at 2AM. At 11:00AM, Gastrologist Doctor did Endoscopy (Report attached) and found a ulcer with very small red spot but not sufficient leakage. Doctor sealed it and told Hb will be increased. Hb : 5.9 at evening., Blood Transfusion continuous.
Day-15 (5.3.20): at 6AM Hb - 4.2, RBC-1.51, WBC-19.1, Creatinine-2.8 and GI BLEEDING continues. Patient has no abdominal pain or back pain or no fever or no other pain. Again, Gastrologist doctor did Endoscopy again followed by Colonoscopy and stated that bleeding coming from either small/large intestine (Not from Colon/Stomach). Hb was up (6+) & down(4+) due to continues blood, platelet transfusion. At 5PM, Hb-7.3
Day-16 (6.3.20): At 2AM, Hb-6.4, At 1:30PM, Interventional Cardiologist Doctor did (EMBOLECTOMY-(P)) (no CT angiogram because CT machine was down) at 2:30 PM. Before transferring from ICU to OT, the patient has no abdominal pain, kidney pain or any other body pain but bleeding continues. Patient was normal in condition (talked with me normally) ., only transfusion was running. No food was given to the patient in ICU, only small quantity of water given at ICU during last 3 days.
During Procedure, Doctor told that he found the bleeding area and he will stop the bleeding. But after the event, at 4PM ,Patient is in serious condition (no sense) and doctor told that it will 48 hours to survive because Hb was down to 1.9 during procedure, But finally, next day morning doctor told that Patient was no more .
I asked Nephrology Doctor regarding that bleeding and he told there is no relation between URS-Stenting procedure & GI bleeding, because ureters in back side and Intestine in front. He added that for many more CKD patient, huge GI bleeding is happening after dialysis.
Is it possible whether a CKD patient with abscess, has huge GI Bleeding after dialysis ?
Can abscess destroy any artery or vessels in GI ?
Is it possible to injure the vessels (bowel injury) during the URS -Stenting which cause the (...)

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