Well, based upon symptoms it would appear that I have a kidney stone. How long before it will be gone? I have my first Tri this weekend. Won’t be doing it feeling like this.
I'll likely head off to ED for some stronger pain control meds as the T3s are not cutting it.
Mine wouldn’t pass on it’s own and I needed a lythotripsy. I was down for 2 weeks total.
The stent was an “interesting” experience.
Brad
Drink lots and lots of water with lemon juice in it. I was on the verge of having mine removed with surgery when I tried this and it eventually passed on its own. Along with the pain meds get an anti-nausea one. I kept throwing up from the pain so the meds weren’t doing anything for me.
Sometimes they can take 2-3 weeks. Some doctors will prescribed flomax because it dilates the ureters and aids passing. The pain will vary, but unlikely you’d want to do a tri. Best of luck.
Last season was an interesting one for me. After my first race of the season I started having unbelievable pain that put me in the emergency room. Diagnosis was a kidney stone. I took pain meds and that allowed me to continue training. I did not want to get the lithotripsy, so I tried to pass it on my own. The pain went away, stopped taking meds and 6 weeks later ended up passing it after another hard effort race. I believe the races were helpful to pass it.
I had imaging done so I knew the size of it and knew that I could pass it naturally. Make sure that you drink tons of water, this will help flush it out.
I was diagnosed with kidney stones last summer after a cat scan for something else. Dr. let me know it was something we would be dealing with in the future. Fast forward to last Wed. night. I woke up with severe cramping on my lower right side. By lunch Thursday I was in the hospital for another scan…First stone was moving out. FloMax, great pain meds, and tons of fluids and I passed it early Sat. morning. Was back training Sun. at about 75-80%. I feel your pain. Good luck.
Its good HTFU training!! 
I had my first bout with kidney stones just over a year ago - from the first symptom (bright red pee) until I passed 4 of them was almost 5 months - luckily the pain was not too bad compared to some people (although I believe individual experience of pain can vary quite widely), more like discomfort for me.
When I went for another ultrasound a couple of months post-passing the technician could count al least 6 more of the muthas forming - and I have mild discomfort trending again - good times ahead.
1st took 2 weeks with 2 visits to hospital (3+2 days in. Unstoppable vomiting due to pain). Passed while urinating.
2nd 1h. Passed while urinating.
3rd 6 days (I was on a cruise). Passed while urinating.
Drink a lot of water and beer. Walking and very warm baths help deal with the pain, and be no more than 1h away from a hospital/doc/drugs
Without knowing the size of the stones, it is hard to predict what is in store for you. They might be too big to pass, as happened to me. I ended up having to have surgery on one side and litho’d the other. I couldn’t wait for the second one to pass because I was grounded until it did (private pilot).
The pain can be intolerable. My initial ‘attack’ left me doubled over in my doc’s office and vomiting into his sink. Until that day, I had never experienced pain that caused me to puke. Let me tell you, the very thought of training or competing in that state would bring new meaning to the term HTFU that even slowtwitchers couldn’t comprehend, and we all know what bad asses they are.
I suggest going to the doc and get some sort of imaging done to see how large the stone(s) is. Until then, hydrocodone will be your best friend. And believe the doc when he tells you, don’t wait until the pain starts to take one. Hopefully, you will find out you have a fairly small, passable one and it will not be a monumental event.
BTW, my doc told me the most likely cause for mine was repetitive dehydration during long training runs and rides. They can analyze the stones and tell you what they are made up of to give you an idea of what caused them.
FWIW,
Greg
I’ve had my share of them… 3 confirmed and 1 maybe. It sounds like there are some varied experiences, but mine were more in the 24 / 48 hour time frames. Mine hit me fast and painful, but I went to the hospital each time and a good mix of morphine and some kind of fluid to “light up” a cat scan seemed to push them through. The last one was about the size of an orange seed. The nurse practitioner named it “George.”
So, got the wife to drive me to ED. Got part ways there and called an Ambulance. Got to hospital and Ambulance crew gave me Morphine. That moved the pain to tolerable (after about 8 hours). 3mm stone seen on CT scan, working its way through. More Morphine. Now back home with Percocet to tide me over. Slept most of afternoon with pain controlled.
Yes, pain was severe enough earlier to cause vomiting - multiple times. Can never get comfortable.
ED Doc suggests (and he is a Triahtlete) that I not race while on Percocet. So, unless I know this has passed before the weekend I won’t be going. Also, that whole Kidney area is pretty sore.
Mine wouldn’t pass on it’s own and I needed a lythotripsy. I was down for 2 weeks total.
The stent was an “interesting” experience.
Brad
Been there done that. No fun at all…
Not like me, you haven’t… 
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2071010;search_string=lythotripsy;#2071010
Brad
Mine was an experience all in itself…
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3145585;search_string=;#3145585
You probably already know this but get a stool softener too. Pain meds will plug you like nobody’s business.
Well, it finally passed this morning after another drugged up night. Have to drink lots to pee lots to get it through but hurts when it moves so you don’t want to move it through. Now getting over the drugs and managed to take a crap which is good. Still a bit fuzzy getting over the drugs though.
So, my first Triatlon which was to be tomorrow and is a 5 hour drive isn't going to happen. I'll attempt a pool swim locally anyway. Next Tri (which will now be the first) is about 5 weeks away.
Stupid MFSOB (that’s what I’ve named the stone).
Glad everything came out ok:). Good luck on your upcoming tri.
Congrats on getting rid of the stone. As a fellow kidney stone sufferer, my best piece of advice to a new member of the club is to ALWAYS have access to pain meds. As noted on the thread (and as you now know first hand), the pain can come fast and it can be excruciating. I keep an emergency stash at work and I travel with a few pills. If you’ve had one stone, it is likely you’ll have others and will deal with this again.
As someone who at 31 has already had more stones than he can count - the first when I was 12 - I will enthusiastically second the recommendation to keep some pain pills around, particularly if you do a lot of long drives or traveling. Also, I would note that speed workouts and hard runs with slight downhills seem to help get the suckers moving. You’ll piss blood for a few days though.
Mine wouldn’t pass on it’s own and I needed a lythotripsy. I was down for 2 weeks total.
The stent was an “interesting” experience.
Brad
Been there done that. No fun at all…
+1. I had a whopper (12mm) that I named Reginald. Reginald got the laser in two separate surgeries. Reginald may be dead, but he’ll always be remembered. Always.
Running, particularly downhill, with a stent. Now that’s interesting. I was peeing blood until the stent was removed (an interesting experience in and of itself).
I now make sure I hydrate like a mofo and drink a couple of glasses of lemon juice a day (shown to inhibit the growth of stones). So, whenever you ask yourself if you are drinking enough… you’re not. Drink more.