Are you struggling with pain after being diagnosed with kidney stones? Your Milford, MA, urologist, Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg of Urology Specialists of Milford, can recommend kidney stone pain treatments and strategies that will improve your comfort while you wait to pass the stones.
What to do about kidney stone pain
Kidney stones take their time to work their way out of your body. In fact, it may take a week or more until you no longer need to worry about the stones. Unfortunately, during that time, you're likely to experience pain that ranges from mild to excruciating. While you wait, these options can make you more comfortable:
- Take Over-the-Counter Pain Medications: Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help you manage mild-to-moderate pain.
- Drink More Fluids: Increasing your fluid and water intake may help move the stones along. The faster you pass the stones, the less time you'll spend in pain. Fluids also help prevent the formation of new stones.
- Peel an Orange: The citric acid in citrus fruits and juices may keep small stones from growing and become more difficult to pass. Consuming more citrus fruit might just help you get rid of your stones a little faster.
- Ask Your Urologist About Prescription Pain Medication: If over-the-counter pain medications don't dull your pain, it may be time to visit the Milford, MA, urology office to discuss your kidney stone pain. Your doctor can prescribe stronger medications that are more effective in treating severe or long-lasting pain. If your pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting, your urologist can also prescribe anti-nausea medicine.
- Try Medications That Speed Kidney Stone Passage: Prescription alpha-blockers and calcium channel blockers stop spasms in the ureter that interfere with the movement of the stones. The ureters are small tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
- Consider Lithotripsy: Ninety percent of kidney stones eventually pass into the urine, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Unfortunately, those too big to be eliminated through your urine can cause considerable pain. If you have stones that are too large to pass easily, your urologist may recommend lithotripsy. The treatment uses shock waves that break up stones into smaller pieces.
Don't let kidney stone pain take over your life! Call your urologist in Milford, MA, Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg of Urology Specialists of Milford, at (508) 473-6333 to make an appointment.