Discharge Instructions - Kidney Stone

As discussed in the Emergency Department prior to discharge, you have been diagnosed with kidney stones.  Kidneys stones can take up to several weeks to pass.  Once you have had a kidney stone, you are more likely to have another stone in the future.  Whilst kidney stones are not usually harmful to your body, they can be extremely painful.

The kidneys are located high up in your back, under your ribs.  The kidneys produce urine.  There are tubes which connect your kidneys to your bladder (the pouch which stores the urine).  These are called ureters.  A kidney stone can be stuck anywhere along this tube.  When the tube tries to squeeze the stone out, it causes terrible pain.

There are medications that can decrease pain from the tubes squeezing, such as Ibuprofen (also known as Advil or Motrin) or Naproxen (also known as Aleve).  If these medications do not control the pain, you may have been prescribed stronger pain medications in the Emergency Department, such as Hydrocodone (also known as Norco) or Oxycodone (also known as Percocet).  These stronger medications can make you drowsy, so DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE MACHINERY WITHIN 8 HOURS OF TAKING THEM.  These medications also contain Acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol), so do not take this medication while you are taking stronger pain medications as it can result in a toxic dose.  These medications usually also cause constipation, so take an over-the-counter medicine for constipation, such as Metamucil or Docusate, at the same time as taking these medications.

A third medication you may have been prescribed is called Tamsulosin (also known as Flomax).  This medication opens up the tubes to allow the stone(s) to pass through.  It can make you feel lightheaded when standing up, so stand up slowly while taking it.

You may have been given a strainer to pee into, along with a urine container.  If you catch a stone in the strainer, put it into the urine container and take it to your primary care provider.  Your primary care provider may send the stone to the lab to determine its type, as different types of stones may need different treatments.

It is important to stay hydrated, so you should drink a little more fluid than usual.  Avoid caffeine (tea and coffee) and alcohol as these promote dehydration and can worsen the pain from kidney stones.

Follow up with your primary care provider if the pain has not resolved within a week or so.

Return to the Emergency Department if you develop fever (≥38.0 °C or 100.4 °F), a burning pain with peeing every time you pee, repeated vomiting, if you are unable to pee entirely, or for any new or concerning symptoms.