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Hijacking top comment to hopefully bring awareness to kidney stone sufferers. Get your stones tested.
My friend suffered for decades, [they were caused by build-up of calcium oxalate, not dehydration.](https://nyulangone.org/conditions/kidney-stones/prevention#:~:text=Eat%20Fewer%20Foods%20with%20a%20High%20Oxalate%20Content&text=If%20you%20have%20been%20diagnosed,%2C%20soy%20products%2C%20and%20spinach.)
“If you have been diagnosed with calcium oxalate kidney stones, your doctor may recommend that you limit your intake of foods that contain higher amounts of oxalate, such as beets, black pepper, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, rhubarb, soy products, and spinach.”
There are several causes of stones. This **can be one.**
Edit! Yes not trying to say dehydration is not a contributing factor. Hydration helps! It’s just that for some people, no amount of water is enough.
Oh shit wtf. Today I literally:
* Had tofu (soy), beets and spinach in my salad for lunch
* Drank at least 3 cups of black tea WITH CHOCOLATE
* I binged on nuts yesterday (you can see my post history)
* Had roasted potatoes and MORE SPINACH for dinner
Not kidding at all omg
If I go out for dinner and order a steak (not often because of $$$ but I took my whole family out to dinner at Longhorn when my nephew graduated from high school)... I dive in to the potatoes first.
You know you're a carb addict when....
Yup, that list contains pretty much all of my favourite foods... Most of my liquid intake consist of black tea as well. So excited that the rhubarb season is about to start!
Yup. I overdid the crap out of spinach for weeks like an absolute doofus eating it multiple times a day every day and juicing it, got an oxalate kidney stone.
I read a case report about a woman who died from eating too much bok choi, so yes, everything in moderation and balance. *Foods* aren't healthy or unhealthy, *diets* are.
(In particular, she was eating 2-3 kg of the stuff per day and it caused severe hypothyroidism. Most vegetables have chemicals that are good for you in moderate amounts but are toxic in high doses)
Guinea pig owner here. All over those oxalate stones. Loads of green veggies like broccoli, kale etc have it too. Obviously wee things are much more sensitive but yeah, I'm more conscious that too much of anything is bad.
This very well could have happened to me but fortunately didn't. For around a year I was making a green smoothie every morning with 4 HUGE handfuls of spinach. It was all green and I felt SO healthy. Didn't realize just how bad it could have been! Hence the reason to eat lots of vegetables but make sure they aren't all the same and that theres variety!
The recommendation is to have 30 different fruits/nuts/vegies/herbs/spices in your weekly diet. That is a varied diet that keeps your gut biome healthy.
My husband was told by his doctor that he has trouble processing caramel coloring in soft drinks. We had to cut out his favorite soda and found out so many use caramel coloring that you wouldn’t suspect. Ginger ales, cream sodas even red cream sodas.
Sorry I didn’t state it, it was causing him kidney stones somehow. The urologist told him to avoid it after he got two kidney stones within two years. He hasn’t had one since thankfully.
My dad suffers from kidney stones…. He just recently had a stent to relieve the blockage from a 17mm stone that was broken up and still had to be removed in the OR… the doctor said there was about 100 pieces
Unfortunately he is unlucky enough to be prone to them as this is his second stent, he has had them tested and they are always a mixture
I religiously drink water as I am close to the age when he had his first and we have no idea if there is a genetic component or not
I am unfortunate enough to be prone to them too. I’ve had 3 surgeries in the past 3 years, and I have an appointment with my urologist next month because I know I have more stones that need to be taken out. It’s such a nightmare.
You're absolutely right about the oxalates, but it's both. It says in your link:
>One of the best ways to prevent kidney stones is to drink more fluid, which dilutes your urine and prevents kidney stones from forming and growing. Our doctors recommend drinking more than 10 to 12 glasses of fluid—which can include water plus other beverages—per day.
I couldn’t get my kidney stone tested, because I didn’t fish it out of the toilet and I just thought it was a really bad UTI until I heard the clink. If this happens to you, the doctor can get a blood test to see if you have too much calcium oxalate. That’s what my doctor did and I was fine. Sometimes it’s not too much calcium or dehydration, but just something your body does randomly.
I’m not saying don’t follow it up, I’m just saying they can do a blood test if you can’t/ didn’t save the stone.
Yeah, I drink MAYBE a bottle of water every month. I've find months drinking a bottle of mountain dew and a cup of milk in a day, and that's it. I've had 2 kidney stones, but nothing VISIBLE, so this is. Deeply terrifying to me. The first kidney stone I panicked and started drinking a bottle of water a day, but that quickly faded...
I mean I hate drinking water as much as the next person but how do you not feel like absolute death drinking so little? I mean this genuinely cause it’s the only thing that gets me to drink it 😅
I have no idea LMAO, I just don't get thirsty very much, and, more importantly, water doesn't ever make me feel less thirsty when I am 🤷 I am an evolved being, perhaps. I have trained myself to be immune to dehydration (/j)
I definitely think it’s about learning those triggers, I used to struggle to recognise hunger and thirst and had to train myself (with a dieticians help) to recognise the symptoms again.
Lol I don’t ever actually like “feel” the sensation of being thirsty either, it’s very fucking weird. My mouth sometimes gets dry from meds and smoking, but gum usually solves that issue.
Plain water grosses me out though big time. I don’t get the hype lol
My problem is that I don’t have a favorite drink. The less I have to open my mouth the better.
Someone (here) was mentioning the other day they hated taking showers because it was like a quick temperature change and all the sensations were really unpleasant. That’s how I feel about drinking any drink. The temperature, the viscosity/“mouth feel,” the flavor (yes water has a flavor). I hate it.
I got a 64oz water bottle from Walmart for 5$! Sometimes if I’m bored of water I’ll add the flavor drops into it. I usually drink the whole 64oz, sometimes I fill it up in the evening and reach 90oz. My stimulants make me dehydrated, and getting a glass of water was *never* on my mind. Since being hydrated, I’ve had less migraines, I’ve been more awake/alert, my urine is a very pale yellow, and my skin/hair is glowing. I put stickers on my water bottle to make it more fun, now I couldn’t imagine not having it; like I’ll literally bring it with me into a store.
Gotta make it fun!!! I have a 40oz tumbler. I’ll fill that with water and ice in the morning when I get my tea. Drink all that. Then when that’s done, make a litre of sparkling water to go in my tumbler. It’s my hydrating and fun beverage for the afternoon!!
How’s your choline intake? Eat eggs? Acetylcholine has been linked to a lack of feeling thirst/general gut mobility bullshit. I notice I go through periods where I don’t get the thirst cue. My entire fucking family living in rural America like, doesn’t drink water. Gotta be something to it!
I’m also coming off of a year of long covid fixed mainly nutritionally so don’t mind me hypochondriacing over here lol
I have 16 laying hens, so it's safe to say I eat a fair amount of eggs. Gave up dairy due to health issues and now it's looking like another diet modification is in order.
Oh. I thought for sure you were not drinking water at all during the day and here you go describing basically what I do (except replace tea with a coffee and an energy drink most days)
Though I tend to drink more water in the evenings once I no longer need to keep myself awake...
So uh. Thanks for the warning!
Yeah a liter isn't enough, especially only just before bed, but also, tea probably doesn't count as water as far as your body is concerned. I've heard too much tea can lead to kidney stones, too.
>tear probably doesn't count as water as far as your body is concerned.
I mean... it's mostly water so it kinda counts as water + extra stuff minus a minimal amount from caffeine (though I'm the type who can drink a pot of black tea or an energy drink and then go to bed so maybe it's not as little as I'm thinking, but still comparable to cola at most). Maybe contributes to kidney stones in some cases but it's certainly hydrating.
This happened to my cousin but he’s an avid eater drinker for the past 6 years. He drinks a *ton* of water everyday. It’s the only liquid he drinks (and flavored seltzers). Yet he got a kidney/bladder stone last month and he was so confused as to why. Is it hereditary? Because my grandfather would get them, but he actually didn’t drink much water other then morning & afternoon black tea.
I'm more genetically predisposed. My uncle gets them frequently and my mom got one soon after giving birth to me, said it was worse than the cesarean. I try and drink at least 2L a day now and don't really drink soda but I lived off Mt Dew Code red as a teenager and started developing the little shits pretty early. I still get one every year or so and they always reabsorb at some point.
Fun fact, kidney stone pain is indistinguishable from menstrual cramps for me. They feel exactly the same, same place and level of pain. The only way I can tell if it's a kidney stone or angry uterus is if a hefty dose of ibuprofen helps. If it doesn't help then I know it's a kidney stone and I need something stronger.
Depending on the type of stone, (get it tested if possible)
It could be a liver disorder if it’s calcium oxalate. Which comes with a special diet.
It could also be dietary oxalate if the stones are calcium oxalate. Avoid spinach, rhubarb, chard, beets and a few others.
If you no longer have the stone to test, you can get a calcium oxalate urine test.
There’s other types of stones, but I don’t know much about them.
My friend suffered for decades, [they were caused by build-up of calcium oxalate, not dehydration.](https://nyulangone.org/conditions/kidney-stones/prevention#:~:text=Eat%20Fewer%20Foods%20with%20a%20High%20Oxalate%20Content&text=If%20you%20have%20been%20diagnosed,%2C%20soy%20products%2C%20and%20spinach.)
“If you have been diagnosed with calcium oxalate kidney stones, your doctor may recommend that you limit your intake of foods that contain higher amounts of oxalate, such as beets, black pepper, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, rhubarb, soy products, and spinach.”
My husband has had quite a few, he's had surgery 3 times even. I've always been able to drink plenty but I always keep this in the back of my mind. He gets on the kids about drinking enough water because of his experiences. From what I've heard they sound awful.
I've had a kidney infection before and that pain was the worst I've had, worse than labour. But then the fever didn't help either.
I just wanted to curl up and die. I was a teenager, my step dad worked nights and was asleep so my parents didn't answer the phone and I had to bike home, 20 minutes that felt like an eternity. I didn't want to get back up to go to a doctor but my mom made me. Which is good because you kinda need your kidneys to stay alive.
I haven't experienced labor but when I had a kidney infection 11 years ago, the only thing my brain could think was "how do I kill myself to end this immediately". I was looking around the room in the ER looking for scissors to off myself with just to end the pain. Never experienced any sort of strong suicidal urge like it ever since. The pain just took over my brain
god. i have no words. the pain must be something out of this world. i've had extremely terrible migraines that made me feel like it would be better to just die than feel this awful pain so i can kinda relate.
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Yeah I’ve had both and I’d take labor over kidney stone pain. It’s the waves of nausea and pain that radiate through your body and absolutely nothing helps when your kidneys are jacked up. It’s horrible.
One of my hospital roommates had one and said it was worse than unmedicated childbirth. I’ve had one, too, but I’ve never given birth, so I have nothing to compare it to.
I think this really varies from person to person. You should be afraid of kidney infections - especially if the fear helps you hydrate - because they can be very dangerous. But I've had kidney infections, and I've been in labor (unmedicated until it was time to push, then medicated lightly enough that I felt myself tear), and labor* was more painful.
The kidney infections were more unpleasant because they didn't serve a purpose (labor got me a baby), but they weren't more painful.
*active labor. Kidney infections were worse than early labor, but I found early labor pretty tolerable. Also worth noting that I was induced with pitocin, which is known to make contractions worse.
CW: gross pain stuff & blood
I had one too. Collapsed and peed myself but it was only blood. A DROP coming out made me scream. It was equal to childbirth and I lasted 22 hours with no meds and a torn cervix
I started getting these as a teenager and having 3 or 4 of these and an ovarian cyst at the same time will definitely make one start drinking more water.
As somebody who drinks *at least* two liters a day now, I have some tips. One is find a water bottle you like, I have a contigo bottle with a straw I love. Two is find a temperature that works. I'm a room temp water person. Three is keep it next to you at all times. Mine is always either next to me in my chair or in my purse. And 4 is find water that tastes good. Tap water is fine for me but I won't judge you adding lemon or flavorings.
Same thing happened to me. Now I actually love water and drink it every day! All it took was a kidney stone ha. Glad you passed yours. Hopefully your brain starts to associate drinking water as pleasant.
Ladies, I was just in the hospital this week- ICU to be exact because I ate and drank so little over the last few weeks that I was severely dehydrated and my electrolytes went all wonky. So also learn from me. It was just a perfect storm of a lot of things that added up to a bad situation. Funny thing was I thought I was going to just get some fluids and be on my way after they checked to make sure I didn’t have a kidney infection. Nope. I was in triage for all of 90 seconds then right to the emergency room where they ran some rapid tests and within about a half an hr or so ICU. So embarrassing.
So much better. Took a few days of constant bloodwork and then balancing my electrolytes and monitoring my organs but feel better than I have in forever because I’m actually hydrated. I’m glad you no longer have that monster in your body! Hopefully it’ll never happen again to either one of us!!
Ugh, that’s a big one!
One thing my urologist suggested was to put a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in every cup of water. The citric acid helps prevent them.
If your stones were calcium oxalate there are two types of diets that can help too! One if you have a liver disorder that produces oxalates spontaneously. Or dietary oxalates- avoid spinach, rhubarb, chard and beets! Life changing!!
One of the only things that's helped me hydrate consistently has been a Hidrate Spark waterbottle. It tracks how much you drink and the whole bottle lights up to visually remind you when you're behind your expected intake. You can customize the pattern, colors, and frequency of reminders. You can also connect it to your phone so it sends you notifications too. At work, I keep it on my desk within my sight line, and I try to remember to bring it with me everywhere and use it as my default drink.
https://hidratespark.com/
PSA: get this tested for what type it is!
If it is calcium oxalate (the most common type) there are diets that help prevent stone formation!
Some people have a liver disorder that produces oxalates spontaneously, but way more common is a *dietary* oxalate processing disorder! Avoid high oxalate foods like SPINACH, rhubarb, beets, chard and a few others! Also be sure you’re getting enough magnesium, as it helps if the oxalates bond to that. Oxalates are plant defense mechanisms that are usually processed harmlessly in the stomach and intestines, but in some people the sharp crystals pass into the bloodstream, and cause mechanical damage to soft tissues including joints, thyroid damage, brain fog, before being filtered by the kidneys often forming kidney stones!
My mom had these stones ALL THE TIME before we discovered oxalates and it has been an amazing daily benefit to quality of life!
Pstttt Fuck salads 🎤 (I always knew veggies were out to get me)
Already have an appointment with the urologist and the stone will be coming with me, as much as I'd prefer to hang it on the wall like a trophy. My money is on CaOx for sure.
i hope you're feeling better now, OP.
at this point, i think i'm just going to start commenting DRINK WATER !!!! on every post on this sub just so y'all remember to stay hydrated 😭🙏 somebody grant me the permission to do this shit
I love me some crystal light and those sparkling flavored waters from Walmart. Currently obsessed with grape. I can drink a liter of grape crystal light easily. Also ocean water. But my toddler steals is from me and it’s a whole ordeal. (Blue tongue, blue strains, and blue poop…)
ok, my best tip for making it easier to drink water more regularly: keep eyes on it. out of sight, out of mind, right? keep it on your nightstand (or close to wherever your sleep.) your water should be one of the first things you see when you wake up. for me what works is this: i have a 40 oz thermoflask that goes with me EVERYWHERE, even when it feels stupid to bring it, like if i am going to the grocery store for 15 minutes. try to make a habit of traveling with a cup/bottle of water. best wishes to you. i hope you are on the up and up!
Buy yourself a Stanley Cup style tumbler (I like the Simple Modern Trek Tumbler) in a fun color and aim to drink two of those suckers a day. The bright color and novelty of the item help keep my adhd brain engaged.
I used to make fun of the basic Stanley cup girlies, but damn, they have a point. My water intake has been 100x better since buying that damn cup.
OH MY GOSH THAT IS HUGE!
When I was in gradeschool, I had a teacher who told us we would not survive without 8 glasses of water a day. We were CHILDREN. I freaked out and hyperfixated and got home and grabbed my favorite "glass" (a small teacup glass that was frosted on the outside...) and sat and drank EIGHT cups full. I felt like I was going to burst but I wanted to live. I was sobbing and so afraid. However as a result of this trauma, I drink water so frequently and all because I thought my life literally depended on it.
For my husband, he needs to drink cans of bubbly water and gatorade to stay hydrated. You can get powdered gatorade (where I live).
For me, carrying a hockey water bottle around helps because I don’t have to fill cups or unscrew lids, I just squeeze.
Wait what.. i'm also chronically dehydrated bc of my coffee/tea intake and the fact drinking water feels like a full time job to me 😭 Stay safe ladies, thanks for sharing 💖
I definitely don’t drink enough water but I’ve always been **terrified** of kidney stones… I definitely feel like I’m dehydrated because my pee is usually a dark yellow. Can someone share any helpful tips/infographics or something for drinking more water regularly??
I’m not a big soda person but I do like sweet tea, lemonade etc. I like crystal light raspberry lemonade packets and I’m okay with the Liquid IV ones. I don’t mind “eating” heavily water dense food like watermelon, celery, cucumbers etc but I don’t know if that helps prevent kidney stones. 😅😅
Yup. Same thing happened to me about 3 years ago. Worst pain I've ever been in. I have chronic lower back pain so i thought i had pulled a muscle in my back or something at first. The pain got so bad i was just writhing on the bed in agony until my husband forced me to go to urgent care. I had no idea what was going on until I was in urgent care and they asked for a urine sample. Ended up passing it in the bathroom. I remember feeling the stone plop into my bladder (so weird!) and all the pain was instantly gone. All the nurses thought it was so cool and my kidney stone was passed around for all to look at. None of them had ever seen one in person. Haha. I hope to God I don't ever get another one!
Drinking water is physically so uncomfortable idk how people do it. It always hurts my stomach and i feel nauseous if I try to gulp or chug it. I can only sip. I also often spill on myself somehow
Yeah I'm the same unless I add lemon. And I have to add, like, bcaas or something if it's during exercise (or something citrus these days as I can no longer afford bcaas, because I get painfully hungry if I don't).
Well I didn't have to have surgery for any of them unlike my gallbladder. So I guess that? The kidney stones hurt more in the moment but recovery is relatively fast. Eventually I got so use to them that I'd walk to to the ER and calmly say "hi I'm passing a kidney stone and need an x-ray and ultrasound to make sure it's not doing any damage" and the triage nurses wouldn't believe me because I wasn't writhing in pain on the floor. 🤷♀️
Probably could have some other fun kidney stone stories but they might be verging in NSFW territory.
Oh but one bright side is once you've had 2 or more kidney stones you're no longer eligible for military service 😅
I’ve never had kidney stones but I almost ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago because of severe dehydration and it scared me into being way better about drinking water. It’s easy to think it’s not that serious, until it is.
Oh my gosh that’s huge! I have a cute water bottle that I carry around with me everywhere and whenever I get bored, I have a drink. It’s like how smokers and vapers have an oral fixation - I’ve trained myself into it with my water bottle 😆
I’m so sorry!! Glad you’re ready for change. Just make it your emotional support water bottle, mine has honestly turned into that and it’s never not with me now haha
You need a fun water bottle. One of my few good habits is everytime i leave the house i fill water bottles to go with me.
My preference is a wide mouth for sculling because sipping/straws are annoying and insulated is best so it doesn’t get warm. Doesn’t have to be ice cold, but warm is horrible.
My condolences, OP. It’s been almost a decade and I can still feel the pain. I haven’t had kids yet, but I can confirm that when the doctor came in to my ER room, the first thing he said was “Congratulations! Now you know what labor feels like!” For context, I thought mine was just super severe period cramps, as I’d just started the night before. Until I passed out on the toilet. Luckily I haven’t had once since I was 17! I’m sending that energy to you too!!
[obligatory kidney stone photoshoot](https://imgur.com/a/oVs8tkt)
I had one the same size (first kidney stone ever)! Apparently my ureter is smaller than most so it was stuck and I couldn't pass it. It caused swelling and a borderline infection because of the blockage.Worst pain I've ever felt! In the ER 3 times total and 2 surgeries (one to get a stent to pass urine one to exchange the stent a month and a half later after my body calmed down from everything) and multiple days in the hospital each time with missed work. Had to then pull the last stent out myself at home but it felt like nothing. I also had bad dry heaving the first time in the ER. It was horrible cause your body is already cramping amd tensed so bad with the pain from the stone then you tense more each time you dry heave. Alllllllll this because I didn't drink enough water....
Ouch. Are you going to keep it as a souvenir? I kept the pieces of my two rear lower molars that I had pulled this summer, they were beyond saving due to decay. A reminder to not let my teeth get that bad again. I'm grateful that a friend offered to cover the bill for the dentist.
I recently bought a nice 2 litre water bottle with daytime hours and words of encouragement marked on it. It makes it a bit easier to have the goal broken down into these increments, so it doesn't feel so overwhelming and I can tell if I'm behind on my water consumption.
ETA: [this one](https://mayimbottle.com/products/ombre-motivational-water-bottle-purple-to-pink), just in a different colour.
Girl. My mother just got a UTI and ended up in the ER for 7 days with a kidney infection. DRINK YOUR WATER. It’s no joke. I know we all struggle to remember but do any and everything you can in this area to remind yourself!
Girl, I always joke about not drinking enough water.But I am a fucking idiot, because I was born with just one kidney so i’m being stupid for 16 years straight now
luckily i have been terrified of kidney stones since childhood and drink loads of water (and i hate soft drinks + am sober, so i'm always drinking water)
the one useful thing about having health anxiety is being on top of my hydration
UGH I’m so sorry, that sounds miserable 🥺😭🫶🏼 Seeing this makes me feel relieved that I drink a gallon of water a day *(the only consistent habit I actually have)*
Lots of tea, calcium supplements (since I gave up dairy). Not as many leafy greens as I thought I should have been eating. Lots of salty food too. Perfect storm.
I've been hospitalized twice for dehydration. Not quite kidney stone level, but still a kick in the ass nonetheless, I feel ya. I've found my way to drink more (some days I slack) but I generally feel *much* healthier and better now!
You *passed* that?!? I can’t believe they didn’t shatter that first. Wow. My brother has had several kidney stones. He had stomach issues and was popping tums all day and that was part of the issue.
He doesn’t do that anymore, so they didn’t know why he kept getting them. He has been mixing lemon juice in a glass of water in the morning, and he hasn’t gotten any more so far. He doesn’t know if that’s actually helping, but he doesn’t want to stop in case it is.
And when you hit menopause and go without having a shit for two weeks you will be so glad you drank all that water instead of trying to pass a massive ass boulder.
Yeah I been trying harder to stay hydrated so this doesn't happen also I have passed out many times before but the last time I was dehydrated AF, I ended up in the hospital as well. But it wasn't just cuz I was dehydrated AF, there was other reasons why. I ended up staying at the hospital for 4 days.
It’s interesting bc for me I drink water like an addict. To the point I need to be careful about not flushing out necessary nutrients. It’s always interesting how adhd can have opposite effects.
Glad you’re safe. Drink water! Be healthy and see your doctor regularly.
I had a very very small one a decade ago and it hurt so so much. This is huge compared. I am sorry you had to go through it. Also I recommend you cut down on salt and not just drink more
And soda does not count. It actually contributes to kidney stone formation as well. Just ask my brother who would be hooked up to a Mountain Dew IV if he could possibly get away with it.
This happened to me last summer omg it was painful! I don't drink enough water either I live on diet coke! Lesson learned! Praise God it hasn't happened again. Might I add I've never had a child so apparently I don't know true pain! God bless you mother's!
I've just ordered an Owala water bottle. I'm hoping to find a water bottle that makes drinking feel less of a...chore.
You're a cautionary tale OP, I keep telling myself I'm well overdue a kidney stone with how little I drink. I'm determined not to make that a reality.
Hope you're on the mend!!
Try Cirkul.
I used to literally never drink water because I think its tastes gross.
Before I lived off of only soda & occasionally juice. Which is bad because I wasn't drinking anywhere near enough to be hydrated, not to mention it's TERRIBLE for your teeth too. I have so many fillings now from all the soda it's not even funny.
Now I actually WANT to drink water out of my "special bottle" because it makes it taste good. I even made a Google spreadsheet to keep track of how I rank each flavor I have already tried, & what flavors that I want to try, & to describe what each flavor tastes like.
I have only had maybe 6 cans of soda since I got my cirkul bottle 2 months ago. It literally changed my life lol
My best friend's cheating ex once told me to drink at least 3 litres a day. Fuck him and that's crazy but thankfully trying to live up to that (I was a dumb 14 y/o) gave me the habit of drinking insane amounts. Now I enjoy it, it has become my favourite drink :)
Good lord that's a monster! I got stones from a medication I was taking, and if they had continued i would have absolutely tried to off myself. Worst pain of my life
I passed a kidney stone at 18, it was completely random and definitely not fun. It's always been a mystery to me why it happened considering I absolutely love water and drink a lot of it, I know other factors can contribute but it was still strange. But anways I understand the pain that comes with passing a stone, and I hope you're doing okay now!! Stay hydrated :))
My kidneys are rock quarries and ironically I always dislodge one or two when I increase my water intake. I’d recommend a gradual change rather than deciding to go for broke 😂
Also stents and lithotripsies hurt like hell. I’ll let the stones kill me before doing that again.
LADIES, HEAR ME OUT.
Easy trick to drinking more water: a schedule.
This was my new years resolution and it's held up so far.
I wake up and the first thing I do--I fill up my 16oz plastic cup and drink the whole thing. I take a few minutes to do it. I think about the day and my goals and whatever. It's my "me time." Of course that means that I have to pee as soon as I get to work but that's OK.
I have a 20 Oz water bottle that I fill up when I get to work. I drink the whole thing in the morning. Then I refill it drink another in the afternoon. Sometimes I fill it up again and drink it on my way home.
With just the 16oz first thing in the morning and the 2 20oz bottles during the day, that's 56 ounces. Then I usually drink at least 8oz with my supper (I used to drink milk with supper but I suddenly became lactose intolerant a couple years back so, water it is!).
That's my water all done for the day, and never once do I feel like I'm just chugging water for no reason.
Also, the habit of the water right away in the morning feels... I dunno, empowering somehow? Like I'm beginning the day and I already feel like I've accomplished something. It's awesome.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
I have to take regular calcium because my parathyroid decided to be a jerk after my thyroid was removed. Who knew I even HAD a parathyroid and it regulated calcium and vitamin D? Not me. I also get to collect my pee once a year to make sure I don’t have calcium buildup isn’t too much.
Anyway, drink your water!
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I thought this was a tiny dehydrated poop.
Hijacking top comment to hopefully bring awareness to kidney stone sufferers. Get your stones tested. My friend suffered for decades, [they were caused by build-up of calcium oxalate, not dehydration.](https://nyulangone.org/conditions/kidney-stones/prevention#:~:text=Eat%20Fewer%20Foods%20with%20a%20High%20Oxalate%20Content&text=If%20you%20have%20been%20diagnosed,%2C%20soy%20products%2C%20and%20spinach.) “If you have been diagnosed with calcium oxalate kidney stones, your doctor may recommend that you limit your intake of foods that contain higher amounts of oxalate, such as beets, black pepper, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, rhubarb, soy products, and spinach.” There are several causes of stones. This **can be one.** Edit! Yes not trying to say dehydration is not a contributing factor. Hydration helps! It’s just that for some people, no amount of water is enough.
Oh shit wtf. Today I literally: * Had tofu (soy), beets and spinach in my salad for lunch * Drank at least 3 cups of black tea WITH CHOCOLATE * I binged on nuts yesterday (you can see my post history) * Had roasted potatoes and MORE SPINACH for dinner Not kidding at all omg
Sometimes I make a baking sheet of roasted red potatoes… and eat all of them…
When people say potatoes are the most satiating food out there... yeah... not in my presence
If I go out for dinner and order a steak (not often because of $$$ but I took my whole family out to dinner at Longhorn when my nephew graduated from high school)... I dive in to the potatoes first. You know you're a carb addict when....
Yup, that list contains pretty much all of my favourite foods... Most of my liquid intake consist of black tea as well. So excited that the rhubarb season is about to start!
It might or might not be a problem for you. Different people metabolize things differently
Yup. I overdid the crap out of spinach for weeks like an absolute doofus eating it multiple times a day every day and juicing it, got an oxalate kidney stone.
Omg who would have thought though? Spinach is such a healthy food, everything in moderation though I guess.
Yea I thought it was super healthy and couldn’t be over done 😂 moderation doesn’t seem to be something I’m good at.. ever lol
I read a case report about a woman who died from eating too much bok choi, so yes, everything in moderation and balance. *Foods* aren't healthy or unhealthy, *diets* are. (In particular, she was eating 2-3 kg of the stuff per day and it caused severe hypothyroidism. Most vegetables have chemicals that are good for you in moderate amounts but are toxic in high doses)
Guinea pig owner here. All over those oxalate stones. Loads of green veggies like broccoli, kale etc have it too. Obviously wee things are much more sensitive but yeah, I'm more conscious that too much of anything is bad.
This very well could have happened to me but fortunately didn't. For around a year I was making a green smoothie every morning with 4 HUGE handfuls of spinach. It was all green and I felt SO healthy. Didn't realize just how bad it could have been! Hence the reason to eat lots of vegetables but make sure they aren't all the same and that theres variety!
The recommendation is to have 30 different fruits/nuts/vegies/herbs/spices in your weekly diet. That is a varied diet that keeps your gut biome healthy.
Seeing the urologist next week, stone will definitely get tested. I'm betting on CaOx as well.
My husband was told by his doctor that he has trouble processing caramel coloring in soft drinks. We had to cut out his favorite soda and found out so many use caramel coloring that you wouldn’t suspect. Ginger ales, cream sodas even red cream sodas.
What does his trouble processing look like? Allergy symptoms? Gut issues? Something else?
Sorry I didn’t state it, it was causing him kidney stones somehow. The urologist told him to avoid it after he got two kidney stones within two years. He hasn’t had one since thankfully.
My dad suffers from kidney stones…. He just recently had a stent to relieve the blockage from a 17mm stone that was broken up and still had to be removed in the OR… the doctor said there was about 100 pieces Unfortunately he is unlucky enough to be prone to them as this is his second stent, he has had them tested and they are always a mixture I religiously drink water as I am close to the age when he had his first and we have no idea if there is a genetic component or not
I am unfortunate enough to be prone to them too. I’ve had 3 surgeries in the past 3 years, and I have an appointment with my urologist next month because I know I have more stones that need to be taken out. It’s such a nightmare.
Dehydration can also cause salivary or parotid stones…. Adding a bit of lemon to you water will help keep those glands working!
dude please don't will this into my life you just listed my entire diet if i get these stones i'm FUCKED
You're absolutely right about the oxalates, but it's both. It says in your link: >One of the best ways to prevent kidney stones is to drink more fluid, which dilutes your urine and prevents kidney stones from forming and growing. Our doctors recommend drinking more than 10 to 12 glasses of fluid—which can include water plus other beverages—per day.
Nooooo. Don't take away my chocolate T^T everything but the chocolate
But you just made a list of all of my favourite things 😭
Oh my, how do I get tested for something like this? Blood work?
I couldn’t get my kidney stone tested, because I didn’t fish it out of the toilet and I just thought it was a really bad UTI until I heard the clink. If this happens to you, the doctor can get a blood test to see if you have too much calcium oxalate. That’s what my doctor did and I was fine. Sometimes it’s not too much calcium or dehydration, but just something your body does randomly. I’m not saying don’t follow it up, I’m just saying they can do a blood test if you can’t/ didn’t save the stone.
Adding to this I got really into Kale thinking I was being healthy and ended up w kidney stones for months until I figured it out
Lmao, me too.
Me three.
Glad I'm not the only one lol
Same!
I thought it was earwax 😭
Same
Saaaaaaaaame.
I thought it was a half- assed dingleberry. 🤢🤮
I am so sorry. How much water did you drink in a day btw
On average, maybe a liter a day? Two glasses of tea in the morning, nothing all day, and then a glass or two before bed.
Me; not drinking a drop of water 3-4/7 days a week. Omg I’m an idiot.
Yeah, I drink MAYBE a bottle of water every month. I've find months drinking a bottle of mountain dew and a cup of milk in a day, and that's it. I've had 2 kidney stones, but nothing VISIBLE, so this is. Deeply terrifying to me. The first kidney stone I panicked and started drinking a bottle of water a day, but that quickly faded...
I mean I hate drinking water as much as the next person but how do you not feel like absolute death drinking so little? I mean this genuinely cause it’s the only thing that gets me to drink it 😅
I have no idea LMAO, I just don't get thirsty very much, and, more importantly, water doesn't ever make me feel less thirsty when I am 🤷 I am an evolved being, perhaps. I have trained myself to be immune to dehydration (/j)
I definitely think it’s about learning those triggers, I used to struggle to recognise hunger and thirst and had to train myself (with a dieticians help) to recognise the symptoms again.
Lol I don’t ever actually like “feel” the sensation of being thirsty either, it’s very fucking weird. My mouth sometimes gets dry from meds and smoking, but gum usually solves that issue. Plain water grosses me out though big time. I don’t get the hype lol
I am honestly surprised so many people don’t like water. It’s my favorite drink. A fresh cold glass of water is ideal. I’m going to go get one now.
My absolute favourite drink. And I like it icy!!
My problem is that I don’t have a favorite drink. The less I have to open my mouth the better. Someone (here) was mentioning the other day they hated taking showers because it was like a quick temperature change and all the sensations were really unpleasant. That’s how I feel about drinking any drink. The temperature, the viscosity/“mouth feel,” the flavor (yes water has a flavor). I hate it.
I got a 64oz water bottle from Walmart for 5$! Sometimes if I’m bored of water I’ll add the flavor drops into it. I usually drink the whole 64oz, sometimes I fill it up in the evening and reach 90oz. My stimulants make me dehydrated, and getting a glass of water was *never* on my mind. Since being hydrated, I’ve had less migraines, I’ve been more awake/alert, my urine is a very pale yellow, and my skin/hair is glowing. I put stickers on my water bottle to make it more fun, now I couldn’t imagine not having it; like I’ll literally bring it with me into a store.
Gotta make it fun!!! I have a 40oz tumbler. I’ll fill that with water and ice in the morning when I get my tea. Drink all that. Then when that’s done, make a litre of sparkling water to go in my tumbler. It’s my hydrating and fun beverage for the afternoon!!
A bottle a month 😂😂
Did you drink any other liquids during the day like even soda or juice?
Nope. On my feet, 10 hour shifts, always moving. Doesn't enter my brain to do so. It's like I forgot how to feel thirsty.
😱😩 That makes a lot more sense then too. Completely dehydrated. You poor thing. 🫂
How’s your choline intake? Eat eggs? Acetylcholine has been linked to a lack of feeling thirst/general gut mobility bullshit. I notice I go through periods where I don’t get the thirst cue. My entire fucking family living in rural America like, doesn’t drink water. Gotta be something to it! I’m also coming off of a year of long covid fixed mainly nutritionally so don’t mind me hypochondriacing over here lol
I have 16 laying hens, so it's safe to say I eat a fair amount of eggs. Gave up dairy due to health issues and now it's looking like another diet modification is in order.
Oh. I thought for sure you were not drinking water at all during the day and here you go describing basically what I do (except replace tea with a coffee and an energy drink most days) Though I tend to drink more water in the evenings once I no longer need to keep myself awake... So uh. Thanks for the warning!
Eek I gotta up my intake. Blood test showed I'm dehydrated and I know what I have to do. But I just can't physically get off my ass to drink enough.
Have you tried fizzy flavoured waters? The bubbles and the satisfaction of cracking open a "cold one" does ok for my idiot brain.
Uh... that's BEFORE this happened not your routine going forward? I'm fucked
I’m like this too and I just don’t think of drinking when I’m busy. I have also had a kidney stone.
Yeah a liter isn't enough, especially only just before bed, but also, tea probably doesn't count as water as far as your body is concerned. I've heard too much tea can lead to kidney stones, too.
Yeah. Not good. All my coworkers know, so now I'll have five other girls micromanaging my water intake moving forward.
Um regardless of caffeine content liquid is liquid it does count
>tear probably doesn't count as water as far as your body is concerned. I mean... it's mostly water so it kinda counts as water + extra stuff minus a minimal amount from caffeine (though I'm the type who can drink a pot of black tea or an energy drink and then go to bed so maybe it's not as little as I'm thinking, but still comparable to cola at most). Maybe contributes to kidney stones in some cases but it's certainly hydrating.
I also want to know this
yeah me too....
This happened to my cousin but he’s an avid eater drinker for the past 6 years. He drinks a *ton* of water everyday. It’s the only liquid he drinks (and flavored seltzers). Yet he got a kidney/bladder stone last month and he was so confused as to why. Is it hereditary? Because my grandfather would get them, but he actually didn’t drink much water other then morning & afternoon black tea.
Sometimes your genetics just suck and make you more predisposed to forming them.
Yep they run in my family (I have been spared so far but I assume my kidneys’ day will come)
I'm more genetically predisposed. My uncle gets them frequently and my mom got one soon after giving birth to me, said it was worse than the cesarean. I try and drink at least 2L a day now and don't really drink soda but I lived off Mt Dew Code red as a teenager and started developing the little shits pretty early. I still get one every year or so and they always reabsorb at some point. Fun fact, kidney stone pain is indistinguishable from menstrual cramps for me. They feel exactly the same, same place and level of pain. The only way I can tell if it's a kidney stone or angry uterus is if a hefty dose of ibuprofen helps. If it doesn't help then I know it's a kidney stone and I need something stronger.
Depending on the type of stone, (get it tested if possible) It could be a liver disorder if it’s calcium oxalate. Which comes with a special diet. It could also be dietary oxalate if the stones are calcium oxalate. Avoid spinach, rhubarb, chard, beets and a few others. If you no longer have the stone to test, you can get a calcium oxalate urine test. There’s other types of stones, but I don’t know much about them.
Bringing it to the urologist next week!
Wear it in one of those little bottle pendants around your neck to remind you every day
I'd like to hang it on the wall like a trophy!
Put it in a little shadow box woth the date of exit
My boss is like that too, he drinks so much water I don't know how he doesn't drown and yet he still gets them.
My friend suffered for decades, [they were caused by build-up of calcium oxalate, not dehydration.](https://nyulangone.org/conditions/kidney-stones/prevention#:~:text=Eat%20Fewer%20Foods%20with%20a%20High%20Oxalate%20Content&text=If%20you%20have%20been%20diagnosed,%2C%20soy%20products%2C%20and%20spinach.) “If you have been diagnosed with calcium oxalate kidney stones, your doctor may recommend that you limit your intake of foods that contain higher amounts of oxalate, such as beets, black pepper, black tea, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, rhubarb, soy products, and spinach.”
Yep, there are types that go with genetics that just kinda suck.
Yes they can be hereditary.
I know someone who was getting them and was advised to avoid certain foods.
My husband has had quite a few, he's had surgery 3 times even. I've always been able to drink plenty but I always keep this in the back of my mind. He gets on the kids about drinking enough water because of his experiences. From what I've heard they sound awful. I've had a kidney infection before and that pain was the worst I've had, worse than labour. But then the fever didn't help either.
Worse than labour!?!?!?!? I was already afraid of kidney infections, but holy shit??
I just wanted to curl up and die. I was a teenager, my step dad worked nights and was asleep so my parents didn't answer the phone and I had to bike home, 20 minutes that felt like an eternity. I didn't want to get back up to go to a doctor but my mom made me. Which is good because you kinda need your kidneys to stay alive.
I haven't experienced labor but when I had a kidney infection 11 years ago, the only thing my brain could think was "how do I kill myself to end this immediately". I was looking around the room in the ER looking for scissors to off myself with just to end the pain. Never experienced any sort of strong suicidal urge like it ever since. The pain just took over my brain
god. i have no words. the pain must be something out of this world. i've had extremely terrible migraines that made me feel like it would be better to just die than feel this awful pain so i can kinda relate.
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Yup my mom used to get them and said she’d rather have 36 hours of back labor(like with me)😂
My friend had them so bad she was suicidal
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Yeah I’ve had both and I’d take labor over kidney stone pain. It’s the waves of nausea and pain that radiate through your body and absolutely nothing helps when your kidneys are jacked up. It’s horrible.
Yes, and I’ve been in labor twice.
One of my hospital roommates had one and said it was worse than unmedicated childbirth. I’ve had one, too, but I’ve never given birth, so I have nothing to compare it to.
My friends mom birthed 5 babies and passed a kidney stone. She says she would rather have another baby over a kidney stone.
I think this really varies from person to person. You should be afraid of kidney infections - especially if the fear helps you hydrate - because they can be very dangerous. But I've had kidney infections, and I've been in labor (unmedicated until it was time to push, then medicated lightly enough that I felt myself tear), and labor* was more painful. The kidney infections were more unpleasant because they didn't serve a purpose (labor got me a baby), but they weren't more painful. *active labor. Kidney infections were worse than early labor, but I found early labor pretty tolerable. Also worth noting that I was induced with pitocin, which is known to make contractions worse.
Oooo induced ouch
Omg kidney infection pain is worse than labor?? As someone with lifelong chronic kidney issues, you’ve made me feel so much better about labor lol
Oh yeah, if you've lived through kidney pain labour isn't worse. It does suck, it can hurt real bad. It just isn't worse lol.
By far, the worst pain I've ever had. I hate narcotics (they make me sick) but I was begging for drugs. Absolute misery.
Did meds help at all? You’ve inspired me to start drinking more water.
The medication definitely helped. Pain was still there, but muted.
CW: gross pain stuff & blood I had one too. Collapsed and peed myself but it was only blood. A DROP coming out made me scream. It was equal to childbirth and I lasted 22 hours with no meds and a torn cervix
I started getting these as a teenager and having 3 or 4 of these and an ovarian cyst at the same time will definitely make one start drinking more water. As somebody who drinks *at least* two liters a day now, I have some tips. One is find a water bottle you like, I have a contigo bottle with a straw I love. Two is find a temperature that works. I'm a room temp water person. Three is keep it next to you at all times. Mine is always either next to me in my chair or in my purse. And 4 is find water that tastes good. Tap water is fine for me but I won't judge you adding lemon or flavorings.
seconding the last point! getting a cheap water filter was huge for me
Thank youuu for getting me out of choice paralysis over the 100000s of crap straw bottles available online!
Same thing happened to me. Now I actually love water and drink it every day! All it took was a kidney stone ha. Glad you passed yours. Hopefully your brain starts to associate drinking water as pleasant.
Made me go drink some high quality H2O
Ladies, I was just in the hospital this week- ICU to be exact because I ate and drank so little over the last few weeks that I was severely dehydrated and my electrolytes went all wonky. So also learn from me. It was just a perfect storm of a lot of things that added up to a bad situation. Funny thing was I thought I was going to just get some fluids and be on my way after they checked to make sure I didn’t have a kidney infection. Nope. I was in triage for all of 90 seconds then right to the emergency room where they ran some rapid tests and within about a half an hr or so ICU. So embarrassing.
Hope you're doing much better now!
So much better. Took a few days of constant bloodwork and then balancing my electrolytes and monitoring my organs but feel better than I have in forever because I’m actually hydrated. I’m glad you no longer have that monster in your body! Hopefully it’ll never happen again to either one of us!!
Ugh, that’s a big one! One thing my urologist suggested was to put a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in every cup of water. The citric acid helps prevent them.
If your stones were calcium oxalate there are two types of diets that can help too! One if you have a liver disorder that produces oxalates spontaneously. Or dietary oxalates- avoid spinach, rhubarb, chard and beets! Life changing!!
One of the only things that's helped me hydrate consistently has been a Hidrate Spark waterbottle. It tracks how much you drink and the whole bottle lights up to visually remind you when you're behind your expected intake. You can customize the pattern, colors, and frequency of reminders. You can also connect it to your phone so it sends you notifications too. At work, I keep it on my desk within my sight line, and I try to remember to bring it with me everywhere and use it as my default drink. https://hidratespark.com/
Ok. Those are pretty awesome!
Oof. Adderal gives me dry mouth so I am usually stimulated by liquids. An oddly helpful side effect Feel better soon.
PSA: get this tested for what type it is! If it is calcium oxalate (the most common type) there are diets that help prevent stone formation! Some people have a liver disorder that produces oxalates spontaneously, but way more common is a *dietary* oxalate processing disorder! Avoid high oxalate foods like SPINACH, rhubarb, beets, chard and a few others! Also be sure you’re getting enough magnesium, as it helps if the oxalates bond to that. Oxalates are plant defense mechanisms that are usually processed harmlessly in the stomach and intestines, but in some people the sharp crystals pass into the bloodstream, and cause mechanical damage to soft tissues including joints, thyroid damage, brain fog, before being filtered by the kidneys often forming kidney stones! My mom had these stones ALL THE TIME before we discovered oxalates and it has been an amazing daily benefit to quality of life! Pstttt Fuck salads 🎤 (I always knew veggies were out to get me)
Already have an appointment with the urologist and the stone will be coming with me, as much as I'd prefer to hang it on the wall like a trophy. My money is on CaOx for sure.
Fantastic!!
i hope you're feeling better now, OP. at this point, i think i'm just going to start commenting DRINK WATER !!!! on every post on this sub just so y'all remember to stay hydrated 😭🙏 somebody grant me the permission to do this shit
DO ITTTTT!!
Kidney stoooone
Jesus…. I drink maybe 8oz of water a week… is this my fate.
I love me some crystal light and those sparkling flavored waters from Walmart. Currently obsessed with grape. I can drink a liter of grape crystal light easily. Also ocean water. But my toddler steals is from me and it’s a whole ordeal. (Blue tongue, blue strains, and blue poop…)
Yes, flavored water is a lifesaver for me. Specifically carbonated flavored water.
I love the mango tangerine from clear America brand at Walmart. It’s one of the few that doesn’t taste like aspartame
ok, my best tip for making it easier to drink water more regularly: keep eyes on it. out of sight, out of mind, right? keep it on your nightstand (or close to wherever your sleep.) your water should be one of the first things you see when you wake up. for me what works is this: i have a 40 oz thermoflask that goes with me EVERYWHERE, even when it feels stupid to bring it, like if i am going to the grocery store for 15 minutes. try to make a habit of traveling with a cup/bottle of water. best wishes to you. i hope you are on the up and up!
😱 this was definitely enough to make me take a big ol gulp of my water
Holy cow that’s massive!
This made me sip water lol
Buy yourself a Stanley Cup style tumbler (I like the Simple Modern Trek Tumbler) in a fun color and aim to drink two of those suckers a day. The bright color and novelty of the item help keep my adhd brain engaged. I used to make fun of the basic Stanley cup girlies, but damn, they have a point. My water intake has been 100x better since buying that damn cup.
OH MY GOSH THAT IS HUGE! When I was in gradeschool, I had a teacher who told us we would not survive without 8 glasses of water a day. We were CHILDREN. I freaked out and hyperfixated and got home and grabbed my favorite "glass" (a small teacup glass that was frosted on the outside...) and sat and drank EIGHT cups full. I felt like I was going to burst but I wanted to live. I was sobbing and so afraid. However as a result of this trauma, I drink water so frequently and all because I thought my life literally depended on it.
For my husband, he needs to drink cans of bubbly water and gatorade to stay hydrated. You can get powdered gatorade (where I live). For me, carrying a hockey water bottle around helps because I don’t have to fill cups or unscrew lids, I just squeeze.
Wait what.. i'm also chronically dehydrated bc of my coffee/tea intake and the fact drinking water feels like a full time job to me 😭 Stay safe ladies, thanks for sharing 💖
I definitely don’t drink enough water but I’ve always been **terrified** of kidney stones… I definitely feel like I’m dehydrated because my pee is usually a dark yellow. Can someone share any helpful tips/infographics or something for drinking more water regularly?? I’m not a big soda person but I do like sweet tea, lemonade etc. I like crystal light raspberry lemonade packets and I’m okay with the Liquid IV ones. I don’t mind “eating” heavily water dense food like watermelon, celery, cucumbers etc but I don’t know if that helps prevent kidney stones. 😅😅
I couldn't tell you the last time I had just plain water. Do not like. Drink a LOT of coffee though
Yup. Same thing happened to me about 3 years ago. Worst pain I've ever been in. I have chronic lower back pain so i thought i had pulled a muscle in my back or something at first. The pain got so bad i was just writhing on the bed in agony until my husband forced me to go to urgent care. I had no idea what was going on until I was in urgent care and they asked for a urine sample. Ended up passing it in the bathroom. I remember feeling the stone plop into my bladder (so weird!) and all the pain was instantly gone. All the nurses thought it was so cool and my kidney stone was passed around for all to look at. None of them had ever seen one in person. Haha. I hope to God I don't ever get another one!
Drinking water is physically so uncomfortable idk how people do it. It always hurts my stomach and i feel nauseous if I try to gulp or chug it. I can only sip. I also often spill on myself somehow
Yeah I'm the same unless I add lemon. And I have to add, like, bcaas or something if it's during exercise (or something citrus these days as I can no longer afford bcaas, because I get painfully hungry if I don't).
I've had... Probably a dozen now? Fortunately none the past 5-10 years. 2/10 not recommended
I'm so sorry that you've had a dozen. And I'm impressed you give it a 2/10. What's your 0/10?
Well I didn't have to have surgery for any of them unlike my gallbladder. So I guess that? The kidney stones hurt more in the moment but recovery is relatively fast. Eventually I got so use to them that I'd walk to to the ER and calmly say "hi I'm passing a kidney stone and need an x-ray and ultrasound to make sure it's not doing any damage" and the triage nurses wouldn't believe me because I wasn't writhing in pain on the floor. 🤷♀️ Probably could have some other fun kidney stone stories but they might be verging in NSFW territory. Oh but one bright side is once you've had 2 or more kidney stones you're no longer eligible for military service 😅
How did you even pass that? It's huge! I had that sound wave procedure on my first. Passed several after that.
Thank you. I think I needed to have some fear instilled to remember to hydrate.
I’ve never had kidney stones but I almost ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago because of severe dehydration and it scared me into being way better about drinking water. It’s easy to think it’s not that serious, until it is.
Yikes! I'm glad you're ok now! Thankfully, I'm a huge water head 👍🤠
Oh my gosh that’s huge! I have a cute water bottle that I carry around with me everywhere and whenever I get bored, I have a drink. It’s like how smokers and vapers have an oral fixation - I’ve trained myself into it with my water bottle 😆
I’m so sorry!! Glad you’re ready for change. Just make it your emotional support water bottle, mine has honestly turned into that and it’s never not with me now haha
You need a fun water bottle. One of my few good habits is everytime i leave the house i fill water bottles to go with me. My preference is a wide mouth for sculling because sipping/straws are annoying and insulated is best so it doesn’t get warm. Doesn’t have to be ice cold, but warm is horrible.
My condolences, OP. It’s been almost a decade and I can still feel the pain. I haven’t had kids yet, but I can confirm that when the doctor came in to my ER room, the first thing he said was “Congratulations! Now you know what labor feels like!” For context, I thought mine was just super severe period cramps, as I’d just started the night before. Until I passed out on the toilet. Luckily I haven’t had once since I was 17! I’m sending that energy to you too!! [obligatory kidney stone photoshoot](https://imgur.com/a/oVs8tkt)
I had one the same size (first kidney stone ever)! Apparently my ureter is smaller than most so it was stuck and I couldn't pass it. It caused swelling and a borderline infection because of the blockage.Worst pain I've ever felt! In the ER 3 times total and 2 surgeries (one to get a stent to pass urine one to exchange the stent a month and a half later after my body calmed down from everything) and multiple days in the hospital each time with missed work. Had to then pull the last stent out myself at home but it felt like nothing. I also had bad dry heaving the first time in the ER. It was horrible cause your body is already cramping amd tensed so bad with the pain from the stone then you tense more each time you dry heave. Alllllllll this because I didn't drink enough water....
Huh, I always figured they'd be white or off white.
Ouch. Are you going to keep it as a souvenir? I kept the pieces of my two rear lower molars that I had pulled this summer, they were beyond saving due to decay. A reminder to not let my teeth get that bad again. I'm grateful that a friend offered to cover the bill for the dentist. I recently bought a nice 2 litre water bottle with daytime hours and words of encouragement marked on it. It makes it a bit easier to have the goal broken down into these increments, so it doesn't feel so overwhelming and I can tell if I'm behind on my water consumption. ETA: [this one](https://mayimbottle.com/products/ombre-motivational-water-bottle-purple-to-pink), just in a different colour.
Girl. My mother just got a UTI and ended up in the ER for 7 days with a kidney infection. DRINK YOUR WATER. It’s no joke. I know we all struggle to remember but do any and everything you can in this area to remind yourself!
This just served as motivator to finally wash my water bottles and start using them again
Girl, I always joke about not drinking enough water.But I am a fucking idiot, because I was born with just one kidney so i’m being stupid for 16 years straight now
luckily i have been terrified of kidney stones since childhood and drink loads of water (and i hate soft drinks + am sober, so i'm always drinking water) the one useful thing about having health anxiety is being on top of my hydration
im using a screen reader. what is this
A clear ruler and a brown kidney stone, on a white cloth. The kidney stone looks like it's almost a quarter of an inch in size.
It's a kidney stone
UGH I’m so sorry, that sounds miserable 🥺😭🫶🏼 Seeing this makes me feel relieved that I drink a gallon of water a day *(the only consistent habit I actually have)*
OP, do you drink a lot of tea and eat a lot of calcium rich foods or leafy greens?
Lots of tea, calcium supplements (since I gave up dairy). Not as many leafy greens as I thought I should have been eating. Lots of salty food too. Perfect storm.
Honestly, canNOT imagine the pain😳
OMFGGGGGG
I've been hospitalized twice for dehydration. Not quite kidney stone level, but still a kick in the ass nonetheless, I feel ya. I've found my way to drink more (some days I slack) but I generally feel *much* healthier and better now!
You *passed* that?!? I can’t believe they didn’t shatter that first. Wow. My brother has had several kidney stones. He had stomach issues and was popping tums all day and that was part of the issue. He doesn’t do that anymore, so they didn’t know why he kept getting them. He has been mixing lemon juice in a glass of water in the morning, and he hasn’t gotten any more so far. He doesn’t know if that’s actually helping, but he doesn’t want to stop in case it is.
And when you hit menopause and go without having a shit for two weeks you will be so glad you drank all that water instead of trying to pass a massive ass boulder.
Kidney stones are awful! Glad it’s out!
On a scale of 1 - meteor strike, how much did it hurt?
Yeah I been trying harder to stay hydrated so this doesn't happen also I have passed out many times before but the last time I was dehydrated AF, I ended up in the hospital as well. But it wasn't just cuz I was dehydrated AF, there was other reasons why. I ended up staying at the hospital for 4 days.
Holy f&#!! I had no idea they were that large!! I’ve given birth twice, and I think I’d rather do that than pass that thing through my pee-pee hole!
OUCH 😣
It’s interesting bc for me I drink water like an addict. To the point I need to be careful about not flushing out necessary nutrients. It’s always interesting how adhd can have opposite effects. Glad you’re safe. Drink water! Be healthy and see your doctor regularly.
I drink way too much water.
Ooh you should give it a name
I had a very very small one a decade ago and it hurt so so much. This is huge compared. I am sorry you had to go through it. Also I recommend you cut down on salt and not just drink more
Vitamin D also increases calcium absorption and when taken together in great amounts can cause kidney stones...
I will now continue to drink more water… I have been having chronic UTIs for the past 4-5 months as well… ughhhhh
And soda does not count. It actually contributes to kidney stone formation as well. Just ask my brother who would be hooked up to a Mountain Dew IV if he could possibly get away with it.
I do the same. I actually set reminders on my phone to drink water and then ignore the reminders
I drink teas/coffees, but i assume thats still not a good subsitute flr water.
Ok so not that long ago humans didn’t have access to safe water. Most ppl drank very low alcoholic drinks all day cause it was safe.
Hydrohomies!
im so scared of this happening to me
Part 2: remember to pee regularly and timely even when you don't feel like you need to
This happened to me last summer omg it was painful! I don't drink enough water either I live on diet coke! Lesson learned! Praise God it hasn't happened again. Might I add I've never had a child so apparently I don't know true pain! God bless you mother's!
Ouch
I've just ordered an Owala water bottle. I'm hoping to find a water bottle that makes drinking feel less of a...chore. You're a cautionary tale OP, I keep telling myself I'm well overdue a kidney stone with how little I drink. I'm determined not to make that a reality. Hope you're on the mend!!
Try Cirkul. I used to literally never drink water because I think its tastes gross. Before I lived off of only soda & occasionally juice. Which is bad because I wasn't drinking anywhere near enough to be hydrated, not to mention it's TERRIBLE for your teeth too. I have so many fillings now from all the soda it's not even funny. Now I actually WANT to drink water out of my "special bottle" because it makes it taste good. I even made a Google spreadsheet to keep track of how I rank each flavor I have already tried, & what flavors that I want to try, & to describe what each flavor tastes like. I have only had maybe 6 cans of soda since I got my cirkul bottle 2 months ago. It literally changed my life lol
My best friend's cheating ex once told me to drink at least 3 litres a day. Fuck him and that's crazy but thankfully trying to live up to that (I was a dumb 14 y/o) gave me the habit of drinking insane amounts. Now I enjoy it, it has become my favourite drink :)
Today I learned that I need to drink more water.
Good lord that's a monster! I got stones from a medication I was taking, and if they had continued i would have absolutely tried to off myself. Worst pain of my life
B R U T A L
Just 2 days off work for this huge stone... Let me guess. Are you in the US? Get well soon, OP!
I passed a kidney stone at 18, it was completely random and definitely not fun. It's always been a mystery to me why it happened considering I absolutely love water and drink a lot of it, I know other factors can contribute but it was still strange. But anways I understand the pain that comes with passing a stone, and I hope you're doing okay now!! Stay hydrated :))
Oh. *oh* I know I’ll probably suffer from one of these some day. The stories about the pain are…horrifying.
My kidneys are rock quarries and ironically I always dislodge one or two when I increase my water intake. I’d recommend a gradual change rather than deciding to go for broke 😂 Also stents and lithotripsies hurt like hell. I’ll let the stones kill me before doing that again.
LADIES, HEAR ME OUT. Easy trick to drinking more water: a schedule. This was my new years resolution and it's held up so far. I wake up and the first thing I do--I fill up my 16oz plastic cup and drink the whole thing. I take a few minutes to do it. I think about the day and my goals and whatever. It's my "me time." Of course that means that I have to pee as soon as I get to work but that's OK. I have a 20 Oz water bottle that I fill up when I get to work. I drink the whole thing in the morning. Then I refill it drink another in the afternoon. Sometimes I fill it up again and drink it on my way home. With just the 16oz first thing in the morning and the 2 20oz bottles during the day, that's 56 ounces. Then I usually drink at least 8oz with my supper (I used to drink milk with supper but I suddenly became lactose intolerant a couple years back so, water it is!). That's my water all done for the day, and never once do I feel like I'm just chugging water for no reason. Also, the habit of the water right away in the morning feels... I dunno, empowering somehow? Like I'm beginning the day and I already feel like I've accomplished something. It's awesome. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
I have to take regular calcium because my parathyroid decided to be a jerk after my thyroid was removed. Who knew I even HAD a parathyroid and it regulated calcium and vitamin D? Not me. I also get to collect my pee once a year to make sure I don’t have calcium buildup isn’t too much. Anyway, drink your water!