“I was told I might have kidney stones what do I do?”

In this episode of the Kidney Stone Diet podcast, hosts Jeff Sarris and Jill Harris discuss a listener’s concern about potential kidney stones. They explore the symptoms, the importance of seeking medical attention, and the necessity of imaging to diagnose kidney stones accurately. Jill emphasizes the significance of dietary changes to prevent future stones and the role of urologists in managing kidney stone cases. The conversation highlights the need for awareness and proactive measures in dealing with kidney stones, especially among younger individuals.

Takeaways

• The average age for kidney stones is in the early forties.
• Young people are increasingly getting kidney stones.
• Blood in urine should always prompt imaging to rule out serious conditions.
• Imaging is crucial for diagnosing kidney stones accurately.
• Hydration and dietary management are key to preventing kidney stones.
• Urologists are skilled in determining the need for surgery.
• Patients should be proactive in seeking help for kidney stone symptoms.
• Dietary changes can prevent the growth of existing kidney stones.
• Awareness of kidney stone symptoms can lead to better outcomes.
• It’s important to ask questions and seek information about kidney stone management.

00:00 Introduction to Kidney Stones
01:25 Understanding Kidney Stone Symptoms
04:47 The Importance of Imaging
07:58 Preventing Future Kidney Stones

Jeff Sarris (00:00)
So I was told that I might have a kidney stone. What do I do? Well, let’s talk about that.

This is a written question that is actually, pretty important one we wanted to touch on. So I was told I might have kidney stones. What do I do? So I’m just going to read it, for Jill and for you, the, and to your listener. I am a 21 year old male. And last week I went to urgent care care with my bladder hurting. So I went to the doctor and I could not pee a lot.

So they just diagnosed me with a UTI because I had blood in my urine. I went back today because my side started hurting slightly and I thought the UTI had spread to my kidneys. I peed this time and they said that I don’t have a UTI and it’s possibly kidney stones. So here’s the question. Is there anything that you can tell me to deal with the pain if it is a kidney stone? Also, is it likely that I’ll have to get surgery?

Jill Harris (00:56)
I always feel bad for people. He’s only 21. So of course I’m like, my baby. I don’t know this person. I don’t even know his name, but I feel for him. Okay. And imagine you guys, a lot of you are older listening to this, but you know, there are young people that get kidney stones. The problem with this is, so the average person is in their early forties getting kidney stones. And we do have kids more and more getting kidney stones.

Jeff Sarris (01:01)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Jill Harris (01:25)
But they don’t tend to seek help. So I love that this kid is asking, what do I do here? Most of us, when we get our first kidney stone, nobody seeks help. I’m talking to people 50, 60, 70, 80. Because now they’re like, OK, now I’m getting a lot of them now. Well, and now I have diabetes and everything else. Now I’m scared. But you younger folk with your one stones.

you should learn how to prevent them because most likely if you made one, you’re going to make, there’s a 50 % chance you’re going to make another. And if you do make the other, there’s a hundred percent chance you’re making more. So if you make that second one, you’re going to be a repeat offender. Typically every two years they start coming. So when you get a kidney stone, I love that this kid had the foresight to say, what should I do at 21 years old? Cause a lot of my 40 year olds, I’m not talking to them until they’re 50, 60.

So good for this kid. All right. So the scenario is he’s 21, his bladder was hurting, he couldn’t pee. Big sign. You got to get your bum to the ER. Big sign. If you’re having urine blocked, you guys, is, is, imagine, poop, pee. This is your body saying, this ain’t good for me. Get it out. Right? Urine is all the waste products the kidneys don’t want. Filters your blood, has a lot of cock-a-doodle-do’s in there. Now we got to get rid of it.

That’s not supposed to be staying in your body. So he can’t pee. So he took himself to the doctor. He also saw blood in his urine. The doctor said it was a UTI. The doctor should have said or the office should have said, you got blood in your urine. We need imaging. Because blood in the urine is a very, I’m going to say it again. It’s a very serious thing. Could be any doctor who sees blood in the urine.

should be ruling out bladder cancer. It’s the first thing. Doctors typically don’t, know, UTI maybe, but blood in the urine, it’s a holy brajole moment. Let’s do imaging to rule out bladder cancer. So you got two things typically with blood in the urine. Typically, kidney stone, kidney stone, and or bladder cancer. So you always check out hematuria, which means blood in the urine. Always. This kid is smart. So.

He went and they said, yeah, UTI. Then he goes home and now he’s in pain. He goes back and they’re like, could be, so he had an x-ray, Jeff, is that what he said?

Jeff Sarris (04:03)
So he didn’t have an x-ray, but because he was able to pee, they said it might be a kidney stone. And then I actually skipped over a little part. He did ask if he should get an x-ray because it was something that was mentioned that he could, but yeah, he didn’t actually have one.

Jill Harris (04:05)
okay.

Okay.

Okay, okay,

okay. So the kid’s asking basically what he should do. Yes, he should get imaging first and foremost. It’s just that important. Lots of times this can be bladder cancer, okay? It’s probably not for him. It’s probably a kidney stone most likely, but you just, like I said, any office is going to want to rule that out. So yes, if you have the pain.

Jeff Sarris (04:24)
Mm-hmm.

Jill Harris (04:47)
If you saw blood in the urine, you have to go get imaging to go rule out whatever it is. Okay? So it sounds like, but we can’t be sure unless we have an x-ray or some kind of imaging, an ultrasound. It does sound like a kidney stone. The fact that he couldn’t pee, but then he could, the pee could have got lodged and then it un-lodged, and now he’s able to pee. And typically when a stone’s going through your

system, your ureters, again the kidneys, the ureters are attached to the kidneys and these ureters are like little straws, little tubes that lead the urine down to the bladder and then from the bladder we pee. We pee everything out. Goes through the urethra and then we pee. So the fact that the kid had pain, the fact that it came back, the fact that now he can pee, it sounds like a stone was on its way out.

could be stuck somewhere else now, who knows? We don’t know unless we have imaging. The good thing is he’s peeing. But he will definitely need imaging, for sure. And then if he does have a kidney stone, the next thing he needs to do is, dear doctor, okay, I got a kidney stone. Is this in a place where I can pee it out? Is this in a place where we can just watch and see? Is this in a place where I need to get this out right now? So,

There’s lots of times people are like, I have stones in me, but my doctor said they’re in a place where we could just wait and see. And so people will say, what do you think about that, Jill? And I’m like, surgeons are very good. This is their job to say, wait and see. We got to get it out. It’s in a place where it’s not going to move or the likelihood. Yes, you can pee that out. It’s less than five millimeters.

That doesn’t mean, if you have a larger stone, you can’t pee it out, because I’ve had many patients tell me, I’ve peed out stones larger than five millimeters. That is the average we say where five millimeters is usually the cutoff where, you know, you’re probably going to need surgery. But I’ve definitely had plenty of patients pee out larger stones. OK, so all of that. So the surgeons are very good at the probability or saying what will probably happen.

we can leave it, we’ll watch and see. It’s in a place where it’s very embedded or you’ll probably pee it out. So as far as the watch and wait stones, lots of those are in your lower pole of the kidneys. And so they probably will stay there. And so.

People get nervous that they have kidney stones in them. And I always say, use it as a negative motivator, meaning you know they’re in there, you do not want them to grow bigger. So doing the Kidney Stone Diet will definitely make sure that they don’t grow. I have patients from years ago, I’m talking decades ago, where they still write me and say, I had my annual Jill, they haven’t grown, the same six stones are there, still doing the Kidney Stone Diet. Thank you for everything.

And so if you’re hydrating, if you’re watching your sodium, if you’re getting your calcium, if you’re not binging on spinach all the time, if you’re not doing paleo diet and making sure that you’re eating moderate amounts of meat protein, you’re doing all the things, not adding too much sugar, you’re doing all the things and you follow the Kidney Stone Diet, most of the time those stones won’t grow. So people will say, well, I’m nervous because I want those out.

My take is from somebody who’s had many surgeries for her cancer stuff if a doctor tells you you don’t need a surgery Don’t have a surgery because they’re not fun. So like I said the urologist that is their job. They’re very well versed Typically on when a stone should come out when it shouldn’t come out some patients have told me over the years they just want to make they want us to make stones and so they can make money Urologists don’t want you to make stones

They don’t want you to make stones. They’re not telling me things on Diet Jill because they’re just going to make money to take them out. They don’t know about diets. That’s not what they went to school for. They’re surgeons. And most of them are pretty darn good. So it’s not that they are not telling you information so they can make kidney stones. Believe me, there’s plenty of people that are not going to adhere to diet changes no matter how many stones they’ve had. Urologists will always have their patients. They’re not looking for more. OK? They’re overworked as it is.

That’s not why they’re not telling you about diet. That’s not what they do. They’ll ship you off to me or a dietitian in their office. If they have one, most don’t, but some may. Or they’ll tell you to on the internet, which is the wild, wild west for kidney stones. So they’re very good at telling you what you should do for your kidney stone. But this kid was super smart. He had these things going on. Think about it, folks. Most 21-year-olds are not coming to the internet with that question.

And so he was very good at saying what was going on with him, what should he do next, and he should definitely get imaging to rule out kidney stones, and I’m just so grateful that he took all of that very seriously.

Jeff Sarris (10:06)
Yeah. Yeah. I think that was great. And if you’re listening and you want to dive deep, head over to kidneystonediet.com where you can find all the free resources, free weekly newsletter and everything you need to prevent kidney stones. And I think with that we’ll wrap. We will see you next week.

Jill Harris (10:21)
Have a great week guys. Bye