Flank pain on right side, previously diagnosed as Kidney stones and cysts in reproductive system

Hi,

Is your urine dark the way it looks when you haven't had many liquids, or is it a different color? When blood appears in the urine, it does, of course, mix with the normal color of your urine and takes on an orange shade, so they can be hard to tell apart. 

You should absolutely see a doctor soon. While you are trying to self-diagnose (which you can't, not accurately), your kidneys may be sustaining damage. Treatment for back and kidney pain isn't something you should put off. The consequences of going untreated can be severe, including kidney failure.

dark urine usually means blood. Have you had a creatinine done? Just need to make sure you kidney function is ok.

Hi,

There could be several reasons for the dark urine, it might or might not be related to the symptoms you are experiencing with your kidneys.
I'd agree with the previous poster that making sure the kidneys work properly is a good place to start.
If you dislike having blood drawn for analysis (can't blame you :-) than here are two good urine tests you can do at home to determine possible kidney problems:

http://www.amazon.com/Kidney-Screen-At-Home-KidneyScreen-Test/dp/B0006L9Z90/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1230215877&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Kidney-Home-Scan-Tests-TestMedica/dp/B0011DP5VO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1230215877&sr=1-3

The combination of those two tests should give you a pretty good picture of your kidney function.
To be absolutely sure though, you'll need to do a blood test as well.

After determining kidney function you can proceed to determine the source of the dark urine. If needed, go to more than one doctor till you feel that the problem has been properly diagnosed.
Depending on what the doctor\s says and kidney function situation, you may need to do more research on the specific diagnosis.

I know how boggling all this can be, but with a good attitude and some research work you should be able to get to the bottom of it pretty quickly.


Hope it works out okay

It could still be a UTI--I don't ever have burning and I get them frequently. For me I get similar symptoms as kidneys stones

Hello. I was very surprised to read your post due to the fact that i have the exact same thing wrong with me. A few years ago i had a kidney stone 1.5 millimeters in size. Passed the stone after going to the er because i had no idea what was happening. For the past 16 months i have had a nagging pain from my back to my stomach just at the bottom of my ribcage. The pain comes and goes but is usually the worst when i am on my feet and active. I have had two cat scans urine tests ect. And nobody seems to know whats wrong. I have another stone sitting in my kidney but the doctors say it cant be causing the pain. Have been on vicodin for 5 months now but it hardly helps at all. Have you had any luck getting yours fixed?

Hello.  I also am glad I came across your post.  I too passed a kidney stone back in August of 2011 and this is now April of 2012 and I am still having the pain.  My kidney stone passed back in August.  They found the stone because I went to the ER a second time with right flank pain so they did a finally did a CT scan and saw the small stone right at the end of the ureter getting ready to go into the bladder.  Well, I have been to the doctor a couple of times since then with the same flank pain that hasn't gone away since then.  They did another CT scan and didn't see anyting.  NOW....the pain is soooooo bad that sometimes I can't get up either off the couch or out of bed and when I walk I get jabs of the pain and it makes me almost fall to the ground.  I have an appointment this Tuesday and I'm hoping they will tell me something.  Please let me know if you find any new info.  I will do the same. 

 

Denise

I had a 3mm kidney stone on March 15, 2012. I never saw it pass, but felt better after a day or so. Then, about 3-4 days later, I started having continual right flank pain. Sometimes it is pretty bad. I finally went back to the doctor (after getting the runaround from the nurse "drink more water...take cranberry pills, etc) last week and they did a follow up CT scan.... No stones. Now they are referring come to a urologist so we'll see....

@ Ohioguy: This is exactly the same thing that is happening with me!--Stone history, months of fluctuating flank pain (worse the longer I stand up), currently 2 small stones still in kidney that Dr.'s say can't be causing pain, etc....Did you ever find out the problem/get it fixed???....

This may help the ladies that do not understand what the other pain is ... and why Doctors can't seem to find the problem!  I am posting a link about what I am going to tell you.  My sister and i had this severe pain from the time we started our periods up until menopause....No doctor ever ever could say what was wrong until I was almost 40 yrs old!1 The pain you describe sounds the same... it would make my toes curl it hurt so bad!!  Here is the link...wish I would have seen this board sooner!!   Hope this helps in case you come back and see..      http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/mittelschmerz/hic_mittelschmerz_painful_ovulation.aspx

I was both surprised and partially relieved to find this post when searching "right flank pain brought on by stress." I have been having this same pain for almost three years now. First the gyn thought it was a cyst on my right ovary, which they chased for almost a year. When said cyst was gone they washed their hands of me and sent me to a gastro and a uro. Being my dad passed of gastro-esophagael cancer I stopped there first, had a colonoscopy & endoscopy, they found nothing to cause said pain but did find signs of acid reflux and two ulcers. Then my mom got really sick and then we didn't have insurance... finally stop off to urologist last month. They found a 15 mm stone in my kidney (yes that is 15mm). Surely, this is the cause of such pain! I had lithotripsy just over a week ago, she said it broke apart nicely and all should be fairly smooth to pass, some slight pain. Well the next day brought pain I have never known, and with me howling like a dying animal hubby brought me to ER. They admitted me when they could not get the pain level below a 7 with two rounds of dilaudid and valium. After some time, they found Toradol to work, but you can't be on it for long b/c it hurts your kidneys. We finally found the magic pain management combo or Toradol and Tramadol (which at home has been Advil & Tramadol.) I passed some large stones while in hospital, along with sand and continue to pass some sand at home. However, about 2 days into being home, my original pain (pre-procedure) came back full force. It took two rounds of the meds just to bring it to manageable. Yesterday, I finally was able to exist on Advil most of the day. and just this morning I woke up feeling okay, did not take anything. Then after a phone call with hubby that we also needed two new tires, not just the new rim we bought, but also another rim was bent on our fairly new car - the pain hit me like a two by four in my right flank.

So, what gives? I have had a kidney stone prior to this and the pain was never this bad. I also understand my stone this time was sizeable. But, since it's broken up and mostly passed at this point, the pain should subside, not get worse.

As for sherryb - you might think middlesmurtz - but alas it is not. I have had that, and again although this pain did seem to coincide with most pre-ovulation and pre-menstruation, it is just not the case. Plus as time went on so did the occurrences of pain that did not coincide.

I am wondering how much stress did everyone experiencing this have in their lives prior? I know we all have stress, but did you have any significant increase in stress? For instance, my dad (who was mostly absent in our lives growing up) got sick and needed help. I am the eldest child so it fell upon me to take care of him, get him to appointments (because his new wife didn't drive and he didn't want to bother her children). During this time, I finally got pregnant after trying for over 10 years. I felt cheated because I was supposed to be enjoying this momentous time of our lives that we waited so long for, but instead it was spent stressed out taking care of dad and feeling guilty when I couldn't be there for him. I also cancelled a much anticipated trip (working trip) to Italy and the Netherlands because of him. I had been put of anti-anxiety meds, but stopped taking them thankfully before we conceived. He passed two months before our son was born. Then 6 months after he was born, my husband had lost his job and we were out of work for 2 1/2 years. No one would hire me because I had been away from my IT industry for over 10 years as I stopped working to help care for my ailing sister and her two young children. Two months after her transplant, my dad got sick. 18 months postpartum, I was diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. I am sure I would have been diagnosed earlier, but did not go to the doctor. It was only when I hit bottom was I taken there.

What I am saying, is that I feel I have blown out my adrenal glands (which are located right behind the kidneys.) I am trying to get someone to listen to me about this, especially the doctors. Perhaps there is a correlation? I am wondering if any of you experience similar correlations between and increase in stress and your pain levels?

I had a spontaneous unilateral adrenal hemorrhage which was extremely painful in 2009. In 2010 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I lost 80lbs an 8 dress sizes in 6 months due to exercise and proper diet. Shortly thereafter I noticed any time I got super stressed out my adrenal gland would start giving me flank pain the same pain that I felt when it hemorrhaged, but not as strong. I would describe it in waves or similar to contractions that would come and go the pain with peak and then it would simmer. I started to notice after these bouts of stress and flank pain a week later my blood sugar would drop or it have surged sensation. My endocrinologist is baffled. Almost a year later a new job which is highly stressful the pain is rushing back again boo. Doctors will not tell me that they're connected however I know my body and the pattern is there. Scary

Thank you for this thread. Im 45 and 2 days ago ended up in the ER in terrible pain. Had a CT Scan and found I have a 2mm stone on my ureter. I also thought I was about to start my period as it was time, I was bloated, lower back pain, pressure in my bladder, but it just got worse and worse, I was in tears crying, fetal position until the pain meds at the hospital, having a hard time breathing. They gave me meds to take at home to pass the stone. But I started my period while in the bathroom at the ER. Now Im day 2 since the ER, my period seemed to stop for one whole day then restarted, was super heavy all night, and this am some pain again, just passed a tiny piece of stone and I can feel a sensation in my bladder? Like a light tearing type feeling, I recognize this feeling as I felt it right before my period started this month and last month. So there has to be some correlation to our periods and these stones, what? I have no idea...

The other posted put up something about stress, yes I had some stress with my spouse this week and the day of the ER visit. So not sure about that contribution either.

I currently drink loads of water, have been working with a Functional Dr, on an elimination diet for 3 mos now, so I only eat organic meats, fruits and veggies and some nuts are allowed. Im on supplements to heal leaky gut, doing FCT therapy for detox, PEMF therapy too, the only other symptom I noticed before the stone was a very pungent sweat odor in my armpits.

I have had recurring UTIS past few yrs, and most conicide with long car trips, getting lower left flank pain and pressure and urgent need to urinate. Was trying to find the connection to the driving, now I think its been a kidney stone perhaps all these yrs and maybe they were small and I was passing them unaware, because how I feel with now resembles all of that but now more extreme.

I had pain in the right side for the last month, so I went to the clinic. They did a scan and the doctor told me there is a 6 mm stone in my kidney.