Kidney Stone Info/Tricks from a guy who's passed more than 200!

I looked through some of these posts and I see that a lot of people have kidney stone issues and have been, or are going through many of the situatios that I have. I have become a sefl-taught expert on kidney stones since I have passed over 200 in my lifetime. I have a congenital kidney disease called Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease and it causes me to make stones like most people grow fingernails. When you pass that many stones, you get to know your body and tricks to make things less painful so I thought I'd come and tell of some experiences that might help others. In addition to passing more than 200, I've also been through 7 Lythotrypsies so I know all that as well. I passed my first stone when I was 20. Typical severe pain in my left flank area, like a knife pushed deep and twisting. That lasted several hours and landed me in the E.R. It took me 3 weeks to pass that stone but I finally did. The pain is typically the most instense pain a man will ever go through. The way I know it's a stone is that no amount of re-positioning makes that pain better. It stays the same incredible intensity throughout the experience. For those who are not familiar with stones, the pain is caused when the stone is pushed down the ureters on the way to the bladded. Generally, you will pass a lot of blood the first few times this happens. Not usually bright red blood but very dark rust colored. I actually passed blood the day before the pain. Didn't know, at that time, what was going on but learned quick. Over the years, I have so much scar tissue built up inside my ureters that I no longer pass any visible blood and seldom feel the stone passing down the ureters. I have even passed 8mm stones and never knew which side it came down because it didn't hurt. But that was after the first 50 or so. I also know WHERE in the ureter the stone is by the type and location of pain. I know a stone is right near the opening to the bladder because I get this very regular spasm, about every second or so, but the pain is felt in the tip of the penis, as if the stone is actually stuck about 1/2 inch inside the urethra. But higher up the ureter the stone is, the deeper I feel the pain in my penis, ie: If the stone is 1" from the bladder, that spasming is about 1 & 1/2 inches from the tip of my penis. This is when I know I have to push a ton of water. I generally know when the stone passes into the bladder as I get one more very intense sharp spasm... the kind that make you scream "OUCH"! Then I get ready for the next step... passing it through my penis. This is less painful than it sounds but always shocks the sh!t out of me, excuse my french. It almost always goes like this... I start peeing, and right near the end I feel the stone hit the exit of the bladder. I generally don't get the stone out then. Often it literally gets stuck in my urethra which is really painful and is noted by a sharp pain in that area when bending forward. Then I do this trick... I drink lots of water, wait until my bladder is really full and hit the bathroom. I then hold the very tip of my penis tightly so that no pee can come out. I release the stream, causing my urethra to expand (like in the cartoons when someone plugs a fire hose and a big bubble grows near the end), then I release my grip. This cause a huge, fast stream and generally pushes the trapped stone out. Often, I have to keep squeezing off the penis, over and over again while trying to keep urinating, eventually, I pass the stone. In cases where the stone is particularily large or difficult, I will fill the tub with very warm water, get in and get down on all fours, reaching back to perform the same squeezing technique. This allows you to pee underwater and point the penis straight down, an aid to getting it out of the lowest point in the bladder. Yes, I end up sitting in a bathtub full of water (and my own pee) but it works. I find a huge stone in the bottom of the tub. Then I simply shower. Because I form stones so fast, they are generally very jagged, like quartz crystals with spikes on the ends. Stones that spend years froming are generally more round and easier to pass. But often, my stones don't show up on xray because they from so fast, they are not dense and therefore, not radio-opaque. This oftens causes me issues as new doctors think I'm faking a stone. Another trick I use is when I have a stone stuck in my ureter for weeks or months. I go to the E.R. and have them hook me up to a normal sailine I.V. and push it wide open. This moves so much fluid through my kidneys that the stone often moves to the bladder with 2 hours. But this is not recommended for men over 50 as having that much fluid in your boday can cause a heart attack. Basically, you are simulating Congestive Heart Failure by having so much fluid going through your bloodstream. I haven't done the IV thing since I turned 50. As to what causes my stones, they are almost always calcium-oxylate, the typical type. Drinking colas is the number one way people get these stones. But eating nuts is also not a good idea. Many people say coffee is bad (tea is very high in oxylates) but I actually drink only coffee for the past 5 years and have greatly reduced my stone issues. I do drink lots of coffee and some water too so I think the hydration alone is what's working. I spent 2 years drinking 2 bears a day... never created a stone in 2 years. But I couldn't keep my beer gut from forming. Beer is a great diuretic. I also try to take a Flomax when I know I'm about to pass a stone. Makes it easier to release the prostate and get flow going. These are just some of the things I've learned over the years. I hope they help someone. I came here today because I feel like I passed a stone into my bladder but have not been able to flush it out. And at least half the times I go to pee, there is nothing, no pain, no stone trying to exit the bladder near the end. This is very unusual for me. And it happened the same last month... felt I passed a stone but never did. So either I have one stuck in the bladder (which BTW happens often... the bladder is not smooth on the inside, it has lots of folds and crevices that like to hold onto stones) or I am experiencing prostate stones for the first time. I came here looking for symptoms of those as they are new to me. Good luck to all. Drink lots of water!