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treatment of stones during pregnancy?
I am 29 weeks and 2 days. I was experiencing blood in my urine and the doctors could not find any infection in my urinary tract system. I have horrible pain coming from the left side of my back and they are assuming its a stone. What is the treatment for pregnant women and kidney stones?
I had a kidney stone at about 4 months during my pregnancy. There's not a whole lot they can do for you to intervene like they usually would when you normally have a kidney stone. They can give you an iv to help push the stone through and there are some pain killers that are ok to take during pregnancy to get you through the back pain (your dr will be able to tell you which ones). Usually a stone will pass in just a few days. In my case I was in periodic pain for about two months and I have heard of cases where it took longer. The uterus is really pushing down on the ureter and bladder which can make the stone harder to pass. If you are really really in a lot of pain for a long time they can attempt to either place a stent (keeping the urine going around the stone) or try to physically retrieve it. Both the high risk OB and the urologist I was referred to advised against it if at all possible saying that it would likely be more painful than the stone itself. I read stories from pregnant women (with kidney stones and stents) online that seemed to confirm this.
What I was told that I could do and things that helped:
-Drink 12-16 glasses of water a day (this is the most important thing you can do, it's the best researched and supported solution to stones no matter what)
-Add a little bit of citrate to your diet (real lemon juice)
-Make sure you're getting enough real calcium, not from supplements. There is some evidence that a calcium supplement can actually increase your chance of making a stone.
-Watch your oxalate intake. This is the most updated and reliable list I've been able to find.
http://www.ohf.org/docs/Oxalate2008.pdf
-Heat packs or a hot shower can greatly reduce the pain in your back.
-Strain your urine so you can save the stone if you pass it.
-Get a little bit of exercise every day if possible. There is evidence that too sedentary of a lifestyle can contribute to stone formation.
Good Luck!
Kidney Stones in Women