Looking for Kidney Stone information.

[Marble-eye]

I have been getting very lethargic lately, losing my appetite etc etc. Went to the hospital on Thursday and after quite a few tests it was found I have an very enlarged kidney (probably a stone blocking it). I have to go to another hospital on Sunday for further tests to find the true reason for the swelling.

It cost me 13,000 baht for the initial tests and another 12,000 baht for the further tests on Sunday. Does anyone know what treatment may be involved etc including costs. 

[gummy]

55 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

I have been getting very lethargic lately, losing my appetite etc etc. Went to the hospital on Thursday and after quite a few tests it was found I have an very enlarged kidney (probably a stone blocking it). I have to go to another hospital on Sunday for further tests to find the true reason for the swelling.

It cost me 13,000 baht for the initial tests and another 12,000 baht for the further tests on Sunday. Does anyone know what treatment may be involved etc including costs. 

I just saw a 1st post from @Jijo who is a doctor so maybe if he reads this he could provide some professional opinion on your problem, or maybe you could PM him for confidentiality

[farang]

marble,i feel for you on those stones.i too have had a few.im not a doc but have gone thru this stone crap before.if your kidney is blocked they sometimes put in a stint that let some urine flow to relieve pressure.and give anti biotics for infection.i had one where they do this  stone breaking up by  sound waves.it breaks up the stone so you can pass it.think its called  lithotripsi , not sure of the spelling.worked for me and only made my back a little sore for a day or two.worked great.for small passable stones i used to sit in a warm bath to relax and drink a few beers and most time i would pass it after 4 beers or so.i guess it helps to relax you and the beer makes a bit more pressure as to aid flushing it out.chock dee to you and hope it passes soon.

[gummy]

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

I have been getting very lethargic lately, losing my appetite etc etc. Went to the hospital on Thursday and after quite a few tests it was found I have an very enlarged kidney (probably a stone blocking it). I have to go to another hospital on Sunday for further tests to find the true reason for the swelling.

It cost me 13,000 baht for the initial tests and another 12,000 baht for the further tests on Sunday. Does anyone know what treatment may be involved etc including costs. 

Don't know where you live but some government hospitals are excellent and much cheaper

[Marble-eye]

20 minutes ago, gummy said:

Don't know where you live but some government hospitals are excellent and much cheaper

Yes I always use government hospitals, you probably get the same treatment but it just takes about 10 times longer. Many of the doctors flit about between gov and private I'm led to believe. Spent about 10 hrs in the Sattahip goverment on Thursday.

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Marble-eye

[Faz]

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

It cost me 13,000 baht for the initial tests and another 12,000 baht for the further tests on Sunday. Does anyone know what treatment may be involved etc including costs. 

You could have probably had surgery to remove it at a Provincial Government hospital for the same cost.

A member recently posted he paid 200,000 BHT for a kidney stone to be removed, private hospital of course.

[Marble-eye]

1 minute ago, Faz said:

You could have probably had surgery to remove it at a Provincial Government hospital for the same cost.

A member recently posted he paid 200,000 BHT for a kidney stone to be removed, private hospital of course.

That would be ok, but no pee bag!

[Faz]

22 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

That would be ok, but no pee bag!

Most of the specialists and surgeons have private clinics for diagnosis, testing purposes which save waiting around in a government hospital. If you need surgery, they perform operations at both the private and government hospitals and can arrange surgical procedures at either.

[NCC1701A]

2 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

I have been getting very lethargic lately, losing my appetite etc etc. Went to the hospital on Thursday and after quite a few tests it was found I have an very enlarged kidney (probably a stone blocking it).

i will drop my shields to comment on this. 

if you had a kidney stone that was blocking anything you would be in such pain and i mean the worst pain you have ever had in your life you would be rushed to the hospital. 

it is possible your stone is impacted in your kidney (mine was 20 years ago) and is causing infection. ultrasound will find the stone(s) and determine their size. 

i have three stones right now, two are too large to pass. I was prescribed Uralyt-U to deduce the size and I have known about Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar for decades (two tablespoons and 8 ounces of water every day) which also reduces the size of the stones. this makes your urine more acid as possible to dissolve the stone. your ph will shift from maybe 8 to 6.7.  Plus drinking three liters of water a day. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar can be found at Villa, Gourmet and Tops Market.

I strongly suggest you ask your doctor NOW for the strongest pain killers they can give you to be ready for the day the stones drop. If they will not do that then get a new doctor. 

My doctor at Bumrungrad Hospital is Sarayuth Virlyasiripong. Expensive but maybe worth talking to him. 

if you do the shock wave to break up the stone remember you still have to pass the now smaller pieces of the stone. this will be so painful you will be begging god to make it stop.  pain management in Thailand is shockingly poor at some hospitals. I would ask how they are going to help you deal with that.  

i also had a procedure (twice) where they go up your penis with a camera, light and grabber tool and pull the stones out that way. you might want to ask about that also. 

Thailand's weather makes people dehydrated and drinking coffee and alcohol adds to the problem.

good luck.

edit: Kidney stone pain of a stone that can't pass can start as lower back pain. then quickly becomes severe abdominal pain. make sure you have someone around to help you and ambulance numbers readily to go. 

[mickkotlarski]

35 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

That would be ok, but no pee bag!

ME..My wife had a kidney stone but it wasn't actually in her kidney but her ureters (tunes that attach to the bladder) she had an xray done and 2 two stones found 3cm and 5.5cm in size respectively. Two days later she had unltrasonic bombardment theray and was told to drink a minimum 3 liters of water daily .

The treatment done at Wipawadee hospital cost about 15,000 baht total. No problems since.

Stay hydrated as kidney stones are similar to gout and will happen because of uric acid build up and calcification of minerals.

Hope this helps.   

[NCC1701A]

#1 is electron microscope photo of kidney stone

have a nice day. 

[Shade_Wilder]

13 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i will drop my shields to comment on this. 

if you had a kidney stone that was blocking anything you would be in such pain and i mean the worst pain you have ever had in your life you would be rushed to the hospital. 

it is possible your stone is impacted in your kidney (mine was 20 years ago) and is causing infection. ultrasound will find the stone(s) and determine their size. 

i have three stones right now, two are too large to pass. I was prescribed Uralyt-U to deduce the size and I have known about Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar for decades (two tablespoons and 8 ounces of water every day) which also reduces the size of the stones. this makes your urine more acid as possible to dissolve the stone. your ph will shift from maybe 8 to 6.7.  Plus drinking three liters of water a day. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar can be found at Villa, Gourmet and Tops Market.

I strongly suggest you ask your doctor NOW for the strongest pain killers they can give you to be ready for the day the stones drop. If they will not do that then get a new doctor. 

My doctor at Bumrungrad Hospital is Sarayuth Virlyasiripong. Expensive but maybe worth talking to him. 

if you do the shock wave to break up the stone remember you still have to pass the now smaller pieces of the stone. this will be so painful you will be begging god to make it stop.  pain management in Thailand is shockingly poor at some hospitals. I would ask how they are going to help you deal with that.  

i also had a procedure (twice) where they go up your penis with a camera, light and grabber tool and pull the stones out that way. you might want to ask about that also. 

Thailand's weather makes people dehydrated and drinking coffee and alcohol adds to the problem.

good luck.

Excellent post!

I was writing something similar, got up to go get a coffee, came back and here it was.

I'll add a few comments and let @Marble-eye sort it all out. And, no, I am NOT a doctor.

First, I absolutely agree that if you have a stone, you will be feeling it; it is a pain like no other. The one exception, similar to what @NCC1701Asaid, is often called a 'Silent Stone'. It is in your kidney, it grows and grows, but as it is in some kind spot where it doesn't rub or move, you don't know it is there. Until one day it moves and you must go directly for some pills and then to the doctor/hospital. If it happens, you'll know. Guaranteed.

I'd be careful regarding the ultra-sound as definitive. Recently I had an ultra-sound which they said showed a stone, but having had them before and not feeling it, I didn't really trust the diagnosis. The hospital wanted to do the 'slip a pair of 'grabbers' up your cock and latch onto the stone' (as @NCC1701Amentions) operation, but I stopped into another hospital and got a CAT scan (<8,000Bt> at a private hospital) which clearly showed no stone in that kidney. But, because GOD has a sense of humour, SHE had put a small stone in my other kidney.

Third, a head's up if you do the Sound Wave Therapy with a large(r) stone. It does break them up, but as noted, they still need to exit. I was stuck in the hospital with a catheter for 3 days to allow them to pass; they were shredding my veins on the way down and out. Yes, it sucked.

Honestly, based on your description of your symptoms, I don't think you have a stone.

Whatever it is, good luck and be well, Mate!

 

[mickkotlarski]

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

That would be ok, but no pee bag!

Forgot to mention. Just talked to the wife and apparently my niece used a fluid treatment that dissolved the stone but a hassle with this is although cheap compared to surgery and ultrasonic wave bombardment many people are allergic.

Hope you get well soon.

[Marble-eye]

14 minutes ago, Shade_Wilder said:

Excellent post!

I was writing something similar, got up to go get a coffee, came back and here it was.

I'll add a few comments and let @Marble-eye sort it all out. And, no, I am NOT a doctor.

First, I absolutely agree that if you have a stone, you will be feeling it; it is a pain like no other. The one exception, similar to what @NCC1701Asaid, is often called a 'Silent Stone'. It is in your kidney, it grows and grows, but as it is in some kind spot where it doesn't rub or move, you don't know it is there. Until one day it moves and you must go directly for some pills and then to the doctor/hospital. If it happens, you'll know. Guaranteed.

I'd be careful regarding the ultra-sound as definitive. Recently I had an ultra-sound which they said showed a stone, but having had them before and not feeling it, I didn't really trust the diagnosis. The hospital wanted to do the 'slip a pair of 'grabbers' up your cock and latch onto the stone' (as @NCC1701Amentions) operation, but I stopped into another hospital and got a CAT scan (<8,000Bt> at a private hospital) which clearly showed no stone in that kidney. But, because GOD has a sense of humour, SHE had put a small stone in my other kidney.

Third, a head's up if you do the Sound Wave Therapy with a large(r) stone. It does break them up, but as noted, they still need to exit. I was stuck in the hospital with a catheter for 3 days to allow them to pass; they were shredding my veins on the way down and out. Yes, it sucked.

Honestly, based on your description of your symptoms, I don't think you have a stone.

Whatever it is, good luck and be well, Mate!

I will/might know better after tomorrow after the MRI scan, this is in my left kidney which I believe is connected to the right one which in turn supplys the bladder and with it being blocked I believed it is causing toxins in my blood, resulting in fatigue and extreme tiredness. I have been passing blood and did at first suspect the worst. An annoying symtom is not wanting to go to the toilet but as soon as I go into the kitchen it suddenly becomes a strong urge resulting in rushing to the toilet and peeing about an eggcup full. I was getting a burning sensation when going but that has seemed to have tapered off at this very moment.

The doctor gave me some Ofloxacin 200mg to take twice a day

[NCC1701A]

26 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

I will/might know better after tomorrow after the MRI scan, this is in my left kidney which I believe is connected to the right one which in turn supplys the bladder and with it being blocked I believed it is causing toxins in my blood, resulting in fatigue and extreme tiredness. I have been passing blood and did at first suspect the worst. An annoying symtom is not wanting to go to the toilet but as soon as I go into the kitchen it suddenly becomes a strong urge resulting in rushing to the toilet and peeing about an eggcup full. I was getting a burning sensation when going but that has seemed to have tapered off at this very moment.

The doctor gave me some Ofloxacin 200mg to take twice a day

passing blood is a very serious symptom. without the blood i would think this is a serious urinary track infection.

have the doctor do a GROWTH culture on your urine. it takes three to five days for results. if they say no find another doctor who will. maybe too late if you started antibiotics. if the antibiotics don't work then do growth culture. 

it is possible you have both a stone which is just sitting there doing nothing and this other issue. 

check your prostate size also, ultrasound and MRI should include bladder, kidneys, prostate. have a liver and kidney function blood panel done.  

what is your PSA level?

[JohninDublin]

3 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

I have been getting very lethargic lately, losing my appetite etc etc. Went to the hospital on Thursday and after quite a few tests it was found I have an very enlarged kidney (probably a stone blocking it). I have to go to another hospital on Sunday for further tests to find the true reason for the swelling.

It cost me 13,000 baht for the initial tests and another 12,000 baht for the further tests on Sunday. Does anyone know what treatment may be involved etc including costs. 

Can't help you about price, but it is possible to treat these non-invasively with ultra-sound. Basically, the stones are very hard, and those are brittle to shock waves. The sound waves shatter the stones, making them "passable". The same treatment is also used on Gall stones. I am not sure if it's suitable for all cases, but my guess is that this looks like the safest and most painless treatment for both these conditions.

Found this: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-stones/treatment/

[Marble-eye]

22 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

passing blood is a very serious symptom. without the blood i would think this is a serious urinary track infection.

have the doctor do a GROWTH culture on your urine. it takes three to five days for results. if they say no find another doctor who will. maybe too late if you started antibiotics. if the antibiotics don't work then do growth culture. 

it is possible you have both a stone which is just sitting there doing nothing and this other issue. 

check your prostate size also, ultrasound and MRI should include bladder, kidneys, prostate. have a liver and kidney function blood panel done.  

what is your PSA level?

No idea about the PSA level, they did take a urine, blood and even a covid 19 test, would that show up on the blood test perhaps?

[JohninDublin]

7 minutes ago, Marble-eye said:

No idea about the PSA level, they did take a urine, blood and even a covid 19 test, would that show up on the blood test perhaps?

Isn't PSA related to the Prostrate?

I've just found this re: my last post. You might not be impressed with the price, but the same procedure costs $1300 US in India.

https://www.lyfboat.com/hospitals/extracorporeal-shock-wave-lithotripsy-eswl-hospitals-and-costs-in-bangkok/

 

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, JohninDubin said:

Isn't PSA related to the Prostrate?

yes. 

1 hour ago, Marble-eye said:

No idea about the PSA level, they did take a urine, blood and even a covid 19 test, would that show up on the blood test perhaps?

a friendly suggestion. if i was passing blood i would become far more proactive and know the answers to these questions and more. do you have a blood test result printout from the hospital? what are the results of your kidney and liver function tests? the values can be googled and can give you insight to various issues. that way you can talk to your doctor and ask questions.  

[gummy]

2 hours ago, atiger said:

Why risk it in Thailand when you can fly home and get it done for free. 

Have you considered that for many this is home ? How do you reconcile paying several hundreds or even thousands of pounds for an air ticket is "getting it for free" and then having to go through all of the issues to return here to your family. Frankly it appears you were more encouraged to have a pop at @Faz than contributing something positive to what potentially maybe a serious medical condition for the OP. At the end of the day whether you think so or otherwise he was offering his experience with respect to the medical facilities and doctors here.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Faz
edited disparaging comment from quote.

[dj230]

9 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i will drop my shields to comment on this. 

if you had a kidney stone that was blocking anything you would be in such pain and i mean the worst pain you have ever had in your life you would be rushed to the hospital. 

it is possible your stone is impacted in your kidney (mine was 20 years ago) and is causing infection. ultrasound will find the stone(s) and determine their size. 

i have three stones right now, two are too large to pass. I was prescribed Uralyt-U to deduce the size and I have known about Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar for decades (two tablespoons and 8 ounces of water every day) which also reduces the size of the stones. this makes your urine more acid as possible to dissolve the stone. your ph will shift from maybe 8 to 6.7.  Plus drinking three liters of water a day. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar can be found at Villa, Gourmet and Tops Market.

I strongly suggest you ask your doctor NOW for the strongest pain killers they can give you to be ready for the day the stones drop. If they will not do that then get a new doctor. 

My doctor at Bumrungrad Hospital is Sarayuth Virlyasiripong. Expensive but maybe worth talking to him. 

if you do the shock wave to break up the stone remember you still have to pass the now smaller pieces of the stone. this will be so painful you will be begging god to make it stop.  pain management in Thailand is shockingly poor at some hospitals. I would ask how they are going to help you deal with that.  

i also had a procedure (twice) where they go up your penis with a camera, light and grabber tool and pull the stones out that way. you might want to ask about that also. 

Thailand's weather makes people dehydrated and drinking coffee and alcohol adds to the problem.

good luck.

edit: Kidney stone pain of a stone that can't pass can start as lower back pain. then quickly becomes severe abdominal pain. make sure you have someone around to help you and ambulance numbers readily to go. 

Just curious which pain meds did you get prescribed? 
Oral pain meds never did much for me for severe pain, do they do IV bolus dilaudid?

opiods might be a catch 22 with kidney stones as they make you constipated and decrease urination  

[dj230]

8 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

I will/might know better after tomorrow after the MRI scan, this is in my left kidney which I believe is connected to the right one which in turn supplys the bladder and with it being blocked I believed it is causing toxins in my blood, resulting in fatigue and extreme tiredness. I have been passing blood and did at first suspect the worst. An annoying symtom is not wanting to go to the toilet but as soon as I go into the kitchen it suddenly becomes a strong urge resulting in rushing to the toilet and peeing about an eggcup full. I was getting a burning sensation when going but that has seemed to have tapered off at this very moment.

The doctor gave me some Ofloxacin 200mg to take twice a day

Should check your creatinine and egfr, 2 main markers for kidney function (blood test)  

kidneys are pretty serious even if you have 2, once they’re screwed they don’t quickly regenerate like the liver does, dialysis for life, not trying to fear monger but health should be taken as a priority in cases like this (money & work or other obligations secondary), just my opinion

someone mentioned PSA as an enlarged prostate can cause issues with urinating and symptoms of not being able to pee, could be a tumour as well, lots of diagnostics/tests are going to need to be done to find out the reason, without it only speculation/ guesses as symptoms are usually the same for a lot of different issues 

that being said if you’re peeing blood, probably not a prostrate/tumour issue 

[Redbull]

I recently went for a prostate exam as they were doing a package price and i have to go to the toilet so many times in the night it is ridiculous , so i went , the procedure was a blood test , pee in a jar thing and thumb up the bum . I asked the same Dr . Could he look at a massive right swelling above my right testicle which he said looks like a hernia but asked me to go to another Dr which informed me i have an inguinal hernia which need to be operated on . Anyway i got these tablets from the prostate Dr and said return in a couple of weeks . I checked the tablets and they were for an overactive bladder . I returned after 2 weeks and he asked did i feel better and i replied no im still peeing at night etc. He asked me to get an ultrasound and after he looked at that he got me to do an x ray , finds out i have a few kidney stones but have one lodged in my left  ureter tube that is 1.4 cm and too large to flush myself , he said this is more urgent than my hernia as it can cause serious future complications for my kidney , he recommended i get that shockwave treatment . In his hospital cost 100,000 bht but he knows another thats 70,000 , also the hernia operation cost 90,000 bht in his hospital but i dnt know  another to get it cheaper . I dnt have insurance so will have to pay and since this covid , i havnt earned and my business has been wrecked since March 2020 . Any suggestions would be ever so helpful . I am going to a red cross hospital tomorrow which is a distance away to see if maybe i could get these operations at a cheaper rate . A Dr. I know not connected to this i asked in his opinion what would be better for the kidney stone , shock wave or removing from going up the tube of penis etc and removing physically maybe better as the wave treatment just breaks them up and no guarantee but you still have to flush out yourself . So please any info on removal of kidney stone or hernia op.  and prices would be deeply appreciated .

[Marble-eye]

51 minutes ago, Redbull said:

I recently went for a prostate exam as they were doing a package price and i have to go to the toilet so many times in the night it is ridiculous , so i went , the procedure was a blood test , pee in a jar thing and thumb up the bum . I asked the same Dr . Could he look at a massive right swelling above my right testicle which he said looks like a hernia but asked me to go to another Dr which informed me i have an inguinal hernia which need to be operated on . Anyway i got these tablets from the prostate Dr and said return in a couple of weeks . I checked the tablets and they were for an overactive bladder . I returned after 2 weeks and he asked did i feel better and i replied no im still peeing at night etc. He asked me to get an ultrasound and after he looked at that he got me to do an x ray , finds out i have a few kidney stones but have one lodged in my left  ureter tube that is 1.4 cm and too large to flush myself , he said this is more urgent than my hernia as it can cause serious future complications for my kidney , he recommended i get that shockwave treatment . In his hospital cost 100,000 bht but he knows another thats 70,000 , also the hernia operation cost 90,000 bht in his hospital but i dnt know  another to get it cheaper . I dnt have insurance so will have to pay and since this covid , i havnt earned and my business has been wrecked since March 2020 . Any suggestions would be ever so helpful . I am going to a red cross hospital tomorrow which is a distance away to see if maybe i could get these operations at a cheaper rate . A Dr. I know not connected to this i asked in his opinion what would be better for the kidney stone , shock wave or removing from going up the tube of penis etc and removing physically maybe better as the wave treatment just breaks them up and no guarantee but you still have to flush out yourself . So please any info on removal of kidney stone or hernia op.  and prices would be deeply appreciated .

Did you suffer any discomfort or pain with your stones Redbull? I will be at the hospital at 1600hrs for my MRI scan and hopefully will be a little bit wiser by then but as to what the treatment may entail is anyones guess. I have already spoken to my wife about the tube up the John Thomas and a pee bag as being non starters, call me a scardey cat, I don't care.

After todays examination it will have cost me 25,000 baht for diagnostics alone, but I cannot do a thing untill I get my results back later on today, it may be something else that is the problem, I just hope it is not too serious.

Thanks to all who have helped with their advice on this topic, I will update as soon as I know more.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Marble-eye

[Redbull]

7 hours ago, Marble-eye said:

Did you suffer any discomfort or pain with your stones Redbull? I will be at the hospital at 1600hrs for my MRI scan and hopefully will be a little bit wiser by then but as to what the treatment may entail is anyones guess. I have already spoken to my wife about the tube up the John Thomas and a pee bag as being non starters, call me a scardey cat, I don't care.

After todays examination it will have cost me 25,000 baht for diagnostics alone, but I cannot do a thing untill I get my results back later on today, it may be something else that is the problem, I just hope it is not too serious.

Thanks to all who have helped with their advice on this topic, I will update as soon as I know more.

No not any as such atm , im gonna go to a hosp. tomorrow and see what they will say , ill let you know . Its really good to be able to chat to others with same predicament etc.