Does It Hurt to Have Kidney Stones?
Key takeaways:
Kidney stones are hard deposits made of minerals and salts that form in the kidneys.
They cause intense, sharp pain in the sides, back, and groin as they move through the urinary tract.
While some stones pass naturally into urine, others require medical procedures for removal.
Kidney stones are hard deposits that can form in your kidneys and are notorious for causing intense pain.
However, not all kidney stones are painful. Small stones often pass through the urinary tract without causing discomfort. But larger stones can unleash intense, wave-like pain as they move through your system, often beginning as a sharp ache in the lower back and side, spreading to the abdomen and groin.
While some stones make their way out naturally with the help of pain management, other stones can get stuck and require medical intervention.
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People who have experienced kidney stones describe the pain as sharp, cramping, and sometimes an excruciating ordeal. Here are stories from three people who know firsthand what kidney stones feel like.
Debilitating pain, multiple procedures
Jackie Bohm woke up one morning at age 18 with severe, stabbing pain in her back.
Emergency room doctors didn’t see anything on an X-ray but said she was dehydrated. After receiving fluids and pain medicine, she went home. The same thing happened a year later. This time, doctors said an ovarian cyst had ruptured.
When the same pain arrived a third time, a computed tomography (CT) scan found a kidney stone. Jackie, now 31, is a middle school English teacher in Cameron, Wisconsin, and she gets multiple stones a year.
“I make a lot of stones, and they are often quite large,” Jackie says. The biggest was 3.5 by 2.7 cm. Yes, centimeters. Most stones are measured in millimeters.
Jackie says she thinks she passed those early stones while getting fluids in the hospital. Since then, she’s needed between 15 and 20 procedures, including a ureteroscopy and lithotripsy. These procedures use a flexible tube inserted into the urethra to reach stones in the bladder or ureter (tubes connecting the kidneys and bladder). Lasers break up the stones so they can be removed.
“It’s debilitating,” Jackie says.
What should you expect if you have a kidney stone? Most kidney stones pass on their own, but here’s what you need to know if you get a kidney stone diagnosis.
What does a kidney stone feel like? Clinically speaking, GoodRx experts say, symptoms often begin with pain in the back, side, or abdomen.
Do I need a CT scan for kidney stones? Our experts say not everyone needs a CT scan, and not having one will save you money.
Under her doctor’s care, Jackie focused on hydration and nutrition. But an analysis found that her stones are calcium-based and not affected by diet. Jackie got a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic, but the results were the same.
“It’s very disheartening,” Jackie says. “It can be really heartbreaking without seeing an end in sight.”
Jackie’s learned how to manage life with kidney stones. She drinks a lot of water. She avoids soda. She takes acetaminophen for pain. (She can’t take ibuprofen because she has Crohn’s disease.) Heating pads, a hot bath or warm whirlpool also provide relief.
She moved in with her mom (a nurse) and stepdad, so help is available when she needs it.
In 2022, Jackie started taking hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). The medicine slows kidney stone formation and reduces the size of her stones. In the last 12 months, she’s had four procedures to remove stones from her kidneys before they enter her urinary tract.
Jackie finds comforting advice and support from a Facebook group for people dealing with kidney stones.
“There are a lot of people like me there,” Jackie says. “Being able to ask questions and get information is a relief. No one understands the pain of kidney stones until they have one.”
Drinking more water and quitting alcohol after ‘chronic dehydration’
Jim Schwartz experienced his first kidney stone in his early 40s. He was leaving on a road trip with his mom. They were going from Cincinnati to Seattle, where Jim lived and worked as a marketing executive.
Jim awoke the morning of their departure with pain in his lower torso and around his sides and back. He thought it was appendicitis. He had an intense urge to use the bathroom. Urinating was difficult. The pain intensified. He felt nauseous.
“I had no reference for the pain,” Jim says. “I had no idea what it was.”
He went to the ER. A doctor diagnosed kidney stones and dehydration. Jim received IV fluids and pain medicine.
A day later, he and his mom hit the road. Jim was feeling a bit better. He remembers changing positions often during the drive. Back in Seattle, Jim saw a doctor. He had ultrasound lithotripsy, which broke up the stone, and it passed out of his body.
When a second stone presented itself, Jim immediately recognized the intense pain.
“I certainly didn’t have a sense of desperation thinking it was a busted appendix,” Jim says. “I was mentally able to handle it, even though the pain was very severe.”
Jim’s wife drove him to the hospital. Medicine was prescribed. Scans were taken. A week later, laser lithotripsy broke up and removed the stone. A stent was placed in his ureter for several days to drain urine and prevent swelling.
“That is the most objectionable part,” Jim says. “It’s a disruption to your life. It’s really invasive and unpleasant.”
A third kidney stone followed a similar course, requiring lithotripsy.
Jim is an avid exerciser and healthy eater. Two of his brothers also get kidney stones, so genetics may be involved.
Jim’s fourth and fifth stones passed without him needing a procedure. He managed the pain with over-the-counter medicine. He remembers hearing a “kerplunk” one day while peeing.
Now 61 and living in Denver, Jim works as a Colorado park ranger. It’s been 10 years since his last kidney stone.
What changed? He increased his water consumption, quit drinking alcohol and is “10 times more active than I was when the stones were happening,” Jim says. “I honestly believe when I was drinking, I was putting myself in a chronically dehydrated state.”
Surprised by kidney stones
In the summer of 2024, 59-year-old Terry Mikeska felt severe pain on the lower left side of his back. He thought it was a urinary tract infection. Over the course of 2 days, the pain worsened. Terry tried pain relief creams, a heating pad, and walking. Nothing helped. He couldn’t sleep.
“I can stand a lot of pain,” Terry says. “I stuck it out, but didn’t know what it was.”
The pain became unbearable. Terry went to an urgent care center near his San Angelo, Texas, home. The doctor said Terry’s symptoms mirrored those associated with kidney stones. A CT scan at the ER would determine that diagnosis.
Terry, a professional pianist who plays for presidents and celebrities, went to the hospital. By this time, the pain was debilitating. After the scan, he received IV fluids and pain relievers. His discomfort quickly eased.
Scan results showed a 5 mm stone. Terry was also dehydrated. Doctors said he would probably pass the stone without a procedure. Terry was relieved. He was preparing to travel to Nepal on a mission trip with his foundation.
Terry received prescriptions (with refills) for: naproxen for pain, ondansetron for nausea, and tamsulosin to relax bladder muscles.
After Terry got home, he napped. He called off playing piano at church the next day, unsure how he might feel.
The next morning, it felt like things were changing, Terry says. When using the bathroom after lunch, he heard a “ping” sound. He saw a small black BB-type pellet and little black crumbly specks in the toilet.
“I didn’t feel anything,” Terry says. “My buddies warned me about the pain when it passes.”
Terry was quickly back to normal. He walked his dog, visited his mom, went grocery shopping and stopped by the hospital to thank the staff.
There’s no family history of kidney stones. Terry rarely drinks alcohol. He eats a lot of fish and lean meat. He’s trying to drink more water.
His kidney stones came as a surprise. Terry’s glad he knows how they feel. If they return, at least he’ll know what to expect.
What does the doctor say?
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH
Senior Medical Editor
Passing a kidney stone is often described as one of the most painful things that a person can experience. Kidney stones cause pain as they pass through the narrow parts of the urinary system. The pain is very intense and comes in waves. It suddenly eases when the stone passes into the bladder or out of the body.
There’s no cure for kidney stones. But treatment can ease the pain as your body passes the stone. Fluids and nonopioid pain medication are the most helpful options. Later on, medical procedures, such as lithotripsy, can break up stones that are in the kidney but haven’t started moving. Turning larger stones into many smaller stones helps you avoid pain and discomfort, since smaller stones can more easily pass through the narrow parts of your urinary system.
It’s also a good idea to have your kidney stones analyzed. Analysis can tell you what kind of stone you have. Diet changes and medications can lower your risk of certain types of kidney stones forming.
Stones can get stuck as they travel through the urinary system. This not only causes pain but can also cause serious kidney damage and infections. It can be hard to know if you have a stuck kidney stone. Seek immediate medical care if you experience kidney stone pain that seems worse than usual or doesn’t get better within a few hours.
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