Kidney Stone Symptoms and When to See a Doctor

Recognizing the symptoms associated with kidney stones is the first step to getting proper and timely care.

You’ll Likely Feel Pain When You Have a Kidney Stone

Kidney stones can grow quietly within a kidney without causing any symptoms for months or even years, says John C. Lieske, MD, a consultant in the division of nephrology and hypertension at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. However, when a stone breaks loose, it can block the ureter (the small tube that drains urine from the kidney and transports it to the bladder) and start causing a lot of pain.

When the ureter is blocked, the backup of urine makes the kidney swell, explains Daniel Marchalik, MD, a urologist and director of the kidney stone program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. “The size of the stone isn’t always important,” he says. “Even small stones can become lodged in the ureter and cause a backup of urine and severe pain.”

As the stone travels through the urinary tract, pain can shift from either side of the lower back to the abdomen and the groin, says Dr. Marchalik. Sharp, stabbing pain that comes in waves is common.

“Some women say the pain is worse than childbirth,” adds Naim Maalouf, MD, a professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Overall, symptoms tend to be similar in men and women. However, men can sometimes experience pain radiating to the tip of their penis when the stone is low in the ureter, says Marchalik.

Other Kidney Stone Symptoms

• Nausea and vomiting
• A strong need to urinate
• Urinating more frequently
• Urinating small amounts
• A burning sensation or pain while urinating
• Blood in the urine — the urine will look brown, pink, or red
• Cloudy urine
• Gravel (or tiny kidney stones) in the urine
• Urine that smells bad
• Fever and chills, if you also have an infection

How Soon to See a Doctor if You Suspect a Stone

At the time of a first kidney stone attack, people often aren’t sure what’s going on and need to be seen by a doctor to make sure the symptoms aren’t the result of a more serious problem, such as appendicitis, says Dr. Lieske.

• Severe pain that makes sitting still or getting comfortable impossible
• Pain with nausea and vomiting
• Pain with fever and chills
• Difficulty passing urine
• Blood in your urine
• A burning sensation while urinating

If you can’t see your doctor that day, head to the emergency room.

When urine gets trapped behind a kidney stone that is blocking the ureter, bacteria can grow in the urine, says Seth K. Bechis, MD, a urologist at UC San Diego Health. This can cause an infection of the kidney tissue or result in the infection spreading to the bloodstream, causing a life-threatening immune response called sepsis, he explains.

Additionally, the stones themselves can harbor bacteria, causing urinary tract infections (UTIs), adds Dr. Bechis. Some people who have a history of recurrent UTIs are found to have a large stone that continuously sheds bacteria into the urine.

While men are more prone to kidney stones than women, women are more likely to get UTIs, says Lieske. “So it’s not surprising that women are also more likely to get a urinary infection associated with their kidney stones,” he says.

People With a History of Kidney Stones May Sometimes Forgo the Doctor

Although an infection along with kidney stones is a medical emergency, some people with a history of kidney stones may not always need to see a doctor, says Lieske. After an initial consultation with their physician, people who recognize their symptoms may be able to have pain medication on hand, so they can try passing the stone at home, he explains. Your doctor will likely have you drink plenty of water to help flush the stone out of your urinary tract.

Whether to use this approach “really depends on how severe the pain is and how comfortable people are with this strategy,” says Lieske. “Anecdotally, it seems that patients may have less severe pain the more kidney stone attacks they have had over the years, although this is certainly not universally true.”

Ibuprofen (Advil) can help with kidney stone pain, while a drug called tamsulosin (Flomax) may help relieve discomfort and enable you to pass the stone, notes Marchalik.

Fortunately, doctors can help you make prevention plans so you can avoid repeatedly developing stones.

The Takeaway

• Sudden, intense pain in your lower back is the main symptom of a kidney stone.
• You may also have a frequent, strong urge to urinate, blood in your urine, or nausea.
• If you have signs of an infection, such as a fever or chills, get to your doctor or an emergency room right away.