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How to prevent kidney stones after colectomy?

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Posted 6/19/2018 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
I posted on the Ostomy forum but that site doesnt usually get much traffic. Knowing that a lot of members here have been through surgery, I’m hoping you may be able to answer my question:

I had step one of j-pouch surgery last February. Today while at the doctors office for a separate issue, I was told that I have a kidney stone. I haven’t had one before and after reading up on it a bit, it sound like these are somewhat common for those that have had their colons removed. My question is what type of diets have you found work to prevent them? I’m getting mixed signals. Some sources say to reduce salt (which Fly’s in the face of what I was told I needed to do to prevent dehydration after getting the colectomy). Is there a balanced way to prevent kidney stones and still get adequate salt, etc? Any tips would be greatly appreciated?
Posted 6/20/2018 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Minerals tend to build up in the kidney and form stones unless flushed out with sufficient liquid passing through the kidney on a daily basis. I had a kidney stone back in my teen years as a result of not drinking enough liquids (only a couple small, 8-ounce glasses of fluid within 24 hours). I wonder if it is similar, as you dehydrate quicker without the water-reclaiming-ability of the large intestine? How much were you drinking within a 24-hour period? Are you peeing much?
Posted 6/20/2018 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
I think fluid intake is probably the culprit. I never had any issues with kidney stones prior to surgery. While I thought I was drinking plenty, looking back for the past couple weeks, I rarely felt like I had to urinate.Since yesterday I have doubled the amount I’ve been drinking and trying to drink more just water and am making more normal trips to the toilet to pee. I guess I’m just going to have to be one of those dudes who is always carrying around a water bottle.
Posted 6/20/2018 5:35 PM (GMT 0)

RunJerRun said...
I guess I’m just going to have to be one of those dudes who is always carrying around a water bottle.

Lol. This made me chuckle.
Posted 6/20/2018 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
I have never heard there was a relationship between kidney stones and colectomy. I've also never seen anyone post about them in relation to colectomy, and thankfully I've never had one. I should probably hydrate more, having a stone would be the worst. Do you take vitamins and minerals?

/www.kidney.org/atoz/content/diet
Posted 6/20/2018 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
My urologist told me kidney stones are common for people with IBD, I had 5 in two years before colon removal. Generally, they analyze the stone to tell you what the make up of it is then they will suggest what to adjust in your diet to avoid them in the future. I do know that natural citric acid helps to keep them from forming. Real lemonade made from fresh lemons is what I've used a lot of. I don't wish kidney stone pain on anyone
Posted 6/21/2018 4:19 AM (GMT 0)
I met with the urologist today. He confirmed that People with IBD especially after surgery are prone to them. He also scheduled me for a shock wave procedure tomorrow where they try and blow up the stone in smaller pieces so they are easier to pass. Hopefully it works. I keep hearing horror stories about passing these things. I really would like to minimize the pain if possible. I’m have t been taking any vitamins. I do think I haven’t been drinking enough just plain water. Everything I drink has been loaded with sodium (Gatorade and V8 especially). I’m going to focus on a more balanced approach to increasing my liquids as well as adding a little lemon juice to my water.
Posted 6/21/2018 1:24 PM (GMT 0)
does he know the size of your stones? Mine were max 3mm and just that caused unbearable pain and nausea induced by the pain. When I finally passed it, I looked at it and couldn't believe something so small caused that much pain. I'll I'm ever given is FloMax, Pain/Nausea meds till it passes.
Posted 6/21/2018 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
When I had my stone, they gave me tons of liquids to pass the stone. Hooked me up to an IV and kept me drinking fluids. Kidney stones are double-you-over-in-pain, where you can hardly breath while they drive you to the hospital type of pains. Second most painful experience in life is a kidney stone, after child birth. Never saw or felt my stone as it passed, must've been pretty small even though it was mountain of hurt. Often they pass on their own, naturally with a bit of fluid encouragement.

Post Edited (iPoop) : 6/21/2018 7:49:35 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/21/2018 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
all my stones once they hit my bladder were a breeze to pass, it's when they get stuck between the kidney and the bladder is when the pain starts. When they move is when the pain subsides. I barely felt them passing but made sure I caught them for my doctor.
Posted 6/21/2018 8:29 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, they sound horrible. How did your procedure go RunJerRun?
Posted 6/22/2018 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
Happy to report I am Stone free! I went in yesterday and had the shock wave therapy. It was a little bigger then I though. THey treated it like a surgery even though it was not invasive. They wheeled me into the OR, had me lay on the operating table and that’s the last thing I remember. I guess it took about a half hour. They shot the shock waves through my back and blasted the stone apart. When I woke up the uroligist said it broke up easy. He perscribed me some Flowmax and pain killer and told me to strain my pee for the next little while.

For the first hour or so after I woke up it ached a little where they had done the treatment and I was a little queezy from the anesthesia. But a couple hours later, I had no pain and even went on a couple mile walk. I took a leak in the evening and out came a bunch of tiny little pieces of stone. That was it, I’m stone free.

Today I feel great. No pain at all, I haven’t needed any of the Percocet they gave me

So bottom line. If you ever find out you have a stone and dont want to spend a few days in hell, you may want to look into this treatment: Shock Wave Lithotripsy. So happy I did it!
Posted 6/22/2018 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Great news!
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