HydrHealth
← Back to Community Stories
Patient journeyONGOING

Stuck with this stone for months :(

Stone Fighter #914ACEStone Fighter #914ACEOct 4, 2026👁️ 2.6k❤️ 166
Strategy
Patient journey

Hi everyone, this is my first post here but I’ve been a stone-r for over 20 years now. About 3 months ago I started getting this dull nagging pain down in my lower abdomen, and since I don’t have a urologist at the moment I went to my primary care Dr, who ordered an xray that turned up a 3mm stone still sitting in the kidney. Over the past couple weeks the pain has gotten worse, so my Dr ordered a pelvic ultrasound (to rule out issues with my lady bits) and my insurance finally okayed a ct scan for tomorrow. I couldn’t get a urologist apt for a month. Does anyone have advice on getting this thing to pass? From what I read most urologists would recommend some kind of removal once a stone is being stubborn. I try to stay away from the ER unless I’m literally dying becuaee the few times I’ve had to go in for stones it ran me thousands of dollars in co-pays (and yes, I do have insurance in the US). Should I just ask my primary dr for flomax? I haven’t had a really bad stone in a few years now. I’m 40f and have dealt with stones off and on ever since my first traumatic experience at 16. Nice to meet you ;)

Comments (2)

Stone Fighter #CF1570Stone Fighter #CF1570Oct 4, 2026

I’m no expert here, but I don’t think Flomax really does much unless the stone has dropped into the ureter. Me, I usually just go to urgent care... it might work out cheaper for you then the ER, though it really depends on when you need to be seen and what kind level of care you need. Urgent care wrote me a script for flowmax and Zofran, but I'm confident my own PCP would have done the same if I had asked. They can run blood and urine tests in a matter of minutes.

Stone Fighter #432B42Stone Fighter #432B42Oct 4, 2026

I’ve had a 3mm one (at my last scan) just sitting in the kidney for 3+ years now, and I do have a Urologist. He’s told me it’s too small to operate on, so the whole fix is to …. Wait. I’m kinda over the entire thing and I’m not sure what the odds are that it simply never moves. My general DR told me 3 years back to just use a strainer every single time I went to the bathroom… so glad I didn’t waste my time with that!

Stone Fighter #98F3B6Stone Fighter #98F3B6Oct 4, 2026

So in those 3+ years, has it given you any problems? Just curious

Facing a kidney stone right now?

Track hydration, pain and jumping exercises — and share your own story when you pass the stone.

Get HydrHealth Free