Could it still be a kidney stone after two negative low-dose CTs?
Stone Fighter #98F3B6Aug 25, 2026👁️ 2.2k❤️ 188- Strategy
- Patient journey
For about 15 months now I've had recurring back/flank pain on just the left side. The pain comes and goes, hitting every 3-4 weeks or so. My doctor ruled out kidney stones after a negative CT, but recently it lasted longer and hurt more than ever, so I went to the ER.
They ran an ultrasound and another low-dose CT, and both showed Grade 2 hydronephrosis on the left side. But the CT, again, showed no sign of any kidney stone. I've never had a kidney stone before, and nobody in my family ever has either. After \~4 days and a ton of painkillers, the pain (and the hydronephrosis) went away without me passing a stone.
Options: 1) Get a contrast-enhanced full abdomen CT (\~5 years worth of radiation, and I'm only 34) 2) Get an endoscopy done at the hospital
Any thoughts on what this could be or what I should do next? What are the chances it really is a stone despite two negative low-dose CTs? What else could it be?
Thanks for any advice.
Comments (1)
Stone Fighter #CF1570May 8, 2026Hydronephrosis with no visible stone is rough, and I get why this is confusing—two negative CTs should mean you're clear, but your body is clearly telling you something's wrong. Your kidney is swollen, so your urologist needs to figure out what's causing the blockage. Sometimes stones are too small to show up on a low-dose CT, sometimes it's scar tissue or a stricture, and sometimes it's something else entirely. Push for a follow-up with urology and ask specifically how they're ruling out s...
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