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Just found out yesterday I have a 6mm kidney stone

Stone Fighter #17A9FEAug 15, 2026👁️ 1.4k❤️ 147

Strategy: Patient journey

Hey everyone, I'm 26 (male) and this is my first kidney stone ever, so I came here looking for tips, advice, or just stories about what to expect. It started Saturday around 3pm with sharp pains in my side, and I tried to just tough it out until Monday (I figured it was constipation or something, but I've never had anything like that before this weekend, so I had no way of knowing).

Long story short, those sharp pains in my left flank — which radiated a little into my back — finally calmed down within the last 16 hours, and before that I found out I've got a 6mm stone on my left side.

So basically what I want to know is: besides taking my prescribed meds, doing cardio, and watching my diet, how long do these stones usually hang around? How will I know it's on the move or already passed? And as a guy, what kind of sensations should I expect, and what should I actually do about them (like — no more flank pain, maybe just some tenderness in my lower left side, so where should the pain show up next? Should I just go whenever I feel like peeing? etc.). Any advice or knowledge you can share would be huge.

Thanks all, hope you're having a good day.

Comments (4)

Stone Fighter #55983EMay 6, 2026

Welcome to the club, man. I just peed out the gravel from my 6mm stone after ESWL. About a month ago, I first noticed blood in my urine and went to see a urologist. They did a CT scan, found the 6mm stone, and booked me for ESWL to blast it into pieces so it could pass on its own. Around that same time, I had one night of 9/10 sharp flank pain. I couldn't keep any painkillers down because I was puking up everything that hit my stomach. I just powered through it, and the pain finally quit af...

Stone Fighter #B1A014May 7, 2026

Oof, catching a 6mm stone at 26 is brutal timing, but you found it early, and that counts for a lot. First things first: once it's out (or removed), hydration has to become your whole life — shoot for 2.5 to 3 liters a day, enough to keep your pee basically clear. That alone stops most stones from coming back. Diet is where most people get confused, though. You don't have to go full chicken-and-rice like some people do. Green beans and regular milk are totally fine. Calcium from food actuall...

Stone Fighter #09BEDBMay 7, 2026

Thanks a ton, I'd really appreciate that! Better safe than sorry, right? Also, the hospital told me all I need is fluids, diet, and cardio to help it pass, so I guess passing it naturally is the plan for now. Is there any kind of 'average' for how long it takes a guy to pee out a stone this size?

Stone Fighter #09BEDBMay 7, 2026

YES! Exactly this! My flank has been absolutely killing me the last few nights (before I made this post) — I was grabbing my side, breathing way too fast from the pain, breaking out in sweats from how brutal it was, and I couldn't get more than 3 hours of sleep in a row at any point! Funny enough (okay, not really), the pain didn't let up until after I sat at the hospital for 5 HOURS waiting to be seen (11PM -> 4AM; the place was absolutely slammed that night), so I suffered through those 5 ...

Stone Fighter #56ED91May 8, 2026

Hey! So you can grab a *hot water bottle* and hold it against your back when the pain hits. It really helps take the edge off. IT WORKED for me. I got diagnosed with a 5.5mm stone (VUJ calculus) on Monday, I've been drinking 4 liters of water every day, and I managed to get it all the way down to my bladder.

Stone Fighter #56ED91May 8, 2026

Also steer clear of high-oxalate foods, animal protein, sodas, and too much salt.

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