I tried to answer as well. I just basically said DH had very painful ones and we used rescue remedy. But we also did go to emergency. Rescue remedy helps me with my anxiety and it was what I had on hand and it seemed to ease the passing of the kidney stones.. As far as placebos go it is fairly mild and innocuous.

The problem might be that a FAQ was tagged.

I too posted this answer...I could see it but it never showed on the thread.

Annie Deighnaugh

My FIL used to soak in a hot tub. Can you do a televisit with a doc and maybe get stronger pain meds? When DH was passing his stone many decades ago, they gave him demerol which would put him to sleep...and I think relaxing everything helped the stone move enough so the urine could pass by and relieve the pressure as the stone is an irregular shaped thing...and in some positions it would block and others it wouldn't block completely. He did eventually pass it but not without the demerol. But I don't think they use that drug much any more.

I also posted. I can understand not wanting to walk in cold to an ER. You could end up waiting for hours. If you can't want unaided to the bathroom, you need to call a urologist. They may be able to do an ultrasound or x-ray in the office, and then get you into their surgical facility for possibly a lithotripsy.

Thanks everyone for your advice and replies. I wondered why no one replied. I hit the FAQ by mistake and didn't notice till after I posted. I don't know how to delete it. I guess I will delete my post if I can. How do you do that?

BTW the pain is getting less. It was a bad one this time. I have heavy duty pills, oxycodone, but they make me vomit so can't take them. Not much you can do but wait it out. Hot baths do help a little. I had medication that relaxed and widen the ureter but I am out. I will have call my doctor but she is only available by phone once a week. Covid has changed everthing.

Try the oxy cut in half or quarters.

I hope you feel better soon.

You need a new doctor, being available only once a week is like never when a patient is in need.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who tried to post for you, Caflowerlover. Your more detailed post above would have obviated most of my answer anyway.

I know your pain. I was driving downstate to see my Mom, when this wave of pain hit. It passed and then came back. I turned into the closest small town hospital, it hurt so bad. They did an x-ray and said kidney stone. They gave me a shot of something that really helped. Said I could be admitted, but my insurance might not pay, or I could go. Since I was 2 hours away from Mom’s or home, I said keep me. When rolling me to a room we went over quite a bump. I swear that bump knocked that stone loose. I was fine the next day.

i sire hope yours passes soon and you feel better. Doesn’t your Dr. have a prescription line to order new scripts?

My husband gets a kidney stone attack about every two years. The first time I witnessed it was after I had cooked him a big birthday dinner. I was sure I had poisoned him! It looks so painful. I always keep a pitcher of fresh lemonade in the fridge, specifically for him. His urologist suggested citric acid tablets but said the lemonade will work, too.

That post shows no replies, but when I click on it, I see my reply.

I've been fortunate so far, but they do run in my family. My dad and a couple of siblings have had them. This is a bit off the wall... my one brother told me he thought physically mowing his lawn with a riding lawn mower helped him. He thought something about the vibrations helped. Not sure if you have something similar that would ease the transition especially with it being winter.

I am so sorry you are dealing with kidney stones! I know how painful they are....have had them a few times in 15 years. I agree with Elmer that you need a doctor who is available more than once a week! Does your doctor have a nurse who can help? Or anyone else in the office? Having had them myself, I would probably go to the ER. Although you say you're feeling a better so maybe the worst is over?

About your doctor, that is an outrageously irresponsible position. You need a practice that has you covered, one way or another, 24/7. Being only available one day per week, with no other doctors taking call, belies how little this person cares for her patients- this does not inspire confidence.

Please read what I wrote before you delete it. Mine is there but it says it isn't. I cant copy and paste it here so if anyone else can do it would appreciate it.

I should have clearer about my doctor. She does phone or video visits once a week. It is hard to get a face to face visit and only does physicals or annual visits. If you have a problem like mine she refers you to Urgent Care. I think they are under staffed and are paranoid about COVID. I have been going to her for 11 years so would like to stay with her.

Bengardening, only you can see your previous post.

I can commiserate. Do you know the compisition of your stones -- what to avoid ingesting that may contribute to forming them? What pain-killers can you take?

I've had one stone that took three days to depart; started in Greece, continued in Venice, finally left me somewhere over the Atlantic. Bless the public health nurse who came aboard with a shot; the pilot wanted to kick me off the flight. Twenty years ago I required surgery to remove a 'staghorn' stone from the other kidney. For whatever reason, I've never had another stone.

I'm so sorry for your pain.

I agree with zalco, this is outrageous conduct and it's all the more perplexing that you accept it and suffer because of it. .

I think you've said you live south of Silicon Valley. There are competent and responsible medical practices run with greater patient welfare and care available than you describe you get. Pick your direction - south to SC for the PAMF practices or over the hill to the north for a greater selection - PAMF, Stanford Health system, and even others. Your doc doesn't deserve your loyalty, you don't experience her loyalty to you in return.

You need a urologist.

DH has had it 3 times. He used Aloe Vera juice or gel, the stones pasted out within a day.

Elmer - I am in Santa Cruz county and have PAMF Sutter Health. That is who I have been with for the last 11 years. It use to be good but things started changing a few years ago. I don't know if it is because they are frequently changing staff or something else. There are not a lot of choices here. DH and DS switched to Kaiser because of the above reasons. DH keeps trying to get me to switch and I might. Though they are not perfect either.

Thanks again everyone for the replies and information.

Wow, that's awful, I'm very sorry. It's a wonder that a doc in a group practice like PAMF doesn't have their patient needs covered by others when they've decided they're not "available". What would happen if you called and insisted on connecting to a physician? If the response is "go to urgent care", for me, that would be my last contact with PAMF.

We know two couples over there who use PAMF, that was why I suggested it. Though even in its home town (Palo Alto), its reputation is mixed and I think it's lost mindshare to Stanford's group practice.

I've always been skeptical when they've raved about the care they get but it is a bigger practice. The one or two horse offices aren't around so much any more. At least in Santa Cruz, PAMF and the local hospital have been sources of problems I've heard of over the years suggestive of small town mediocrity. Kaiser is no walk in park either and for other reasons.

Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

OK I will make this shorter than the other one. In 1980 I had an attack and I thought I had food poisoning because I had eaten quail or something that night. My DH took me to the hospital and they told me it was kidney stones and sent me home. They told me if i didn't pass them by Monday I would have to have surgery. We went back to Bismarck and I was talking to one of my neighbors and he told me to go and buy some olive oil and drink it and I would pass it. So I did and when I got home i knew if I started to drink it and stop I wouldn't be able to drink anymore with out vomiting so I chugged it. I passed it.

About a month ago I woke up at midnight and I had a sharp pain in my left side in the stomach area. I couldn't go back to sleep, it hurt so bad. So I googled home remedies for it. I had some to find something that I had on hand because I was 40 miles from the nearest store. It said to put a heating pad on it and I thought what good will that do. Then I thought I had bladder infection with very frequent urination. So I drank some corn silk tea that I had from a long time ago for BI. One of the articles for KS was to put a heating pad on it and I thought what good is that going to do. Well soon I was not peeing just the urge to. finally I went back to bed about 530. with the heating pad on my stomach. I woke up about an hour later and the pain was gone. I went to the doctor that morning and they checked me out and couldn't find anything, I had to go back for a cat scan. Anyhow i was waiting for her to prescribe me some thing for my BI and she told me I didn't have it. I am sure I passed a KS that morning again. The heating pad helped. I told my DF who is a RN and she said that the heat expands the tube to let the KS pass.

sorry I guess this wasn't any shorter. I hope this helps you or someone else.

PAMF, specifically PA campus, was wonderful 20 years ago. Since Sutter Health took over ... the opposite. We left ages ago. It's quite a case study in health care economics, and to think some people have medical practices run by private equity firms, which would make Sutter look good.

I am sorry if you don't have my better choices. I hope things are turning around for your pain.

I think that's right about PAMF but it may have been sliding downward longer ago than 20 years ago. Another practice that fits that same description is the Menlo Medical Clinic. My wife had several good docs there of different specialties at one time but one after another, they all have left. They seem to have downsized and are hiding behind their relationship as an affiliated but external and independent practice to Stanford and happy to mislead the public that it's something more than it is. They had several good GI docs there, also OB-GYN docs at one time, all are gone.

In Santa Cruz, the PAMF "practice" was acquired - it was previously a local group practice, called Santa Cruz Medical Clinic or something like that. We know a couple of docs that worked there. It wasn't much to write home about before the acquisition and it doesn't seem to be any better since.