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Can Kidney Stones Cause Constipation

How Common Is Constipation

Can a kidney stone cause stomach problems like nausea & constipation? – Dr. Vidyashankar Panchangam

You are not alone if you have constipation. Constipation is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. At least 2.5 million people see their doctor each year due to constipation.

People of all ages can have an occasional bout of constipation. There are also certain people and situations that are more likely to lead to becoming more consistently constipated . These include:

  • Older age. Older people tend to be less active, have a slower metabolism and less muscle contraction strength along their digestive tract than when they were younger.
  • Being a woman, especially while you are pregnant and after childbirth. Changes in a womans hormones make them more prone to constipation. The baby inside the womb squishes the intestines, slowing down the passage of stool.
  • Not eating enough high-fiber foods. High-fiber foods keep food moving through the digestive system.
  • Taking certain medications .

Symptom Of Kidney Stone: Blood In Your Urine

Because stones tend to have those jagged surfaces, they can scrape along through your system, causing abrasions and inflammation.

That can lead to some blood in the urine, Dr. Zhao says. In some cases, you can actually see the blood in your pee. Thats called gross hematuria. In other cases, the blood in your urine is microscopic and can only be picked up on lab workthats known as microscopic hematuria.

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  • fever and chills
  • urine that smells bad or looks cloudy

The kidney stone starts to hurt when it causes irritation or blockage. This builds rapidly to extreme pain. In most cases, kidney stones pass without causing damage-but usually not without causing a lot of pain. Pain relievers may be the only treatment needed for small stones. Other treatment may be needed, especially for those stones that cause lasting symptoms or other complications. In severe cases, however, surgery may be required.

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Going A Small Amount At A Time

Large kidney stones sometimes get stuck in a ureter. This blockage can slow or stop the flow of urine.

If you have a blockage, you may only urinate a little bit each time you go. Urine flow that stops entirely is a medical emergency.

Its common for people with a kidney stone to have nausea and vomiting .

These symptoms happen because of shared nerve connections between the kidneys and GI tract . Stones in the kidneys can trigger nerves in the GI tract, setting off an upset stomach.

The nausea and vomiting can also be your bodys way of responding to intense pain .

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How Is Constipation Treated

Kidney Stone Pain And Constipation

Self-care

Most cases of mild to moderate constipation can be managed by you at home. Self-care starts by taking an inventory of what you eat and drink and then making changes.

Some recommendations to help relieve your constipation include:

  • Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day. Avoid caffeine-containing drinks and alcohol, which can cause dehydration.
  • Add fruits, vegetables whole grains and other high-fiber foods to your diet. Eat fewer high-fat foods, like meat, eggs and cheese.
  • Eat prunes and/or bran cereal.
  • Keep a food diary and single out foods that constipate you.
  • Get moving, exercise.
  • Check how you sit on the toilet. Raising your feet, leaning back or squatting may make having a bowel movement easier.
  • Add an over-the-counter supplemental fiber to your diet .
  • If needed, take a very mild over-the-counter stool softener or laxative . Mineral oil enemas, like Fleet®, and stimulant laxatives, like bisacodyl or senna , are other options. There are many laxative choices. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for help in making a choice. Do not use laxatives for more than two weeks without calling your doctor. Overuse of laxatives can worsen your symptoms.
  • Do not read, use your phone or other devices while trying to move your bowels.

Medication/supplement review

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The Bladder And Kidneys

The kidneys filter waste products out of the blood, which are mixed with water to create urine. Urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder, where its stored.

When the bladder is full and youre ready to pee, urine passes out of your body through a tube called the urethra.

Page last reviewed: 03 August 2018 Next review due: 03 August 2021

Frequent Bowel Movements And Pain Or Discomfort

Reviewed on 8/31/2020

Pain accompanied by frequent bowel movements can come from irritable bowel syndrome or gastroenteritis. Muscle strain can also cause pain but is less likely to be associated with frequent bowel movements. Kidney stones can cause severe pain that could coexist with frequent bowel movements. If you are concerned about your symptoms, seek the advice of a doctor.

While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:

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Probiotics Prebiotics And Synbiotics

Since gut dysbiosis is suggested to be associated with constipation, agents favorably affecting the growth or activity of beneficial microbiota may be a promising option for the treatment of constipation. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host. Prebiotics are indigestible food ingredients that include dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and resistant starches. Synbiotics refer to a combination of probiotics and prebiotics. A meta-analysis by Dimidi et al. revealed that probiotics reduced the whole-gut transit time in non-CKD patients by 12 hours and increased stool frequency by 1.3 times/week . Similarly, prebiotics and synbiotics improved stool frequency and consistency . On the other hand, limited information is currently available on their effects on bowel habits in CKD patients. Nakabayashi et al. reported that a synbiotic treatment for 2 weeks significantly increased stool quantities in HD patients . Furthermore, hard stools appeared to soften. In nondialysis-CKD patients, fiber supplementation significantly increased stool frequency from 1.4 ± 0.2 to 1.9 ± 0.3 times/day . In both studies, bowel habits were estimated as a secondary outcome. Further studies are required to examine the effects of these agents on stool frequency, stool consistency, and intestinal motility in CKD patients.

What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Stones

Can Kidney Stones Cause Constipation?

“A kidney stone is a hard mass that’s made up of minerals , certain salts and other byproducts. They can form when these substances accumulate in the area of your kidneys where urine is produced,” explains Dr. Kannady.

Kidney stones can be as small as the point of a pen or as large as a ping pong ball.

“Typically, a person doesn’t start noticing the symptoms of a kidney stone until it moves from the kidney into the ureter, which is the tube that carries urine from your kidney to your bladder,” Dr. Kannady adds.

Kidney stone symptoms include:

  • Sharp pain in the lower abdomen, typically on one side
  • A burning sensation or pain while urinating
  • Urinating frequently
  • Feeling like you’re urinating incompletely or in small amounts
  • Urine that is brown, red or pink, which indicates the presence of blood
  • Smelly or cloudy urine
  • Feeling queasy or nauseous due to the intensity of the pain
  • Signs of infection, including fever, chills and vomiting

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Signs Of Acute Pyelonephritis

Acute pyelonephritis is a painful bacterial infection of the kidneys which occurs when bacteria enter the urethra, move into the bladder, travel up the ureters and affect the kidneys. It is usually caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli, but can sometimes be caused by other bacteria.

Acute pyelonephritis is a common kidney problem in females, especially those between the ages of 15 and 29. The condition is rare among males, although it is more common in men over the age of 65 or men with anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract. It can, however, affect people of any age. Although it is quite uncomfortable, acute pyelonephritis is seldom a cause of long term kidney problems. Some underlying conditions can increase the risk of developing acute pyelonephritis. These include:

  • Urinating painfully or with difficulty
  • Producing no urine
  • Low blood pressure, which can manifest as dizziness and/or faintness

In men and women older than 65, the above-mentioned symptoms may be absent, and additional symptoms may include:

  • Confusion
  • Jumbled speech
  • Hallucinations

Good to know:In babies and toddlers, the only sign of acute pyelonephritis may be a high fever.

For more information, consult this resource on acute pyelonephritis. If you are worried that you or a loved one may have pyelonephritis, you can do a symptom assessment with Ada.

Why Do Doctors Examine The Contents Of The Stone

There are four types of stones. Studying the stone can help understand why you have it and how to reduce the risk of further stones. The most common type of stone contains calcium. Calcium is a normal part of a healthy diet. The kidney usually removes extra calcium that the body doesnt need. Often people with stones keep too much calcium. This calcium combines with waste products like oxalate to form a stone. The most common combination is called calcium oxalate.

Less common types of stones are: Infection-related stones, containing magnesium and ammonia called struvite stones and stones formed from monosodium urate crystals, called uric acid stones, which might be related to obesity and dietary factors. The rarest type of stone is a cvstine stone that tends to run in families.

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If You Think You Have A Kidney Stone

If you have been diagnosed with a kidney stone, please call 362-8200 to schedule an appointment for evaluation and treatment we will do our best to make sure you are seen promptly. You may be directed to the emergency department if you are experiencing intractable nausea, vomiting, pain or fever so that urgent treatment can be given.

We have a very limited number of same-day appointments therefore, it is likely that you will be directed to the emergency department for rapid evaluation. There, they will obtain scans and labs that will help confirm the diagnosis of kidney stones. From that information, we can make an informed decision about your treatment.

If you have recently passed a stone, you should have close follow-up with a urologist. Our team of stone experts can accommodate you at any of our clinic locations.

When Should I Call The Doctor

Kidney Stones And Constipation

Call the doctor right away if your child has a fever with shaking chills, back pain, or pain while peeing.

Also call the doctor if your child:

  • is constipated
  • has foul-smelling or cloudy pee
  • has blood clots in the pee
  • has pee that looks like tomato juice
  • has pain that doesnt get better with the recommended medicine
  • has severe pain

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Symptoms Associated With Kidney Stones

When a kidney stone starts to pass, symptoms typically occur suddenly and without warning. Sharp, stabbing pain usually develops in your side or back, typically right at the bottom part of the ribcage. Sometimes, the pain will travel downward into the genital area. Stones that have nearly passed into the bladder may be associated with an intense urge to urinate.

Stone pain typically comes and goes. After an initial period of severe pain, you may feel better for a few hours before developing another attack. Many patients will require medication to help with stone pain.

Nausea and vomiting are also very common and are often a reason for hospital admission during stone attacks. You might also see blood in your urine. This can be unsettling to many patients, but is generally not life-threatening.

The most concerning symptom during a stone attack is fever, which indicates that you may have an infection in addition to a kidney stone. This is a potentially life-threatening combination and requires immediate evaluation and treatment.

What Are The Specific Types Of Feline Kidney Disease

There are many types of kidney disease in cats. Some are congenital and some are developmental.

Your veterinarian will be able to tell you which type your cat has.

While I cant get into every specific type of renal disease, here are some types you may encounter.

  • Renal agenesis is the failure of kidney formation: sometimes kidneys dont form at all.
  • Renal dysplasia: means abnormal kidney development.
  • If one or both kidneys are displaced, your cat may be diagnosed with renal ectopia.
  • And then there is polycystic kidney disease which comes with the formation of cysts throughout the kidney tissue.

Kidneys are complex.

That means there are a lot of things that could go wrong.

Structural issues, blood vessel problems, responses to outside influences, all the way down to the cells that make up the kidneystheres so much to know about these small but important organs.

While listing all of the exact diseases and congenital problems are beyond the scope of this article, I found a comprehensive list right here.

This informative video can also help shed some light on kidney failure in cats:

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When Should A Kidney Stone Be Treated

When a kidney stone causes pain to the extent that the pain cannot be controlled with oral pain medication, the stone should be treated. Similarly, stones that are associated with severe nausea or vomiting should be treated. Some stones are associated with infection or fever such situations can be life threatening and demand prompt attention. Stones that are associated with a solitary kidney, poor overall kidney function or complete blockage of urine flow should also all be treated.

Sometimes, when a stone is associated with bothersome symptoms, it may be appropriate to wait and see if the stone will pass on its own. If the stone is small, this is a very reasonable course of action. However, stones larger in size than 5 mm are unlikely to pass on their own and should be considered for treatment.

Serotonin Type 4 Receptor Agonists

Kidney Stones: Signs & Treatment – CHI Health Clinic

Serotonin type 4 receptor agonists stimulate peristalsis and accelerate gastrointestinal transit. Shin et al. reviewed 13 randomized controlled trials on highly selective 5-HT4 receptor agonists in adults with chronic constipation and concluded that these drugs improved stool frequency and other symptoms of constipation, generally with minor neurological/psychiatric adverse events . However, the efficacy of these drugs has not yet been reported in CKD/ESKD patients. Since CKD-related constipation is often refractory, 5-HT4 receptor agonists may be used not as a sole therapy but as an additive therapy to other drugs.

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How If Being Suffered From Kidney Stones And Constipation Or Diarrhea At Once

Rather than thinking by yourself that those diseases are connected, it is much better to consult your doctor immediately.

This way right and proper treatments can just be given as well. When you have 2 diseases or more, basically, it is more complicated for the doctor to give the prescription for stopping your diarrhea. As you know, a certain drug or medication may have its own indication and contra-indication.

The similarity between those diseases is about the foods and drinks you are consuming. Mainly, it is related to the liquid it is pure water.

So, when the doctor gives you a prescription and recommendations to do this and that what you need to do is arranging your daily consumption and drinking enough amount of pure water.

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Diagnosis: Low Urine Ph

Possible treatments:

Citrate supplementation

Citrate supplements, such as potassium citrate, will raise the pH of your urine, making stones, such as those composed of uric acid, less likely to form. If your blood potassium level is high, your doctor may prescribe sodium bicarbonate or Bicitra.

Lower protein intake

A diet high in protein will reduce urinary pH. As a general recommendation, limit your daily protein intake to 12 ounces per day of beef, poultry, fish and pork. Twelve ounces is equivalent in size to about three decks of cards. This will be plenty of protein to meet your bodys needs.

Increase fluid intake

No matter what your diagnosis, you should drink enough water to produce at least 2 liters of urine per day.

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Ckd Kidney Failure Risk Up To 13 Percent Higher With Constipation

Dr. Keiichi Sumida and Dr. Csaba Kovesdy, from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, examined 3.5 million American veterans. These patients were first seen in 2004 and 2006 and then followed through 2013.

All participants had normal kidney function on their first examination, but as time progressed, some of the patients developed constipation and kidney disease.

Patients with constipation were 13 percent more likely to develop chronic kidney disease and 9 percent more likely to have kidney failure.

Researchers also established a proportional association between the degree of severity in constipation and CKD and kidney failure.

Increasingly severe constipation was linked to a higher risk of developing kidney disease.

Dr. Kovesdy points to the link between our intestinal health and our kidneys, suggesting his study sheds light on the causes of kidney disease, as well as treatment and prevention.

Our findings highlight the plausible link between the gut and the kidneys and provide additional insights into the pathogenesis of kidney disease progression. Our results suggest the need for careful observation of kidney function trajectory in patients with constipation, particularly among those with more severe constipation.

Dr. Csaba Kovesdy

The results will be published in the next issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Causes Of Testicular Pain

Kidney Stone Symptoms And Constipation

Sometimes the cause of testicular pain is the condition of the kidney stone or the stone itself. However, it could also be due to your diet, especially if you have kidney stones. If a stone cant be moved out of the kidneys, it will cause pain even if it falls between the urine.

It can be a combination of three different conditions in a single kidney stone. In case of kidney stone from a larger size , it is more difficult to move the stone out because of the swelling, swelling and pain. In case of kidney stone from an extra small kidney stone, it is harder to move the stone out. The stone would be harder to move out because the pain would be the same as with the big kidney stone.

The causes of the pain that results from urine stone can include the following:

Stone size

The urine stone might be large, small or extra small. The larger the stone, the more serious the pain is. The amount of stone in the urine can cause a strong pain in the testis.

Fluid consumption

The urine stone might cause fluid loss when peeing. Usually the amount of urine lost will be less than the amount of stones in the urine. In such case, a weak urine may cause a very severe pain. The same amount of fluid loss will also cause a great pain.

Urinary tract obstruction

This condition is when the stone falls under the urinary tract. If the blockage is caused by kidney stones, then it might cause very severe pain. The blockage is usually in the left kidney, the right kidney, the bladder or both kidneys.

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