Most stones are not smooth but have jagged edges, and when a stone moves it can rip tissue in there and so the ripped tissue bleeds. If it gets stuck and the urine and blood back up it can burst the ureter and it's not good for the kidney to have that backed up stuff in it. When the pain stopped it probably moved again, which started the bleeding again, but relieved the pressure of backed up urine.

It could damage both the ureter and the kidney. It's not really about the pain itself, but that the pain might indicate that damage is being done. If you go to the ER they will do more than just pain management. they will check the location of the stone. If you can't wait a week or two then you can't.. stones are a bit unpredictable. X-rays and ultra-sounds don't always image them. I got told last year that my stone was gone.. halleluiah,, but it was only that it didn't show up.

Sometimes a mild relaxer helps, like chamomile tea, the ureter relaxes and the stone moves along easier. How big is the stone? did your doctor tell you?

Thanks for the reply, Xa1nbowxR--of course, everything happens on the weekend (or in the evenings) when you feel like you are being a pain if you call, but you just aren't sure what to do. I've only ever had pain like that the very first time when I found out by going to the ER that I had kidney stones, and that time they did a CAT scan, and gave me something for pain and a referral to follow up with a urologist. That was about seven years ago, and several kidney stones ago; without having any pain with the other stones, I wasn't sure how necessary it was to go and be seen--I just kept thinking, "What's gonna happen? It isn't like my kidney would rupture or anything...would it???"

I don't know how big the two stones in my left ureter are, but I was anesthetized a couple of weeks ago for laser lithotripsy, only to be woken up without having anything done as they were worried about my irregular heartbeat. Now I have one more cardiac test to be done this Thursday morning, and the minute the cardiologist clears me for surgery, I'll hand-deliver a note to the urologist in the next building over if that's what it takes to get the surgery rescheduled!

The worst part for me is that, being lucky to be pain-free when I am passing a stone, I feel worse AFTER having the lithotripsy or basket retrieval and stent!

I hadn't thought of any natural methods to relax the ureters...thanks for the suggestion of chamomile tea. I know flomax has never seemed to do anything for me in the past. I try to keep moving, and do lots of walking and drink water in an attempt to pass the stones, but have never managed to pass any without intervention. I don't know what size these are.

Thanks again for the prompt response...hope you are well!

Have you ever been to a nephrologist? They are different than a urologist. A nephrologist is about the chemical processes going on in the kidney.. like what is it making stones? and how to prevent it from making more stones? My nephrologist has put me on some natural things that are helping. I'm not sure if you would be on the same htings, but I think it's worth looking into for you. they both have a place,, the nephrologist to keep the chemical processes going as normally as possible for good kidney function,, and the urologist who is into the mechanical structures, so when there is a stone, would take it out if necessary.

There are a few things you have to remember when considering kidney stones. If the pain is bearable, thats probably a good thing. That probably means it's not causing any blockage/damage (this is not always the case, however).
But certainly untreated kidney stones are the main cause of stone recurrence and of frequent urinary tract infections in women.
All the infections caused by kidney stones require the removal of the stone(s) and even antibiotics do nothing for the infection. The one thing that matters a lot is the size/composition of your stone. Stones greater than 5 mm are unlikely to pass on their own and usually require treatment if they fall into the ureter. This can create an unnecessary emergency. So you do have to be careful. But once again, no pain is probably not a bad sign. Hope that helps.
:-)

Okay, I am the original poster on this thread, and I figured I should come back and give an update.

Turns out I had a bit of an abnormal presentation, but it was probably due to my abnormal situation. I did follow up, and they found that my ureter (which showed a stone during imaging studies) was actually blocked during a gynecological surgery earlier this spring. I'd had pain right off in the days after the surgery, but attributed the pain to that operation, and then the pain went away. Fortunately, the blood in the urine convinced me to follow up, and subsequent tests showed that we caught it early enough (and began draining the kidney with a percutaneous nephrostomy tube) that my kidney is still functioning and we can save it with surgery to repair the ureter and bladder connection next week.

It is scary to think that if I hadn't followed up, just because I wasn't experiencing pain, my kidney could have shut down and I would have lost it--just to save having to pay co-pays and spend time in a doctor's office or ER. When it comes to kidneys...don't mess around!

My urologist did say that she will make sure that the stone in that ureter is removed, as stones can cause infections, and more stones. She is planning to then take care of the stones in my other kidney, and then follow up with some tests to see why I keep getting them. After six years of battling stones, it sure would be nice to be stone-free!

I am absolutely amazed that you stuck it out for 6 hours! Last Thursday I was admitted to the hospital because I had fluid back up, a spazzing ureter and kidney stones. I waited for my mom to pick me up from my house and I was laying in the bathroom floor writhing in the worst pain I have ever in my life felt. I felt as though the 30 minutes I waited, was a few hours. Not to mention the 20 minute drive to the hospital. If you are in that kind of pain, I say yes, go to the hospital. They always do a test to make sure the fluid isn't backed up in your kidneys and so on. They ended up putting a stent in for me and I was good to go home the next day. Of course not feeling 100%.