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What Causes Flank Pain?
Question: I am having right-sided flank pain and want to understand if it's kidney-related or likely a muscular-skeletal issue.
Yesterday morning I woke up with the flank pain on my right side. I thought it was due to my sleeping position. The pain went away when I got up and moved around. This morning the same pain woke me up. The pain has not gone away since I've been up and around. This morning I went to my GYN for a urine test which was normal. To my knowledge, I have never had a bladder infection. I have no fever, no chills, no feeling ill, no abdominal pain, no frequent urination and no pain when urinating. I am not dehydrated. The degree of pain is probably a 4 on a level of 1-10 (with 10 being the worse). The pain does not change when I push on the right flank area, and I have also tried to do a Murphy's kidney punch to myself which does not increase the pain. I have had some GI issues the last two days consisting of some diarrhea and nausea. (I also have IBS and have been under a lot of stress so the GI symptoms could be from that.)
Does this sound like a kidney infection or kidney stones?
Many thanks for your time and assistance.
Yesterday morning I woke up with the flank pain on my right side. I thought it was due to my sleeping position. The pain went away when I got up and moved around. This morning the same pain woke me up. The pain has not gone away since I've been up and around. This morning I went to my GYN for a urine test which was normal. To my knowledge, I have never had a bladder infection. I have no fever, no chills, no feeling ill, no abdominal pain, no frequent urination and no pain when urinating. I am not dehydrated. The degree of pain is probably a 4 on a level of 1-10 (with 10 being the worse). The pain does not change when I push on the right flank area, and I have also tried to do a Murphy's kidney punch to myself which does not increase the pain. I have had some GI issues the last two days consisting of some diarrhea and nausea. (I also have IBS and have been under a lot of stress so the GI symptoms could be from that.)
Does this sound like a kidney infection or kidney stones?
Many thanks for your time and assistance.
Brief Answer:
No.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
No, this does not sound like a kidney infection or stone.
Urinary tract infection gives lower center abdominal pain (where the bladder is located). Frequent urinating (especially during the night), burning while urinating are quite characteristic for this issue. Sometimes the pain can radiate to the back (where the kidney is located) what indicates kidney infection.
Kidney stone pain appears suddenly and is very strong (closer to 10). Such pain tends to radiate downward to the groin or even lower limb. It can also disappear suddenly.
Both infection and stones should give some changes in urine analysis. WBC should be present in case of infection and erythrocytes in case of stones.
Body position change never helps with kidney pain.
So your symptoms sounds more like a spine problem or muscular problem. Characteristic for such pain is that NSAID (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs like Diclophenac) give relief (this medicines usually do not help with abdominal pain.
Diarrhea and nausea can be caused by stress or IBS indeed. Some gastrointestinal infection can be also the reason.
I suggest you to consult orthopedist with this issue. Spine MRI should be considered.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
No.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
No, this does not sound like a kidney infection or stone.
Urinary tract infection gives lower center abdominal pain (where the bladder is located). Frequent urinating (especially during the night), burning while urinating are quite characteristic for this issue. Sometimes the pain can radiate to the back (where the kidney is located) what indicates kidney infection.
Kidney stone pain appears suddenly and is very strong (closer to 10). Such pain tends to radiate downward to the groin or even lower limb. It can also disappear suddenly.
Both infection and stones should give some changes in urine analysis. WBC should be present in case of infection and erythrocytes in case of stones.
Body position change never helps with kidney pain.
So your symptoms sounds more like a spine problem or muscular problem. Characteristic for such pain is that NSAID (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs like Diclophenac) give relief (this medicines usually do not help with abdominal pain.
Diarrhea and nausea can be caused by stress or IBS indeed. Some gastrointestinal infection can be also the reason.
I suggest you to consult orthopedist with this issue. Spine MRI should be considered.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The nurse looked at my urine today and said it was normal but said the culture won't be back for a couple of days. Would she have seen WBC today when she looked at the urine, or would the WBC not show up until the culture is back in a couple of days?
Is a UTI required in order to get a kidney infection?
Is a UTI required in order to get a kidney infection?
Brief Answer:
.
Detailed Answer:
WBC is something that can be seen in the regular urine analysis. So this should be visible for the nurse. Urine culture is a test which determines the bacteria type only.
Yes, uti is necessary to infect the kidney. This is the main way it gets infected (by infected bladder or ureter).
Regards
.
Detailed Answer:
WBC is something that can be seen in the regular urine analysis. So this should be visible for the nurse. Urine culture is a test which determines the bacteria type only.
Yes, uti is necessary to infect the kidney. This is the main way it gets infected (by infected bladder or ureter).
Regards
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems and comprehensive renal care, talk to a Nephrologist. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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