Renal colic starts as a middle back-sided pain radiating through the flank, inguinal area and scrotum (labia majora in females).
The pain is acute, sudden and with variable intensity. You will not find a position in which you feel less pain.
It is a situation that requires immediate pain treatment and intravenous painkiller infusion.
Sudden onset of renal colic
However, if we are at home and far away from hospital facilities, we may try to follow two simple steps:
- Stop drinking: It is good to drink water when you have stones in the urinary tract, but you must stop drinking when you have renal colic. The stone obstructs the urine flow, and the kidney gets swollen. When you keep drinking, the kidney swells even more. And kidney swelling is painful. Therefore, the more you drink, the more pain you have.
- Take a dose of a painkiller. Paracetamol usually does not work, and Aspirin and derivate have only mild effects. Diclofenac based medications are effective. Most pharmacies deliver it over the counter (OTC medication). After taking the painkiller, wait for 30-40 minutes for pain relief. Then, you can resume drinking water.
Red flags of renal colic
However, when you are in renal colic at home, you cannot forget the red flags which require immediate medical attention at ER:
- High fever;
- The pain is too intense, and it does not respond to the painkiller;
- Vomiting and prostration.
Fever may indicate the presence of a concomitant UTI whose progression may be severe and unpredictable.
Do not stay at home if you have renal colic and fever.
