Kidney Stones

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Pain Medications

Over-the-counter pain relievers (e.g., aspirin, Tylenol® , Advil®) usually are not effective by themselves for the more severe pain caused by kidney stones. However, you can try a combination of Aleve® , Advil®, or Motrin® plus Tylenol® for milder pain. Talk to your physician about what dosages of these medications is safe for you to take.

Oral opiod analgesics, such as acetaminophen/codeine (Tylenol with Codeine®), propoxyphene HCL (Darvon®), hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin®) and oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet®) may be prescribed to minimize moderate pain associated with stones.

Injectable medications such as morphine sulfate (Duramorph PF®), hydromorphone (Dilaudid®), and ketorolac HCL (Toradol®) may be administered intravenously (IV) or intramuscularly (by injection) for severe pain. There is a risk for dependency with oral narcotic analgesics used for more than 3–4 weeks at a time and a small risk for accidental overdose if injectable medications are given directly into a vein.

Side effects of these medications include the following:

• Constipation
• Drowsiness
• Nausea
• Slowed breathing (respiration)
• Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting can be reduced using medications such as prochlorperazine edisylate (Compazine®), promethazine HCL (Phenergan®), and metoclopramide HCL (Reglan®).

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