Kidney stone symptoms · Alpharetta and Roswell
Kidney stone symptoms in women and men, and when to go to the ER.
If you are searching for kidney stone symptoms, the signs of a kidney stone, or a kidney stone doctor in Alpharetta, this page is about what the pain and other signs can feel like, how that pattern can show up in women and in men, when the emergency room is the right place, and what the visit and a CT involve at our Alpharetta / Roswell office.
Urologist at this office
What are kidney stone symptoms?
Kidney stone symptoms often start as pain in the side or back, between the lower ribs and the hip, and that pain may come in waves and change in intensity as the stone moves. It can travel down toward the groin. Burning or spasms with urination, a persistent need to go, nausea, vomiting, and pink, red or rusty urine can travel with the same episode. Some stones cause no pain at all and are found on an image taken for another reason, so the absence of severe pain does not rule a stone in or out on its own.
What are the signs of a kidney stone?
The signs people notice first are usually that wave of flank or back pain, pain that shifts toward the groin, and urine that looks or tests like it has blood in it. Cloudy or foul-smelling urine, fever or chills when an infection is also present, and trouble passing urine are also signs that should not be ignored. Flank pain is not always a stone, which is why our urologists at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell, use the visit and testing, rather than the pattern alone, to name the cause. This page is educational and is not a diagnosis.
What are kidney stone symptoms in women?
Women can have the same core kidney stone symptoms: side or back pain in waves, pain that moves toward the groin, blood in the urine, nausea or vomiting, and a persistent need to urinate. Those urinary symptoms can also look and feel like a bladder or kidney infection, so a urine test is part of telling the two apart rather than guessing from the burning or the urgency alone. Women are seen for this care at our Alpharetta / Roswell office; if the workup points to blood in the urine or to a stone that needs treatment, blood in the urine and kidney stone care explain those next steps.
What are kidney stone symptoms in men?
Men can have the same side or back pain, wave-like intensity, blood in the urine, nausea, vomiting and urinary urgency. The pain may radiate to the groin or genitals, which is one reason a stone episode can be mistaken for another problem in the lower abdomen. Our urologists still start with a history, an exam and testing, because a weak stream or prostate symptoms can exist at the same time and should not be assumed to be the whole story. Men from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park are seen at this office for that evaluation.
When should I go to the ER for a kidney stone?
Go to an emergency room, or call 911, if you think you have a kidney stone and you also have fever or chills, you are vomiting and cannot keep fluids down, you cannot urinate, you are passing a lot of blood or clots, or the pain is so intense that you cannot find a comfortable position or you have shaking chills. Those warning signs can mean an infection or a blockage that should not wait for a scheduled office visit. After emergency care, call 678-344-8900 so our Alpharetta / Roswell team can arrange the follow-up.
What does the visit and a CT involve?
The visit starts with your story: where the pain sits, whether it comes in waves, whether you have had a stone before, and any fever, vomiting or trouble passing urine. An exam and a urine test looking for blood or signs of infection usually come next, and blood tests may be added when they would change the plan. Ultrasound and laboratory work are on site in this building, so that first look can often start here; a CT, or sometimes an X-ray, may be used when our urologists need a clearer view of the stone’s size and location. We will tell you if a CT is being arranged, why, and how that appointment is set, rather than treating every visit as if a scan has already been decided.
How do I see a kidney stone doctor in Alpharetta?
Call 678-344-8900 or book online and tell us you want to be seen for kidney stone symptoms or for a kidney stone. Urgent problems are prioritized, and our scheduling team will share the opening that is available at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell; we do not promise a same-day visit or a set waiting time on this site. Bring any imaging you already have, a medicine list and your insurance card. Treatment options, including shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy and, for very large stones, PCNL, are covered on kidney stone care.
Our team at the Alpharetta / Roswell office
Dr. Rut Patel, MD, Director of Robotic Surgery
Physician assistant Anna McMaster, PA-C
Physician assistant Alysha Naran, PA-C
Physician assistant Austin Durden, PA-C
Physician assistant Payton Eason, PA-C
Family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, FNP
Our urologists — Dr. Herman Bagga, Dr. Rut Patel, Advanced Urology’s Director of Robotic Surgery, and Dr. Kushan Radadia — see adults from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell, GA 30076. Physician assistants Anna McMaster, Alysha Naran, Austin Durden and Payton Eason, and family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, work beside them. Meet the full team.
Communities we see at this office
You are seen at our Alpharetta / Roswell Clinic & Surgery Center, whether you are coming from Roswell, Milton, Crabapple or Mountain Park, or from Alpharetta itself. Our office page has the address, parking and how the clinic and surgery center share this building. All areas we serve.
Related video
Dr. Rut Patel, who sees patients at this office, discusses kidney stone disease in an official Advanced Urology video:
Read more from Advanced Urology on kidney stones. Related on this site: kidney stone care and treatment · blood in the urine · symptoms we evaluate · UTI or kidney stone? · lithotripsy or ureteroscopy.
Advanced Urology, Alpharetta / Roswell Clinic & Surgery Center11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700Roswell, GA 30076
678-344-8900
This office on advancedurology.com
For education, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks and benefits. Emergency? Call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Whenever you’re ready, our Alpharetta / Roswell team would be glad to hear from you.