The side effects of treatments for kidney stones depend on things like the size, type, and location of your stones, as well as the treatment you receive.

Your doctor will talk to you about the possible side effects, risks, and complications of each treatment based on your personal situation and the treatment you receive.

Side effects of medicine

Some medicines used to help pass or break down kidney stones can cause side effects like dizziness, feeling light-headed, a stuffy nose, or a runny nose. Medicines to break down stones may also temporarily affect a man's ability to ejaculate.

If you have a high fever, chills, are in a great deal of pain, having trouble keeping food or liquids down, or notice a large amount of blood or blood clots in your urine, it’s important to contact your doctor right away. These could be signs of an infection or other problems with your kidney stones that need immediate attention.

Side effects of surgery

After surgery for kidney stones, you may have some temporary side effects like:

A mild burning feeling when urinating for a few days.
Mild discomfort in the bladder or kidney area while urinating.
Small amounts of blood in your urine for a few days.
The need to urinate more often or with a stronger urge.
Temporary pain or discomfort from the surgical tools.
Pain, bleeding, and constant urges to urinate if a stent was inserted.

Other possible problems arising after surgery

A urinary infection is an infection in the kidneys, bladder, or urethra the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
Sepsis is when the body reacts badly to an infection, which can cause damage to organs and can be life-threatening.
Damage to the kidney or ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder, during the surgery.
Scarring or narrowing of the ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Bleeding during surgery and after surgery.
A blocked ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
When some of the kidney stones couldn't be removed.
The need for another surgery if there are many stones or if one is too large to remove in one procedure.
The possibility of kidney stones coming back again.

If any of these problems happen, your doctor will help you handle them and provide the best care.

Sometimes, people may have symptoms after surgery that need them to go back to the hospital, such as:

A fever higher than 38.5°C.
Nausea or vomiting.
Pain in the chest or trouble breathing.
A burning feeling when urinating.
Not being able to urinate.
A lot of blood in your urine that doesn’t get better with rest or drinking fluids.
Blood in your urine for more than 3 days.
A bad pain in your kidney, back, or side that doesn’t go away, even after taking painkillers.
Swelling, pus, or leaking around the surgical area.

If you have any of the above side effects, contact your doctor right away.

If your pain or bleeding gets worse after you leave the hospital, be sure to let your doctor know as soon as possible.

Signs of an infection are bad pain, fever, and chills. If you experience any of these, contact your doctor right away.

If your doctor thinks you have an infection, they will give you antibiotics to treat it. For serious infections, you may need to go back to the hospital to get antibiotics through an IV. This means the medicine is delivered directly into your bloodstream through a needle in your vein. This helps the medication work faster and better.

To help your recovery after surgery, consider these steps:

Drink at least 2 to 2.5 litres of water each day in small amounts. This helps your urine flow, flushes out small kidney stone fragments, and prevents new stones from forming.
Avoid sex for the first week after surgery to lower the risk of a urinary tract infection.
Eat more vegetables and fibre, and less meat, to make your stools softer. Not straining on the toilet will help your body heal.
Follow your doctor's advice about when to drive, rest, and start exercising.
Start with gentle exercise for the first week, and make sure you get plenty of sleep to help your body heal.

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