A stone within the ureter can cause excruciating pain called renal colic, that many women describe as worse than labor pains. It is vital for the pain to be treated urgently to avoid unnecessary suffering. Sometimes these symptoms can be managed outside the hospital with tablets, but not infrequently the pain requires an injection (such as morphine) to relieve the agony and patients end up presenting to an Emergency Department.
Here is a list of some commonly used analgesics for kidney stones:
- Anti-inflammatories – Nurofen, Indocid, Voltaren, Brufen etc.
- These are more effective than codeine and do not cause constipation.
- They are usually available over the counter without prescription.
- Indocid suppositories can be used if a patient cannot keep the tablets down due to vomiting.
- Panadeine (without prescription) or Panadeine Forte (with prescription).
- These are combinations of paracetamol and codeine which can assist with moderate pain.
- Endone (Oxycodone).
- This is a more powerful oral opiate drug which requires prescription. It is usually the strongest painkiller which can be given without an injection.
- Morphine.
- This is given as an injection usually in a hospital setting. Morphine is a very powerful painkiller frequently used to treat episodes of renal colic.
