Kidney Stones?

[flyingsailor]

Has anyone had any experience with kidney stones?
How did it affect your medical?
​

 

[HighSpeedClimb]

Has anyone had any experience with kidney stones?
How did it affect your medical?

​

I've had 2, one while earth bound and one in the air. OUCH!!! Went to the Doc and had the Urologist write a note stating the stone had passed. That's it, although you probably don't have to say anything if you don't want. Now I check the box Kidney Stone on my medical. Its no big deal. Good Luck and welcome to the most painful thing next to giving birth, so I'm told.:beer:

 

[CA1900]

Had one a little over a year ago. Ugh, it's like getting kicked in the back for a week! Vicodin is your friend -- enjoy it, you won't be flying (or walking much!) anyway.

As for the medical, because it was my first run-in with them, it wasn't a big deal. I had to get a follow-up with a urologist to verify there were no residual stones, and I brought that with me to my next medical. I called up the AME just to check, and he thought for sure that he couldn't issue a medical, and he'd have to defer to OKC. That can take months; I'd have been totally screwed.

Fortunately, I had done my own homework on the internet and came in prepared, just as you're doing right now. It took some digging to find the right source -- places like leftseat.com were saying that most cases of kidney stones require deferral to OKC. But that's not the case, especially if it's an isolated stone. (I had a CT scan that confirmed it was just the one.)

The source you want is the FAA's Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners. The term used is "Renal Calculi" (or calculus), not kidney stone; that'll help you find what you need.

This is the specific page I found in that guide, for Item 41 on the application:
Item 41: G-U System

My AME read the same page, and stopped a "Renal Disease," which says it requires deferral to the FAA. But keep reading, there's a separate item on page 90 of the guide (page 6 in that PDF). It reads as follows:


Calculus*
Renal-Single episode


All - Submit current
metabolic evaluation


If there is no residual
calculi and the metabolic
workup is negative - Issue

Otherwise - Requires
FAA Decision

* Complete studies to determine the possible etiology and prognosis are essential to favorable FAA consideration. Determining factors include site and location of the stones, complications such as compromise in renal function, repeated bouts of kidney infection, and need for therapy. Any underlying disease will be considered. The likelihood of sudden incapacitating symptoms is of primary concern. Report of imaging studies (KUB, IVP, or spiral CT) must be submitted in order to conclude that there are no residual or retained calculi.


The subtext explains that "report of imaging studies must be submitted" -- in my case, the urologist did an ultrasound during my follow-up visit after it passed to verify that there was nothing left. And the urologist ordered a blood test to check for something; potassium, maybe? It's the "Metabolic Workup" above, in any case.

I had to hound the office to write a statement that would satisfy the FAA; they were too busy to deal with it. I explained its implications on my career, and I guess it finally sunk in. He scribbled it on a prescription pad, but I got it.

Armed with all that information, I went to my AME, since I was due for a medical anyway. As I said, at first he wanted to defer it, but I produced a printout from that PDF above. He matched it to the same section in his online database, and issued the medical on the spot; no deferral needed.


I was out of commission until the follow-up ultrasound, even though I felt fine once it was out of my system. (That, and the painkillers needed time to get out of my system.) But this one's not a big deal; you'll just need to check the "yes" box on kidney stones in the future.

The lesson learned? Drink more water at work. Dehydration contributes greatly to the development of these things, and I don't want another one!

I hope that helps save you some anxiety.

 

[flyingsailor]

Thanks, all input is greatly appreciated!


I still hace some shadows on the x-rays. Going to see a specialist for follow up.

 

[duke600]

Whats the deal with pilots being more prone to kidney stones? Can you reduce the risk by drinking more water?

 

[Occam's Razor]

Whats the deal with pilots being more prone to kidney stones? Can you reduce the risk by drinking more water?

We work in a dry environment, typically don't drink a lot of water while we're flying, and are immobile.

Have a second bout of stones and you're stuck on terra firma for an extended period.

Unless the lab analysis of your stone(s) shows a specific "cause", the gouge is to:

> drink water constantly
> reduce your salt intake (check out the sodium content on a Diet Pepsi!)
> exercise

A couple of causes my urologist has seen:

> excessive vitamin C (water-soluble, and tends to make some kidneys do zany things)
> reaction to dairy, especially one that develops after age 50 in men
> certain minerals

If the lab says you have a specific cause...your work-up will reflect it and you're one of the lucky one's.

 

[Resume Writer]

I have had kidney stones for years. I was actually kicked by a horse at 11 years old and he got my left kidney. It has not worked right since.

I had surgery last July, called Lipthotripsy (sp?) where they basically break up the stones like a video game. They put a big cushion on your back and shoot this electricity through it into your body. It leaves a slight burn on your back.

Kidney stones can be one of two types, either calcium based or uric acid based. I believe if it is uric acid based, they can give you medicine for it. If it is calcium, they cannot do anything about it. (I may be backwards on this, so forgive me, I am pretty tired tonight!) I found out after analysis that I have the kind that they cannot give me any medicine.

My kidney stones are so bad that I always end up having to take an ambulance to the ER, pumped full of morphine, and in extreme pain. I have not had any problems for many months now. But it always seems to get me if I am dehydrated or during the summer months. It also gets me if I am sitting for too long and not walking around. Maybe that is why pilots get them.

Make sure they get taken care of by a good urologist. Keep yourself hydrated. I am not sure about the medical part, but I know when I get them I am incapacitated for several hours.

Hope that is helpful!

 

[duke600]

are they accumulative? If you have micro sized kidney stones and don't know about them yet is there anything you can do to prevent them from getting worse? I heard drinking lots of tea and certain kinds of cooked vegetables can cause kidney stones. Also I've been told drinking lots of milk also can accelerate kidney stones.

 

[duke600]

OK... Here's an interesting question.... how much water do you drink on an average day of flying say 4-5 hours. I try to drink around 1.5 Liters.

 

[njcapt]

I'm kind of a freak, but I try to put down a liter a leg then piss like a race horse when we hit the ground. I also make sure that I have a bottle in the hotel room with me, since most northern hotel rooms are as dry as the Sahara desert in the winter.

At home I probably put down three liters of water a day. I do a lot of cardio stuff.