Reviewed by The Wellness Team. Last reviewed October 2026.
Kidney stones cause a distinctive wave-like pain that travels from your loin round to your groin, often with nausea and blood in the urine. Most small stones pass on their own with the right pain relief, and a same-day GP assessment can confirm the likely diagnosis, control the pain, rule out the emergencies and arrange the scan that settles it. One combination is never watched at home: stone pain with a fever is an emergency. If you are in pain now, message us on WhatsApp for same-day help.
What are the symptoms of kidney stones?
The classic picture is renal colic: a severe, gripping pain that starts in the loin (the side of your back, below the ribs) and waves round the flank into the groin, sometimes reaching the testicle or labia. It builds over minutes, comes in waves, and unlike most back pain it makes you restless. People pace rather than lie still.
Other common signs:
- Nausea and vomiting, often at the peak of a wave
- Pink, red or brown urine from blood in the urine
- Needing to pass urine more often, or stinging as the stone nears the bladder
- A constant duller ache between waves
Small stones high in the kidney can cause no symptoms at all and are found by chance on scans done for something else.
When is a kidney stone an emergency?
Go to A&E or call 999 the same day if stone-type pain comes with any of the following:
- A fever, chills or rigors. A stone blocking an infected kidney (an infected obstructed kidney) can progress to sepsis within hours and needs emergency hospital drainage, not outpatient care.
- Pain or vomiting that tablets cannot control, so you cannot keep fluids down
- Only one working kidney, a kidney transplant, or known kidney disease
- Passing very little urine
How are kidney stones diagnosed?
A GP can make a confident working diagnosis from the story and an examination, then confirm it. As of October 2026, NICE guideline NG118 recommends an urgent non-contrast CT scan of the kidneys, ureters and bladder within 24 hours for adults with suspected renal colic, because it shows the stone, its size and whether the kidney is blocked. Ultrasound is used where radiation should be avoided, for example in pregnancy.
Urine testing usually shows blood, and blood tests check kidney function, calcium and signs of infection. As of October 2026, NICE also recommends capturing and analysing the stone where possible, because the stone type shapes prevention. WhatsApp us and we can arrange the right scan today.
What is the treatment for kidney stones?
For pain, as of October 2026 NICE NG118 recommends a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) as first-line relief rather than opioids, which studies show work less well for colic. A GP can prescribe an NSAID plus an anti-sickness tablet, and for stones sitting in the lower ureter may add an alpha blocker (tamsulosin) as medical expulsive therapy to relax the ureter and help the stone pass, an approach NICE supports for suitable stones under 10 mm. Message us on WhatsApp for a same-day prescription if you are struggling.
Most stones under 5 mm pass by themselves, usually within about four weeks. Drink normally rather than forcing huge volumes. Stones that are too large to pass, or that keep causing obstruction or infection, are treated by urology with shockwave lithotripsy or ureteroscopy.
After a first stone, prevention matters because around half of people form another within ten years. NICE recommends drinking 2.5 to 3 litres a day to keep urine dilute, and stone analysis plus blood and urine tests to find the cause.
Can a GP help with kidney stones today?
Yes. A same-day phone or video consultation can confirm the likely diagnosis, rule out the red flags above, prescribe pain relief, anti-sickness medicine and an alpha blocker where suitable, and arrange the CT or ultrasound and any urology referral. We can also organise the follow-up blood and urine workup that stops the next stone. If you have already had a kidney infection or a urine infection, mention it, because stones and infections often travel together.
As of October 2026, a phone consultation with The Online GP costs £59, a video consultation costs £150, and an in-person appointment at 10 Portman Square, Marylebone costs £220. Message us on WhatsApp and you can usually be speaking to a doctor within minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a kidney stone take to pass?
Stones under 5 mm usually pass within four weeks, and many pass within days once they reach the lower ureter. Larger stones are less predictable and are the ones more likely to need urology treatment.
What does kidney stone pain actually feel like?
Most people describe it as the worst pain they have had: a gripping, wave-like pain from loin to groin that makes it impossible to get comfortable. The waves typically last 20 to 60 minutes.
Do kidney stones mean I need antibiotics?
No. Stones themselves do not need antibiotics. Antibiotics only come in when a stone has triggered a urine or kidney infection, which is one reason fever with stone pain is treated so seriously.
Can I prevent another kidney stone?
Often, yes. The consistent findings are to drink 2.5 to 3 litres daily, keep salt and animal protein moderate, and complete the stone analysis and blood and urine tests NICE recommends after a first episode, so treatment targets your stone type.
Should I go to A&E or see a GP first?
Severe pain with fever, uncontrolled vomiting, a single kidney or very little urine means A&E. Everything else can usually be assessed safely the same day by a GP, who can control pain and arrange the scan. WhatsApp us and we will tell you straight away which route fits your symptoms.
Sources: NICE guideline NG118, Renal and ureteric stones: assessment and management. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS): Renal or ureteric colic, acute. Prices and services as of October 2026.
Reviewed by The Wellness Team.