Question

I've had several attacks of renal colic, which were very, very, painful indeed. The doctors gave me shots for the pain, but they made me throw up repeatedly.

I'm doing all the things to try and avoid another attack, but I'm worried if I do get one - what can I take for the pain?
 

Answer

The pain of renal colic is intense but, fortunately, usually short-lived. Injections of opioid analgesics are generally effective in relieving the pain, but they can cause nausea and vomiting, and they don't act directly on the cause of the pain.
 

The pain in renal colic is due to obstruction of urine flow by a stone, leading to rising pressure, which causes the release of prostaglandins - chemical messengers that are responsible for inflammation and pain. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, act directly on prostaglandin release, and are effective in treating renal colic.
 

A review of over 20 clinical trials of both types of analgesia in patients with renal colic has been published in the British Medical Journal ¹. It concludes that patients given NSAIDs by injection have greater reductions in pain, are less likely to need further analgesia, and are less likely to experience nausea and vomiting, than those given opioids such as meperidine (Demerol®).
 

These links may be helpful.
 

Footnotes
1. Holdgate A, Pollock T. Systematic review of the relative efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids in the treatment of acute renal colic. BMJ 2004;328:1401-14

Related Links
Aerospace Medical Association
American Family Physician: Preventing Recurrence of Renal Colic