Nephrologist (Kidney Specialist) Questions Nephrologist

I need a diagnosis?

I think one of my kidneys just failed because I have a little constant pain in my side.

Male | 16 years old
Medications: Daily dose of 54mgs of concerta

3 Answers

Kidney failure is a serious matter. It does not happen out of the blue. If you have constant pain in your side, you need evaluation with kidney imaging (U/S), urine analysis, and see a doctor. The pain could be muscular in nature, which is more common than kidney pain. But when you have pain in the side from the kidney, there is either kidney stone, kidney infection, or kidney obstruction. You need an evaluation to exclude these possibilities. In older people, there is concern about tumors, but rare in your age group.
Consult PCP for complete physical examination with labs. May require CT scan of abdomen and pelvis.
It says your age is 16, so it is HIGLY UNLIKELY that one of your kidneys failed. Plus, kidney failure does not cause pain in the side. The first sign is usually itching, but sometimes there are no external signs. Lab tests will confirm that you do not have kidney failure. There are thousands of things that can cause a "pain in your side." You should see your doctor so they can do an exam and, if necessary, some X-rays or lab work.