Coming back for 6 months next week and am getting the symptoms of another kidney stone - they are an extremely painful thing when they finally happen(usually just for one day).

Last one I had here in Australia I had to go to the hospital for painkillers and even morphine did not work. fentanyl was the only thing that helped.

Never been to hospital in Thai before and am wondering what the painkiller situation is while in hospital. Can't stand the idea of having a kidney stone pass without pain killers - it may not happen but I'll feel better if I know that they will help in the hospitals with bad pain.

Will hospitals give you morphine/fentanyl for extreme pain? Preferably cheap public hospitals.

Also any Aussies recommend any good cheap health insurance for a six month or so stay?

You don't need pain killers, just take the stones out in a Thai hospital. Khun Mor at http://www.bumrungrad.com will fix it. Cheap!

Thanks. Will definately keep it in mind - just a bit of a pussy when it comes to surgery. Also the last one I had was only six months ago so I sort of figure they will keep coming anyway.

BTW - pm'd you about css,php etc not sure if you got it but if your still stuck I can give you a hand while in Thai.(I dare say I'll have the odd spare day that needs filling)

But kidney stone removal is not invasive surgery anymore,,15 years ago I had a wife who was bothered with repetitive kidney stones,and they took her in the hospital and blasted them with ultrasound and she had no recovery time at all,was only in the hospital 1 day,,that happened twice while we were married,and she has had another done since.

Ok ,great. Thats good to know - I sort of invisioned at the very least having to have keyhole surgery and my kidney chopped into.

I'll probably have that done instead then. Your wife will probably attest to why I was worried - they are bloody painful!

Coming back for 6 months next week and am getting the symptoms of another kidney stone - they are an extremely painful thing when they finally happen(usually just for one day).

Last one I had here in Australia I had to go to the hospital for painkillers and even morphine did not work. fentanyl was the only thing that helped.

Never been to hospital in Thai before and am wondering what the painkiller situation is while in hospital. Can't stand the idea of having a kidney stone pass without pain killers - it may not happen but I'll feel better if I know that they will help in the hospitals with bad pain.

Will hospitals give you morphine/fentanyl for extreme pain? Preferably cheap public hospitals.

Also any Aussies recommend any good cheap health insurance for a six month or so stay?

You will find that ALL health insurers exclude pre-existing ailments from cover. It might be easier to get treatment in Australia as a public patient. Your illness is not considered elective surgery bu the Australian Health Authorities.

Thanks for the info - I don't really have time to have anything done in Australia as I sort of made a spur of the moment decision yesterday to come back to Thai for six months next wednesday. Thats why I just really needed the knowledge that if worse comes to worse I can always be put out of pain in hospital. Last time I had it checked via ultra sound they could not see anything anyway - but I still passed a stone or something 3 weeks later(pain, vomiting, blood etc) but it only lasted overnight and then got better.

At Bumrungrad, they insert a cathether (sp?) and crush them and remove them via tube. You would be under for the procedure. Post operative painkiller if they choose to might be Pethadine, a very, very strong morphine type painkiller.

As far as outside the hospital, OTC, you can buy Tramal, but be careful with it. It can damage the liver is abused.

my experience is you can get just about anything you want if you shop around.

Tramal is inferior and mostly acetominafin/tylenol. Oxycontin or percocet are what are usually prescribed here.

Handle with care. Highly addictive.

I'd be a bit nervous Pepe. Notwithstanding a seemingly probable onset of a painful episode, he elects to go to a foreign country bereft of medical insurance cover. I hope a mind doctor doesn't get hold of him first.

Morphine or other paintkiller is easy to get from hospital if you don't look like a junkie. But why don't you get the paintkillers from your doctor before you go to Thailand?

I'd be a bit nervous Pepe. Notwithstanding a seemingly probable onset of a painful episode, he elects to go to a foreign country bereft of medical insurance cover. I hope a mind doctor doesn't get hold of him first.

Doc,

Good point. It would be unlikely that I would go to LOS if I suspected I'd be traveling there with a potentialy serious medical condition.

No mabey a mind doctor should get a hold of him first.

No offense stevenjm...