The Lemon Fool

Sorry to panic, but I've just swallowed a prune stone. I'm in my (very) late 70s. A decade ago I had a major problem with a kidney stone, which required a Lithotripsy to sort it out. I've had a heart problem and take Warfarin and gather that a general anaesthetic is almost certainly out. I'm on a massive amount of medication for Parkinson's.

Please can someone comment on the chances of a prune stone passing naturally through my system.

TIA for any replies.

Jon

Jonetc15 wrote:Sorry to panic, but I've just swallowed a prune stone. I'm in my (very) late 70s. A decade ago I had a major problem with a kidney stone, which required a Lithotripsy to sort it out. I've had a heart problem and take Warfarin and gather that a general anaesthetic is almost certainly out. I'm on a massive amount of medication for Parkinson's.

Please can someone comment on the chances of a prune stone passing naturally through my system.

TIA for any replies.

Jon

Don't worry. A quick search on Google suggests that nature will take it's course, especially if you eat some more prunes

RC

ReformedCharacter wrote:

Jonetc15 wrote:Sorry to panic, but I've just swallowed a prune stone. I'm in my (very) late 70s. A decade ago I had a major problem with a kidney stone, which required a Lithotripsy to sort it out. I've had a heart problem and take Warfarin and gather that a general anaesthetic is almost certainly out. I'm on a massive amount of medication for Parkinson's.

Please can someone comment on the chances of a prune stone passing naturally through my system.

TIA for any replies.

Jon

Don't worry. A quick search on Google suggests that nature will take it's course, especially if you eat some more prunes

RC

Very many thanks RC for such swift reassurance. I'm taking the precaution of getting medical advice. Much appreciate your trouble in searching and replying.

ATB

Jon

Jonetc15 wrote:.... I had a major problem with a kidney stone...

That is a completely different section of plumbing, with narrow tubes. The prune stone cannot go anywhere near that. It just has to navigate your digestive tract, a much wider set of tubes.

Breelander wrote:

Jonetc15 wrote:.... I had a major problem with a kidney stone...

That is a completely different section of plumbing, with narrow tubes. The prune stone cannot go anywhere near that. It just has to navigate your digestive tract, a much wider set of tubes.

Very many thanks indeed Breelander. I'm always astonished how quickly and often you come up with a reply to all sorts of questions. I'm most grateful.

Jon

Jonetc15 wrote:Sorry to panic, but I've just swallowed a prune stone. I'm in my (very) late 70s. A decade ago I had a major problem with a kidney stone, which required a Lithotripsy to sort it out. I've had a heart problem and take Warfarin and gather that a general anaesthetic is almost certainly out. I'm on a massive amount of medication for Parkinson's.

Please can someone comment on the chances of a prune stone passing naturally through my system.

TIA for any replies.

Jon

100% chance of it coming out the other end.
The digestive system is basically a tube with an opening at either end. Stuff goes in one end, passes through and out the other end - and unless it is microscopic, it can't pass into the blood stream or anywhere else.

absolutezero wrote:

Jonetc15 wrote:Sorry to panic, but I've just swallowed a prune stone. I'm in my (very) late 70s. A decade ago I had a major problem with a kidney stone, which required a Lithotripsy to sort it out. I've had a heart problem and take Warfarin and gather that a general anaesthetic is almost certainly out. I'm on a massive amount of medication for Parkinson's.

Please can someone comment on the chances of a prune stone passing naturally through my system.

TIA for any replies.

Jon

100% chance of it coming out the other end.
The digestive system is basically a tube with an opening at either end. Stuff goes in one end, passes through and out the other end - and unless it is microscopic, it can't pass into the blood stream or anywhere else.

Thank you very much indeed, absolute zero, for such a categorical assurance. I'm really grateful.

All the very best

Jon

Agreed. A kidney stone is something completely different.

The prune stone will come out.

However, lay off the beans, raw onion etc for a few days, unless you want a very embarrassing accident, a loud ricochet and a group of armed police surrounding the house!

Steve

As George Harrison said "All things must pass!"

(Includes prune stones).

Surely a plum stone is 'designed' to be swallowed. That way it'll eventually pass through and get planted some way from the tree (along with a dollop of fertilizer). Mind you, I'm not entirely sure if a prune stone would grow!

Stompa wrote:Surely a plum stone is 'designed' to be swallowed. That way it'll eventually pass through and get planted some way from the tree (along with a dollop of fertilizer). Mind you, I'm not entirely sure if a prune stone would grow!

Interesting through process.
And yes. Seeds in edible plants are "meant" to be swallowed.

absolutezero wrote:

Stompa wrote:Surely a plum stone is 'designed' to be swallowed. That way it'll eventually pass through and get planted some way from the tree (along with a dollop of fertilizer). Mind you, I'm not entirely sure if a prune stone would grow!

Interesting through process.
And yes. Seeds in edible plants are "meant" to be swallowed.

Careful with those avocados though...

Scott.

Interestingly you are more likely to get kidney stones from spinach than prunes. Digesting spinach metabolises into oxalate, which if it doesn't encounter enough e.g. calcium in the gut can make its way into the bloodstream and from there to the kidneys. If it encounters e.g. calcium there it can bind with it to produce a solid. This can build up to become a kidney stone.

To avoid kidney stones a) drink plenty of water, b) avoid foodstuffs that metabolise large amounts of oxalate (like spinach), and c) consume moderate calcium supplements when eating so that any metabolised oxalate combines within the gut to form a solid to head on down (along with any prune stones sharing the same journey).

Chris

FAO Scott

Careful with those avocados though...

if you swllow an avocado stone I woud recommend eating many prunes!

Wimp.com - December 4th "British granny remembers a disastrous Christmas". Wait for the punchline.

I saw this post had jumped to top of "New Posts"
and disappointingly nature does not seem to have it course yet

csearle wrote:Interestingly you are more likely to get kidney stones from spinach than prunes. Digesting spinach metabolises into oxalate, which if it doesn't encounter enough e.g. calcium in the gut can make its way into the bloodstream and from there to the kidneys. If it encounters e.g. calcium there it can bind with it to produce a solid. This can build up to become a kidney stone.

To avoid kidney stones a) drink plenty of water, b) avoid foodstuffs that metabolise large amounts of oxalate (like spinach), and c) consume moderate calcium supplements when eating so that any metabolised oxalate combines within the gut to form a solid to head on down (along with any prune stones sharing the same journey).

Chris

Thank you very much indeed, Chris, for your excellent advice - not for the first time. I'm tremendously grateful as I'm keen to do anything that will reduce the chance of another kidney stone.

All the very best

Jon

pje16 wrote:I saw this post had jumped to top of "New Posts"
and disappointingly nature does not seem to have it course yet

I'm not able as yet to give you any feedback...

Jon

Jonetc15 wrote:Thank you very much indeed...

My pleasure Jon. I have had two kidney stones. One removed under general anaesthetic by venturing up there with a grabber (I'm told), and the other through extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy (eventually, and painfully, excreted via the uretha).

Regards,
Chris