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CION Cancer Clinics
Living with a ureteric (DJ) stent: what is normal and what is not | CION Cancer Clinics
Some discomfort with a ureteric DJ stent is normal. Most people need to pass urine more often, feel an ache in the side when they go, or see pink urine. These usually ease with time and steady fluids. A fever with shivering, being unable to pass urine or heavy bleeding needs same-day care. This page explains what to expect, what helps, and what to ask. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Is it normal for a DJ stent to feel uncomfortable?
- What might you notice while the stent is in?
- What usually helps with stent discomfort?
- Can you work, travel and exercise with a stent?
- What do people wrongly believe about DJ stents?
- What can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about living with a DJ stent
The short answer
Is it normal for a DJ stent to feel uncomfortable?
Yes. Most people notice their ureteric stent, and some find it quite bothersome. The usual complaints are needing to pass urine often, an ache in the side when you pass urine, and pink urine. These are expected, and they usually ease once you settle into a routine.
What the stent is doing
The ureter is the thin tube that carries urine from each kidney down to the bladder. A cancer in the pelvis, abdomen or bladder, or scar tissue after treatment, can press on it. Urine then backs up and the kidney swells. A DJ stent, also called a JJ or double-J stent, is a soft hollow tube placed inside the ureter. One curled end sits in the kidney and the other in the bladder, which keeps urine flowing and protects the kidney.
Why it causes symptoms
The curl in the bladder rubs on its sensitive lining, which is what makes you feel you need to go. When the bladder squeezes to empty, a little urine can travel back up the tube, which is why the side aches as you pass urine. None of this means the stent has moved or failed.
A stent is always temporary. It must be changed or removed on the date your urologist gives you.Day to day
What might you notice while the stent is in?
Not everyone gets all of these. Many people get one or two, and they tend to be worst in the first weeks.
Needing to go often
A frequent, sudden urge to pass urine, including at night. Some people leak a little before they reach the toilet. It often settles as the bladder gets used to the stent.
An ache in the side
A dull pain in the back or side, on the stent side, often felt at the moment you pass urine. It can also come on after a long day on your feet.
Pink or blood-tinged urine
Light pink urine is common, especially after exercise or a bumpy journey. It usually clears when you drink more water.
Thick red urine or clots is different. See the box below.Discomfort with movement
Bending, twisting or heavy lifting can make the ache worse.
Often more noticeable
- On a two-wheeler over rough roads
- During heavy housework or gym work
- During sex, for some people
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistEasing it
What usually helps with stent discomfort?
- Drinking water steadily through the day, unless you have been told to limit fluids
- Going to the toilet when you first feel the urge, not holding on
- Cutting down on tea, coffee and fizzy drinks, which irritate the bladder
- Asking your urologist about tamsulosin or pain relief, rather than buying medicines yourself
- Taking journeys and heavy tasks more gently while the ache is at its worst
- Keeping a note of symptoms to show at the next visit
!
When stent symptoms cannot wait
A fever with shivering, being unable to pass urine at all, heavy bleeding with clots, or severe side pain that pain relief does not touch all need care the same day. An infected, blocked kidney can become serious within hours. Go to the nearest emergency department, say that a ureteric stent is in place, and carry the discharge summary. Do not wait for your next clinic date.
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Getting on with life
Can you work, travel and exercise with a stent?
Most people can carry on with ordinary life. Desk work, walking and light household tasks are usually fine within a few days. Let comfort guide you, and scale back if the ache or the bleeding gets worse.
Work and travel
If your job is physical, or involves long hours on a bike or in a vehicle, you may need lighter duties for a while. For long bus or train journeys, plan toilet stops and carry water. Keep a copy of your discharge summary with you in case you need care away from home.
Stents with a string
Some stents are left with a thin thread coming out through the urethra, the tube you pass urine through. It lets the stent be pulled out in clinic without another procedure. Do not pull or cut it. Tape it gently if it catches, and tell the team if it falls out or seems shorter.
Who finds a stent hardest
People who already had a sensitive or overactive bladder, and those who have had radiotherapy to the pelvis, often feel a stent more. If symptoms are hard to live with, tell your urologist. Other options, such as a different stent or a tube draining the kidney through the back, can sometimes be considered.
Commonly believed
What do people wrongly believe about DJ stents?
"If I stop feeling the stent, it must have come out."
Symptoms often fade as the body gets used to the stent. It is still inside. Only an X-ray, scan or the procedure to take it out can confirm that it has gone.
"It is not bothering me, so it can stay in longer."
A stent left past its date can gather crust, block, or become very hard to remove. Feeling well is not a reason to skip the change. Keep the date even when you are busy with other treatment.
"Drinking less water will mean fewer toilet trips."
It usually makes things worse. Concentrated urine irritates the bladder more, and it raises the chance of infection and crusting on the stent. Steady fluids help, unless a doctor has told you to restrict them.
"Pink urine means the cancer is bleeding."
Light pink urine with a stent is very common and usually comes from the tube rubbing the bladder lining. Heavy bleeding or clots is different and needs to be checked the same day.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you?
This page cannot tell you why your own stent was placed, or how long it needs to stay. That depends on what is pressing on the ureter and what the rest of your treatment plan looks like. Your urologist and oncologist decide that together.
A stent is not a treatment for the cancer
The stent protects the kidney. It does not shrink or remove what is causing the blockage. Some people need a stent only until chemotherapy or surgery relieves the pressure. Others need one for much longer, with regular changes.
Questions to ask before you go home
Ask when the stent is due to come out or be changed, and who will book it. Ask whether there is a string. Ask which symptoms to expect, which ones mean you should phone, and where to go at night. Write the answers down for whoever is caring for you at home.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about living with a DJ stent
Why does it hurt in my side when I pass urine?
When the bladder squeezes to empty, a small amount of urine can be pushed back up the stent towards the kidney. That stretches the kidney briefly and causes an ache in the side. It is common and not a sign of damage. Emptying the bladder often, before it gets very full, can help.
How long can a DJ stent stay in?
It depends on the type of stent and why it was placed. Standard stents are usually changed or removed within months. Some longer-life types can stay longer. Your urologist will give you a date. Ask for it in writing, and ask who is responsible for booking the change.
Is blood in the urine dangerous with a stent?
Light pink urine is very common and usually clears with more fluids and rest. Dark red urine, clots, or bleeding that stops you passing urine needs checking the same day. If you take a blood thinner, tell the team about any bleeding, but do not stop the medicine on your own.
Can the stent move or fall out?
It is uncommon. The curled ends are designed to hold it in place. Occasionally a stent slips down and may even come out when passing urine. If that happens, keep it, and contact your urologist the same day, because the kidney may no longer be draining properly.
Can I have sex with a stent in?
Usually, yes, once you feel comfortable. Some people find it causes discomfort or a little bleeding afterwards. If you have a stent with a string, take care not to dislodge it. If you are having chemotherapy as well, ask your oncologist about any other precautions.
Will I be able to feel when it is time to change it?
No. Many stents that are overdue cause no new symptoms at all until they block or become crusted. This is why the date matters more than how you feel. If you are unsure when your change is due, call your urologist's clinic and check.
Can I have scans or radiotherapy with a stent?
Yes. CT scans, ultrasound and radiotherapy can all go ahead with a standard stent in place. Some metal stents need checking before an MRI. Tell the scanning team that you have a stent, and bring any card or leaflet you were given about it.
What should my family do if I get a fever at night?
A fever with shivering and a stent in place is treated as a kidney infection until shown otherwise. Go to the nearest emergency department the same night, not the next morning. Take the discharge summary and a list of medicines, and say clearly that a ureteric stent is in place.
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Definition of stent
- NHS — Kidney infection
- Cancer Research UK — Bladder cancer
- NHS — Sepsis
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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