Kidney stones occur because the small bowel absorbs too much calcium your diet is too high in calcium or another mineral you have intestinal problems a urinary tract infection or an inherited disorder. You may not be drinking enough fluids (especially in the summer) or exercising enough.

What to Expect at Your Health Care Provider’s Office

If you are in extreme pain your health care provider may give you a strong pain reliever. Then your health care provider will need a urine sample to check for infection and to see if your urine is acid or alkaline which indicates the type of stone. You may need to collect your urine for 24 hours if this is not your first stone. Your provider will also take a blood sample.

With time the stone generally passes out of the body by itself. If it doesn’t or if you have severe pain bleeding fever nausea or can’t urinate your provider can shatter the stone with shock waves and the smaller pieces can pass with much less pain. Only rarely is surgery needed.

Treatment Options for Kidney Stones

Treatment Plan

Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day plus one at bedtime and another during the night enables stones to pass more easily. You may need to urinate through a strainer to collect the stone for analysis. For one type of calcium stone you will need to follow a low-calcium diet reduce salt intake and increase bran intake. Drugs are available both for pain and to help the stone pass. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) shatters stones without side effects. In severe cases your stone will be surgically removed.

Drug Therapies for Kidney Stones

Prescription

- Narcotic drugs—to control severe pain
- Allopurinol—for uric acid stones
- Potassium citrate— for uric acid stones
- Cellulose phosphate—for calcium type I stones
- Orthophosphates—for calcium type III stones

Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Kidney Stones

Symptomatic urolithiasis requires medical attention. Alternative therapies aid in reducing the risk of recurrent episodes and increasing the overall vitality of the urogenital system. Start with nutritional guidelines for prevention of recurrence. Herbs and homeopathic remedies can be used for acute pain relief and long-term toning of the urinary tract.

Nutrition for Kidney Stones

- Reduce your intake of sugar refined foods animal products (meats and dairy) caffeine alcohol soda and salt.
- Drink more water and eat more fiber vegetables whole grains and vegetable proteins.
- Cut down on oxalate-containing foods such as spinach rhubarb beets nuts chocolate black tea wheat bran strawberries and beans.
- Include foods rich in magnesium and low in calcium such as barley bran corn rye oats soy brown rice avocado banana and potato.
- Magnesium citrate (200 to 400 mg per day) may increase the solubility of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate.
- Pyridoxine (B6 10 to 100 mg per day) is essential for the metabolism of oxalic acid a component of some stones.
- Folic acid (5 mg per day) helps break down uric acid stones.

Herbal Remedies for Kidney Stones

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body’s systems. As with any therapy it is important to work with your health care provider on getting your problem diagnosed before you start any treatment. Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules powders teas) glycerites (glycerine extracts) or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated teas should be made with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day. Tinctures may be used singly or in combination as noted.

- For acute pain relief combine tinctures of wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) kava (Piper methysticum) and Jamaican dogwood (Piscidia erythrina). Take 15 drops every 15 minutes for up to 8 doses.
- Drink an infusion of equal parts of gravel root (Eupratorium purpureum) corn silk (Zea mays) pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) and kava (Piper methysticum). Use 1 tsp. of herb mixture per 1 cup water. Drink 3 to 4 cups per day.

Homeopathy for Kidney Stones

Some of the most common remedies used for urolithiasis are listed below. Usually the dose is 12X to 30C every one to four hours until your symptoms get better.

- Berberis for sharp sticking pains that radiate to your groin.
- Colocynthis for restlessness and pain that feels better when you bend forward.
- Ocimum for nausea and vomiting from the pain.

Physical Medicine

Castor oil pack. Used externally castor oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Apply oil directly to skin cover with a clean soft cloth (for example flannel) and plastic wrap. Place a heat source (hot water bottle or heating pad) over the pack and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes. For best results use for three consecutive days.

Following Up

Fifty percent of patients pass the stone in 48 hours. If there are complications your health care provider may refer you to a urologist or admit you to the hospital. After you pass the stone keep drinking fluids and change your diet to reduce the chance of forming more stones in the future.

Special Considerations for Kidney Stones

Shock-wave therapy is not appropriate for women of childbearing age. If you think you might be pregnant tell your health care provider. He or she will also want to rule out ectopic pregnancy or a ruptured ovarian cyst.

Supporting Research on Kidney Stones

Ferri FF. Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. St Louis Mo: Mosby-Year Book; 1999.

Grases F et al. Urolithiasis and phytotherapy. Int Urol Nephrol. 1994;26:507–511.

Larson DE ed. Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 2nd ed. New York NY: William Morrow and Company; 1996.

Scalzo R. Naturopathic Handbook of Herbal Formulas. Durango Colo: 2nd ed. Kivaki Press; 1994.

The Burton Goldberg Group compilers. Alternative medicine: The Definitive Guide. Tiburon Calif: Future Medicine Publishing; 1997.

Tierney LM Jr McPhee SJ Papadakis MA eds. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 1994. Norwalk Conn: Appleton & Lange; 1994.

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