Pass a Kidney Stone

Kidney stones are small, hard deposits of concentrated crystallized minerals that form in the kidneys. These stones lodge themselves in the urinary tract and can be moderately to severely painful. Many individuals can pass the stones with home treatment, but professional medical treatment may be required to help patients pass larger stones. Here's what you should know about how to pass a kidney stone.

Steps

Home Remedies

1. Understand that some stones are easier to pass naturally than others. How readily a stone responds to home treatment mostly depends on the size of the stone.
   • Home treatments are usually effective on stones less than 1/10-inch (3 mm).
   • Once kidney stones reach about 3/10-inch (8 mm), they are only 20 percent likely to pass on their own with home treatment.
   • Stones that are 2/5-inch (1 cm) almost always need professional medical treatment.
2. Drink plenty of water. Water assists your kidneys by flushing them out, so you should increase your water intake to as much as 2 to 3 quarts (1.9 to 2.8 liters) daily.
   • You should drink enough fluid to produce clear or nearly clear urine each time you make a bathroom visit. Water is the best option.
3. Add lemon to your diet. Occasionally squeeze a lemon into your water or consume foods made with lemon juice.
   • Lemon is high in citric acid, which is thought to be effective at breaking up calcium-based kidney stones. As the stones break down, they become easier and less painful to pass.
   • Try to consume 1/2 cup (125 ml) of pure lemon juice daily.
   • Note that other juices are far less effective. In fact, cranberry juice, apple juice, and grapefruit juice may increase your risk for developing kidney stones rather than helping you to break the stones up.
4. Limit your salt and protein intake. Reduce your sodium intake to 3 g or less per day and consume meat protein in moderation.
   • Salt increases calcium in the urine, which can complicate calcium-based kidney stones. Some studies suggest that sodium also increases urate, a substance that triggers kidney stone formation.
   • Protein increases levels of uric acid, calcium, and oxalate in the urine while decreasing citrate. Meat protein is especially problematic since it has a higher content of sulfur, thereby producing more acid than vegetable protein.
5. Increase your fiber intake. Consume more whole grains and fresh vegetables while attempting to pass a kidney stone.
   • Many fiber-rich foods contain phytate which can help prevent and reduce the crystallization of stone-causing calcium salts. This compound is found in legumes, wheat, and rice bran.
6. Skip the soft drinks. On the other hand, coffee and tea is generally considered acceptable, especially if it is decaffeinated.
   • Soft drinks with phosphoric acid reduce citrate levels in the urine, complicating the condition. Those that contain citrate may be acceptable, however.
   • Note that water is still the best beverage to drink for kidney stones, even if coffee and tea are considered safe.
   • Avoid caffeine as much as possible. Some sources indicate that caffeine is safe while others suggest that the dehydrating nature of caffeine can cause complications. Opt for caffeine-free beverages to play things safe.
7. Stay active. Regular physical activity can help keep the kidney stones moving, so mild to moderate exercise is recommended.
   • Since kidney stones can be so painful, you may not be able to get much exercise in. Try light exercise, like walking, and rest as needed to reduce pain. You need to keep moving, but you can and should rest when the pain becomes too hard to bear.
8. Reduce stress. Some connection may exist between kidney stone formation and stress. While it is not clear that reducing your stress will help you to pass existing stones, it will at least help prevent the formation of new stones, thereby preventing further complications with existing stones.

Prescription Medication

1. Take an alpha-blocker. Alpha-blockers relax smooth muscle in the body and are often used to treat kidney stones, prostate problems, and high blood pressure.
   • Alpha-blockers can be used to treat all types of kidney stones. Other medications are prescribed specifically depending on the cause of the stone.
   • The most commonly prescribed alpha-blocker might be Tamsulosin. Additional alpha-blockers include Alfuzosin, Doxazosin, Silodosin, and Terazosin.
2. Ask about cause-based medications. Some prescription medications are only used to treat stones caused by certain problems. While some medications may help you to pass a kidney stone, others are primarily used for kidney stone prevention.
   • Calcium-based stones are the most common type of kidney stone. Medications used to treat them include thiazides, potassium citrates, and orthophosphates.
   • Uric acid stones account for 5 to 10 percent of kidney stones. Potassium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, and allopurinol are used to treat these.
   • Cystine stones are much rarer and usually treated with potassium citrate, penicillamine, tiopronin, or captopril.
   • Struvite stones come about as the result of frequent kidney infections and can be difficult to treat with medication. Your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic to treat any current infection and may prescribe urease inhibitors.

Additional Medical Treatments

1. Try shock wave lithotripsy. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) is used to treat 80 to 90 percent of large kidney stones unless they are located in the lower third of the ureter.
   • With ESWL, the patient lays under a machine called a lithotripter. This machine sends high-pressure sound waves through the patient's body. The shock waves are strong enough to break large stones into smaller pieces, which can then be passed normally through urination.
2. Ask about a ureteroscopy. This procedure can be used to break up or remove large kidney stones.
   • A long, tube-like instrument called a Ureteroscope is inserted through the urethra and bladder to the ureter, where kidney stones usually form and get stuck.
   • A special tool may be used to remove the stone, but if it is too large, a laser will be used to break the stone into smaller pieces that can pass through urination.
3. Go in for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. This procedure is similar to a ureteroscopy, but it is slightly more involved and generally used for more serious stones.
   • A tube is inserted directly into the kidney through an incision in the back. A probe sends shock waves through the stone to break it up, and a small tube called a nephrostomy tube is inserted into the kidney to drain urine and residual stone fragments.
   • The patient usually stays in the hospital for two or three days following the initial procedure.

Tips

• Consider urinating through a strainer. Doing so will recover any stones you do pass, allowing the doctor to analyze it and assist you in passing other stones or preventing future ones.
• Take pain relievers, as needed or as advised by a doctor. Even if you manage to pass the stone without medical help, the process can be painful. As a result, over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen sodium can be of great help.

Warnings

• Do not rely on alcohol to help you pass a kidney stone. While it is true that alcohol is a diuretic—meaning that it increases urine flow—it is a sugary diuretic, and as a result, it may only aggravate your symptoms.

Things You'll Need

• Water and other fluids
• Lemon
• Natural fiber sources

Sources and Citations

See also

• Analyze Poop
• Make Yourself Poop