Renal Calculi

Find the source and stop the pain of kidney stones. Hard masses that grow from crystals forming in the kidneys, they typically cause severe back pain that may radiate to the groin area. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

• Drink plenty of fluids

  Water, lemonade, and most fruit juices can help dilute the substances in the urine that form kidney stones; avoid grapefruit juice and soft drinks

• Don’t eat too much animal protein

  Diets high in animal protein are linked to increased calcium in the urine, which contributes to oxalate stones

• Avoid foods with organic acids (oxalates) that help stones form

  Limit spinach, rhubarb, beetroot greens, nuts, chocolate, tea, bran, almonds, peanuts, and strawberries, which appear to increase urinary oxalate levels

• Protect yourself with vitamin B6 and magnesium

  50 mg a day of vitamin B6 with 200 to 400 mg a day of magnesium (preferably the citrate form) may inhibit oxalate stone formation

About This Condition

Kidney stones are hard masses that can grow from crystals forming within the kidneys. Doctors call kidney stones “renal calculi,” and the condition of having such stones “nephrolithiasis.”

Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate. People with a history of kidney stone formation should talk with their doctor to learn what type of stones they have—approximately one stone in three is made of something other than calcium oxalate and one in five contains little if any calcium in any form. Calcium oxalate stone formation is rare in primitive societies, suggesting that this condition is preventable.¹ People who have formed a calcium oxalate stone are at high risk of forming another kidney stone.

The information included in this article pertains to prevention of calcium oxalate kidney stone recurrence only—not to other kidney stones or to the treatment of acute disease. The term “kidney stone” will refer only to calcium oxalate stones. However, information regarding how natural substances affect urinary levels of calcium may also be important for people with a history of calcium phosphate stones.

Symptoms

Kidney stones often cause severe back or flank pain, which may radiate down to the groin region. Sometimes kidney stones are accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, chills, fever, and blood in urine.

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