What medications are normally prescribed for calcium and uric acid kidney stones?
The medications that we can use once we've detected an abnormality in the 24 hour urine study involve a multitude of different medications. First of all, the exact metabolic abnormality needs to be determined. If one has an increased oxalate excretion in the urine, that could be treated, first of all, by limiting intake of oxalate to reduce the eventual output into the urine. Additionally, calcium supplements can be given, which is counterintuitive, but calcium supplements can be given so that the oxalate are bound in the intestinal tract and prevented from being absorbed into the bloodstream and eventually secreted or excreted into the urine. Additionally, with uric acid stone production, again, if that is detected with certainty on a 24 hour urine study in the form of hyperuricose urea, the treatment would be to reduce the purine intake in the diet. That is red wine, poultry, fish, and nuts. And also, a drug called Allopurinol can be given to actually prevent the production of uric acid and the eventual excretion into the urine. And then additionally, alkalinization of the urine through a product called potassium citrate can be administered. Of late, it has been established that citrate in the form of lemon juice can be added to the diet on a daily basis. And my usual recommendation is one or two lemons per litre of fluid that is taken in each day, and a minimum of 2 litres need to be taken in for it to be adequate. And this provides you with enough citrate in your diet so that the urine can be alkalinized and thereby inhibit stones from forming in the urine.
