Just three basic steps can help most stone formers prevent future stones. Making these changes can help reduce your chance of having another stone by at least 50%. As a bonus, these changes have other health benefits above and beyond preventing kidney stones. For example, staying well hydrated can also make your skin look healthier, improve your alertness, and help with weight loss.
Step one: Increase your regular water intake by one liter a day. This is equivalent to two tall glasses or two typical 500ml grocery store water bottles. (One liter = 4.2 8-oz glasses or 34 oz).
Why?: By increasing your fluid intake, you reduce the concentration of your urine, making it less likely for stones to form. In fact, in a randomized study of kidney stone patients, patients who drank enough additional water to make an additional liter of urine over patients who drank their normal amount of fluid were 50% less likely to form another stone in the next five years.
Step 2: Avoid too much salt in you diet. For the general healthy population, your total daily salt intake should be only 2300 mg a day, equivalent to a teaspoon of table salt.
Why?: A high sodium intake can increase the amount of calcium excreted in your urine and decrease urinary citrate, making it more likely that you will form another stone. In a clinical trial of kidney stone patients, those who were instructed to take a low salt and low protein intake were less likely to form another stone than those who were told to reduce their calcium intake.
Step 3: Eat more healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables and less meat. Most adults should eat only 5 to 6 oz of protein daily.
Why?: A high protein intake will increase your calcium, oxalate, and uric acid excretion in your urine. All of these things will make it more likely for you to form another stone.
Not sure how much food contains 2300 mg of salt or 6 oz of protein? We didn’t either at first. Our page on dietary prevention of stones can help. It contains food equivalences information that makes it easier to understand these amounts in terms of real world food. We also have a handout which summarizes this information:
Hi,great site to read over whilst in hospital! Helped me a lot ..
I’ve had 2 stents removed this week (4 days ago) have a kidney and bladder full of stones
Largest one is 12 mm x 10 mm ( wow) how will that ever pass?!?!
Q-why is the blood plus drops of urine and some yellow gunk dripping out my penis still?
As I am lying here in bed it keeps happening,?
Does anyone know?
Also-does cranberry juice really help?
Any help is a help!
I had a stent put in yesterday because the stone I have is 1CM. Biggest one yet.
I never want to go through the pain of having a stent put in again, so i will begin to
do what I should have been doing over the yrs, drinking more water, less salt.
my daughter is twelve months pregant she has been ditected with mutiple kidney stones can u help me to what i can do and please also tell me what she should eat and what not we are indian non veg pople
merry christmas, i just passed my 3mm stone @ 940;am 12/19/12 what a presant that was good luck with all you holders drink a lot of water & cranberry juice. wish all a merry christ & a happy new year. larry from milford oh.
merry christmas, i just passed my 3mm stone on 940;am 12/19/12 what a presant that was good luck with all you holders drink a lot of water & cranberry juice
i found i had a 7 mm kidney stone, and i get afflicting oppinions from different doctors, some says it small other says its big. i think i passed it ,i i saw something in my strainer. brown but im stil waiing for the results after passing should your side be sore
Daniel,
I hope you’re feeling better. I had a kidney stent removed on June 14th and had to keep the lortab handy as I was having severe muscle spasms for two days afterwards. I didn’t have any of the symptoms you’re describing, but I definitely sympathize with you. Did the doctor comment on the symptoms?
–Daniel
had a kidney stent, removed about a week ago, having sinus problems, burning feeling little stomach pain, little back pain,it’s the normal.
had a kidney stent removed about a week ago, feeling bloated, little back pain, sinus problem, warm burning in my stomach.