Claim: Soda causes kidney stones | JunkScience.com

This is junk science because…

… the statistical associations of interest are weak, but most tellingly the association for the highest exposure category (i.e., one or more sodas consumed per day) is NOT statistically significant when adjusted for confounding risk factors. So the more kidney stone risk factors are considered, the weaker the association with soda becomes.

Also, the study relies on sporadic, self-reported data (i.e., let’s see, hmmm… how much soda did I drink four years ago). So the researchers really don’t know how accurate their exposure data are.

The study also involves multiple comparisons and the perpetual junk science machine known as the Nurses Health Study (i.e., secret data of dubious quality that is never verified).

The media release is below.

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Sugar-sweetened beverages associated with increased kidney stone risk

New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital finds that some beverages may be more helpful than others when it comes to preventing recurrent kidney stones

Boston – Twenty percent of American males and 10 percent of American females will experience a kidney stone at some point in their lifetime. Often, these patients will be advised to drink more fluids as a way to prevent future stone formation. Now, new research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital finds that some beverages may be more helpful than others when it comes to preventing recurrent kidney stones. In a study published online May 15, 2013 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), researchers report that the consumption of sugar sweetened soda and punch is associated with a higher risk of stone formation.

“Our study found that the relation between fluid intake and kidney stones may be dependent on the type of beverage consumed,” explained Gary Curhan, MD, ScD, a physician in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH and senior author of this study. “We found that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks was associated with a higher incidence of kidney stones.”

The researchers analyzed data from three ongoing cohorts, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), and both the Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS I) and II (NHS II). The total analysis involved 194,095 participants over a median follow-up of more than 8 years. Participants in all the three cohorts had been asked to complete biennial questionnaires with information on medical history, lifestyle, and medication. Questions on diet were updated every four years. They found that participants who consumed one or more sugar-sweetened cola servings per day had a 23 percent higher risk of developing kidney stones compared with those participants consuming less than one serving per week. This was true for consuming sugar-sweetened non cola as well, such as punch. They also found that some beverages, such as coffee, tea and orange juice, were associated with a lower risk of stone formation.

“Our prospective study confirms that some beverages are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone formation, whereas others are associated with a higher risk,” explained Pietro Manuel Ferraro, MD, a physician at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome and corresponding author of this study. “Although higher total fluid intake reduces the risk of stone formation, this information about individual beverages may be useful for general practitioners seeking to implement strategies to reduce stone formation in their patients.”

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How a Renal Stones Diet Can Help » Hot Article Depot

A renal stone consists pretty much of insoluble calcium oxalate that build-up as time goes by. It can be a very agonizing condition but some folks are prone to having renal rocks than the others, that may be on account of so many components. Men are more prone to renal stones than ladies and ladies that do develop stones generally turns up when you reach 50. White people are more susceptible to renal stones as compared with any other ethnic background. In general, any time someone has already had stones, the ultimate way to avert upcoming formations is by kidney stones therapy via the diet program.

Signs and symptoms of Kidney Stones

As a renal stone actually starts to make its way out of the body, the symptoms include sharp ache in the stomach and groin area. Many individuals never know they possess a kidney stone since it is so smaller it easily makes its way out of your body. The bigger stones are the things that cause the very painful signs and symptoms simply because the stone cannot easily be pass out of one’s body. If you have pain, because the body attempts to cleanse the stone out there can certainly be pink coloured urine because of blood.

Precisely how diet can deal with kidney stones

There are many kidney stones eating plan which can help lower the chances of developing stones. Many of these diet plans are identical to what individuals will be on when they go through the several kidney failure levels. However, the renal disease levels and kidney stones do not necessarily have any correlation, however the diet program alone is usually quite similar.

Ingredients to include in the diet plan

One similarity in just about any kidney stones diet is the fact that the patient should really take in plenty water. The kidneys require the water to aid clean out any current stones and get away from potential stone formation. Consequently, the diet really should contain fruits and veggies which are not just good for the kidneys but your entire body. Deep green vegetables are definitely the ideal. Consuming foods that include watermelon, lemons, and cranberries help to detox the body.

Food items to avoid in a kidney stones diet plan

Just as certain foods help the kidneys not form stones, other types of foods can also add to the possibility of development. Staying away from all processed food and high fat food products that can come through fast foods is effective because these take time and effort for your body to digest. Substantial calcium volumes for example those that present in milk products also needs to be consumed in nominal amounts. Other foodstuff to avoid that contain oxalate include: Spinach, Beets, Soybean crackers, Okra, Peanuts, Sweet potatoes, Chocolate and Wheat germ.

Summary on a renal stones diet plan

For those who have been inflicted by a painful renal stone, your easiest option is to take on the same method of diet regime as another person following a prolonged kidney disease diet program for the reason that contents are the same. The reasoning is to supply the body foods low in calcium oxalate as well as far healthier food choices to ensure that the body does not have to work as hard digesting, which will reduces the chances of stone development.

For more strategies on kidney stones treatment, kidney stones diet and when it is required to go for a kidney stone surgery, please visit kidney stones treatment blog !!

'Jersey Shore' Ronnie's Kidney Stones — Update On His Condition …

The former ‘Jersey Shore’ star remains ‘hospital bed-bound,’ but multiple sources — including Ronnie’s pal Vinny Guadagnino — assure HollywoodLife.com that ‘he will be better.’

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro remains hospitalized for kidney stones — the Jersey Shore star checked himself into a Florida facility April 27 — but things seem to be looking up for the professional fist-bumper. ”He feels like s**t, but he knows that it will pass,” a source close to Ronnie, 27, tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively. ”It’s the worst pain he’s ever felt in his entire life, and he can’t wait till everything is over.”

“Currently, it feels like forever,” the source adds. “Even the toughest guys shed tears, and Ronnie has over all of this, but he will be better soon and is in good hands.”

Ronnie Tweets About His Kidney Stones

Since checking into the hospital April 27, Ronnie has kept his Twitter followers up to date with his condition:

– “Hospital,” he tweeted April 27.

– “Wouldn’t wish this feeling on anyone!” he tweeted April 28, along with the hash tag #KidneysFML.

– “Thank you all to my friends, family & fans showing me al the the ‘Get well soon’ love!” he tweeted April 30, along with the hash tags #MeansAlot and #StillHospitalBedbound.

Ronnie Is ‘In Bad Shape,’ Says Pal Vinny Guadagnino

Vinny Guadagnino, who fist-pumped alongside Ronnie for six seasons on Jersey Shore, recently stopped by the HollywoodLife.com office to chat about his new MTV show The Show with Vinny — so, of course, we had to ask him how his friend is doing in the hospital.

“He’s responding to me, so he’s good,” Vinny told us. “I know he’s in bad shape … [but] they’re taking care of him. He had some kidney infection, or something. But he responded; he’s tweeting, so he’s in good spirits.”

WATCH: Vinny Guadagnino Talks ‘The Show With Vinny’

— Andy Swift & Russ Weakland

More ‘Jersey Shore’ Star News:

  1. ‘Jersey Shore’ Star Deena Cortese Reveals: I Want To Be On ‘DWTS’
  2. JWoww Reveals Big Wedding Plans & How She’s Helping Hurricane Victims
  3. Deena Cortese Reveals Why She Had Anxiety On ‘Jersey Shore’

What Really Causes Kidney Stones (And Why Vitamin C … – Alobar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, February 11, 2013

What Really Causes Kidney Stones
(And Why Vitamin C Does Not)

(OMNS Feb 11, 2013) A recent widely-publicized study claimed that vitamin C supplements increased the risk of developing kidney stones by nearly a factor of two.[1] The study stated that the stones were most likely formed from calcium oxalate, which can be formed in the presence of vitamin C (ascorbate), but it did not analyze the kidney stones of participants. Instead, it relied on a different study of kidney stones where ascorbate was not tested. This type of poorly organized study does not help the medical profession or the public, but instead causes confusion.

The study followed 23,355 Swedish men for a decade. They were divided into two groups, one that did not take any supplements (22,448), and another that took supplements of vitamin C (907). The average diet for each group was tabulated, but not in much detail. Then the participants who got kidney stones in each group were tabulated, and the group that took vitamin C appeared to have a greater risk of kidney stones. The extra risk of kidney stones from ascorbate presented in the study is very low, 147 per 100,000 person-years, or only 0.15% per year.

Key points the media missed:

  • The number of kidney stones in the study participants who took ascorbate was very low (31 stones in over a decade), so the odds for statistical error in the study are fairly high.
  • The study was observational. It simply tabulated the intake of vitamin C and the number of kidney stones to try to find an association between them.
  • This method does not imply a causative factor because it was not a randomized controlled study, that is, vitamin C was not given to a group selected at random.
  • This type of observational study is fraught with limitations that make its conclusion unreliable.
  • It contradicts previous studies that have clearly shown that high dose ascorbate does not cause kidney stones.[2-6]
  • The study authors’ conclusion that ascorbate caused the low rate of stones is likely due to a correlation between the choice of taking a vitamin C supplement with some other aspect of the participants’ diet.
  • The study could not determine the nature of this type of correlation, because it lacked a detailed study of each patient’s diet and a chemical analysis of each stone to provide a hint about the probable cause.

So we have a poorly designed study that did not determine what kind of stone was formed, or what caused the stones that were formed. These are serious flaws. Drawing conclusions from such a study can hardly be a good example of “evidence based medicine.”

Different Types of Kidney Stones (Renal Calculi)

There is a considerable variety of kidney stones. Here are five well-known ones:

1. Calcium phosphate stones are common and easily dissolve in urine acidified by vitamin C.

2. Calcium oxalate stones are also common but they do not dissolve in acid urine. We will discuss this type further below.

3. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) stones are much less common, often appearing after an infection. They dissolve in urine acidified by vitamin C.

4. Uric acid stones result from a problem metabolizing purines (the chemical base of adenine, xanthine, theobromine [in chocolate] and uric acid). They may form in a condition such as gout.

5. Cystine stones result from an hereditary inability to reabsorb cystine. Most children’s stones are this type, and these are rare.

The Oxalate Oxymoron

The oxalate/vitamin C issue appears contradictory. Oxalate is in oxalate stones and oxalate stones are common. Ascorbate (the active ion in vitamin C) may slightly increase the body’s production of oxalate. Yet, in practice, vitamin C does not increase oxalate stone formation. Emanuel Cheraskin, MD, DMD, Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Alabama, explains why: “Vitamin C in the urine tends to bind calcium and decrease its free form. This means less chance of calcium’s separating out as calcium oxalate (stones).”[7] Also, the diuretic effect of vitamin C reduces urine concentration of oxalate. Fast moving rivers deposit little silt. If on a consultation, a doctor advises that you are especially prone to forming oxalate stones, read the suggestions below before abandoning the benefits of vitamin C. Once again: vitamin C increases oxalate but inhibits the union of calcium and oxalate.

Oxalate is generated by many foods in the diet, including spinach (100-200 mg oxalate per ounce of spinach), rhubarb, and beets.[8-10] Tea and coffee are thought to be the largest source of oxalate in the diet of many people, up to 150-300 mg/day.[8,11] This is considerably more than would likely be generated by an ascorbate dose of 1000 mg/day.[5,12]

The study we are discussing didn’t tabulate the participants’ intake of oxalate, but on average they had relatively high intakes (several cups) of tea and coffee. It is possible that those who had kidney stones had them before the study started, or got them during the study, due to a particularly high intake of oxalate. For example, the participants that took vitamin C may have been trying to stay healthy, but the subset of those who got kidney stones might also have been trying to stay healthy by drinking a lot of tea or coffee, or eating green leafy vegetables such as spinach. Or they may have been older people who got dehydrated, which is also very common among men who are active outside during the summer. Among the most important factors in kidney stones is dehydration, especially among the elderly.[13]

Summarizing:

  • Ascorbate in low or high doses generally does not cause significant increase in urinary oxalate.[2-6]
  • Ascorbate tends to prevent formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones.[3,4]
  • Risk factors for kidney stones include a history of hypertension, obesity, chronic dehydration, poor diet, and a low dietary intake of magnesium.

Magnesium

Kidney stones and magnesium deficiency share the same list of causes, including a diet high in sugar, alcohol, oxalates, and coffee. Magnesium has an important role in the prevention of kidney stone formation.[14] Magnesium stimulates production of calcitonin, which draws calcium out of the blood and soft tissues back into the bones, preventing some forms of arthritis and kidney stones. Magnesium suppresses parathyroid hormone, preventing it from breaking down bone. Magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can assist in calcium absorption. Magnesium is required to activate an enzyme that is necessary to form new bone. Magnesium regulates active calcium transport. All these factors help place calcium where it needs to be, and not in kidney stones.

One of magnesium’s many jobs is to keep calcium in solution to prevent it from solidifying into crystals; even at times of dehydration, if there is sufficient magnesium, calcium will stay in solution. Magnesium is a pivotal treatment for kidney stones. If you don’t have enough magnesium to help dissolve calcium, you will end up with various forms of calcification. This translates into stones, muscle spasms, fibrositis, fibromyalgia, and atherosclerosis (as in calcification of the arteries). Dr. George Bunce has clinically demonstrated the relationship between kidney stones and magnesium deficiency. As early as 1964, Bunce reported the benefits of administering a 420 mg dose of magnesium oxide per day to patients who had a history of frequent stone formation.[14,15] If poorly absorbed magnesium oxide works, other forms of better-absorbed magnesium will work better.

Calcium oxalate stones can effectively be prevented by getting an adequate amount of magnesium, either through foods high in magnesium (buckwheat, green vegetables, beans, nuts), or magnesium supplements. Take a magnesium supplement of at least the US RDA of 300-400 mg/day (more may be desirable in order to maintain an ideal 1:1 balance of magnesium to calcium). To prevent a laxative effect, take a supplement that is readily absorbable, such as magnesium citrate, chelate, malate, or chloride. Magnesium oxide, mentioned above, is cheap and widely available. However, magnesium oxide is only about 5% absorbed and thus acts mostly as a laxative. [14] Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) is even more of a laxative, and unsuitable for supplementation. Magnesium citrate is a good choice: easy to find, relatively inexpensive and well absorbed.

The Role of Vitamin C in Preventing and Dissolving Kidney Stones

The calcium phosphate kidney stone can only exist in a urinary tract that is not acidic. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C’s most common form) acidifies the urine, thereby dissolving phosphate stones and preventing their formation.

Acidic urine will also dissolve magnesium ammonium phosphate stones, which would otherwise require surgical removal. These are the same struvite stones associated with urinary tract infections. Both the infection and the stone are easily cured with vitamin C in large doses. Both are virtually 100% preventable with daily consumption of much-greater-than-RDA amounts of ascorbic acid. A gorilla gets about 4,000 mg of vitamin C a day in its natural diet. The US RDA for humans is only 90 mg. The gorillas are unlikely to all be wrong.

The common calcium oxalate stone can form in an acidic urine whether one takes vitamin C or not. However, this type of stone can be prevented by adequate quantities of B-complex vitamins and magnesium. Any common B-complex supplement, twice daily, plus about 400 milligrams of magnesium, is usually adequate.

A Dozen Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Kidney Stones

1. Maximize fluid intake.[13] Especially drink fruit and vegetable juices. Orange, grape and carrot juices are high in citrates which inhibit both a buildup of uric acid and also stop calcium salts from forming. [16]

2. Control urine pH. Slightly acidic urine helps prevent urinary tract infections, dissolves both phosphate and struvite stones, and will not cause oxalate stones. And of course one way to make urine slightly acidic is to take vitamin C.

3. Avoid excessive oxalates by not eating (much) rhubarb, spinach, chocolate, or dark tea or coffee.

4. Lose weight. Being overweight is associated with substantially increased risk of kidney stones.[17]

5. Calcium is probably not the real culprit. Low calcium may itself cause calcium stones [18].

6. Most kidney stones are compounds of calcium and yet many Americans are calcium deficient. Instead of lowering calcium intake, reduce excess dietary phosphorous by avoiding carbonated soft drinks, especially colas. Cola soft drinks contain excessive quantities of phosphorous as phosphoric acid. This is the same acid that is used by dentists to dissolve tooth enamel before applying bonding resins.

7. Take a magnesium supplement of at least the US RDA of 300-400 mg/day. More may be desirable in order to maintain an ideal 1:1 balance of magnesium to calcium. Many people eating “modern” processed-food diets do not consume optimal quantities of magnesium.

8. Take a good B-complex vitamin supplement twice daily, which contains pyridoxine (vitamin B6). A deficiency of vitamin B6 produces kidney stones in experimental animals. Vitamin B6 deficiency is very common in humans. A vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency also is associated with stones. [19]

9. For uric acid/purine stones (gout), stop eating meat. Nutrition tables and textbooks indicate meats as the major dietary purine source. Natural treatment adds juice fasts and eating sour cherries. Increased vitamin C consumption helps by improving the urinary excretion of uric acid. [12]. For these stones, use buffered ascorbate “C”.

10. Persons with cystine stones (only 1% of all kidney stones) should follow a low methionine diet and use buffered vitamin C.

11. Kidney stones are associated with high sugar intake, so eat less (or no) added sugar. [20]

12. Infections can cause conditions that favor stone formation, such as overly concentrated urine (from fever sweating, vomiting or diarrhea). Practice good preventive health care, and it will pay you back with interest.

References:

1. Thomas LDK, Elinder CG, Tiselius HG, Wolk A, Akesson A. (2013) Ascorbic acid supplements and kidney stone incidence among men: A prospective study. Published Online: February 4, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2296

2. Wandzilak TR, D’Andre SD, Davis PA, Williams HE (1994) Effect of high dose vitamin C on urinary oxalate levels. J Urology 151:834-837.

3. Hickey S, Saul AW. (2008) Vitamin C: The Real Story, the Remarkable and Controversial Healing Factor. Basic Health Publications ISBN-13: 9781591202233

4. Hickey S, Roberts H. (2005) Vitamin C does not cause kidney stones. http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v01n07.shtml

5. Robitaille L, Mamer OA, Miller WH Jr, Levine M, Assouline S, Melnychuk D, Rousseau C, Hoffer LJ. Oxalic acid excretion after intravenous ascorbic acid administration. Metabolism. 2009 Feb;58(2):263-9. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.09.023.

6. Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, Chen Q, Espey MG, Drisko J, Levine M. (2010) Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects. PLoS One. 5(7):e11414. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011414.

7. Cheraskin E, Ringsdorf, M Jr, Sisley E (1983) The Vitamin C Connection. Bantam Books. ISBN-13: 9780553244342

8. Noonan SC, Savage GP (1999) Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 8:64-74.

9. Kawazua Y, Okimurab M, Ishiic T, Yuid S. (2003) Varietal and seasonal differences in oxalate content of spinach. Scientia Horticulturae 97:203-210

10. Proietti S, Moscatello S, Famiani F, Battistelli A. (2009) Increase of ascorbic acid content and nutritional quality in spinach leaves during physiological acclimation to low temperature. Plant Physiol Biochem. 47(8):717-23.

11. Gasinska A, Gajewska D. (2007) Tea and coffee as the main sources of oxalate in diets of patients with kidney oxalate stones. ROCZN. PZH 58(1):61-67.

12. Pauling L. (2006) How to Live Longer And Feel Better. OSU Press ISBN-13: 9780870710964

13. Manz F, Wentz A. (2005) The importance of good hydration for the prevention of chronic diseases. Nutr Rev. 63(6 Pt 2):S2-S5.

14. Dean C. (2007) The Magnesium Miracle. Ballantine Books. ISBN-13: 9780345494580

15. Bunce GE, Li BW, Price NO, Greenstreet R. (1974) Distribution of calcium and magnesium in rat kidney homogenate fractions accompanying magnesium deficiency induced nephrocalcinosis. Exp Mol Pathol. 21(1):16-28.

16. Carper J. Orange juice may prevent kidney stones, Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal, Jan 5, 1994

17. Bagga HS, Chi T, Miller J, Stoller ML. (2013) New insights into the pathogenesis of renal calculi. Urol Clin North Am. 2013 Feb;40(1):1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ucl.2012.09.006.

18. L. H. Smith, et al (1974) Medical evaluation of urolithiasis. Urological Clinics of North America. 1:2, 241-260.

19. Hagler L, Herman RH, (1973) Oxalate metabolism, II. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 26(8): 882-889.

20. J. A. Thom, et al (1978) The influence of refined carbohydrate on urinary calcium excretion. British Journal of Urology, 50(7): 459-464.

Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

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Editorial Review Board:

Ian Brighthope, M.D. (Australia)
Ralph K. Campbell, M.D. (USA)
Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. (USA)
Damien Downing, M.D. (United Kingdom)
Dean Elledge, D.D.S., M.S. (USA)
Michael Ellis, M.D. (Australia)
Martin P. Gallagher, M.D., D.C. (USA)
Michael Gonzalez, D.Sc., Ph.D. (Puerto Rico)
William B. Grant, Ph.D. (USA)
Steve Hickey, Ph.D. (United Kingdom)
Michael Janson, M.D. (USA)
Robert E. Jenkins, D.C. (USA)
Bo H. Jonsson, M.D., Ph.D. (Sweden)
Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D. (USA)
Stuart Lindsey, Pharm.D. (USA)
Jorge R. Miranda-Massari, Pharm.D. (Puerto Rico)
Karin Munsterhjelm-Ahumada, M.D. (Finland)
Erik Paterson, M.D. (Canada)
W. Todd Penberthy, Ph.D. (USA)
Gert E. Schuitemaker, Ph.D. (Netherlands)
Robert G. Smith, Ph.D. (USA)
Jagan Nathan Vamanan, M.D. (India)

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D. (USA), Editor and contact person. Email: omns@orthomolecular.org This is a comments-only address; OMNS is unable to respond to individual reader emails. However, readers are encouraged to write in with their viewpoints. Reader comments become the property of OMNS and may

Are Kidney Stones Common After GB? – Thinner Times® Forum

Are kidney stones common after gastric bypass? I thought I had researched everything pretty well, but haven’t really found anything that associates the kidney stone with bypass surgery. I’ve seen where some members have had stones, but am curious if this a complication of the surgery.

So, long story short, I ended up in the ER last night with one. Who thought something so small could cause such excruciating pain??? Vicadin (sp?) isn’t touching the pain. This is horrible (maybe I’m just being a big baby), but I need some kind of relief. Any suggestions?

Bladder and Kidney Stones in Pets | PetMeds Blog

Treatment of kidney or bladder stones depends upon the type of stone

When I noticed drops of blood in the litter box and saw how much pain my cat “Oliver” was suffering, I wanted to do something immediately to try and help him. At first I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but after a quick visit to his veterinarian it became apparent that we were dealing with a stone called struvite. The veterinarian put Oliver on an antibiotic along with a special diet and after a few weeks the stones seemed to be completely gone. Now some four years later Oliver is still healthy and without any symptoms of stones. Treating stones is however not always that easy and permanent. Depending on the type of stone found, treatment could vary a considerable amount.

Similar to any liquid, the urine has the ability to dissolve a variety of substances in it. Depending on the acidity, alkalinity, concentration of dissolved solids, and other conditions, solids may not dissolve as easily or as completely. “Stones” are a result of having solids that do not properly or completely dissolve. Struvite stones are generally the most common kind and they form when the urine is more alkaline. Oxalate stones are also extremely common and take the number two spot in numbers diagnosed and they prefer an acidic environment to begin formation. As a generality, struvite stones are more common in females and oxalate stones are more common in males. While it is possible to dissolve struvite stones if the environment is made favorable, oxalate stones do not so easily dissolve.

Other stones may occur due to excessive protein intake. The pet with the excess protein may not metabolize urea properly causing urate stones. Another type of chemical that can accumulate and cause stones is an amino acid called cysteine. Cysteine stones form when protein buildup creates high levels of cysteine.

When attempting to treat or prevent stone formation there are several methods used such as modification of diet up to and including possible surgery. It is possible to slow down the formation of oxalate stones and prevent additional ones from forming by putting the pet on a special diet. Diet however will not dissolve oxalate stones because those are very difficult if not impossible to dissolve. Struvite and urate stones on the other hand can be dissolved by giving the pet a special diet. Hills S/D is the food recommended for struvite and Hills U/D is generally recommended for urate stones. Anything that also increases fluid intake would be helpful for this condition that’s why some veterinarians recommend a moist food diet.

In cases where the stones cannot be managed by diet, surgery might be the only other choice. Oxalate stones may require surgery because they don’t dissolve so readily like the other stones when the environment is modified. Surgery may also be the only choice when there is an obstruction. Although surgery is the quickest way to get rid of stones, it also has potential to increase the risk of infection. Surgery also introduces the risks that come with general anesthesia and as well as increased risks of causing an infection. Although the ultrasound that is sometimes used in humans to break down stones is not readily available or used much in pets, a method called urohydropropulsion is often used instead to flush out the stones.

There are several medications that are recommended to help with treating stones. Antibiotics are usually used because many stones are caused by bacterial byproducts. Another medication that may be helpful in some cases is called allopurinol. Acetohydroxamic acid has been used to in the treatment of uric acid stones. For cysteine stones, 2-MPG which lowers cysteine levels has been shown to offer some benefits.

Another option that may help in the treatment of stones is to alter the acidity and alkalinity of the urine depending on what kind of stones are being treated. Since struvite stones do better in an alkaline environment, making the urine more acidic helps. Other stones that like an acidic environment such as oxalate stones, making the urine more alkaline could help a great deal. Since oxalate stones do not dissolve, increasing the pH (making the urine more basic) is only used to prevent further formations but will not treat the ones already present. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can be used to make the urine more acidic and potassium citrate has been used to make the urine more basic.

Kidney and bladder stones are potentially dangerous and must be taken care of as soon as the first sign of their presence is noticed. A veterinarian must be contacted to properly diagnose the pet and to develop a good treatment plan. In most cases treatment is as simple as changing the diet; however, left untreated these stones could cause obstructions and become potentially life-threatening. If left untreated these stones can also be extremely uncomfortable and painful for the pet.

If you have any medication related questions your 1800PetMeds pharmacist is a phone call away, so don’t hesitate to call. Most of us in the pharmacy are pet owners ourselves and love to help other pet owners with medication related questions and concerns.

Read Related Posts on PetMeds Blog:

  1. What Causes Bladder Stones in Pets?
  2. PetMeds® Supplementing Dog’s or Cat’s Diet with Vitamin C
  3. Pet meds to Help Floppy-Eared Dogs
  4. Benefits of Laser Surgery for Pets
  5. Brachycephalic Syndrome in Pets

House Call: Kidney Stones – Signs, Symptoms & Treatment …

Posted on: 6:16 am, April 1, 2013, by , updated on: 10:34am, April 1, 2013

Kidney stones are very common, with about one in ten individuals developing at least one throughout their lifetime.

Kidney stones form when an individual’s urine contains too much of a certain substance or mineral, most commonly calcium. These substances can create small crystals that become stones, which take weeks or months to form. Some kidney stones form and do not change in size, while others may continue to increase in size, causing a more serious health situation which could lead to permanent kidney damage or destruction.

Kidney stones usually do not cause symptoms unless the body begins passing them through the urinary tract, which commonly causes severe flank pain, nausea and blood in the urine.

The biggest risk factor for kidney stones is not drinking enough fluids, along with high-sodium and/or unhealthy diets, and drinking large amounts of carbonated, phosphate-containing beverages.

Therefore, to help prevent kidney stones, individuals should drink at least two liters of water daily, reduce sodium and carbonated beverage intake and maintain well-balanced diets.

There are several options in treating kidney stones:

  1. Patient passes the kidney stone on their own, generally with the assistance of medications to aid the process and reduce pain.  This process can sometimes take up to forty days.
  2. Shock-wave lithotripsy is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound or shock waves to break up stones slightly smaller than a half an inch that are located near the kidney or ureter. The stones then leave the body through the urinary tract.
  3. Ureteroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that incorporates the aid of a tiny camera and a laser to break up stones in the lower urinary tract.
  4. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a minimally invasive procedure in which a special telescope is used to examine the inside of the kidney, and the stones are broken up by high speed vibration or a laser. This procedure is usually reserved for patients with multiple stones or especially large stones.

Treatment for kidney stones must be individualized based on the patient’s condition as well as size, amount and composition of the kidney stones. Cone Health has an exceptional network of urologists and other related healthcare providers dedicated to providing individualized care for individuals diagnosed with kidney stones throughout the community.

Spokesperson Background:

Dr. Daniel Woodruff is a urologist at Alliance Urology, and a member of the Cone Health medical staff.  Dr. Woodruff is a 2007 graduate of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  He completed an internship in general surgery in 2008, and his residency in urology in 2012 at University of Kansas Medical Center.

C Supplements Linked to Kidney Stones

Taking too much vitamin C supplements linked to kidney stones.Swedish researchers have discovered that taking too much of one of the world’s most well-known vitamins may contribute to kidney stones. That would be vitamin C, which most of us get quite enough of every day from our food.

In a large study, comprising over 23,000 male participants, the researchers found a link between kidney stones and taking 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C supplements every day. This link did not exist for multivitamins (which contain smaller amounts of vitamin C), but only for vitamin C supplements in particular.

About 436 of the 23,355 men in the study developed kidney stones bad enough to require a doctor. When the researchers analyzed the numbers, they found that men who routinely take vitamin C supplements (perhaps those who know their diet isn’t good, or who want to prevent a cold) had a 200% greater risk of kidney stones than men who didn’t take any supplements.

MUST READ: 10 tips to prevent kidney stones.

These stones form because your urine contains high levels of calcium, phosphorus, or oxalate. At low levels, these common minerals are fine, but at high levels they can crystalize. You might not even notice really small stones, which can pass through your urinary tract on their own. But we sure notice the big ones—they can cause significant pain and even block the flow of urine entirely.

What’s really interesting is that researchers only found a link between taking vitamin C supplements and kidney stones, and not between eating foods rich in vitamin C and kidney stones. Good news: you can eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables containing heaping amounts of vitamin C, and that will negate the need to take supplements at all. Your recommended intake of vitamin C is generally far lower than the high amounts found in supplements.

As it stands, there are no really good reasons why you should regularly take high doses of vitamin C supplements. If your immune system is down and you want to fight or prevent an infection during the cold and flu season, then you should consider it. But in general, you don’t need vitamin C supplements, particularly if you are already at risk of developing kidney stones.

Source(s) for Today’s Article:
Thomas, L., et al., “Ascorbic Acid Supplements and Kidney Stone Incidence Among Men: A Prospective Study,” JAMA Internal Medicine; published online February 4, 2013.







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Vince Neil hospitalized: Motley Crue singer has kidney stones – Zap2it

vince-neil-motley-crue-hospitalized.jpgMotley Crue frontman Vince Neil was hospitalized Sunday (March 10), his bandmates announced on Twitter and Facebook, causing the band to have to cut short their concert in Sydney, Australia.

Guitarist Nikki Sixx writes on the band’s Facebook page:

As many have heard we had to cut our set short
by 4 songs last night due to Vince be in severe pain on stage.. He was
doubled over on his dressing room floor 5 minutes till show time and was
told by the promoter to not even play but Vince said he couldn’t do
that to the fans. I’ve seen Vinnie go onstage with broken bones, his
voice completely blown out and torn
ligaments but he never ever cancels…Just like an athlete you sometimes
have to play through the pain but last night it became to excruciating.



I was texting with Vince most of the night last night as he was just
waiting for the doctor to come back with the test results. This morning
we found out he had to be admitted into surgery to remove kidney stones.
He Just got out 5 minutes ago and the doctors said everything went well
in the operating room. I am going to the hospital to see him before I
head to Brisbane. Will update you more later…Nikki

Sixx also tweets an apology to the fans, “Sorry Sydney for a short set tonight but Vince had to be rushed to the
hospital for internal pain. Will update you on his progress.”

The band’s manager Allen Kovac tells CNN, “Vince is in the recovery room. All went well and we will know more soon.”

The band is still expected to perform in Brisbane Tuesday (March 12).