I've Got Kidney Stones

[MissyP89]

Ed, I appreciate it. I did a lot of reading in the days after my ER trip and know they'll probably be around again...so I wanted to be pro-active. Prevention is a good thing. My best friend actually got hers from drinking too much iced tea -- she's my age (21).

[BG45]

I know it wasn't your intent, but I'm now a bit scared of my sweet tea addiction.

[southern california guy]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1294807505' post='2199250']
I have had about a dozen stones over the past twenty years, little ones like that are easy, well nothing about a stone is easy, but the small ones will pass. If you are out of pain you either passed them already or they have stopped moving. There is a book called the kidney stone Handbook full of all the info you need to learn about them. They run in families, so your fanily members have probably had them. Anything that is a diuretic needs to be avoided, the reason is that you do not flush well like you do when you have a normal urination leaving the substances that form stones behind. Caffeine is a diuretic, stay away from coffee, soda etc. so is alcoholic beverages. Another thing to keep in kind that sweating allows the fluid in your kidneys to pass through ducts in your kidneys to become sweat leaving the minerals like calciums etc, that form kidney stones to stay in the kidney to form stones. People who sweat a lot from exercise or hard work tend to form large stones! I had one about 15 years ago that was 44 mm, the doc thought it was a tumor at first, it closed down my uretha causing me to go into renal kidney failure, supposedly the worse pain known to medical science, all I know is that it was agonizing. I lost 25% of my right kidney from that stone, they did a procedure called E.S.W.L which used sound waves to break up the stone into 38 pieces I retreived by urinating into a screen funnel over the course of 32 days with a stint in my uretha the whole time to help keep it irritated so it would stay enlarged and not clog again. I also passed a bunch of sand grit and blood clots. The main thing you can do to help keep them from becoming large stones is always drink plenty of clear liquids, preferably water. Most stones are made of calcium oxylate another is Uric there are other types that are formed because of other factors such as disease, the docs like you to keep them so they can determine what type you form so they can tell you approachs to lessen the chance to form them. My first one occured when I was twenty after a six mile run I felt like I neede to take a leak and notjing but pain and a little blood came out, I thought it was from running in the 98 degree heat. I went home took a shower and drank a bottle of gatorade then had to go again and I heard the stone hit the tiolet then I bled and urinated. You have to be careful of urinary track infections as the stones when viewed under a microsope look like the southern sand spurs, or like a sea urchin, the have sharp spikes sticking off them, the pain you feel is them ripping up your insides as they move, which can lead to infection. Its not uncommon to have sever nausea when passing a stone either.

Good luck and God bless you, once you have had one chances are about 90% you will have them throughout your life, so take care of them, and above all drink lots of water all the time, you will find yourseld thanking God everytime you have a normal urination.

ed
[/quote]

Good grief Ed you've had it rough with kidney stones! 44 mm! That is huge!! Mine were something like 3 mm and 4 mm. And that was ten years ago -- and I haven't had a problem since.

I'm not sure if I really agree with the sweating part since I've always sweated like crazy when I exercise and I got mine when I was working as an over-the-road truck driver. However I was drinking a lot of coffee, and not enough water and I'm sure that was a major factor.

[southern california guy]

I have a theory about the cause of kidney stones. It has to do with your bodies absorption of calcium.

When I was in college I did a report on calcium. The body maintains a balance between magnesium and calcium. Apparently if you take in more calcium than magnesium the body will get rid of the excess calcium. Which is why you will see supplements like calcium-magnesium-zinc . Or calcium-magnesium.

Potassium is also important for the absorption of calcium. And apparently the three (calcium, magnesium, potassium) work together.

Kidney stones are largely made of calcium. And my theory is that kidney stones form when you are deficient in magnesium and potassium. Coffee depletes you of magnesium. So does tea, and I believe soft drinks do as well. I think that caffeine is the culprit. Exercise can also deplete the body of magnesium and potassium. Both dehydration and over-hydration can cause troubles (Of course you've really got to drink a lot to over-hydrate). That is why 'electrolytes' (containing ions like calcium, magnesium, and potassium) are added to sports drinks Below are some quotes from Wikipedia about electrolytes.
[b]
From Wikipedia - [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte"]Electrolyte[/url] [/b]

[color="#000080"]"In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive.In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive."

"In physiology, the primary ions of electrolytes are sodium(Na+), [b]potassium (K+)[/b], [b]calcium (Ca2+)[/b], [b]magnesium (Mg2+)[/b], chloride (Cl−), hydrogen phosphate (HPO42−), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO3−)."

Both muscle tissue and neurons are considered electric tissues of the body. Muscles and neurons are activated by electrolyte activity between the extracellular fluid or interstitial fluid, and intracellular fluid. Electrolytes may enter or leave the cell membrane through specialized protein structures embedded in the plasma membrane called ion channels. For example, muscle contraction is dependent upon the presence of calcium (Ca2+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+). Without sufficient levels of these key electrolytes, muscle weakness or severe muscle contractions may occur.

Electrolyte balance is maintained by oral, or in emergencies, intravenous (IV) intake of electrolyte-containing substances, and is regulated by hormones,[b] generally with the kidneys flushing out excess levels[/b]. In humans, electrolyte homeostasis is regulated by hormones such as antidiuretic hormone, aldosterone and parathyroid hormone. Serious electrolyte disturbances, such as [b]dehydration[/b] and [b]overhydration[/b], may lead to cardiac and neurological complications and, unless they are rapidly resolved, will result in a medical emergency.[/color]

[color="#000080"]In oral rehydration therapy, electrolyte drinks containing sodium and potassium salts replenish the body's water and electrolyte levels after dehydration caused by exercise, excessive drinking, diaphoresis, diarrhea, vomiting, intoxication or starvation. Athletes exercising in extreme conditions (for three or more hours continuously e.g. marathon or triathlon) who do not consume electrolytes risk dehydration (or hyponatremia).[1]

A simple electrolyte drink can be home-made by using the correct proportions of water, sugar, salt, salt substitute for potassium, and baking soda.[2] However, effective electrolyte replacements should include all electrolytes required by the body, including sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium that can be either obtained in a sports drink or a solid electrolyte capsule.[3]A simple electrolyte drink can be home-made by using the correct proportions of water, sugar, salt, salt substitute for potassium, and baking soda.[2] However, effective electrolyte replacements should include all electrolytes required by the body, including sodium chloride,[b] potassium[/b], [b]magnesium[/b], and [b]calcium[/b] that can be either obtained in a sports drink or a solid electrolyte capsule.[3][/color]
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So my theory is that if we don't get enough magnesium in our diet than calcium is flushed into the kidneys -- where it forms kidney stones.

Getting dehydrated can lead to a low level of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Exercising and not replacing the electrolytes can lead to a deficiency. And drinking too much coffee, tea, or soft drinks can lead to a deficiency (Which can easily be remedied with a magnesium supplement).

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How do you know if you're deficient in electrolytes? Well you will get muscle cramps. Your muscles will hurt. You will get muscle spasms. You will be weak. You will be tight and unflexable. Taking a magnesium supplement a couple of times a day will get rid of these symptoms. And eating a food like a banana will give you potassium.

I've found magnesium to be almost a wonder supplement for me. I've had all of those symptoms and I've found that I can cure them almost miraculously by taking a magnesium supplement (I prefer the capsules over the tablets because I think that they are more easily digested). I definitely have been deficient in magnesium, and I've had kidney stones. And I think that these are the pieces to the puzzle of what causes kidney stones.[color="#2F4F4F"][/color]

Edited January 14, 2011 by southern california guy