Kidney stone diets are extremely contradictory

I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

Replies

  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)

    If protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn are safe foods for you, then they ARE healthy. :)
    Check with your doctor. <3
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)

    If protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn are safe foods for you, then they ARE healthy. :)
    Check with your doctor. <3

    All of this...
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Please talk more to your doctor. Get a referral to a nephrologist. Make sure you get a 24 hour urine test done. And I hope you have had your stones analyzed. If you get calcium oxalate stones you should be eating food rich in calcium. But there are a lot of rules. Low oxalate, high calcium, low sodium, low to moderate added sugar (my struggle) and low to moderate protein. University of Chicago has a good website that lays out a good diet. (Your list of food to eat/not eat is a little iffy)

    But I would strongly suggest with the combination of osteoporosis and kidney stones to get your parathyroids checked. If one gets a tumor they can cause your blood to steal calcium from your bones. This calcium then becomes kidney stones.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)

    If protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn are safe foods for you, then they ARE healthy. :)
    Check with your doctor. <3
    I feel like Debbie downer. But soy is high in oxalates and too much protein is bad, so protein bars shouldn’t be eaten at all. Popcorn is fine if it’s not salted. The others are all in moderation. There is some research that too much gelatin can contribute to stones, especially with the sugar. Wheat has some oxalates, and bread can be high sodium, but eaten in moderation it’s okay.

    But you really need to talk to your doctor and get more tests run. And check out the university of Chicago website on stones.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    cmtigger wrote: »
    RodaRose wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)

    If protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn are safe foods for you, then they ARE healthy. :)
    Check with your doctor. <3
    I feel like Debbie downer. But soy is high in oxalates and too much protein is bad, so protein bars shouldn’t be eaten at all. Popcorn is fine if it’s not salted. The others are all in moderation. There is some research that too much gelatin can contribute to stones, especially with the sugar. Wheat has some oxalates, and bread can be high sodium, but eaten in moderation it’s okay.

    But you really need to talk to your doctor and get more tests run. And check out the university of Chicago website on stones.

    How much protein is 'too much'? Not the amount in a protein bar?
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    edited October 2017
    cmtigger wrote: »
    RodaRose wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    stinm wrote: »
    I have had kidney stones since I was 7 years old to the point where they were surgically removed. I am 23 now and I don’t understand what to cut out. I have osteoporosis so I can’t take calcium. I have low Vitamin C so I can’t take supplements. I need to specifically avoid oxylate but it seems to be in all healthy foods. Spinach, plantains, soy, sweet potatoes and proteins are all major parts of my diet— all of which cause stones. This forces me to live in fear and eat safe foods like protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn and that’s just unhealthy. So what CAN you even eat with stones recurring? I drink a gallon of water a day and avoid salt (which sucks for my low BP and makes me extremely dizzy).

    You need to talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Registered Dietitian, your issues are complicated. It's not good to live in fear of eating, and they can help you find the right foods in the right proportions so you don't have to worry every time you sit down to a meal. I wish you the best of luck :)

    If protein bars, wheat bread, jello, and popcorn are safe foods for you, then they ARE healthy. :)
    Check with your doctor. <3
    I feel like Debbie downer. But soy is high in oxalates and too much protein is bad, so protein bars shouldn’t be eaten at all. Popcorn is fine if it’s not salted. The others are all in moderation. There is some research that too much gelatin can contribute to stones, especially with the sugar. Wheat has some oxalates, and bread can be high sodium, but eaten in moderation it’s okay.

    But you really need to talk to your doctor and get more tests run. And check out the university of Chicago website on stones.

    How much protein is 'too much'? Not the amount in a protein bar?

    Not in one usually. But the combination of the higher protein, sodium, and ingredients like soy and nuts that make them high in oxalates just make me stay away. (The amount of protein that is too much varies by person)

    I’m laughing at the fact that my post based on actual science got woos. Have any of you looked into kidney stone diets? They are not easy and they are confusing. Some of the things you need to avoid are things that woo-heads tend to avoid for no reason. But with stones there is research that they are a problem.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Here is the website I’ve been referencing. https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/the-kidney-stone-diet/ it includes links to actual studies to back up what they are saying.