Kidney Stones/calcifications

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Kymmu
Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Is there anybody out there who has to watch out for high oxalade foods due to kidney issues?

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  • SCouture421
    SCouture421 Posts: 43
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    I get kidney stones all the time ... Even have needed surgery to remove them .. But I haven't had to be put on a special diet.
  • Merrymaker_Misery
    Merrymaker_Misery Posts: 29
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    my mum does. She's 66 years old and takes 0 medication, she takes great care of her health and she recently noticed something was off (she never goes to the doc unless she's certain something is wrong) and the doc said she had sand in her kidneys (pre-stage of stone) and asked about her diet.


    In everything she mentioned she eats loads of greens from the garden (she also has her own livestock) and the doctor said to reduce greens like spinach and lettuce significantly cause they cause her kidney stones.

    She's not happy with it cause she loves her home grown greens, but she listened to the doctor and the sand went away.

    Also drank a bottle of pure sparkling water (like perrier), she said it helps but i didn't verify with a doctor.
  • maryjopatricia
    maryjopatricia Posts: 12 Member
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    A month ago, I had the WORST pain (upper, mid-back on right!) I thought it was a kidney stone since they run in the family ... Felt like a KNIFE was stabbing me ... brought me to my knees a few times! Turns out my RIB was out of place! After a couple of adjustments from the chiropractor ... and a LOT of stretching (1 week plus), the discomfort went away and I was back to normal activities. In the beginning, before the adjustments, we used an Olive Oil / lemon mixture ... followed by Apple Cider Vinegar throughout the day to help "dissolve" the stones ... if I had actually had them... figured the "cleansing" wouldn't hurt either way. Good luck to all ~ ouch!
  • bluebird321
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
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    I passed my first kidney stone late last year -- not much fun. Years before that, I was consuming a lot of spinach and strawberries in my smoothies (along with lettuce etc.) I no longer do that. I also started doing bikram yoga 9 years ago and got dehydrated a lot -- i'm sure that didn't help

    I've switched to kale, which is supposed to a lot lower in oxolate relative to spinach and don't eat nearly as much strawberries. I've become better about logging my water intake.
  • fadedimage
    fadedimage Posts: 22 Member
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    Yep, I've had them before. Besides watching the diet, here's one thing that I am taking and was recommended to be by the doctor. Since then, I haven't had any (going on 3 years now). Might be worth a shot: http://www.theralogix.com/index.cfm?fa=products.theralithxr.default&dvsn=urology
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
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    Thank you all for taking the time to reply.
    I now realise my clean diet of lots of leafy greens, beets, blueberries and nuts has been making my problem a lot worse.
    I also neglected to drink much water so that has led me to where I am today.
    My calcifications are 'staghorns' - which means they are formed in the tubes that leads into the kidneys and also in the kidneys as well.
    They cannot be blasted by ultra sound like stones so I can pass them. I did pass a fragment a few years ago which didn't tickle.
    i can constantly feel an ache in my kidney area, but is manageable unlike last Friday's episode.
    I'm interested in the advice you have given me and will look into these methods.
    With thanks ~ Kym.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    do you regularly see a urologist for this??


    I too, had my first bout with kidney stones last year.. it was terrible. I had to get them surgically removed, and I stll have a few small ones in each kidney waiting to come out and torture me any day.

    I was instructed to reduce my calcium intake and also drink a class of water with lemon juice daily. I was eating ALOT of tums (calcium!) so I had to go on a med for my acid reflux as well. I also drink at least 2500 ml of water daily..

    Has your doctor discussed surgury with you?? How long have you had this staghorn hanging out in your kidney?? :)
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
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    I've had them for over 20 years. Doc's said the staghorn ones don't usually break up so easily. They cannot be blasted.
    I don't ever see a doctor about it - till I went to hospital a week ago.
    the last time I spoke to a doctor and had the dye imaging was years ago- I think I will book in to follow up now though.
  • noodle7417
    noodle7417 Posts: 2 Member
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    I have passed 6 stones. The first one was when I was only in 8th grade. I have 3 in my left waiting to cause me pain. and I am only 23. :frown: My urologist told me that I need to be on a low oxilate diet. For anyone wanting to lose weight this can be a big problem because that cuts out most fruits and vegetables. And if you are as bad as me and a picky eater then you are left with a slim list of foods to pick from. My biggest thing that I have learned with all of my searching is that one of the worst things you can do is cut calcium out of your diet as well. Because if you are prone to get the stones your body will pull the calcium from your bones just to make a stone. Also if you do need/want to eat something with high oxilate drink milk or something that is very high in calcium with it. They have started to find out that by doing this it will form the stones in your digestive track where they don't even matter instead of ending up in your kidneys. Also if you pass another one as disgusting as it my sound, catch it in a strainer and take it to you urologist so they can run a lab on it and find out what it is made out of. Stones can be made out of many things. The most common is Calcium Oxilate. So that is the first thing most will tell you is to cut the oxilate. The best thing I can tell you is be your own advocate and do your own research online. Look at many websites and form your own diet around what you can have and what you like. If you need any extra guidance try to find a nutritionist that you can talk to. I found one in my area that said she wasnt very good with low oxilate diets but if I had any questions about the validity of a website she would be glad to look into it for me. I hope this helps you and anyone else that might read this out. :smile:
  • BlackKat75
    BlackKat75 Posts: 210 Member
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    I had 3 known kidney-stone attacks about 10 years ago. Last one blocked my kidney from draining and required a stent to be put in to allow the kidney to drain while I waited for lithotripsy. In a random follow-up appointment, my urologist referred me to an endocrinologist because my parathyroid hormone (PTH) level was elevated - turns out I had a tumor in one of my parathyroid glands, which elevated my PTH level, which in turn raised the calcium level in my blood, which led to the stones. I had the tumor removed, and haven't had any issues since. It was months after my first attack that any doctor noticed that my PTH levels were high, so you may want to have a quick test of your PTH level to see if you have hyperparathyroidism.
  • RachelGIbsonFitness
    RachelGIbsonFitness Posts: 3 Member
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    Wow...this caught my eye! I just had a parathyroid adenoma removed Monday....it's been two years of kidney stones to figure this all out but hopefully now that the tumor is out I can be "normal" again.
  • LiveLoveLift67
    LiveLoveLift67 Posts: 895 Member
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    I have suffered from kidney stones for over 30 years with about 7 removals in all. My first attack was 22 stones stuck in my tube. One of the things i was told to avoid was cranberry juice. Good for infections but not helpful in trying not to build stones. I was also told caffeine and chocolate. There were several veggies but i dont eat them anyway. And no soda but lots of water.

    I also had to do a 24 hour urine test and they determined that my magnesium level was very low and magnesium inhibits the formation of stones ( my type) so i take a supplement twice a day as well. I have had a few stones pass in the last year and usually it seems after i go running.

    I have had cut open surgery once, i have had them blasted 4 times and i have had them scooped out twice. The dr. drew a pic of my kidneys and took his pen and just started dotting them. My body just makes them....my whole family gets them. Sometimes i will know exactly when i am about to pass a stone and then i pee and sure enough there it is. Not any fun at all!!
  • tonedthighsbubblebutt
    tonedthighsbubblebutt Posts: 40
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    I don't think you need to switch to a low-oxalate diet necessarily. It depends on the type of stones you form and whether you feel healthier eating lower oxalate foods. I recently switched to a new urologist. When I brought up low-oxalate diets as a preventative action, she told me that a LO diet isn't necessarily as effective as once thought. I tried being LO for a few weeks and I didn't really like it. I felt like I couldn't eat most of my favorite foods/my diet declined.

    Have you seen a urologist lately? You may wish to do a 24-hour urine sample analysis to determine if your levels are within a healthy range.

    You should definitely drink water. Lemon water is actually really good for kidney stone prevention. You may also wish to limit caffeine and alcohol. Being hydrated makes a bigger difference than my diet in my experience. Although with that being said, watching your sodium levels may also be helpful.

    Of course if LO works for you, then that's great!

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