Educational reference, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before changing what you take.Read more.

Condition

Kidney stones

Hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys and cause severe flank pain as they pass.

Affects Kidneys

See a clinician

Some causes of kidney stones need medical care, not self-treatment. Seek help for any of these:

  • Flank pain with fever or chills — a possible infected, blocked stone (urosepsis), a medical emergency
  • Inability to urinate, relentless vomiting, or pain not controlled by painkillers

What may help

Remedies studied for kidney stones, ranked by strength of evidence.

  • A
    Potassium citrate drug

    Reduces recurrence of calcium stones, especially in people with low urinary citrate.

  • A
    High fluid intake practice

    Drinking enough to make more than ~2 litres of urine a day roughly halves stone recurrence.

Prevention is the strong story here: drinking enough to make >2 L of urine a day roughly halves recurrence, and potassium citrate helps people with calcium stones and low urinary citrate.