Treatment for kidney stones depends on the type of the stone and the cause of stone formation. Drinking lots of water and making a few dietary changes can reduce chances of kidney stone formation. Sometimes water and dietary control may not enough to reduce formation of kidney stones. Medications may be necessary to reduce the level of certain chemicals like calcium, uric acid, oxalate or cystine. Medicines may also be prescribed to relieve pain associated with movement and presence of big stones.
Calcium Reduction Medicines
Thiazides are low doses of diuretics that help to reduce the amount of calcium in urine. The calcium from the kidneys is reabsorbed in the blood. Citrates may also be given to patients with calcium stones to reduce excretion of calcium in urine. Citrates also reduce the chance of stone formation. Cellulose phosphates help in binding the calcium in the intestine.
Uric Acid Reduction Medicines
Citrates prevent uric acid from crystallizing to form stones. Allopurinol is another medicine that reduces uric acid in the urine. As uric acid stones are formed in acidic urine, sodium bicarbonate can be used to reduce urine$%:s acidity.
Struvite Reduction Medicines
Struvite stones have to be removed by surgery. For patients who cannot undergo surgery and to remove traces of struvite stones after surgery, methods may be adopted to make the urine acidic. Acidic urine is useful to dissolve struvite stones. Organic acids are used to irrigate the urinary tract and dissolve struvite stones. Antibiotics may be prescribed to eliminate bacteria that cause struvite stone formation.
Cystine Reduction Medicines
Thiola and Cuprimine are drugs prescribed for patients with cystine stones. These drugs increase solubility of cystine in water. Once cystine is dissolved, there are fewer chances of cystine crystals to be formed.
Apart from the above medications, analgesics such as acetaminophen and codeine may be prescribed to minimize pain associated with kidney stones.
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