I’ve never had kidney stones myself but I hear that if they pass (rather than dissolve) it can be one of the most painful experiences a human could ever endure.

I can’t imagine it being more painful than childbirth but since I’m a man, there’s no way to really tell!

Hopefully I never experience either of them.

I do however get a lot of questions about if there’s a solid (no pun intended) home remedy for kidney stones.

I get asked so many questions about health and natural healing that I find it hard to keep up. I do love to research these topics and share what I’m learning. This is one of the reasons I created all of my health protocols that I add to on a regular basis.

So let’s dive into the wonderful world of kidney stones and see if there some home remedies for them.

But first…

What Are Kidney Stones?

It turns out that kidney stones (also called urolithiasis or nephrolithiasis) are calcified or solidified deposits that form and reside in your kidneys from various salts and minerals that are in your urine. This is for both men and women. Kidney stones can be really small like the size of a grain of sand at the beach or as large a bean. Shall I say kidney bean? 😉

Most of the time if we have them at all, we don’t even notice them. But if they get larger that can be extremely painful (so I’ve heard) and even more so if they dislodge and travel through the ureter which is that little narrow tube that connects your kidneys to your bladder.

If the stones get deposited there, the first signs and symptoms of them are a dull achy type pain near your kidney (lower back). Another super common kidney stone symptoms is blood or even pus in the urine usually body chills happen at the same time but not always.

If they don’t pass on their own, I hate to say this but you may have to call a regular run of the mill programmed medical doctor to help you out. Generally what they’ll do is give you IV of fluids (probably saline) and narcotics (if the pain is unbearable). If it still hasn’t passed some doctors will do emergency surgery to remove it or I’ve known some doctors to use ultrasound waves to literally break up, crush and flush the kidney stones with vibration frequencies.

How Do They Form?

Kidney stones form as we’re living out lives thinking we’re doing everything right. We have a great diet, and we think that nothing is wrong. But kidney stones are forming without us even feeling it.

They form when substances in your urine like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid become concentrated and when that happens they crystalize. When these crystals stick together that’s when they form a kidney stone. If you’re eating a diet of refined and processed carbohydrates (standard American diet type stuff), lots of sugar and calcium your chances of getting a kidney stone go up. Some people will tell you animal protein contributes but I haven’t seen the evidence of that.

The interesting thing too is that if your calcium levels are too low, your body will alter its pH and actually pull calcium from your blood which can also contribute to kidney stones. Other dietary factors you may want to consider avoiding are caffeine, alcohol, and stress.

We’re all living a very stressful lifestyle so it’s important to mitigate that as much as possible.

Home Remedies For Kidney Stones

For home remedies to prevent or manage kidney stones, some practical approaches you could take would be increasing water intake. But make sure the water you’re drinking is high quality and filtered if you’re going to drink a lot of it. This will help you keep a high urine volume, which will really help to dilute a buildup of calcium and oxalate that contribute to stone formation.

Another thing you can do quite easily is to really limit your consumption of refined sugars and soft drinks, especially those containing phosphoric acid. Also, a diet with lots of fiber, particularly from sources like rice bran, has been shown to reduce calcium excretion.

Often over looked is simple lemon juice. Lemon juice,  is rich in citric acid, which can increase urinary citrate, which then can reduce your recurrence of kidney stones. Magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation have also been shown to significantly reduce the formation of calcium oxalate stones​. We’re going to get into that below.

There are two types of kidney stones. Uric acid stones and calcium oxalate crystal stones. It’s important to know which kind of kidney stone you have.

Uric Acid Kidney Stones

Lithium

There was a really interesting 2017 study titled Lithium Treatment in Clinical Medicine. It reviewed how lithium was historically used to dissolve uric acid crystals, helping treat gout and similar conditions. This US study showed lithium’s ability to reduce uric acid buildup and its effectiveness in managing uric acid-related disorders like kidney stones. – Source

I love this 1888 study called, An Address on the Therapeutics of the Uric Acid Diathesis. I love old studies and research papers! Anyway it explored how lithium salts were used to dissolve uric acid deposits in your body. It focused on gout but it holds true for kidney stones too. It was done  in the UK, and it demonstrated that lithium was effective in reducing uric acid buildup and preventing its formation. The conclusion emphasized the usefulness of lithium in managing uric acid-related conditions, though its use has since evolved. – Source

Vitamin C

This study titled Vitamin C Intake and Serum Uric Acid Concentration in Men, published in The Journal of Rheumatology in 2008, found that higher vitamin C intake was associated with lower serum uric acid levels in men. This awesome paper highlighted the antioxidant property of vitamin C and its ability to reduce oxidative stress, thus lowering uric acid concentration. – Source

Then to make matters worse for the pharmaceutical industry who would love nothing more than to profit from people suffering with kidney stones….

This 2011 study titled Effect of Vitamin C Supplementation on Serum Uric Acid: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, published in Arthritis Care & Research, performed a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials and concluded that vitamin C supplementation could significantly lower serum uric acid concentrations. The study suggested that vitamin C increases uric acid excretion and reduces its levels in the bloodstream. – Source

Calcium Oxalate Crystal Kidney Stones

Here’s something from Harvard in 1974. I can’t make this up. So in 1974, two Harvard researchers figured out that a daily regimen of 300 milligrams of magnesium and 10 milligrams of vitamin B6 could reduce the recurrence of calcium oxalate kidney stones by an impressive 92.3%. Their findings were actually published in the Journal of Urology. Can you believe that? But despite the credibility of the research and that it came from Harvard and a prestigious journal, the standard recommendation of low-calcium diets persisted.  – Source

And then in 1991, the British Journal of Urology published a study on kidney stone prevention. Over a five-year period, researchers found that consuming 10 grams (less than 1 tablespoon) of rice bran twice daily after meals reduced the formation of new calcium oxalate kidney stones by 83.4%. – Source

Foods To Avoid

• Spinach​
• Beets​
• Cocoa​
• Chocolate​
• Rhubarb​
• Sweet Potatoes​
• Coffee​
• Tea​
• Peanuts​
• Almonds​
• Blackberries​
• Raspberries​
• Currants​
• Strawberries​
• Oranges​
• Grapefruit
• Celery
• Carrots​
• Kale​
• Beans​

How To Treat Kidney Stones

Natural Remedy for Kidney Stones

If you already have kidney stones and want to do a more natural home remedy. I would first find out what kind you have (calcium oxalate or uric acid), then follow the instructions above. You can also try this as well…

Apple Cider Vinegar, Citrus, and Apple Juice: These contain acetic acid, which can help dissolve kidney stones. Despite being a vinegar, apple cider vinegar has a strong alkalizing effect once inside the body, as do citrus and apple juice. This alkalizing effect helps dissolve calcium-based stones. A recommended mixture includes:

• 3 oranges
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 lemons
• 2 limes
• 2 tart green apples (minus seeds and stem)
• 3-5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Potassium Citrate: According to Duke University researchers, treatment with all-natural potassium citrate has become a cornerstone of medical stone management. It helps prevent the formation of new stones and can aid in dissolving existing ones. – Source

Conventional Kidney Stone Treatments

Fluids and Narcotics: Doctors may provide fluids to help flush out the stone and narcotics to relax the smooth muscle of the ureter, reducing pain and helping the stone pass more easily .

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL): This procedure involves using strong sound waves directed at the stone to pulverize it, making it easier to pass through the urinary tract .

Surgical Intervention: If the stone does not pass on its own, surgical interventions like shock wave lithotripsy, may be necessary. Urological surgeons can use specialized instruments to reach through the bladder or skin into the ureter to crush and remove the stone .

Conclusion

The best thing you can do is to live a lifestyle that prevents the formation of kidney stones in the first place. That’s what I always recommend. Prevention is 80% of the battle. Personally I would try all the natural therapies and home remedies for kidney stones first, then try the medical approach. That’s just how I would approach it but you should always check with your doctor before doing anything. I say that tongue and cheek. 😉

Questions:

1. Have you ever had a kidney stone?
2. What kind was it and how did it pass?
3. What symptoms did you have?
4. Was it as painful as they say?

Comment below!