Medicines for Kidney Stone Prevention

People do not normally realize that kidney stones are present in the body until these objects attempt to make their way through the urinary tract. The pain begins to scream and patients become desperate for medicines that will prevent these nasty things and keep them away forever.

Stone Types

• Kidney stones are waste products--hard mineral deposits comprised of calcium and other compounds prevalent in urine. Medication can help reduce the likelihood of these painful stones forming and, dependent upon the type of stone, pharmaceuticals may also be used as a treatment to either dissolve or enable their passage through the urine. This is preferable to an operation or procedure for removal.

  There are four primary types of stones, each with a different cause, and each requiring differing medicines for kidney stone prevention. Calcium-Oxalate stones are the most common. These sometimes develop from excessive consumption of calcium or Vitamin D. Struvite stones form more often in females and normally are larger and more harmful to the kidneys. Instances of kidney infection seem to bring these on. Uric acid stones occur in individuals who eat too much red meat. Cystine stones are extremely rare and pop up primarily in people with genetic or chronic kidney diseases.

Calcium-Oxalate Medication

• Four out of five individuals develop kidney stones of this variety. According to specialists at the Mayo Clinic, in order to stop these from forming, a urologist will likely prescribe either a thiazide diuretic or a preparation containing phosphorous. Thiazide diuretics act to decrease the amount of sodium that kidneys reabsorb and flush the kidneys to help cleanse them of waste products. The doctor may also suggest sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate.

Struvite Medication

• Struvite stones primarily occur in females and almost always as a result of a urinary tract infection. A doctor will prescribe antibiotics to cleanse the urinary system of bacteria and hinder the occurrence of more infections. In the guide, "The Kidney Stones Handbook," Gail Savitz and Dr. Stephen W. Leslie mention that aluminum hydroxide is sometimes used in patients with struvite stones. This medication limits the absorption of intestinal phosphates.

Uric Acid Medication

• The medication allopurinol (brand names Zyloprim and Aloprim) helps to minimize uric acid levels in the blood and urine to keep this form of stone at bay. In some cases, a combination of allopurinol and a medicine with an alkaline compound may be able to dissolve uric acid stones that have already grown.

Cystine Medication

• Unfortunately, medicines for kidney stone prevention are hard to come by when a patient suffers from cystine stones. Due to their hardness, these growths are very difficult to treat. A urologist will likely prescribe medication to increase the alkaline content of the urine and encourage patients to increase fluids and urine output.

Passing Medication

• Medications called alpha blockers may be able to help smaller stones pass through the system. These medicines help to relax muscles inside the ureter and encourage it to allow the stone to move through. Alpha blocker medications include doxazosin ( brand name Cardura), terazosin (brand name Hytrin), tamsulosin (brand name Flomax) and alfuzosin (brand name Uroxatral).