How to Treat Calcium Oxalate Stones

According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, the most common form of kidney stone is a calcium stone. Calcium builds up in the urine in some people due to dietary changes, infection or heredity. Another chemical called oxalate combines with the calcium and forms a mass that is a kidney stone. Diet changes, medications and surgery can treat calcium oxalate stones.

Instructions

• 1

  Undergo blood tests to confirm that your kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones. Other forms of kidney stones include uric acid, struvite or cystine stones. Medical measures to treat other types of stones may not effectively treat calcium oxalate stones.

• 2

  Drink more water. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse (NDKUIC), water can help dilute the oxalate levels in your urine. Water may help dissolve the stones enough for you to pass them without surgery.

• 3

  Increase the amount of dairy products you eat to both treat and prevent calcium oxalate stones. The NKUDIC says getting calcium from food sources can help prevent the buildup of calcium in your body and can prevent recurrences. Calcium pill supplements may have the opposite effect. In the same vein, avoid foods that are high in oxalate, such as peanuts, spinach, beets, okra, wheat germ, chocolate and sweet potatoes.

• 4

  Ask your doctor about using medications to treat your calcium oxalate kidney stones, and to prevent future stones from forming. Medications can be used to dissolve the stones and to prevent too much calcium from appearing in your urine.

• 5

  Undergo a procedure called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to treat your stones. Sound waves break up the masses, making them easier to pass when you urinate.

• 6

  Get your parathyroid hormone levels tested. The Mayo Clinic explains that some calcium kidney stones are the result of higher-than-normal levels of parathyroid levels due to tumors on the parathyroid gland. Surgery may be required to remove the growth so that future stones will not be a problem.

• 7

  Opt for surgical removal of calcium oxalate stones if they are large and do not respond to other forms of treatment. Kidney stone surgery is called percutaneous nephrolithotomy or ureteroscopic stone removal, depending on where the stones are located.