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Information on Passing Kidney Stones Quickly

Kidney stones cause an excruciating amount of pain, so it is no wonder we would want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as annoying and painful as kidney stones are, there really is no tried and true way to shove them out of your system without the help of your doctor. Kidney stones pass on their own time, and the unfortunate victims simply have to wait for that time to come. But there are some ways to gently nudge the stone into movement.

  1. Fluids

    • First and foremost, you must stay hydrated. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water or juice a day. Drink enough fluids to make your urine look clear. Kidney stones will pass when you urinate, so it only makes sense that you should flush your system as much as possible. WebMD suggests staying away from grapefruit juice, because this can actually help create stones.

    Staying Active

    • Staying active will help induce urination and increase the chances that the stone will move. Walk as much as you can and try to stay off the couch until the stone is gone. It never hurts to get a little exercise and, in this case, it could save you a lot of pain.

    Prescriptions

    • If your doctor has a guess of what your stone consists of, especially if this is your second stone, he may prescribe an alpha-blocker to help pass the stone. Most stones consist of calcium, so you will most likely be prescribed a calcium channel blocker.

    Further Treatment

    • Most stones pass within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms. But some stones may become lodged in your tissue or are simply too big to pass on their own. If your stone is too big, your doctor will use extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). This is the most common treatment for kidney stones and is non-invasive. The doctor uses ultrasound waves to break the stone into passable pieces.

      If the stone is lodged, you may have no choice but to undergo surgery. The surgeries are minimally invasive and generally will not require a stay in the hospital. One type of surgery is an ureteroscopy, in which the doctor sends a thin telescope to the stone and uses his instruments to remove it. The other solution is percutaneous nephrolithomy. This is the same as the ureteroscopy, but the telescope will enter through an incision in your back rather than your urethra.

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