What Are Kidney Stones?

Kidney stones are also termed as renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis. Urine contains many dissolved salts and minerals. High level of these salts and minerals in the urine can lead to formation of hard deposits called kidney stones. They start as small granules and gradually grow larger in size, filling the hollow structures inside the kidneys.

Some stones stay in the kidney and do not cause any problem. Sometimes the kidney stones travel down the ureter (the tube between kidneys and bladder). If the stones reach the bladder, they pass out with urine. Sometimes the stones get lodged in the ureter blocking urine and causing pain.

Homeopathic Treatment Of Kidney Stones

Although kidney stones are considered a case for surgery under the conventional mode of medicine, natural homeopathic medicines can break down and dissolve kidney stones or help them pass out without surgical intervention. In fact, natural medicines have shown the most remarkable results in treating the recurrence of kidney stones.

Homeopathic Medicines for Kidney Stones

The well-known homeopathic remedies which have exhibited outstanding effectiveness in the treatment of kidney stones are Berberis vulgaris, Hydrangea Arborescens, Lycopodium Clavatum, Sarsaparilla Officinalis, and Cantharis Vesicatoria.

1. Berberis Vulgaris – For Kidney Stones Of Left Side

Berberis Vulgaris is one of the top listed medicines for kidney stones formed on the left side. A unique symptom guiding the use of Berberis Vulgaris is pain in left kidney that radiates down the ureter and into the urinary bladder. The pain can be shooting, stitching, cutting or stinging in nature. The pain may worsen by any kind of movement especially jarring movement. Urine may be yellow and may contain slimy sediments. The area around the kidneys is sensitive to touch.

When and How to use Berberis Vulgaris?

This is the first line of treatment used by most of the homeopathic physicians to treat kidney stones. The main indication of the medication is pain in the left side kidney that radiate to ureter and urinary bladder while urinating, along with increased frequency of urination. Berberis can also be used in cases with a recent diagnosis of kidney stones or if patient is asymptomatic.

Mother tincture (Q) of Berberis Vulgaris is the suggested potency for kidney stones. It can also be used in 30C potency also. However, it should not be used without advice of physician.

2. Lycopodium Clavatum – For Right Side Kidney Stone

Lycopodium Clavatum is an outstanding medicine for treating kidney stones on the right side. It is indicated when there is pain in right kidney and right ureter. The pain gets worse before urination, there is forceful straining and urine is scanty. The kidney pain subsides after urination. The urine may contain red sediments. Also, the urine may be purulent (containing pus), turbid or pale in some cases.

When and How to use Lycopodium Clavatum?

It is best to be taken in condition where there is backache which gets worse before urination along with red sand in urine. Both the lower and the highest potencies, 30C and 200C have turn out to be effective with excellent results. It can be taken upto 2 times in a day, not more than that.

Note Before using this medication, a homoeopathic doctor must be consulted.

3. Hydrangea Arborescens – For Stone In Kidney With White Or Yellow Sand In Urine

Hydrangea Arborescens is popularly known as the stone breaker. Hydrangea Arborescens is used to crush kidney stones, stones in ureter as well as bladder. If one notices white or yellow sand deposits, then Hydrangea Arborescens is well indicated. Soreness in the kidney region may also be felt in such cases. In some cases, blood may appear in urine.

When and How to take Hydrangea Arborescens?

It should be considered in all types of renal stones and can be given without a second thought as its sphere of action is mainly on dissolving stones. It has proven to be effective in mother tincture or 30C potency and produces good outcome.

4. Cantharis Vesicatoria – For Kidney Stone With Burning Urination

Cantharis Vesicatoria is of great help in kidney stones where there is intense burning on passing urine. The burning sensation may also be felt before urine is passed and may continue after urination. Another attending feature is kidney pain with frequent urge to pass urine. Tenesmus of bladder may also be marked where the urge to pass urine is almost constant, along with unsatisfactory urination. Urine may contain jelly-like mucus.

When and How to use Cantharis Vesicatoria?

The key indicating feature of this medicine is cutting and intense burning in the entire renal area. 30C or 200C potencies give amazing results. Where burning is severe, repeated doses of 30C potency can be consumed.

5. Sarsaparilla – For Kidney Stone With Burning At Close Of Urination

Sarsaparilla Officinalis is the medicine that you can count on in case of kidney stones with excessive burning at the close of urination. The urine passed is scanty and may contain slimy or sandy particles. Sarsaparilla Officinalis is also prescribed for right-sided kidney stones.

When and How to use Sarsaparilla Officinalis?

The most noticeable symptom is renal colic, where pain descends from right kidney to urinary bladder and there is acute discomfort after urination. It responds well in cases of painful urination and stimulates flow. It works best in 30C potency.

What Are Causes Of Kidney Stones?

1. Low urine volume: Consistently less volume of urine is a key risk factor for kidney stones. Dehydration (loss of body fluids) through strenuous activity, residing in a warm humid environment, or not drinking enough fluids can contribute to low urine volume and concentrated, black urine. There is less fluid to keep salts dissolved in concentrated urine.

2. Diet: Diet can have a tremendous impact on stones and the likelihood of developing them. High calcium level in the urine is one of the most common causes of calcium kidney stones. The body’s metabolism of calcium may be blamed for high urine calcium levels. The most typical type of kidney stone (calcium oxalate) contains oxalate; consuming foods high in oxalate can increase the chance of developing these stones. An excessive intake of animal proteins in the diet, such as beef, fish, poultry, and hog (pig meat), can cause the acid level of the body and urine to rise. The formation of calcium oxalate and uric acid stones is facilitated by high acidity levels. The likelihood of developing calcium and uric acid stones is further increased by uric acid formation from the breakdown of meat.

3. Obesity: A risk factor for stones is obesity which may alter the urine’s acid composition which could result in the production of stones.

4. Family History:  The risk of developing kidney stones is substantially high in those who have a family history of kidney stones.

5. Medications: The chance of developing kidney stones increases with intake of certain drugs, as well as calcium and vitamin C supplements.

6. Chronic UTI: Larger kidney stones can develop in those with chronic urinary tract infections. These are frequently referred to as struvite stones.

7. Bowel conditions: Certain bowel conditions that cause diarrhea (like Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) and surgeries (like gastric bypass surgery) can raise the risk of formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Diarrhea may result in loss of large quantity of fluid from the body and decreased urine volume. The body hence absorbs the excessive oxalate from the intestines resulting in more oxalate in the urine. Both low urine volume and high oxalate in the urine can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones.

Pathophysiology Of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones form when the level of crystal-forming substances such as calcium, uric acid, or oxalate rise in urine. At the same time, the level of substances that prevent these crystals from sticking together falls. Both these factors together play a role in kidney stone formation.

Types Of Kidney Stones

Calcium Stones (80% of the stones)

These are the most prevalent kidney stones. Calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate are the two different forms of calcium stones. The most typical kind of calcium stone is by far calcium oxalate. In some cases, urine contains excessive amount of calcium increasing the risk of calcium stones in them. Calcium stones can develop due to various other reasons also even when there is normal calcium in the urine.

Uric Acid Stones

This is yet another typical kidney stone type. Intake of large amount of animal protein can increase the risk of uric acid build-up in the urine. Uric acid crystals do not dissolve well in acidic urine and can lead to the formation of uric acid stones. Loss of body fluids due to diarrhea, malabsorption and certain genetic factors make the person prone to developing uric acid stones. These kinds of stones frequently develop in persons having a family history of stones.

Struvite Stones

These stones have a connection to persistent UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). Some bacteria increase the urine’s basicity or alkalinity, decreasing its acidity. Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) stones develop in urine that is alkaline. These stones frequently have branches, are huge, and develop quickly. The greatest risk of developing these stones is in those who frequently experience urinary tract infections (UTI), those who have long tubes in their kidneys or bladders, or those who have poor bladder emptying as a result of neurologic conditions (such as paralysis, multiple sclerosis, and spina bifida).

Staghorn Calculus

The term ‘staghorn’ refers to the shape of this type of stone which has branches like a piece of coral or the antlers on a deer. People having repeated UTI are more prone to develop this type of stone. If they form as a result of infections, they may be made of struvite which is a mix of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate. If they are formed as a result of smaller stones growing larger over a period of time, then the staghorn calculi are made of calcium oxalte, calcium phosphate or a mixture of calcium carbonate apatite, apart from struvite. The way the branches of this type of stone grow, it can block the pelvis and the calyces of the kidney which can lead to kidney failure.

Cystine Stones

One of the amino acids that make up proteins and can be found in some foods is cysteine. The genetic metabolic condition cystinuria or having too much cystine in the urine, is rare. When the kidneys fail to reabsorb cystine from urine, a lot of cysteine in the urine might lead to the formation of kidney stones. Kids are frequently the first to develop cystine stones.

Symptoms Of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones usually cause no symptoms till the time they do not move around in the kidneys and pass through ureters. If a kidney stone is lodged in the ureter, it may cause urine blockage resulting in swelling of kidneys and spasm of ureters which can be very painful. At that point, one may experience the following symptoms:

1. Severe sharp pain on the sides of abdomen (flank area) or in the kidney region in the back below the ribs (medically called loin’s area) is termed renal colic. The pain travels to lower abdomen and groin, and the pain often starts suddenly and comes in waves. The intensity of the pain varies.

2. Pain or burning sensation while urinating. Persistent need to urinate again and again.

3. Urine is dark or red (cloudy) due to blood in it, and foul-smelling. Sometimes, urine contains small number of red blood cells that cannot be seen with naked eyes.

4. Nausea and vomiting.

5. In men, there may be pain at the tip of the penis.

6. Fever and chills if there is infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all kidney stones cause intense pain?

Kidney stones that are small in size may show no symptoms at all and may lie dormant in the kidneys. In such cases, they usually get revealed accidentally in ultrasounds done for some other purpose. However, stones that are large in size cause intense pain. Pain from small stones may also arise when they are trying to pass the pelviureteric junction or ureterovesical junction. The pain may be felt around the kidneys or in the flank area (either side of the lower back between the pelvis and ribs).  Other attending symptoms are frequent urination, pain on passing urine, burning urination, scanty urine, blood in urine and nausea or vomiting.

What else does pain tell us about the position of stones?

We know that kidney stones that are small lie dormant in the kidney and cause no pain. Pain arises when the stones are large and block urine flow. However, pain also arises, in case of both small and large stones, when they are trying to enter the ureter from kidneys or enter the urinary bladder from the ureter.

Which tests does the diagnosis involve?

The tests to confirm kidney stones include ultrasound, X-ray KUB i.e. kidney ureter bladder, intravenous pyelogram and CT scan of KUB. In addition to this, renal function test also needs to be done.

Can kidney stones lead to complications or damage to kidneys?

The pain from kidney stones is usually so intense that the person seeks immediate medical aid. There are usually no complications in such cases. However, complications may arise in case a person does not approach a doctor, unaware of the kidney stones lying dormant for a long period of time without causing any discomfort or pain. In such cases, there are chances of kidney damage due to persistent and severe obstruction of urine flow.

What is renal colic?

The pain caused by kidney stones is known as renal colic. This pain is very intense and may be felt in the mid-back or flank area. The patient does not find any position comfortable when in acute renal pain due to the severity of pain.

Can natural medicines treat kidney stones located at junctions of the renal system?

There are two junctions in the renal system — pelviureteric junction (PUJ) and ureterovesical junction (UVJ). The PUJ is the junction where the renal pelvis and ureter meet. The UVJ refers to the junction of the ureter and urinary bladder. These medicines can treat kidney stones at both PUJ and UVJ junctions when the stones are small in size and not linked with acute retention of urine or severe hydronephrosis.

My USG shows multiple small kidney stones, the largest is 6mm. Can homeopathy medicines dissolve them?

Yes, homeopathic medicines can definitely dissolve the stones in your case. Kidney stones of up to 8mm to 9mm have a good scope of treatment with these medicines. This does not, however, mean that homeopathy will not work on stones of a larger size. They will, but in such cases, homeopathy can only be started after making sure that the renal function tests are normal and there is no acute urinary retention.

My urologist has advised surgery for kidney stones. Can it be avoided with homeopathy?

Homeopathy is very effective in treating kidney stones. In several cases, surgery can be avoided. To what extent the medicine can help depends upon the size and location of the kidney stone. In case of acute retention of urine or severe hydronephrosis from kidney stones, the urgency of treatment demands that allopathic medicines be used as a first step.

Can high uric acid cause kidney stones?

Yes, there are chances of kidney stone formation in persons with high uric acid levels.

I have recurrent kidney stones. Does homeopathy have a permanent solution?

Yes, homeopathy can completely cure the tendency towards recurrent kidney stones. Natural medicines, along with proper diet management, yield positive long-term results. In such cases, these medicines are selected after an in-depth analysis and study of symptoms involved.

Can natural medicines offer help in acute renal colic?

Yes, natural medicines offer help in acute renal colic, but only if there is no urine retention. Renal colic with acute urine retention is an emergency scenario. In such cases, immediate allopathic help must be sought.