What should not be eaten with kidney stones?

Generally, people with kidney stones should avoid high-salt foods, purine-rich foods, high-sugar foods, methionine-containing foods, and alkaline foods. They should also avoid medications containing calcium oxalate, sulfonamides, corticosteroids, drugs that increase uric acid levels, and kidney-tonifying herbal medicines. If patients experience discomfort symptoms, they are advised to seek timely medical attention at a hospital to prevent delays in treatment. The detailed analysis is as follows:

I. Foods

1. High-salt foods

High-salt foods include cured meats, ham, bacon, etc. These foods may increase urinary calcium excretion, thereby increasing the risk of kidney stone formation. Therefore, reducing salt intake is important for preventing kidney stones.

2. Purine-rich foods

Patients with kidney stones should reduce intake of foods high in purines, such as animal offal, pork, and beef, as these may worsen symptoms.

3. High-sugar foods

High-sugar foods include white sugar, brown sugar, carbonated beverages, etc. Excessive sugar intake may lead to increased urinary calcium excretion and elevate the risk of kidney stone formation. It is therefore recommended to reduce sugar and high-sugar food consumption.

4. Methionine-containing foods

Methionine is metabolized in the body into cysteine, which is a common component of kidney stones. Therefore, patients should avoid excessive consumption of milk, fish, meat, legumes, and other foods rich in methionine.

5. Alkaline foods

If the kidney stone is composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite), intake of alkaline foods such as tofu, mushrooms, and carrots should be reduced to prevent stone enlargement.

II. Medications

1. Calcium oxalate-containing medications

Kidney stones are a common urinary system disorder primarily formed by crystallization of certain substances in urine. Patients with kidney stones should not take medications containing calcium oxalate, such as calcium carbonate D3 granules, calcium sulfate, or allopurinol tablets, as these may easily form calcium phosphate crystals and worsen the condition.

2. Sulfonamide drugs

Sulfonamide drugs include sulfamethoxazole tablets, sulfadiazine tablets, and sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablets. These medications tend to precipitate crystals, potentially causing or exacerbating kidney stones, and thus are not recommended for patients.

3. Corticosteroid drugs

Corticosteroids include hydrocortisone tablets, prednisone acetate tablets, and dexamethasone tablets. These drugs have anti-inflammatory effects and can suppress immune-inflammatory responses, but they also inhibit aldosterone secretion. Prolonged use of corticosteroids may cause water and sodium retention, impairing timely urine excretion from the kidneys and increasing the risk of kidney stone formation.

4. Uric acid-elevating drugs

Drugs that increase uric acid levels generally include indomethacin capsules, sulfinpyrazone capsules, and febuxostat tablets. These drugs produce large amounts of uric acid during metabolism, which is associated with kidney stone formation. Taking such medications may worsen kidney stone symptoms; therefore, patients with kidney stones should generally avoid them.

5. Kidney-tonifying medications

Patients with kidney stones should avoid kidney-tonifying medications such as Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, and Da Bu Yin Wan. Kidney stones are usually caused by metabolic abnormalities, urinary tract obstruction, infection, and other factors. Taking kidney-tonifying medications may exacerbate the condition.

Patients are advised to drink plenty of water and urinate frequently in daily life, which helps promote recovery.