What should not be eaten with kidney stones?
May 15, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Patients with kidney stones should avoid foods high in oxalate, calcium, salt, oxidants, and purines; they should also avoid medications containing calcium, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antibiotics. If patients experience any discomfort or symptoms, it is recommended to seek timely medical attention at a hospital to prevent delay in treatment.
Generally, patients with stones should avoid foods high in oxalate, calcium, salt, oxidizing agents, and purines, as well as medications containing calcium, sulfonamides, aminoglycosides, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and antibiotics. 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-oxalate foods
Oxalate combines with calcium to form calcium oxalate stones, so patients with stones should avoid excessive oxalate intake. These foods include spinach, beetroot, celery, yam, barley, almonds, etc.
2. High-calcium foods
Patients with calcium stones should avoid excessive calcium intake. High-calcium foods include milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, dried small shrimp, and cheese.
3. High-salt foods
Excessive salt intake increases urinary sodium excretion, thereby increasing the concentration of calcium in urine, which makes stone formation more likely. High-salt foods include salted fish, pickled products, smoked foods, kimchi, ham sausages, etc.
4. High-oxidant foods
Oxidants acidify urine, promoting the formation of uric acid stones. Patients with stones should avoid consuming excessive oxidant-rich foods such as animal offal, red meat, and shellfish.
5. High-purine foods
Purines are precursors of uric acid; excessive intake of purine-rich foods can lead to uric acid stones. High-purine foods include liver, kidneys, caviar, seafood, yeast, etc.
II. Medications
1. Calcium-containing medications
Patients with stones should not take calcium-containing medications such as calcium carbonate D3 tablets, calcium acetate capsules, or calcium gluconate tablets, because the calcium content may deposit in the urinary tract during metabolism and promote stone formation.
2. Sulfonamide drugs
Sulfonamides include sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablets, sulfamethoxazole tablets, and sulfadoxine tablets. These drugs themselves are components contributing to kidney stone formation; therefore, patients with kidney stones should use them cautiously to avoid worsening their condition.
3. Aminoglycoside drugs
Aminoglycoside drugs include gentamicin sulfate sustained-release tablets, paromomycin sulfate tablets, and kanamycin sulfate tablets. During metabolism, these drugs produce large amounts of urea, which may form oxalates and thus exacerbate stone symptoms. Therefore, patients with stones generally should not take aminoglycoside drugs.
4. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs include ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, acetaminophen tablets, and diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets. These drugs generate significant fluid during metabolism, and increased fluid may promote stone formation. Taking NSAIDs could potentially worsen existing stones.
5. Antibiotics
Antibiotics include cefixime capsules, penicillin V potassium tablets, and amoxicillin capsules. Stones form gradually from solid substances in bile, primarily composed of cholesterol and bilirubin. This solid formation is not caused by bacterial infection, while the primary mechanism of antibiotics is to inhibit or kill bacteria for treating infections. Therefore, antibiotics are ineffective for stone treatment. Long-term use of antibiotics may even worsen the condition.
In daily life, patients are advised to drink plenty of water, avoid high-oxalate diets, maintain a light diet, and avoid spicy and irritating foods.
