Posted 7/14/2011 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Kate,
I had my first kidney stone episode in December 2003. Since then, I have averaged a stone episode every two years. I can relate to your frustration. I had all the symptoms, nausea, fever, and pain in December of last year and was told it was just another UTI infection Which I am very prone to. A week later I was back in the hospital and after a ct scan, they found a 5mm calcium oxalate zone. I had it layered in late January and a stent placed. The stent was removed in February. I was back in the hospital in April with nausea and fever. This time they didn't find a stone , but I had another UTI and hydrohephrosis of the right kidney.
My doctor put me on amilloiride hydroclorathiazide to try to discourage my body from making more calcium oxalate stones. It made my potassium level tank and I ended up in the hospital until my potassium level got back to normal levels. I should also tell you that I have end stage liver disease due to an unknown cause, cirhossis, and am waiting for a transplant. My docs make me go to the ER if my temp reaches 100.5.
I no longer take the diuretic so my urologist is trying to control my stones through a high fluid/low oxalate diet. I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day and make sure I drink before going to bed at nite. Sure I have to get up to pee during the night, but this is the time docs feel the stones form. I hate plain water so I drink flavored water called fruit2o. It comes in lemon, raspberry, strawberry, and grape. As to the oxalates, I avoid high oxalate foods:chocolate milk, soy products, nuts, Whole wheat products, blueberries, concord grapes, raspberries, beans, carrots, celery eggplant, peppers, potatoes, spinach, sweet potato, zucchini, marmalade, chocolate, parsley.High oxalate foods have more than 10mg of oxalate per serving. If you do a search on the Internet, I am sure you can find a list of high oxalate foods. If not, let me know, and I can fax/send the lists for low, moderate, and high oxalate foods along with the high fluid. diet my urologist at Northwestern gave me.
Hang in there.
Susie in Chicago