Kidney Stone Prevention.

[marc]

Okay, tell me your ideas.  I'm tired of being on the six-month plan, and this one's hurting more than any I've had since the first one (which could be why I got so completely fed up on the theology board).

[janine]

All I know about is to drink drink drink watewr water water constantly like a fish.

Which we all should do anyway.

And maybe to avoid foods with excessivce minerals... But how do you live a mineral-less life?

[marc]

I drink more water than anyone I know.

My stones are made of cheese, i think.  Someone told me yesterday that Dr. Pepper prevents them.  That was a new one on me.  I've heard beer.  Lee W's posted some stuff in the past. 

[janine]

I've heard the minerals & other stuff in sodas will aggravate them and make more of them.

[marc]

Yeah, that's what I'd always heard before. 

[janine]

I wonder if there's  lithotripsy available for you?

[charlie]

I've never had stones and I only drive Jap vehicles. What do you drive?

[marc]

A Chevy, but I was driving a Pontiac when I had my first stone.

I never had one until I started working for United Airlines, though.  My work computer must be causing them.  probably because we use a DOS-based program.

[memmy]

I said this way back, but I don't mind repeating it.

I've been told that stones are excess calcium that doesn't get used in the body. Calcium absolutely needs magnesium to be used/assimilated properly.

Take a good magnesium supplement, preferably one that can be disolved in a liquid since it is easily absorbed into the body.

You can't get too much magnesium in the body, because if you take more than needed for you, it will pass through you. If you have that happen, then cut it back a bit for awhile.

Of course there is the ol' cranberry juice trick too. My sister seriously got rid of stones by drinking large quantity of it for a day or so.

Just my opinions, of course.

[Lamb]

I knew a guy who had problems with stones and was reccomended by his doctor to drink NA beer.

I hope to God I never have them. I have no interest in knowing what women go through when they give birth

[marc]

Does it have to be NA?  I don't drink, but man, right about now I could really use something to dull the pain.  I'm taking too many pain pills, and I don't like the way they make me feel.

[marc]

Of course there is the ol' cranberry juice trick too. My sister seriously got rid of stones by drinking large quantity of it for a day or so.

I usually do that, but haven't this time. I may head to the store and see if they're carrying the no-sugar-added juice.  They used to carry it, but the last time I looked, it wasn't there.  I hope they do, because I'm hurting too much this morning to drive to Kroger (50 min) or WalMart (1/2 hour).

[ConnieLard]

   Sorry you're in pain, Marc!  Wish we could make it all better for you.

[Lamb]

I guess you can use alchohol to dull pain. Kinda old school, but if you have ligit pain and it's medicimal I don't think it would be a sin.

I think the NA beer was so the patient could pee a lot without getting too tipsy.

[mike]

I'm sorry to hear about your stones, Marc. I've had one, and don't ever want to go through that again.

[marc]

Got the Cranberry Juice with Splenda.

I'm just joking about the alcohol.

[janine]

Not a bad thing.  To use alcohol to ease pain and maybe let you get some sleep is no better or worse than using the pain pills.

So says the Cajun who is still nursing in the 'fridge the big bottle of wine her boss gave her last Xmas.  I hate the stuff -- but a glass of it to knock you out at bedtime when you're in pain is a great thing.

[admin]

Marc,

I've researched stones to the nth degree. Here's the 411.

Stones are calcium, but they can also be parasitic. If you have a parasite like certain round worms, your body encapsulates it using a similar method to blood clotting. It clots it with minerals found in your body. So if it is parasitic, you need to do a cleanse. Here is one kidney cleanse recipe.

The other main form of kidney stones comes from your body not having enough calcium. This was believed to be just the opposite until recently. What happens is that when your body does not have enough calcium for functions of the heart, muscles, hormone production, arteries and the immune system it takes it from your bones. But because of low potassium levels, the body cannot obsorb the rock like bone calcium. So it basically gets stuck in your filter--the kidney.

So derive from that what you will. Soft Drinks by the way are an absolute "no no." They throw so much in your muscle system off balance that the body can't get the potassium levels correct even with an adequate amount.

I hope you get to feeling better Marc!

[marc]

Thanks. I need to seriously start looking at prevention.  This is getting ridiculous.

Yeah, I thought that the Dr. Pepper thing was a little strange.  I think it's what they called "superstitious learning" in my ed psych class.  Two unrelated things happen, and someone decides that the one caused the other.

[kalen]

Unsweetened cranberry juice (if you can stand it), and LOTS of it, every day.  Actually, acidity in any form is great (orange juice, lemon juice, etc.).

[janine]

If you can't stand the unsweetened cranberry -- try an all-juice mixed product, not a juice cocktail -- they are mostly sugarwater.

I think Northland is all-juice brand, there are several I'm sure.  The cranberry juice will be cut with perhaps white grape juice.  Yes, it's more sugar, but there's no added sugar, and grapes are good for you too.

You might also look into cranberry capsules -- see any local health food store, vitamin shop, etc.  You might stomach a few capsules a day with a big frosty glass of springwater with lemon, maybe.

[marc]

Well, what I'm drinking right now is splenda-water, at least.  

Not that Splenda is likely good for you, but at least it won't put my blood sugar up.

When I feel like getting out, I'll look for the other stuff, though.  Hamlin only has one and a half grocery stores, and neither one's exactly a super-supermarket. I'll make it to Charleston or Huntington soon, though.

[admin]

Hate to say it Marc, but stay away from the Splenda too. I think what Janine said is right on.

[marc]

I've read in detail about the dangers of artificial sweeteners.  I think that many of them are real, but as a diabetic, there are certain things you have to weigh. While sweeteners are not absolutely necessary for life, they occasionally are for sanity.  

[memmy]

What about Stevia? Is that a more natural choice for you Marc, or does that also alter your sugar?

[marc]

Well, since I don't cook, and don't actually add sweeteners to food myself, the sweetener used depends on what was already put in the food, if that makes sense. 

I don't eat many artificially sweetened foods, though.  Mostly just ice cream.

[Bon Voyage]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060524/hl_hsn/lemonadeofferssweetrelieffromkidneystones

[marc]

Weird.  About an hour ago, my aunt told me that someone had told her husband, who's a frequent sufferer, about a doctor that she works with (I know these people, and it's not as third-or-fourth-party as it sounds)recommending beer, and when he wouldn't drink it, suggesting lemon juice.

I think it might be a Country Time summer.

btw, it's a slow mover (3 weeks tomorrow; my first one took a month and a half, though, and the doctor still just let it run its course), but it's almost in the bladder.  It's still there and still moving.  The pain's diminished, but the blood's increased.

[memmy]

Yeah Marc, but lemon in water without any added stuff is better than lemonade with all the sugar or sweeteners.

Hope you get better soon! I was going to ask you how you have been.

[janine]

Maybe you can get lemon concentrate or cranberry concentrate in capsules at tyhe health food stores?  Just so you don't need to drink so much lemonade, but can take the pills with lots of water.

[twd]

You just have to be careful of so-called lemonade mix, some of it has not relation to lemons in any way.

[memmy]

Exactly.

[marc]

I'm a diabetic.  I read labels.

Or at least I do again now that I have my "progressive lenses".

[memmy]

I think what he means is that when you get a can of lemonade that says artificial flavorings, it isn't really lemon, but fake stuff.

[marc]

Yup.  I read labels.