Anyone who has suffered from the excruciating pain of a kidney stone will want to prevent them in the future. Here’s the latest from the experts at Prescriber’s Letter. Stay hydrated with about 90 ounces of liquid per day. Avoid soft drinks as they increase stone risk.

Further prevention strategies are based on the type of stone. About 80 percent of stones are mostly calcium oxalate.

Be sure you get 1,000 to 1,200 mg/day of calcium from food or from supplements with meals. Oral calcium binds oxalate in the gut reducing the amount that gets into the urine. Of course, avoid high-oxalate foods such as almonds, potatoes, and spinach.

Reduce your sodium to no more than 2,300 mg/day. This increases renal reabsorption of sodium and calcium leading to lower urinary calcium.

Finally, avoid vitamin C doses over 1,000 mg per day as high doses of vitamin C increase stone recurrence.

If calcium stones recur despite these measures, don’t worry, there are several other strategies your doctor can suggest.

© Copyright WLL, INC. 2021. This blog provides a wide variety of general health information only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your regular physician. If you are concerned about your health, take what you learn from this blog and meet with your personal doctor to discuss your concerns.