What medication is used to treat kidney stones?

Have you ever had the misfortune of passing a kidney stone? If so, then welcome to club excruciating pain! Passing kidney stones is no joke; the pain can be unbearable and it often feels like shoving an ice pick up your pee hole. However, do not worry as you are not alone; millions worldwide suffer from renal calculi─kidney stones’s fancy medical name. In this article, we will take a closer look at what medication is used to treat kidney stones.

Facts About Kidney Stones

Before delving into medications for treating kidney stones, let us review some critical facts about them that might surprise you:

• Kidney stones affect 1 in every 10 people worldwide.
• Most people never know they have one until symptoms appear.
• Symptoms include sharp pains in the lower back or side and nausea/vomiting.
• The largest recorded kidney stone weighed nearly two pounds!
• The most common type of kidney stone contains calcium oxalate crystals.

Now that we are familiar with a few facts regarding renal calculi let’s explore various types of drugs prescribed by doctors for managing its excruciating symptoms.

Pain Relief Medication (OTC)

For many patients having mild-to-medium sized wedding cake-shaped rock formations traveling down their urinary tract, opting for OTC (Over-The Counter) pain relief should suffice. Therefore over-the-counter remedies such as ibuprofen(brand named Advil), acetaminophen(Tylenol) or aspirin helps ease unbearable kidney-related torture by filling out our brains’ receptor sites/site which perceive discomfort sensations.

Remark: Not all cases respond to OTC medication!

Patients who usually prefer natural/herbal options may consider using marijuana/CBD along with peppermint oil supplements known for soothing digestive processes helpful during these moments of stress. As a word of caution, the notorious idea of injecting alcohol into your veins like other stimulants would alleviate this ache should never be considered an option.

Uricosuric Agents

These medications are useful for patients whose kidney stones develop from uric acid crystals due to low urine pH balance or hyperuricemia─ excessive blood levels of urate(Urandcarbamide). They work by increasing urine’s alkalinity and decrease serum and urinary concentrations in these organic acids. The most commonly used type is allopurinol (Zyloprim), although it can cause side effects such as skin rash or hypersensitivity syndrome with multi-system involvement.

Remark: Use under monitoring!

Other types include probenecid(Benemid) that holds back bodily excretion rates/amounts of uric acid; even if coexisting gout usually accounts for their administration.

Diuretics

Diuretics increase osmotic pressure causes more water/sodium/chloride ions to pass into renal tubules where waste/expulsion gets eliminated along with excess fluids which help diluting/cleansing out the stone-forming substances including things like calcium oxalate, hydrogen phosphate thru increasing urine production making them easier to pass out our bodies spunk pump ─the urethra tract. Common diuretic medicines available on prescription-only basis includes Furosemide(Lasix), Amiloride(Midamor)/spironolactone(Aldactone).

Remark: A healthy lifestyle is still essential and required when subsequently pursuing this means together with symptom management measures so you don’t merely start attaining wisdom teeth sized knotted objects hard passing through urinary tubes! Snorting diuretic tablets will definitely NOT give any superpowers!!!

Some clinicians recommend taking tamsulosin(Flomax) alongside furosemide/Lasix since muscles contracted within one’s urinary tract can make passing stones an extremely tough process. Tamsulosin(Flomax) relaxes the muscles in question, allowing stones to pass with relative ease!

Alpha Blockers

When kidney-related problems impede urine flow(progress and prohibit/keepback full bladder emptying), the use of alpha-blocker drugs[doxazosin(Cardura), terazosin(Hytrin)] is idealistic since these medications facilitate relaxing muscles within one’s ureter─tiny tubes connecting your kidneys to urinary bladders—and the prostate gland. By alleviating painful contractions and connections while creating a more copacetic space between both organs, these medications increase patient chances of passing hard objects comfortably.

Remark: Not recommended for prolonged usage under individuals suffering from liver disease!

Taking prescribed alpha blockers include other side effects like low blood pressure dizziness/fainting tendencies consequently making them unsuitable for long term use by folks having issues with their hepatic system.

Calcium Channel Blockers (CCB)

The use of calcium channel blockers[e.g., nifedipine(Procardia)] has been known to be effective against renal calculus pain due to obstructing passageways via relaxing uterine smooth muscle tissues. In recent research studies conducted involving 72 patients suffering from kidney stone, it was discovered that administering CCBs together with NSAID therapy (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) brought about significant improvement in terms of spontaneous ureteric colic relief when compared alongside administering merely ibuprofen alone:

Treatments	Analgesics+NSAIDs	NSAIDs alone
Spontaneous Passage Rate – No Medical Intervention Required (%)	73/101 (72%)	55/97 (57%)

This shows that using a combination of CCBs painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen & Naproxen sodium) at the same time enhances your chances of passing those pesky stones more quickly. Physicians also prescribe afferent limb calcium channel-blocking medications such as verapamil(brand name Calan Or Isoptin). High doses intake can cause peripheral vasodilation effects resulting in headaches, lightheadedness/nausea/vomiting that go when stepped down to lower mg dosages.

Conclusion

Kidney stone pain is no joke and patients who have experienced it at least once do not need to be told!! From black peppermint oil supplements for those who prefer natural solutions(Organic herbs/Marijuana/CBD), over-the-counter optionsmeds like NSAIDs(ibuprofen), prescription medication for inhibiting/killing excessive urates(uricosuric agents allopurinol/probenecid”), specific diuretics subscribed by clinicians(Furosemide/Lasix)/tamsulosin(Flomax)), alpha blockers remedies[doxazosin(Cardura/Terazosin(Hytrin)] , or using rated calcium channel-blockers following consultation with professionals[of relevance nifedipine(Procardia)/verapamil(Calan Or Isoptins)], many strategies exist presently to help alleviate tremendous excruciating pain commonly associated with this problem so hold our horses eliminate burdensome beverages / foods; “stone up” already happens situationally enough as we age!!!