What are /r/KidneyStones' favorite Products & Services?

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If it’s not too much trouble you could ask your doctor for one. With my healthcare, I can go to the lab and get one - not sure if that is an option for you.

I have purchased this one from Amazon, similar to one given to me in the past. strainer

Our apologies! Thought there was a way to send images on here. We’re new to this too :) Why don’t you try https://imgbb.com/. This site will allow you to upload a photo of the document and then spit out a link for everyone to view.

Once you’ve got the link. Reply to this thread and we can take a look :)

Love your user name by the way!

I hate filtering at any time. So I got those specimen collection things (link below). They go under the toilet seat. I discovered them after my first c section and figured they would work for stones. I go in that then look and see if there is a stone and if not, pour into the toilet. Have collected 2 stones this way. One just this past weekend.

Not a great system but oh well. Not sure if it will work for you but I thought I would throw it out there just in case.

They have made my life easier and I feel more human going to the bathroom.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HXFLC1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_i_TTCSSXC3ZRR3W5452DHW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Venture-Pal-Motivational-Leakproof-Sports-1Gallon-Blue/dp/B07PNFYR5H/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=gallon+water+bottle+venture+pal&qid=1612832663&sprefix=gallon+water+bottle+ve&sr=8-6

This water bottle changed the game for me. It’s cute, it’s easy to use, and it’s sheer size is great for staking out your territory lol. It also comes in a half gallon version if you’re still working your way up to a gallon.

Amazon has them. Here's the one I got.. (Ignore the suggested add-on for the "stone breaker".

Amazon has them. Here's the one I got. (Ignore the suggested add-on for the "stone breaker".)

If you're worried about getting stones in the future, I highly recommend buying Chanca Piedra, e.g. as tea, and then just drink it once per week indefinitely. It also works to dissolve existing stones, I'd have recommended it if you still had pain, but it seems especially reliable as a preventative. The reason is it dissolves stones from the outside, which means the strength of the effect depends on the surface-to-volume ratio of stones, which is larger the smaller the stones is. Hence it's most effective when the stone is just forming.

Here's a thread where I compiled 35 reports from this reddit board. There's a study linked there, too. There's also an unpublished analysis of hundreds of customer reviews, which found generally strong effects but almost perfect effects as a preventative. I think there may have been literally 0 cases of people who report taking it regularly and then developing stones.

This Chana Piedra

I was skeptical too, but it could have been what made the difference. I would take 3 in the morning with my flomax. :)

This chanca piedra will break up the stone or shave some off. I bought it and used it after reading the reviews. it’s also an antihistamine so it will loosen the ureter a little.

Tried it again and mixed it with coconut milk. Besides the grittiness, it actually wasn't too bad. I hear coconut milk it's also good for your liver/gallbladder. If you are looking for something different, give that a try. I used some of this from the fridge: https://www.amazon.com/Thai-Kitchen-Resealable-Ingredients-Unsweetened/dp/B07ZW8WFP6

Also you mentioned you’re lactose intolerant which I am as well. Have you ever consider taking lactase enzyme pills? They literally changed my life because I’m extremely lactose intolerance. I can have dairy whenever I want now.

Guardian Dairy Relief Fast Acting... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRQP9YR?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The fragments can be tiny, so here's something made especially to catch them and keep them from going through -- very, very fine mesh. Then you let them dry and have them analyzed, because that's very useful info to guide what you eat and drink or don't to avoid a repeat. I'm in a small town, but none of the local or chain drugstores had them, and even on Amazon, customers said some were junk. These are fine:

Calculi Strainer Kidney Stone Collector (3 Pack)

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B076GZXSD9?ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056KUBW6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_GGQZA4JNVSB8G9MS6FD8

This is what she has. I just found it on Amazon. She has this and then another patch over top. Looks like this is very difficult to pull out per the reviews on amazon

I don't know why they make us wait so long for surgery. My guess is the insurance companies. I read CBD oil is suppose to help and just ordered this to possibly break up the stones. https://www.amazon.com/Herb-Pharm-Extract-Urinary-Support/dp/B00PHVDUKE/ref=sr\_1\_8?crid=UV01SZ69FDBV&keywords=herb+farm+chanca+piedra+1+oz&qid=1652696498&sprefix=herb+farm+chanca+piedra+1+oz%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-8

I'm sorry that you're going through this nightmare. It's just awful. Going forward, you may want to pick this up and start taking two pills in the morning and two at night, with as much water as you can reasonably drink. I say "reasonably" because this is something that you would need to take possibly forever.

Chanca Piedra has been studied by researchers. They've found that it does a few helpful things. It acts somewhat like Flomax, relaxing smooth muscle around the urethra, the neck of the urinary bladder, and surrounding tissue, giving stones that have managed to drop from the kidney through the ureter into the urinary bladder more room through which to pass. It also smooths out the surface of existing kidney stones over time, but no one knows exactly how long this process takes. It's probably many, many months. Finally, in some people, it prevents new kidney stones from forming, and in many, it slows their rate of growth (mineralization). It makes it harder for the calcium and oxalate to bind together. It doesn't actually dissolve kidney stones; nothing does. But it seems pretty innocuous, so I think that it's worth taking as a prophylactic measure, and to hopefully make things less bad once you have kidney stones.

Hang in there!

Artem

No, that's a non sequitur. It's quite likely that the vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil made no difference whatsoever. It was just a coincidence. It is, however, possible that the sheer volume of what you drank, by increasing the pressure in the kidneys, could have helped your body to push a kidney stone further along the urinary tract.

I don't know how olive oil could have done anything. The purpose of drinking lemon juice is to increase the acidity of the urine. This doesn't dislodge or dissolve kidney stones. It doesn't help them to pass. The idea is to just try to inhibit further mineralization (enlargement of existing kidney stones) and new stone formation.

About the only things that you can do are to get to a urologist as quickly as possible, drink as much water as you can, take a powerful pain killer (e.g. Oxycodone), take Flomax to relax the smooth muscle along the urinary tract, and if there's a blockage that's causing urine to back up into a kidney, get external shockwave lithotripsy or a ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy to break up, capture, and extract the stone.

The big danger is an infection that can, at a minimum, damage or kill a kidney, and in the worst case turn into sepsis and kill you.

Chanka Piedra might help. It works somewhat like Flomax, and also smooths out the surface of stones over time (many, many months). There's some evidence that it prevents large stones from forming. It makes it more difficult for mineralization to occur.

I’ve had stones twice (and two surgeries) and I’m sure it’s because I don’t drink enough water. I absolutely HATE drinking water! But when you get stones in the ureter, you need to drink enough to flush them out. This timed bottle from Amazon has really helped me increase my fluids: https://www.amazon.com/Giotto-Leakproof-Drinking-Throughout-Enthusiasts-Ombre/dp/B082W66DCJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=1N7ZTAYCP005S&keywords=time+water+bottles&qid=1642545553&sprefix=tine+water+%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-5

https://files.fm/u/32t6txfnn I've been eating HCA every day for about a year. Hqs anyone heard of it? They said its more acidic than citric drinks. The other is for dissolving stones but its not worked for me also gets me a headache and high blood pressure.

https://www.amazon.com/Dymatize-Protein-Isolate-Gourmet-Vanilla/dp/B00G6QHYZ6

That's the brand/type I used and causes my issues. I'm not a big lifter or anything, just wanted to make some shakes/smoothies more filling after exercise.

You will probably know more than me about it all though!

https://www.amazon.com/Elvira-Motivational-Removable-Non-Toxic-Sports-Green/dp/B088CRGD88/?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_p=178d1a4d-962e-4497-b328-a577abcf2443&pd_rd_wg=ZULi6&pf_rd_r=6VW847CSSQNQGA77V15V&pd_rd_w=zTewU&pd_rd_r=2e6cc29f-9...

It's only 32 oz you refill mid day. It also assumes you go to bed around 7pm... because apparently your 5 years old or something? I am a night owl so I just refill at 7pm for like 5 more hours worth.

So your drinking 3 of these a day hits you around 98oz

I can't take credit, my husband found and ordered for me after my most recent 9mm stone. I was like gee ... thanks... thinking it wouldn't help. I was kinda surprised it actually did. The link below is the one I have. Love it... it's a bitch to wash by hand, but it works for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Elvira-Motivational-Removable-Leakproof-Non-Toxic-Grape/dp/B08GHTV5V3/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=PECQBZ5F5L10&keywords=water+bottles+with+times+to+drink&qid=1640331560&sprefix=water+bottle%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3

Our apologies! Thought there was a way to send images on here. We’re new to this too :) Why don’t you try https://imgbb.com/. This site will allow you to upload a photo of the document and then spit out a link for everyone to view.

Once you’ve got the link. Reply to this thread and we can take a look :)

Love your user name by the way!

There's nothing really special about it, you can buy them off of amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Taray-Hierba-Tea-OZ-10-6-G/dp/B07HD3BSZ1

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It's just known as a diuretic, meaning you're going to excrete more urine & salt from the kidneys. There doesn't appear to be any scientific research behind it, so you are likely just experiencing the placebo effect.

Good luck & buyer beware!

Also.. I did order this my last stone and within 24 hours I was passing it. Just thought it was worth sharing Stone Breaker Chanca Piedra – Natural Kidney Cleanse & Gallbladder Formula – Detoxify Urinary Tract, Flush Impurities, Clear System – Hydrangea & Celery Seed Extract – 60 Vegetarian Soft Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FERIHYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_P4NMDKG65RMKTYRNN1XJ

Have you seen a urologist? You may need an ultrasound or a cystoscopy to make sure there is no anatomical reason you keep getting infections. I’ve been adding citric acid powder to half-strength Crystal Lite lemonade trying to lower the pH of my urine. I’m drinking about 3/4 gallon per day. You might try that until you can get in with urology. Here’s a link: Milliard Citric Acid 5 Pound - 100% Pure Food Grade Non-GMO Project Verified (5 Pound) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EYFKNL8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_J4E79P7DZK8B2BJMCTR4

I invested in the hidrate steel water bottle! Definitely worth it. I have been getting my 70+ ounces daily, no problem. Wish I had this much earlier! Highly recommend!!

Hidrate Spark Steel Smart Water Bottle, Tracks Water Intake & Glows to Remind You to Stay Hydrated - Chug Lid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C1PRGRR/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_E0JXQ1N7QH3W81RW5DKQ

Referring to something like this. Urine Test Strips Mission 10 Parameter Urinalysis - Pack of 100 Strips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KMS7GKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_V5paGb7J9HR1F

Blood protein or infection will show up.

So the initial “drop” from my kidney to my ureter was rough. I went to the hospital and took pain pills for about 3 days, then I went a few months with no pain, just discomfort. I then had intense pain when it got to the bottom of the ureter before entering the bladder. Once it was in the bladder, I didn’t feel anything. Once it left the bladder, it was uncomfortable and would sting every now and then. It was probably there for about a month. I could feel it working it’s way out and I strained my urine for 2 days when I felt it about to exit it. Drinks lots and lots of water and I recommend taking chanca piedra!

https://www.amazon.com/Chanca-Piedra-800MG-Tablet-Gallbladder/dp/B071KR997R/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?dchild=1&keywords=chances+piedra&qid=1607470955&s=hpc&sprefix=chancs+pi&sr=1-17

I use this strainer (from Amazon). I keep it on top of the toilet that I use most frequently. I use a round food storage container, filled up to the level of the strainer mesh with a water/ bleach mixture (to kill any germs). Here's a picture of what it looks like.

sure here you go: Chanca Piedra 800MG per Tablet - 120 Tablets Kidney Stone Crusher Gallbladder Support Peruvian Chanca Piedra Made in The USA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071KR997R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A-owFbTN7TDK7

I use this. https://www.amazon.com/Electrolyte-Powder-Refreshing-Electrolytes-Hydration/dp/B075QNR8XK

It's pretty low in sodium compared to Gatorade or Pedialyte. In a jam though, I just do 8 oz of Gatorade and it works.

1- Ask for a 24 hours urine test from your urologist. They can get an idea of what kind of stones you make. If you lost the one you passed, there isn't much they can do.

2 - I talked in-depth about this with my Urologist. He said it would be near impossible to eliminate oxalates completely. Like with everything, moderation is the key. He said it was more important that I have a very low sodium diet and lower my intake of meat. He literally said, stop usijg table salt completely! I soon became a vegetarian and I use this chart to help me avoid the foods with the highest oxalates.

3 - I still have it from time to time but in smaller amounts and not near as often. The pain that I've experienced from kidney stones has been a huge motivater to eat healthier and substitute certain foods for others. Peanut butter is very high in oxalates so I buy this. Find substitutes or just give up the really unhealthy meals.

4 - I would find a different urologist and talk about your options and your fears. You may have initially met an asshole but they aren't all like that. After I passed my first kidney stone on my own (6mm), I wanted to know if there were more hanging out in my kidneys. My urologist ordered a CT scan and found three more. He showed me the video and gave me the sizes. He said we can either leave them in there and let them pass naturally or we can do lithotripsy. I chose the latter. It was a breeze and now all the stones have been blasted into dust and I don't have to worry about them anymore. Get a second opinion, have more testing performed and hang in there. Maybe your body is telling you something like mine was. I needed to treat it better. Good luck!

Take a stool softener if you're taking opioid-based pain medications. I've always been prescribed decosate sodium alongside the opiate painkillers, but I think (maybe) you can get this at a pharmacy without a script.

Agree w/ other posters about ditropan to reduce the bladder spasms.

Stents usually suck. It's just how they are. I think if you can tolerate it, it would be worthwhile keeping it in to allow urine drainage between now and your surgery. TBH, risking pain from urine blockage/hydronephrosis (urine backing up in the kidney because it can't drain) due to the stones would suck worse than the stent-induced pain. (Isn't it fascinating/awful how we stone-sufferers can distinguish so specifically between different types of pain?!)

Find the most comfortable positions for your body with the stent in. I agree that standing often feels the least terrible. Laying down and sitting not as much. If you have a recliner or some kind of desk chair even, which you can recline the back of, I've found this position somewhere between sitting upright and laying flat to be the most tolerable. Or even if you have some kind of wedge pillow you can put under your lower back along with some pillows supporting your upper back in bed could work as a last resort. You can find inflatable wedge pillows for pretty cheap, for example: https://www.amazon.com/WEY-FLY-Inflatable-Wedge-Pillow/dp/B07X7VVH77/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=inflatable+wedge+pillow&qid=1596564845&sr=8-5

Good luck and hang in there!

jewelry perhaps? no accounting for taste.

Here's a link to the urine strainer on Amazon.

I use a conventional 21 oz water bottle and use Water Drink Reminder to keep track of my daily consumption. A real kidney saver!

Also try this

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Potassium-Citrate-180-Capsules/dp/B001AWWC1W/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_2/134-4776810-6580767?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001AWWC1W&pd_rd_r=2fd0b551-4165-11e9-b634-97f70bd5522d&pd_rd_w=O4eO3&pd_rd_wg=SlIyx&pf_rd...

Here's a urine strainer on Amazon that is the same one I was given in my post-op parting gifts package. I keep one on top of my toilet, sitting in a little plastic bowl that is filled with a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water.

I’ve used this one from Amazon.

I just used a tea strainer something like this (but bought from the local supermarket).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001IWXLK/ref=asc_df_B0001IWWMU58351478/

Not very dignified but seemed to work ok for me. Probably wouldn't catch the very smallest ones though

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Acetaminophen/tramadol? Yeah they gave me an acetaminiophen blend in the beginning, but then I requested a stronger prescription. Oxycodon seemed to do the trick!

Just hang in there. These days suck, but you should notice improvement over the next few days. After they removed the stent, the pain level was drastically reduced.

Looking to the future, drink tons and tons of water. At least 2 liters/day. I purchased this from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Insulated-Beer-Growler/dp/B01JV1PV2U, and keep it by my desk at work. I fill it up once in the morning and by the time I leave work it's finished. That way I know that I've had 2 liters of water.

Fiuggi - Natural Mineral Water, (6)- 1L Glass Bottles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ERCEJBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_uVQUSFBxdeOhK

This totally works, So far it has worked for me and a friend who also suffered from kidney stones. It may not help with the pain but definitely helped to make the stones move faster.

Thanks. I bought a commercial citrus press from Amazon a few weeks ago. I hope it helps. I'm also working on my diet. I've learned a lot from reading this sub. Everyone has been super helpful. http://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-46878-Commercial/dp/B00KQ47HL0/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1449199218&sr=8-18&keywords=lemon+press