Kidney Stones: What To Do
Hard deposits forming in the urinary tract, causing severe colicky pain when they move.
Last revised
Recurrence is common and largely preventable, and fluid intake is the single most effective measure.
Key takeaways
- Typical pain: severe, colicky, from flank to groin
- Main preventive measure: fluid intake of 2.5-3 litres a day
- Most useful single change: Drink enough to keep urine pale, around 2.5 to 3 litres a day.
- Commonest mistake: Restricting dietary calcium.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Drink enough to keep urine pale, around 2.5 to 3 litres a day
- Reduce salt, which raises urinary calcium
- Keep normal dietary calcium; restricting it makes stones more likely
- Ask for stone analysis if you pass one, which guides prevention
Do not
- Restricting dietary calcium
- High salt intake
- Assuming one stone means no need for prevention
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Typical pain | severe, colicky, from flank to groin |
| Main preventive measure | fluid intake of 2.5-3 litres a day |
| Recurrence | common without prevention |
| Commonest type | calcium oxalate |
| Dietary calcium | should not be restricted; it can worsen stone risk |
Where to go next
- What the Guidance Really Says About Kidney Stones
- Why Kidney Stones Matters, Explained Simply
- Kidney Stones — the reference entry
- Kidney Infection: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Medicines and the Kidneys: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to get help
Seek emergency care for severe flank or groin pain with fever, shivering, vomiting or feeling very unwell — an infected obstructed kidney is a medical emergency. Also seek urgent help for inability to pass urine, or for stone pain in a single functioning kidney, in pregnancy, or with known kidney disease.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.