This may help dissolve the salts in the kidney stone, which may help you pass the stone. This may also help prevent a urinary tract infection, which is common with kidney stones. Don’t make yourself sick by drinking too much water at one time. [6] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source

Always follow the dosing and instructions on the label. The standard dosage for ibuprofen is 400 to 800 mg every six hours. Standard dosage for acetaminophen is 1000 mg every six hours. Standard dosage for Aleve is 220 to 440 mg every 12 hours. Use one of these medications as needed for moderate to severe pain. Be aware that two NSAIDS should never be taken together because this can reduce your kidney function. Your doctor may also prescribe you strong pain medication, such as opioids,[8] X Research source [9] X Research source [10] X Research source Holdgate A, Pollock T. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) versus opioids for acute renal colic. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005(2):CD004137. or prescription antispasmodic medications, such as tamsulosin (Flomax), alfuzosin, nifedipine, doxazosin, and terazosin. [11] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [12] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [13] X Research source

Your doctor may also give you potassium citrate. [15] X Research source These pills bind to calcium to prevent it from being excreted in your urine. This helps to prevent excess calcium from accumulating in your kidneys, thus avoiding formation of calcium kidney stones. Your doctor may also give you an alpha blocker to help relax the muscles in your urinary tract, which will make it easier and less painful to pass them. [16] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If your kidney stone is caused by infection, it may be necessary for you to take antibiotics as well. [17] X Research source

Shock wave lithotripsy: The doctor will use a special machine that delivers shockwaves to the stone, causing it to break up and allowing you to pass it through your urine. This is a non-surgical procedure, and the most common treatment. [19] X Research source Percutaneous nephrolithotomy: The urologist will make an incision in your back and use a fiberoptic camera to locate the stone and remove it. [20] X Research source This surgery is performed under general anesthesia and you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Ureteroscopy: The urologist will use a miniature camera, this time inserted through your urethra. Once the stone is located, the urologist will use a laser to break it up. [21] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Ureteral stents: A stent is a hollow tube that may be used to allow drainage around a large stone or support healing after surgery. It is temporarily inserted in the ureter — if left in too long, stones can form on the stent itself. [22] X Research source

Your doctor may want to measure your urine output for 24 hours after you pass the stone. This way she can see how much urine you produce in a day — you may be more likely to develop stones if you don’t produce enough urine. [26] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source If your doctor determines you have calcium oxalate stones, she will suggest dietary changes to prevent future stones. You will need to reduce your sodium intake, as well as animal protein, and make sure you are getting adequate calcium. In addition you will have to be conscious of not eating foods high in oxalate. These foods include spinach, rhubarb, nuts, and wheat bran. [27] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source If your stones are calcium phosphate stones, you will need to reduce sodium and animal protein. You will need to focus on calcium-rich foods. [28] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source To prevent uric acid stones, you will simply need to cut back on animal proteins. [29] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Struvite stones can form when you have an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. [30] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Cystine stones are caused by a hereditary disorder called cystinuria. This disorder causes kidneys to release too much cystinuria, an amino acid. [31] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you have cystinuria, you will need to increase your fluid intake to prevent future stones from forming.

Very few herbal or home remedies are verified by scientific study — most evidence is anecdotal, or based on personal accounts.

Look for a “USP verified” seal on the bottle.

Use a juicer or blender to make celery juice. Drink three to four glasses of this juice a day. You can also add celery seed to recipes to help with your stones as well. [33] X Research source

These are available as supplements and can be found at health food stores. [34] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [35] X Research source Lans CA. Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2006 Oct 13;2:45 [36] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source

You can take this herb as a water drink by mixing 10 to 20 drops of liquid willow bark with a glass of water. Take this four to five times a day. You can also buy it as a 400 mg capsule, which should be taken four to six times a day.

There has not been any clinical evidence that this remedy works, but it is a common folk remedy. [37] X Research source

Repeat every hour to help with pain. [38] X Research source

Severe but usually intermittent Sharp or stabbing Localized in your back, usually along the edges of your back, in your lower abdomen, or in your groin. The pain placement will depend on where the stone is sitting in your urinary tract.

Nausea Vomiting Sweating Bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine Fever Pain while urinating Extreme pain in your back or lower abdomen that won’t go away

Despite this high risk, the number of cases of kidney stones in young adult patients has doubled in the last 25 years. Though no clear cause has been discovered, researchers believe this has been caused by obesity, weight issues, or the increase in the consumption of soft drinks. [43] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Other risk factors include a history of kidney stones in your family, your diet, some medications, taking more than 2 g of vitamin C a day, history of kidney disease, and your ethnic background. White males are three times more likely to get kidney stones than African-American men. [44] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [45] X Trustworthy Source National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source [46] X Research source

Your doctor may also order some imaging techniques, such as x-rays, CT scans, or MRI scans.