Apple Cider Vinegar

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Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy for Kidney Stones

Home Remedy Ingredients:

• Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 Oz
• Filtered Water - Large Glass

To dissolve and pass a kidney stone with limited discomfort, mix 2 oz. of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink this ACV Tonic over a short period of time. Repeat this treatment the next day if necessary, but one dose is often enough to help you pass kidney stones within a day’s time.

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  11/07/2010: Socal from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "I drank 4oz straight & it helped my urethra pain. I was able to sleep last night. I also drank 8oz of lemon juice straight. Today tho the pain is mildly back. I will do the same again & drink tons of water."

04/03/2011: Socal from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "I still have not passed my kidney stone that was found back in 8/2010! I have tried everything. I ended up w/ more severe pain yesterday w/ not sleep. Only relief I've gotten is from a heating pad. Oh well...=("

04/30/2011: Drew R from Fort Walton Beach, Fl replies: "I was diagnosed with a 5mm kidney stone back in early Feb. 2011 it is now April 30th and I have been in pain for 48hrs now. I am going back to the ER in a little while to see if they can blast the stone. I am gonna try some of these home remedies before I go. Hopefully something eases the pain. My sincerest sympathies go to everyone who has/had/or will have a kidney stone in the future."

12/15/2011: Bob from Cedartown, Ga replies: "For Drew from FWB., FL

I too had problems while living in FWB. My experience was when I was about 30 yrs. old. My doctor told me to drink lots of water. This was around 1980 before bottled water was popular. At Eglin AFB., the years of unexploded munitions may have polluted the ground water with phosphorus which should be balanced with calcium in your body. 50/50. I think age, life changes, stress, diet & environment all affect balance. My Dr.too mentioned about the hyperparathyroidism. I never had surgery for that. I am 58 now. Pay attention to your kidneys and not allow to get dehydrated. I was also taking strong vitamins which may have put my kidneys into overdrive and with a love for caffeine did not help the situation. Overworking your kidneys can cause pain like a stone but will subside with water. Infections will cause dark urine and you should watch for that and drink things that are good for you like good water and cranberry juice daily. I have had surgery which I would prevent, rather than go thru that again. When I moved back to Ala., I stopped having stones. It may have been the water but also making needed changes in my life may have also been a factor. (less stress). Good Luck!"

[YEA]  08/15/2012: Santhosh from Hyderabad, Andhrapradesh replies: "BELIEVE ME.. IT IS VERY TRUE... TRY LEMON OLIVE OIL and Drink FRESH AND PURE WATER AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.. IT WORKED FOR MY BROTHER.. HE COULD GET RID OF 6mm URETOR STONE...

Santhosh"

02/29/2012: J.r. from Newburyport, Massachusetts, Usa: "Good Evening-Morning; I have had stones for 16 years off and on, yesterday was my seventh time for Lithotripsy hopefully they're gone, famous doctor I had claimed for over a year that I did not have a stone, My new doctor in Boston massachusetts found it lodged in the tubing from the kidney to the bladder, Now I am on cider, I heat it up and put a little pure ginger, little honey and down it goes. This with a tea of Chanca Piedra should help, If not I will be smelling like a salad dressing, For now J.R."

04/04/2012: Gerard from Conne River, Newfoundland Canada replies: "2L of coke or pepsi consumed within 2 hrs and a 4 ounce glasses of asparagus juice, if you can keep it all down. Been in pain from a 7mm stone for the past 7 days, as of today it has dissolved, no more pain."

03/23/2009: Lisa from Salt Lake, Utah: "I have had kidney problems for a while and there're liver issues in my family. So a while ago, I read that someone drink coconut milk to treat their diabetes/kidney problems and it worked.

So last week, I didn't have lemon or olive oil in the house, I tried 2 table spoons of ACV and 2 tbls of coconut oil in 16 oz of warm water. I felt fine...I have no scientific proof to back this up but I think it works just the same and it taste better than drinking olive oil, IMHO."

EC: IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

[YEA]  03/08/2011: Earthday78 from Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States replies: "I have also used Virgin Coconut Oil to cure reoccuring kidney stones along with a multitude of other things, Miracle Oil it is, VCO with it MCT's and Lauric Acid, its almost suprising they havent made it illegal! The only way to get the benefits of, without sucking on a tit! Lol"

03/10/2011: Kay from In The Valley, Ca replies: "Could you explain what MCT's are? Thanks"

06/25/2011: Wizardt from Novi, Michigan replies: "My guess is that the oil is used to protect your mouth, esophagus and stomach. I assume the oil can "coat" the surface thus protect them from being harmed by the acid in either the undiluted lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. For example: people with ulcer. So coconut oil may be able to do as good a job as the olive oil. Just IMHO."

[YEA]  12/27/2011: John J. from New Hope, Pa replies: "Like thousands of others, I suffered from very severe pain with kidney stone. From the CT Scan, my doc requested that I should undergo surgery immediately, approx. 6.5mm.

Thanks to this online forum, I adopted all the recommendation from this page: lemon juices, apple cidar vinegar, olive oil, and distilled water. Keep drinking them in combinations all day long for 7 days, using oat meal and organic honey to help relieve bad taste and stomach discomfort.

Doc also prescibes me pain killer, uniary tract antibotics and flomax to help increase the urine flow. I have no fever all along!

Stone finally passed out on the 7th day morning! When I bring it in for analysis, my doc is amazed by the size and my ability to pass.

I cannot tell which remedy is the ultimate solution, but the price I paid from taking all these together are so small compared to having to go to the surgery room.

Since this forum has saved me this Christmas, I just want to share this with the rest! Sincere thanks to the previous posts!"

05/25/2012: Dkt1957 from Elyria, Oh replies: "MCT stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides"

09/24/2010: Judi7315 from Nashville, Tn : "My son has had kidney stones by the multitudes for about 4 months, the dr's keep giving him pain killers and sending him home to pass another stone, he has been in constant pain and because he has no insurance and the pain is so bad we turned to the internet. We also talked to someone who suggested Apple Cider Vinegar at 1 oz and 1 oz of natural honey (not processed) the honey contains natural antibiotics to help with infection. We are doing this process 1 time in the morning and 1 time in the evening before bedtime. We have done this 3 days now and so far he has had not pain. Keeping our fingers crossed that the stones are getting smaller or dissolving."

09/25/2010: Thenewguyintown from Westwood, New Jersey, Usa replies: "It would be wise for you to search for "Teds" cure which works for both Gall Stones & Kidney Stones. Many have had great success with this formula."

10/19/2010: Chikie from Bonita Springs, Florida replies: "Thank you for the Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey. How is your son doing with the kidney stones? After praying the Lord lead me to this site. I have been having excruciating pain in my kidneys and gallbladder. Don't what it is. I had done the liver flush in shown in this site and lot of stones went out of my gallbladder. I keep getting pain on my right side tremendous pain on my right hip and sciatical nerves. I'm taking the ACV and Honey. I know God uses natural remedies to heal our natural bodies."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  03/13/2011: Greg from Salt Lake City, Utah: "Like most of those suffering from those horrible and intensely painful kidney stones I will try almost anything to be rid of them. I have suffered now with kidney stones since 2006 when I passed my first one. I have been to four different Urologists and I have seen the Emergency room so much that now I have my own reserved room and medical bills to match.
I have passed well over 100 kidney stones since my first stone in 2006. I have had three surgeries, meds, pain pills to fill a truck bed, scans, stints, x-rays, cat-scans, you name it and I have been there done that...

I even stopped drinking milk for two years thinking that would help, which it did but then my body just switched from producing Calcium stones to producing Uric Acid stones instead from drinking so much Orange juice. So, now I am only drinking distilled water which is water in its purest form.

I have been told that minerals in tap water or filtered water can cause stones. That drinking soda can cause stones and that eating chips and other salty foods can cause stones and of course dairy products can cause stones but I had no idea that drinking a lot of Orange juice can cause Acid stones.

I have also used Uriflow which did work on some stones and also Renavive which is supposed to be twice as strong as Uriflow according to their advertisement.

Both worked for awhile then for me they stopped being as effective for some reason? Perhaps my body started to get used to taking them so for me they are no longer as effective. No matter the reason the stones continue so now I have found this site.

I am a big guy well over six feet actually closer to seven feet tall and large framed as well. So, I doubled the mix because of my size.

After reading about how taking Lemon Juice with Olive Oil seemed to help so many I decided that might just be helpful. And also, after reading that Apple Cider Vinegar is stronger than Lemon juice I decided to substitute the Apple Cider Vinegar instead of the Lemon Juice.

I have just taken 4oz of Apple Cider Vinegar and 4oz of Olive Oil mixed with about three tablespoons of honey and some Maple pancake syrup mixed in as well to sweeten the mix.

It burned all the way down with a strong acid taste but sweetened by the Honey and Maple Syrup so it went down better than I had thought. After taking the mix I had trouble breathing a little from the strong fumes from the Apple Cider Vinegar, I took some deep breaths and then chased it all down with 16oz of filtered water. I have noticed an improvement already in the pain level of my current Kidney Stone. The sharp pain is now almost gone!!!

Thanks to everyone for your kindness and suggestions, I will see how this works and leave feedback."

03/13/2011: Wyogal from Powell, Wy replies: "Good luck! I am also trying the raw apple cide vinegar and lemon and olive oil for stones in both kidneys. But I'm not doing cups of it at a time. 2 oz 3 times a day starting today. I'll update in a week."

05/19/2009: Scott from San Pedro, California replies: "So how did things turn out? Did it work?"

[NAY]  06/01/2009: Thomas from Oklahoma City, OK replies: "OK, update on my first post. I still have not passed my stone. I went a couple of week with zero pain. This weekend it started up again. Just praying it will pass soon. I did talk with a Doctor about APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE. I was advised by the MD that there are numerous types of kidney stones and that APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE does one on one of the types of kidney stones. However, the bad news is the one type it does work on is the rarest type of kidney stones and very very very few people have that type. So, for me it does not work."

10/25/2009: Joanystar from Studio City, Ca replies: "You don't drink lemon juice mixed with vinegar. You drink olive oil mixed with lemon juice. Or, drink Apple cider vinegar with a glass of warm water. Read the posts of the people who did this with success. You may get it to work."

02/11/2010: Martha from Mattapoisett, Ma replies: "I have to tell everyone, especially the guy who went out and got heinz apple cider vinegar, You have to get organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, I got it at the regular super market! It has the MOTHER in it! It is a cloudy bit in the bottle! You can mix it with honey if you like. First of all the taste difference is astounding! I use 2 teaspoons of each and my pain from rhematoid arthritis is soooo much better, but I also was having bad gall bladder pain. I am going to try and get my husband to try it for kidney stones! Organic Apple cider vinegar ROCKS!"

01/29/2011: Loretta from Luton, Walthamstowe, Uk replies: "To quote, "However, the bad news is the one type it does work on is the rarest type of kidney stones and very very very few people have that type. So, for me it does not work."

Oh really Thomas of Oklahoma? Nice try. This treatment works on the most common type of kidney stone which is a Calcium Oxalate stone. Either you are lying or your doctor is lying or you are the doctor.

If Lemon Juice or ACV worked for you then why are you people even going back to your doctors? YoOu should be going to your local dounty court with a lawyer and file a Complaint against your Urologist for witholding information that would have prevented a great deal of pain, money and hardship via surgery and meds and stents. SUE YOUR UROLOGIST!"

01/30/2011: Robert Henry from Ten Mile, Tn Usa replies: "HI U LORETTA, never had a kidney stone in my life , but I clean out my liver and gallbladder every year with a flush. Worked at a plant that no one went to the doctor for kidney stones. The procedure is similar to what we do except they drink apple juice full time for a week and then start drinking a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil. The apple juice will soften the stones and the lemon juice and olive oil will allow you to pass the stones. I want to cry every time I think what the medical field is doing to us. Dang, we would be better off with an Indian Medicine Man. If you find that reference offensive to you then kiss My grits. I's too Old to care."

02/10/2011: Beverly from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "You go, Robert AND Loretta. Very true what you both say. Our health care system is a for-profit system. How can they profit if we all get well? They profit from making us believe we have to take a certain pill or a slew of certain pills for the rest of our lives, and that only they and their synthetic meds can diagnose or treat any illness.

It's become worse over the years. When I was a kid the only "medicines" that were advertised were over the counter things like aspirin and Alka Seltzer.

Health care costs more and more and insurance is over the top; some meds now cost $400 per bottle... Not to mention the cost of surgery and hospital stays. It's caused more bankruptcies in this country than anything else, most likely. The ONLY recourse we have now is nature. Where did all the synthetic meds come from anyway? Some bastardized form of something from nature.

Thanks for hearing my rant. I'm not nearly as angry as I may "sound". I'm just stating what I know to be true."

07/09/2011: Sweetpea from Selmer, Tn, United States replies: "You have that one right Robert & Loretta, I went to the ER and they gave me a discount for my visit which consisted of blood work, an IV & a CT scan... With a prescription for antibiotics but no pain meds! Before my discount my bill was over 9,000 dollars after it was still 3400 dollars! I took one shot of warm distilled apple cider vinegar tonite and have no pain!!!!"

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  09/15/2011: John from Buffalo, New York Usa replies: "Yesterday morn woke to sharp stabbing pain in right kidney and symptoms of stones... Lost health insurance recently so looked to internet for home remedies. First thing I took 8 200mg ibuprofen pills and pain dulled bit and manageable. Started with lemon remedy I found here (initially 8oz fresh squeezed lemon juice then 1oz lemon juice in 8oz water every hour for 12 hrs) and felt only slight discomfort by bed time and seemed to be working.

This morn woke up to same pain level as yesterday morn so I questioned how much relief came from the massive dose of ibuprofen from 24 hrs earlier. I bought raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar as a backup if the lemon thing didnt work so decided to take that approach this morn. I took no pain relievers to see if there would be real relief from the ACV. I mixed 2oz Apple Cider Vinegar with 6oz water and within half hour about half pain was gone. 1 hour later did 3oz Apple Cider Vinegar 5oz water... It's almost an hour since last mixture and I feel only slight discomfort when I get up from chair... about 90% of the pain is gone in 3 hours.

Something good is going on here and so far I can undeniably recommend Apple Cider Vinegar for immediate relief. I plan on doing this 3-4 times a day until something hopefully passes and don't think my stomach can handle any more Apple Cider Vinegar than that. After 3 hrs I do have discomfort in stomach but think 5oz in 2hrs may be a bit much for my system and light meal might help. In my case ACV gave amazing results immediately and encourage to chose over lemons. Will post progress in few days.....John"

09/15/2011: Jay from Toronto, Ont, Canada replies: "On 09/15/2011: John from Buffalo, New York Usa wrote:... "Something good is going on here and so far I can undeniably recommend Apple Cider Vinegar for immediate relief. I plan on doing this 3-4 times a day until something hopefully passes and don't think my stomach can handle any more Apple Cider Vinegar than that. After 3 hrs I do have discomfort in stomach but think 5oz in 2hrs may be a bit much for my system and light meal might help. In my case ACV gave amazing results immediately and encourage to chose over lemons. Will post progress in few days"

John, you have a couple of other options here:

1. Regular apple juice will also work and if you drink about 30 ounces spaced out each day for a week or so all the large stones you have will be reduced in size to pass without any pain sensation. I had this situation a couple of years ago and I had an ultra sound about 3 weeks after my first attack(and drinking apple juice) and there was no evidence of any stones of any size left in my kidney.

2. Since you have no idea if there are more large stones in your kidney, perhaps if t would be better to safely eliminate them. There is an herbal solution that will also eliminate the problem. You can buy "chanca piedra" in capsule form at the health food store It has been used for centuries to eliminate kidney stones. Within hours of taking this herb as recommended the stones are broken into small easily passable pieces."

09/16/2011: Mick from Queensland, Australia replies: "I've used apple cider vineger for stones, yes it works very, very, very well, most doctors are so brainwashed at med school they won't look at any other cure, and they would go bust as well just like free energy devices we have had for last 100 or so yrs from dudes like nikola tesla its all about power, money, greed, control coz wisdom and knowing is power to us and not the so called rulers who do not care for us at all. If you think they do, go back to sleep ./, "

09/17/2011: Virginia from Sacramento, Ca replies: "Response to John of Buffalo, NY, USA

John, I too woke up to excrutiating pain in my lower back and side. It was so bad that I couldn't walk, much less get myself to the hospital. It got progressively worse by the end of the day. Since I have no health insurance anyway, I went online for a natural remedy and discoverd this site. Wow! What a godsend! I read about the ACV remedy and my husband went right out and purchased the organic, unfiltered type and a bottle of cranberry juice. Like you, I felt fast relief in no time and am so jazzed about a natural inexpensive remedy. I plan to stay with the ACV on a daily basis because it's good for me in general. I also gave some to my cat who seems to have some sort of kidney or bladder infection. It worked right away. I'm a believer of the stuff now."

[NAY]  09/26/2011: Christy from Sacramento, Ca replies: "I was praying this would work for me. Unfortunately it did not work. I guess I will try the lemon one next."

[YEA]  10/07/2011: John from Buffalo, New York replies: "Hey gang!! Giving an update from my 9/15 post... I believe I'm cured using apple cider vinegar!! Within 48 hrs I was pain free except for when I belched or hiccuped I felt sharp pain. That lasted for about 2 weeks til I had zero symptoms. The strainer I peed through lol was something I found in kitchen drawer which think is used to possibly sprinkle powdered sugar or something like that... Point is after 3 weeks I peed out a couple tiny blobs that barely clung to strainer.. The only way to describe is texture was maybe a bit firmer than tooth paste. I'm not 100% sure if these were part of my stones but I have absolutely No symptoms or pain whatsoever!

I initially started my 1st couple days treatment with 2oz Apple Cider Vinegar in 6 oz water 4x day... It was gross and my stomach couldn't take anymore. After that I just limited the same dose to 2x day and was tolerable. I also drank a half gallon water and resumed some bad habits like coffee and soda. Jay thanks for heads up on chanca piedra and gonna do it and see if something happens but I really think my stones are gone.

I continue with my Apple Cider Vinegar 2x day cuz I noticed some other benefits like congestion from allergies and joint pain in both knees, ankles and pinky finger(broke few years ago) have just about all gone away. I wake up feeling normal and I am sleeping much better. I used to wake up so congested and tired in the morn... My head felt like a sack of cement and eyes blurry and bulging... I now wake up with no congestion feeling well rested and my eyes are focused!!! Hope this helps all in need and will follow up on any replies.... Take care, John"

05/25/2012: Sflorist from Covington, Louisiana replies: "Agree with Robert Henry. Another reason "Capitalism" has failed us!!!!!"

01/12/2012: Monica from Stephenville, Texas, Usa: "I woke up today at 9AM with the tell-tale signs of an oncoming kidney stone attack. By 3:20PM I passed a kidney stone the size of a peppercorn (not sure how many mm's that is).

This is what I did from the onset: I took 2x 200mg generic Ibuprofen (aka Motrin) with a glass of water right away; then I squeezed the juice of 4 smallish lemons onto a gallon of filtered water that I already had on hand (our local tap water has lots of calcium); then I mixed 2 oz. Of olive oil and 2 oz. Of organic apple cider vinegar (that thankfully I already had these items) and drank it with my nose pinched (chase it with some lemon water to kill the taste because all that oil made me nauseous); then I ran myself a hot bath to warm up and relax the mucles in the kidney region so that they might let the stone through easier - for 20 minutes (ICING THE AREA DOES NOT WORK... I learned that the hard way from last time); then I went to bed, dressed warmly, in a warm room, with a hot water bottle propped against my right kidney; I had gallon of lemon water and more pain pills (just in case) by my bed; I sipped about a cup of lemon water before falling asleep; I slept till about noon; when I got up, I kept replacing hot water bottle with more hot water, keeping it agaist the right kidney keeping it warm; at the same time I continued to drink lemon water and urinating into a container, checking for stones. On the third trip to the bathroom (about half gallon of water has been drunk by this time) at about 3:20PM, I felt a sharp prick along with my urine flow at the "exit point" of the urethra (right where the urine exits the body). The stone was out! Now I will have it analyzed by my doctor.

Hopefully this helps others because it was a total opposite to my last experience 2 years ago, where I was writhing on the floor in pain, throwing up, and asking God for mercy, ending up in the emergency room, with little sympathy, 2 morphine shots and a bill for over $4 grand!!

Right now, I am in high spirits, have no need for any more pain pills, I will continue to use the hot water bottle and will continue to drink the rest of my lemon water till the end of today. And I will probably not eat anything today just to give the kidneys a rest.

Hope this helps others!"

[YEA]  01/30/2012: Myles from Cranston, Rhode Island Usa: "I am a 58 year old male who just got my first kidney stone last Tuesday. I have never experienced so much pain. I went to the er for 6 hrs. They found a kidney stone 2cc. I drank 10 glasses of water a day but to no help on passing the stone.

This morning I read replies on this site and took 2oz of olive oil, and 2oz of lemon juice. 2 hours later I took 2oz of apple cider vinegar. 3hrs. later the stone came out. I have been in pain for almost a week. I hope this can help others."

08/05/2009: Alfred from Bangkok, Thailand: "Kidney Stones/Gall Bladder Stones: Years ago I had kidney stones.. very painful. drank gallions of cranberry juice. finally passed stone through my urnine. Amazing the more you read ..the smarter you get. Just read article. This guy ate Apples all day, before bedtime drank a cup of olive oil.. the next line I like.."The following morning, stones passed thru the Stool." THAT SURE MUCH EASIER THAN IN THE URINE..

STAY WELL MY FRIENDS. Please remember.."Health is worth More than money"
Alfred"

09/08/2009: Dr. Dan from Charlottesville, Va replies: "It is impossible for a kidney stone to pass through stool unless the person involved was built like a bird and has a cloacae. The human urinary and fecal systems are completely separate and in no way connected."

09/08/2009: Philip from Dearing, Ga replies: "To Dr. Dan. With all do respect, Alfred never said it was kidney stones passed. If you look at the start of his post, it says Kidney stones/Gall-stones. He actually just says this is easier than through the urinary tract. So I am pretty sure he is speaking of Gall stones, which are probably liver stones."

09/09/2009: Robert Henry from Ten Mile, Tn Usa replies: "Kidney stones pass out the urinary tract and Gall and Liver stones pass out the digestive tract. We do a liver flush twice a year following a 10 day liver and lymph detox. The first year it was stones, but is just small gravel since. Apple juice for a week prior to the lemon and olive oil for both a kidney and liver flush. Our anti aging doctor wants us to do the 10 day liver and lymph detox four times a year, but I can just stand so much broccoli."

07/30/2011: Wellspruce from Juneau, Ak, Usa replies: "Had 1.2 cm, yes cm stone removed Nov 2002 and been battling stones in both ureters the past few years determined not to have the litho procedure again. For years I've been battling daily with 3-4 qts lemon in water, one sometimes two servings gravel root in cup of water along with hydrangea and urinary with cranberry daily. Had a lot of bleeding over the fall and winter, a lot, but was nursing a dear friend and didn't have it in me to deal with the stones and the care giving. I got back on my regimen about January but the stones are either growing in size or just lodged at the end of the ureters at the bladder on both sides. Feel no pain if walking or standing but sitting and laying down get a lot of pain. Haven't slept much past week or ten days. This morning I did the 12 oz lemon bomb followed by 4 oz vinegar three hours later. Almost immediately became nauseaous and fought keeping it down until about an hour ago and lost it all. Far too much acid I'm sure. I doubt much of the vinegar got through but maybe most of the lemon.

I did 3 oz lemon with 3 oz olive oil twice over last weekend and one night woke with the stone on the right trying to pass through to the bladder. Wasn't painful though. It didn't make it through as I continue with pain that side. I reiterate I have increasing pain even after the lemon/olive oil treatments last weekend so they're still there. BTW I have calcium oxylate stones, or that's what the one ten years ago was.

Anyway, I'm going to keep working at this until I get these stones dissolved. Please pray for me if you would. I can't afford the procedures for both sides which would be around $30-40,000 as many of you can attest to. Any words of wisdom or encouragement I would appreciate. I'm inspired by the success stories here and know one of them, after some of these treatments, will work for me too."

07/31/2011: Barbara from Denver, Co replies: "Wellspruce, I can really relate to your problem. 2 years ago I went through the same thing, with a 1.2 kidney stone. By the time I got to hospital I had sepsis and spent the next 4 days in a daze, on antibiotics and morphine. If I'm not mistaken, the doc shoved the stone back into my kidney, then the next 2 months with a stent, then the litho. No insurance. The litho really didn't work too well, and I was left with 40, 000 in medical bills. Even the stone analysis didn't have enough to give me the type of stone. I went to a high raw diet and slowly over time the stone just slowly disappeared as the final test showed nothing.

I worried for a long time that I would have the same problem again, but seem to be fine. The thing I gradually came to realize was, the few weeks before I got sick I put myself under a lot of stress, was working with a crazy self imposed deadline and angry all the time. Seriously angry all the time. And I believe that is what contributed more than anything to my getting the stone. I have read that kidney stones are just that - undissolved anger. Made me really think about my priorities. I have mellowed a lot since that time - being sick made me a nicer person :-) and the raw food gives my body a lot of nutritional support. I also grow and juice wheatgrass now, and have pretty much cured my rheumatoid arthritis as well.

So good luck and keep up with the lemon juice. I juice one or two lemons every day to add to my green drink. I believe that is what finally dissolved my stone. I never want to go through that again, so I try to stay pretty happy!"

08/05/2012: Ed from Gainesville, Florida replies: "Stones in stool are gallstones... NOT kidney stones...!!"

[YEA]  06/18/2011: Chuck from Rockford, Il: "This post does not constitute medical advice. I am not a healthcare professional and I have no training in the health field. This post is here solely for the purpose of sharing my story. The information that I am about to share is not a substitute for the expertise and judgment of your healthcare professional. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that this information is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. Baking soda overdoses have resulted in people being rushed to the emergency room and even death. You should consult your healthcare professional before taking any course of action.

I tried just about everything for my kidney stones but nothing seemed to work- lemon juice with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, magnesium, and the lemon juice bomb all failed to get rid of my stones. I had acidic urine and I knew that alkalinizing my urine would dissolve my stones that thrived in acidic urine (e.g. Calcium oxalate and uric acid stones). I was initially reluctant to do it because I knew that people can overdose on baking soda and get rushed to the emergency room or even die, but I decided to take the risk. I then tried baking soda (also known as sodium carbonate) and it dissolved my kidney stones by the next day! Here's the dosage information that I used from drugs.com:

Usual Adult Dose for Urinary Alkalinization:

325 to 2000 mg orally 1 to 4 times a day. One gram provides 11.9 mEq (mmoL) each of sodium and bicarbonate.

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/sodium-bicarbonate.html

MY STORY

I went on the Atkins diet and my fat was melting off effortlessly. However, a little while after I gave up drinking milk and diet Mountain Dew I noticed that when I tested my urine pH with urinalysis test strips it went from being alkaline to being acidic. I didn't think too much of it at the time as all I cared about at the time was testing for urine protein. Not too long after giving up milk and diet Mountain Dew I got sharp pains in my middle back around the bottom edge of my rib cage. My dad died from kidney failure so I was extremely scared that my kidneys were failing too so I went to my family doctor.

When I went to the doctor, he said that I had a pulled back and did a blood test which showed that my kidney function was great! However, he did his own urinalysis and found blood in my urine. So he said to take it easy on the weightlifting and see him again in 2 weeks. However, the pain turned into aches that spread from my back to my loins and flank. I waited a week but my urinalysis test strips showed that I was still bleeding. At that point I figured it wasn't the weightlifting and then I did some research. My urinalysis test strip didn't show any leukocytes so I ruled out a urinary tract infection (plus infections are rare in men and I am a man). The blood tests showed that my kidneys were fine, plus I didn't see any protein in my urine so I didn't think it was my kidney. So I figured that I probably had kidney stones in acidic urine, which probably meant calcium oxalate or uric acid stones. That's when I found this forum and started trying out the remedies that were suggested.

A. Lemon Juice and Olive Oil - Failure

I took 2 oz of Lemon Juice and 2 oz of Olive Oil once a day for two days. It did absolutely nothing for me. I still felt the aches in my loins and flank and I was still detecting blood in my urine. I figured that I wasn't taking enough so I increased took 2 oz of Lemon Juice and 2 oz of Olive Oil twice a day for 3 days. That did absolutely nothing for me either. So I decided to move onto the next remedy.

B. Apple Cider Vinegar Failure with side effects

I bought the _____ Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother since it seemed that was the one that was recommended. I took a shot (1.5 oz) at midnight and went to bed. But the next day I still had the same aches and still detected blood in my urine. On top of that, I lost my appetite. I felt weaker from the lack of food and forced myself to eat a banana for the entire day. Not wanting to give up so easily, I increased the amount of Apple Cider Vinegar to 2 oz that night. The next day, I got the same disappointing results aches and blood with a loss of appetite.

I went to the doctor after this since it was about the end of 2 weeks. Of course he did the urinalysis test strip and found more blood and then referred me to a kidney doctor (nephrologist). However, I didn't want to see the nephrologist since I figured I had kidney stones, I didn't want to pay for a specialist as I only had disaster health insurance, and I didn't want to have surgery after reading about other people's accounts of pain and side effects after surgery.

C. Lemon Juice Alone So I decided to try the lemon juice without the olive oil and see what would happen. I started out with 2 oz of lemon juice for a couple days and I still had aches and blood. Then I increased it to 4 oz a day for the next few days and still the same results aches and blood. I knew I had to try something new.

D. Magnesium Citrate Reduced pain but not cured

I read Ted's post on magnesium in the gallbladder section and found it very illuminating. Reading the studies on how magnesium was able to not only prevent kidney stones but also cure them in some people intrigued me. It was well worth the read so I am reposting Ted's link:

http://www.mgwater.com/rod16.shtml

I also read Fred's account on magnesium citrate. I found it very interesting that the real reason why lemon juice is supposed to work is because there is potassium citrate in the lemon juice, and the liver then takes the citrate and converts it into bicarbonate (which is a strong base). The bicarbonate then alkalinizes the urine. Having read that very acidic urine is one of the precursors to calcium oxalate or uric acid kidney stones, I was persuaded that magnesium citrate was the type of magnesium that I wanted to take. Here's the link Fred shared on lemon juice and potassium citrate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsqrXkRVk3U

Then I thought about why my kidney stones formed after stopping diet Mountain Dew. I looked at the label and sure enough, diet Mountain Dew has sodium citrate! I figured that's why my urine turned acidic when I stopped diet Mountain Dew (I drank 24-48 oz/day). But I wasn't about to start drinking diet Mountain Dew again!

I also read about how magnesium is able to bind with oxalate in your system and how magnesium oxalate is 567 times more soluble than calcium oxalate and thus reduce the incidence of calcium oxalate stones:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalate

I bought 400 mg magnesium citrate tablets at my local health food store and took one everyday for a week. I noticed that about 90% of my pain disappeared, but that 10% pain and the blood in my urine was enough to remind me that I still had kidney stones. But magnesium citrate was successful in that it made the aches and pains bearable.

E. Lemon Juice Bomb reduced blood but not cured

I ran across what I call the "lemon juice bomb" on youtube. This man started by drinking 8 oz of lemon juice and then every hour after that drank 1 oz of lemon juice in 8 oz of water for 12 hours. His pain went away. Here's his video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVjLdBwTVjM

I tried it. Drinking all of that lemon juice really makes you hate the taste of lemon juice. The next morning I had dry mouth, it was an unquenchable thirst. I drank about 2 liters of water just that morning and my mouth still felt thirsty. But when I checked my blood it went down a noticeable amount, but the blood was still there. Thankfully the dry mouth went away the next day, but it was enough to make me not want to do the lemon juice bomb again.

F. Baking Soda SUCCESS!

I was encouraged by the lemon juice bomb in that it decreased my blood, but I wasn't about to go through that experience again. I started thinking how I could get the alkalinizing effects of lemon juice without having to drink lemon juice because by then I HATED drinking lemon juice. Then I started thinking about how the liver takes the citrate from lemon juice and turns it into the strong base bicarbonate to alkalinize the urine to dissolve the kidney stones. I started thinking that instead of trying to beat around the bush and drink lemon juice to get the bicarbonate, why don't I just take straight bicarbonate? I knew that baking soda was a source of bicarbonate in the form of sodium bicarbonate, so I decided to take it. I was initially hesitant to take it because I knew that an overdose of baking soda would send me to the emergency room or even kill me, but I decided to take the risk.

I found on drugs.com a dosage of 325-2000 mg 1-4 times a day to alkalinize the urine. I translated this to about a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and took it every 4 hours. On the first day at the end of the first day I my urinalysis showed that it decreased my blood! The next morning, my urine was cloudy and that excited me I figured that cloudiness was the remains of my kidney stones! I did the urinalysis but was very disappointed to see that there was still a detectable amount of blood in the urine. I tried increasing the dosage to half a teaspoon but then I felt weak, nauseous, and I had to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I think I had a mild overdose but thankfully I recovered about an hour or two later, so I went back to the ¼ teaspoon dose. I continued the baking soda and by the end of the day no blood! No pain! I checked my urine on the third day and it showed no blood too! I went out and bought my favorite beer to celebrate!"

10/03/2011: Workaholic2000 from Holmfirth, Yorkshire replies: "Chuck from Rockford - I think you tried every method in the book there Chuck, The Baking Soda SUCCESS was probably just the result of the combined assault you put on the Kidney stones.

Im doing the same thing at the moment - Trying everything! - some small stones are starting to show in my urine - Just got to keep going at it!"

12/18/2011: Chuck from Rockford, Il replies: "It certainly could be the case that it was a cumulative effect, but either way - whether it was cumulative or if the baking soda alone did it - the baking soda was effective and got the bleeding and pain to stop.

Whatever method or methods of remedies you try, I wish you luck in getting rid of those stones!"

02/07/2012: Jeff from Dallas, Tx replies: "I woke up with a kidney stone movement early Friday morning, February 3. Went to the ER, got sedated and a CAT scan, 4.5 MM stone on my right side. Discharged, and told the usual, drink lots of water and try to flush it. This is my second stone in 5 years. I also got a script for Hydrocodone.

I tried all the remedies here: Lemon juice (artificial) and olive oil, no effect. Apple Cider vinegar, no effect. Drank lots of water, no effect. Lots of apple juice, no effect, lots of cranberry juice, no effect. I still have the stone, and I've seen 3 physicians in the past 5 days.

I don't know what kind of stone it is, but nothing has worked. I've been on normal dosages of B6, Magnesium Citrate, and picked up some Stone Free at the health food store. I think that it could be stuff that is helpful on the preventive side, but not anything that could or has helped with this immediate problem.

My urologist shot another x-ray 5 days later, and said the stone was ready to drop into the bladder. But, he said I could either keep flooding with with fluids or he could take it out. I'd rather let it come out naturally, so I'm choosing to stay jacked up on Hydrocodone, and flood the dude out of my system. But, if I'm still not free of the critter in 2 days, I'll have him remove it.

So, sadly, no positive news to report on any of the home remedies, including the jump and bump. I even went for a short run, and made sure to have plenty of bumps, but nothing. The only thing that is working for me is the pain killer, and flooding with fluids. Oh, the urologist did say I could drink plenty of beer, just not with the pain killers. He was obviously all about drinking lots of fluids, and it did not make any difference to him which or what fluids they were. However, he was very skeptical that apple juice would do anything. By the way, I did not try baking soda or chanca piedra.

So, that's it from Dallas on February 7, 2012. Hoping to break it loose in 24 hours."

02/08/2012: Timh from Louisville, Ky, Usa replies: "Jeff, I have often drank the non-alcohol beer when my kidneys need that extra natural flush. Another home remedy for Kidney Stones is to eat one large Watermelon and immediately soak in a hot bath for 30- minutes. I don't know much other about this remedy, but it might be worth your search because I have heard that it is very effective AND painless."

02/08/2013: Renee from Sfo, Ca replies: "This is to Jeff from Tx, please let us know how it ended for you. I too have done everything you have to no avail the last 5 months. Started Chanca Piedra 2 weeks ago. Still praying and waiting.. Did you find another remedy that worked or surgery?"

02/10/2013: Tom from Boulder, Co replies: "This is the most interesting post I have come across. It speaks to the different options and the fact that you may to try them all in combination and they may work together. I can't quite figure out how he knows that baking soda will "replace the alkanization process that the liver produces by processing lemon juice" Anyone have any more info on that?"

04/01/2013: Tashimoto from Vancouver, B.c. Canada replies: "Google: Chanca Piedra.... Kidney stones. Chanca Piedra is a herb. It's nickname throughout Central and South America is "stone crusher.""

[YEA]  10/04/2008: Melissa from Pilot Grove, MO: "I wanted to add another remedy to your list for kidney stones. I'm still not sure why this one is not getting out there to the people as quick as it should, since it is such a fast and reliable fix. So, I would like to suggest Banaba Tea.(crepe myrtle) I buy mine from the overseas, though I have seen herbal shops online in the US carry it as well. Japan, the Phillipines, and others primarily use it for diabetes control. I guess that because that is such a big deal, they tend to forget what it originally was used for by people and that was kidney stone relief and other kidney ailments. It's fast thank goodness! Not only do I use it, but many friends and family also. It's much better than the regretfull look doctors give you as they hand you pain pills and pat you on the back to say good luck when they send you home to pass one the old fashion way!

Shockingly enough, not only does it dissolve the problem stone but anyone that was sent home with a strainer will be shocked at just how much other potential stone minerals they had in their kidneys as well, when they begin seeing what looks like clumps of wet sugar in their strainer!

One word though, some care does have to be taken on where you buy it from. I have tried to save some money before and ended up with tea that did nothing for me.

Thanks, Melissa"

EC: Websites with additional information:

"Banaba leaves have been traditionally used over thousands of years in Philippines and as folklore treatment by the native Indians and more recently used by the Japanese, mostly as tea preparation. Banaba leaves and their ability to reduce blood sugar, and its "insulin-like principle" made it popular herb to be used as herbal decoction and with others in many formulations for controlling blood sugar and weight loss." http://www.sssbiotic.com/product/banaba.asp

Diabetes Information: http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2005/11/01/4440.html
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia_speciosa

01/07/2011: Raquel from Davao City, Philippines replies: "i had pain in my back and tried Horsetail tea for five weeks and pau d'arco tea after that for three days. My pain was releived but back again now. so I'm thinking it's kidney stones, not just kidney prob since I'm diabetic. I'll try the crepe myrtle tea or ACV and see what happens."

01/08/2011: Raquel from Davao City, Philippines replies: "cebukaw with canyan tea also works, according to my daughter in law who had kidney stones."

[YEA]  11/17/2008: Gustavo Garza from Laredo, Tx: "Well my friends I make more kidney stones than a brick factory, and I do think that all the remedies Ive read may have some true in them. But what have worked for me is Corona Beer or Miller Highlife. These are the only two beers that I have certainly noticed help me pass my kidney stones. I drink them 2 or 3 a day before bed time to let it work overnite. and woola. It works and they taste great."

01/30/2009: Ashley from Houston, TX replies: "That's dangerous advice for someone with oxolate stones. Beer contributes to the formation of stones."

05/31/2009: ANIF from Toronto, ON, Canada replies: "Instead of Beer you could use the actual ingredients from the beer - Barley.

Consume 1 bowl of barley soup, porridge or any other barley dish in your diet and your kidney stone will flush out and will dissolve."

07/26/2009: Tammy from Eau Claire, WI replies: "According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:

Beer, soy, and sodas ALL contribute to the formation of stones. Soda is high in phosphoric acid. Other foods to avoid contain oxalate, and they are:

- Spinach
- Rhubarb
- Chocolate
- Parsley
- Beetroot
- Strawberries
- Wheat flour
- Pepper
- Nuts"

01/15/2010: Colleen from Mesa, Az replies: "depends on what kind of stone it is."

[NAY]  03/15/2011: Matt from New York, Usa replies: "I think natural cures are a joke. Ihave had kidney stones since I was 20. I am now 47 ( in two weeks). I have tried everything. The lemon juice and olive oil...... The vinegar and so on. Yet my kidney stones continue to form, continue to hurt, and continue to pass. One was too large to pass and had to be treated by lyhotrypsy and that did not work..... So they had to go in and retrive it.

I wish to GOD these remedies really worked. I am so tired of being in pain. I can't sleep, can't work properly, and can't care for my family they way I should. Kidney Stones are EVIL!!!"

03/15/2011: T from Maryland, Usa replies: "Natural remedies work for plenty of people. Not all things will work the same for all people. I'm sorry you've had no luck so far. I think you need to address the root cause of why you keep developing these in the first place. What is your diet like?"

05/01/2011: Vega1vince from Orlando, Fl replies: "Make sure your ACV is raw unfiltered, unpasterized, organic ACV. Its the mother!"

10/01/2011: Workaholic from Yorkshire, Holmfirth replies: "Dont give up on Lemon / Olive oil or the Cider Vinegar. I am alternating these to daily and using the Cola and asparagus on weekends. I shall continue until my Kidney stones have vanished. I have stopped bleeding and have passed 4 stones so far 3- 4 mm. I have one 10mm stone left to eliminate."

11/02/2012: Jason from Las Vegas, Nevada replies: "If these remedies have not worked for you then you probably have the kind that only about 10% of people get. I would try 2 tablespoons of baking soda in water a day (Not Arm & Hammer there's aluminum in that kind). Your stones have formed for the opposite reasons 90% of everyone else's has. You need opposite of what everyone else needs. Or so I have read, I have read volumes tryig to get rid of mine."

11/12/2008: Chops from Napier, New Zealand replies: "lol sounds like a good excuse to have a couple of beers to me"

01/30/2013: Aj from Kansas City, Missouri: "I am 26 and have had 5 stone surgeries and I am looking for a natural remedy for CALCIUM PHOSPHATE kidney stones. I have not seen this type mentioned. I've seen the oxalate stones discussed over and over.

Anyone out there have any suggestions for this specific type of stone? It is not the most common and apparently the hardest to treat."

02/01/2013: Happy from Up The Creek In, Wv, USA replies: "AJ: This is a wild guess: you drink a lot of pepsi cola and coca cola... Which contain huge amounts of a acid called phosphoric acid. To keep you from destroying your kidney tissues due to over-acidity; the body is using a alkaline minieral, calcium, in ion-ic form, at the kidneys. To nutralize some of the phosphorus acidity. The body gets the calcium from bothe the diet and the leaching of your bones. Stones are formed when phosphoric acid meets calcium ions.

cure: stop the cola drinks, and buy some pH testing papers, and try to keep the urine at about 7. 0 pH, or so.... Thru eating and drinking mostly alkaline type foods. Test your urine twice a day to learn which foods can control the acidity of your urine.

good luck."