My doctor put me on some potassium/magnesium/calcium citrate for my oxalate kidney stones. I would like to know if some of you use this and if you too had a sensation of gastritis and some diarrhea right after having taken the citrate. I had a rough morning and my stomach is upside down now, lol.
I would also like to know, since my doctor is away at the moment, if the potassium or magnesium contained in the citrate is enough for the body or if I should go on taking my magnesium potassium suplements. I take 500 mg magnesium a day plus 80 mg potassium.
Thanks for any tip...:)
Carla

My doctor put me on some potassium/magnesium/calcium citrate for my oxalate kidney stones. I would like to know if some of you use this and if you too had a sensation of gastritis and some diarrhea right after having taken the citrate. I had a rough morning and my stomach is upside down now, lol.
I would also like to know, since my doctor is away at the moment, if the potassium or magnesium contained in the citrate is enough for the body or if I should go on taking my magnesium potassium suplements. I take 500 mg magnesium a day plus 80 mg potassium.
Thanks for any tip...:)
Carla

I don't really know if you should take the extra mag/pottasium with the meds your doctor gave you, you should discuss this with him. It's a good thing he put you on this, cause that is what causes kidney stones, the mineral inbalance. Anyways, Snodove (screenname) her name is Polly is experienced with the Potassium cause she has the same kind of stones you have. I don't know what causes my stones yet. Hope this helps. YOu don't want to overdue any mineral either, not good either.

Andrea

My daughter, who is 9, was diagnosed with kidney stones and is taking Chlorthalidone and Potassium Citrate. She takes 25MG. of the Chlorthalidone and 5400MG. of the Potassium Citrate. She is also on a diet for kidney stones which includes low salt and pepper (oxalates).

Our Nephrologist said that the Chlorthalidone prevents kidney stones from forming but dehydrates you while the Potassium Citrate helps the body fight off kidney stone while hydrating you at the same time. I think that is the way he put it.

The medication has worked well, she has not had one kidney stone in almost a year. She used to have a stone every 3 months before the medication. She does 24 hour urinalyses evey 4 months and the doctors say that she is the perfect example of how the medication should work. I just hate that she has to continually take medication, and so much. She also has to drink at least 60oz. of water a day which is a fight with her.

My daughter had no side affects whatsoever from the medication.

The only problem I have found with this medication is when my daughter has gotten the flu. Because she could not keep anything down (she was throwing up, or had diarreah) she became severly dehydrated within a day and was put in the hospital on fluids. What would take someone a week of no fluids only took 10 hours for my daughter. Be careful to keep hydrated. With this medication you can become very ill in a very short period of time from lack of fluids.

HI,
I am Polly. I have recently had a bout with this medicine and getting it correct.
The Chlorthalidone I had been on for a year and the potassium pill wasn't enough potassium and my family doctor had done tests and saw how low it was. Then my GYN did too since I still didn't feel right after surgery in Dec. So fianlly, after alot of hassle I got my kidney doctor to do another 24hr urine test. I think last year I should have been on Potassium citrate all along according to the results but anyway.. finally got on that and potassium Chloride. The doctor changed my water pill though to one that was potassium sparing because I kept losing so much potassium even with an dose increase.
It is very important to keep all this balanced. I have 4 small stones right now but don't think they are getting bigger I hope not. I will know next month with an xray. I hope this helps. Polly

HI,
I am Polly. I have recently had a bout with this medicine and getting it correct.
The Chlorthalidone I had been on for a year and the potassium pill wasn't enough potassium and my family doctor had done tests and saw how low it was. Then my GYN did too since I still didn't feel right after surgery in Dec. So fianlly, after alot of hassle I got my kidney doctor to do another 24hr urine test. I think last year I should have been on Potassium citrate all along according to the results but anyway.. finally got on that and potassium Chloride. The doctor changed my water pill though to one that was potassium sparing because I kept losing so much potassium even with an dose increase.
It is very important to keep all this balanced. I have 4 small stones right now but don't think they are getting bigger I hope not. I will know next month with an xray. I hope this helps. Polly

Wow, Polly, you have stones again? OMG, so this is a continuous thing? I'm not liking this too much. It's hard enough to deal with perimenopause, now kidney stones? How are you feeling?

Andrea

My last test, one week ago, showed that I have four stones too, Polly. And a lot of gravel..right now I'm in the middle of a mild cholic, just the dull pain, the fatigue and the burning sensation. I'm very discouraged. I have been avoiding calcium food (chese, milk and so on) after to have the doctor saying to me now that "that" is probably what gave me so many stones. Now I'm following a diet with no oxalates and some calcium. Plus the citrate. One thing I know: doctors don't understand anything about this. They vaguely know why we form them, they vaguely know how to get rid of them. As for me, in the past year I had eight stones. And now these four. I don't know what to eat anymore, everything looks like poison to me. I drink over two liters a day and sometimes I feel just like a giant container of fluids. I'm having one cup a day of an herbal tea made with an herb that is supposed to crack stones. Which it does, so that you never stop passing gravel..lol. I don't know. I'm having another xray in a month. Of course my fear is that my stones have centuplicated themselves..or that they are growing bigger and bigger...I just want to stop this and I don't know how. Next week I'm going to see a dietologist...I hope it helps.
Sorry for my venting
Carla

Hi Carla, Vent all you want to. I can so relate. I really can. I went ten yrs without any stones.. had one in 90 then boom... in 99 I think it was.. I can't even remember. Got one and then I got 3 more a year later I think it was. I have it written down. That sent me to Cleveland Clinic. I had moved to another area and the doctor here tried to grab then he says.. did you pass it.. and I said No way. So I ended up bleeding for two weeks and tried to pass one but couldn't. I called his office and he calls me and says.. soak in a tub of water. There isn't anything I can do. I said why not lithotripsy and he woudn't do it. I was so mad. My GP went me to CC. after a week or two. Took that long to get it oked. Went up there. lol pass the stone right before I saw that doctor. Then he said why wouldn't they do lithotripsy.. I shook my head. He blasted the two remaining ones. They were 7mm and not sure about the other one. Then I had another one a two yrs ago almost biggest yet. 10mm. I thought this is crazy making them so fast. So finally the old uro doctor retired cuz I wouldn't go to him and a new one came in. We don't have many here. He is pretty good but still I am frustrated with him for not checking my potassium levels last year. I got really really sick as I mentioned. I pray this new meds will help but I guess since he didn't keep an eye on things better I ended up with 4 small stones. 2 and 3mm last xray. Makes me so upset but what good does it do to vent. I think the reason I got all those stones partly was because in 90 they told you no calcium then to find out when I went to CC they said that is not the right thing to do they learned. Because it comes out of your bones if you don't get enough so it causes them to be worse. So like you I am watching Oxdate foods. Peanuts,greens,strawberries. some of my favorite foods. I wonder sometimes what we can eat. lol In a way, at times I just say who cares and eat what I want but I do cut back.I might look for that tea you are drinking. I feel for you on the water too. I think I really over did the water back in March. That is when I got so sick and I think it depleated to much potassium on this water pill I was taking. I wonder about these docs somedays. I hate that gravel too. Been there done that. Oh, one thing ,too, I can't take alike baking soda or tums... cuz it doesn't filter right and I can see it a few days later when I go to the bathroom. I read somewhere that kidney stone makers can have that problem. Go figure. Have you used baking soda for an upset stomach and noticed that? I sure hope you feel better soon. Do you have a stent in. Hate those things.. lol
Polly