Kidney Stones

Home treatment is often the only thing you need to do when passing a kidney stone. Home treatment includes drinking enough fluids, taking pain medicine, and possibly straining and collecting your urine to help determine the type of stone you have.

Drink fluids

You need to drink enough water to keep your urine clear, about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day when you are passing a kidney stone. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and are on fluid restrictions, talk with your doctor before drinking more fluids.

Use pain medicine

Medicine you can buy without a prescription, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), may relieve your pain. NSAIDs include aspirin and ibuprofen (such as Motrin and Advil). Your doctor can prescribe stronger pain medicine if needed.

Collect kidney stones and urine

Your doctor may ask you to collect your kidney stone when it passes so that he or she can examine it to see what caused it to form.

• Your doctor will give you a strainer. Urinate through the strainer and save any stones, including those that look like sand or gravel. Continue to do this for 3 days after your pain stops.
• You can also urinate into a cup or container and empty the container through a strainer to collect the kidney stone. Strainers may be available at your local drugstore. You can also use coffee filters to strain urine.
• Allow the stones to dry, and store them in a plastic or glass container until you can take them to your doctor.

Your doctor may also ask you to collect your urine for 24 hours after you pass a stone, so he or she can check your urine to help determine the type and cause of the stone. Knowing the type of the stone may help you prevent getting stones in the future.