Home Remedies for Kidney Stones

Drinking water, reducing sodium, and getting enough calcium from food are the best-supported home steps for preventing kidney stones, but they do not reliably remove an existing stone. Some kidney stones pass on their own, while others need medical treatment; the right plan depends on the stone and your symptoms. For a closer look at beverages, see the best drinks for kidney stones.

7 home remedies for kidney stones

These steps focus mainly on preventing future kidney stones, not dissolving one that is already present. If you have a current stone, use home care only with a clinician’s guidance, and do not delay assessment when you have warning signs.

1. Drink enough water

Water dilutes the substances in urine that can form crystals. Staying hydrated is an important part of preventing kidney stones from returning, although it does not guarantee that a stone will pass.

For prevention, a common urology guideline target is at least 2.5 liters of urine per day, if your clinician says that target is safe for you. The water intake tool can help you estimate a starting point for drinking, but it cannot measure your urine output or replace an individualized plan. The amount you drink is not the same as the amount of urine you produce.

Spread fluids through the day rather than trying to drink a large amount at once. If you have a painful stone, do not force excessive fluids in an attempt to push it out. Ask your clinician for a target if you have kidney or heart disease or have been told to restrict fluids.

Evidence: Prevention guidelines support adequate fluid intake for people who form kidney stones. The target is for reducing recurrence, not proof that extra water will quickly clear a current stone.

2. Reduce sodium in food

A high sodium intake can increase the amount of calcium in urine, which may contribute to calcium kidney stones. Reducing sodium can be especially relevant if testing shows that you have calcium stones or high urine calcium.

Check food labels and compare the sodium content of packaged foods. Restaurant meals, canned soups, sauces, and processed meats can contain substantial sodium, even when they do not taste particularly salty. Cooking more meals from basic ingredients and using herbs or other seasonings instead of some added salt are practical ways to reduce it.

You do not need to eliminate sodium entirely. Ask your clinician or a dietitian what limit suits your health and stone history, particularly if you have other dietary restrictions.

Evidence: Sodium reduction is supported by kidney stone prevention guidelines, especially for calcium stone formers with high urinary calcium. It is a long-term prevention measure, not a way to pass a stone immediately.

3. Get enough calcium from food

It may seem logical to avoid calcium if you have calcium kidney stones, but too little dietary calcium can have the opposite effect. Calcium eaten with food can bind oxalate in the gut, leaving less oxalate available to enter the urine and form certain stones.

Include appropriate calcium-rich foods, such as milk, yogurt, or calcium-fortified alternatives, as part of meals. The amount you need depends on your age and health, so ask a clinician or dietitian if you are unsure whether your usual diet provides enough.

Do not start, stop, or change a calcium supplement solely because you have a stone. Supplements can have different effects from calcium in food, and their timing may matter. Discuss them with the clinician managing your care.

Evidence: Maintaining normal dietary calcium is a guideline-supported prevention strategy for many people with calcium stones. It does not dissolve a stone that is already present.

4. Follow a balanced DASH-style eating pattern

The DASH eating pattern emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and appropriate portions of protein and dairy or suitable alternatives. As a practical framework, it can help you reduce sodium while keeping a varied diet that includes food sources of calcium.

Build meals around foods you can eat consistently, rather than relying on a single ingredient advertised as a kidney stone remedy. For example, choose lower-sodium versions of foods and include vegetables and a calcium-containing food with a meal when appropriate.

The pattern may need adjustment if you have kidney disease or another condition that requires limits on potassium, protein, or fluids. A dietitian can help you adapt it without unnecessarily cutting out nutritious foods.

Evidence: A 2021 review of dietary and non-prescription approaches examined DASH among commonly promoted measures and noted the lack of high-level evidence for many natural treatments. A balanced eating pattern is a prevention approach, not an established treatment for an existing stone.

5. Moderate animal protein

Eating a lot of animal protein can affect urine chemistry in ways that encourage some kidney stones. It can raise uric acid and lower urinary citrate, a substance that helps discourage crystal formation. This is particularly relevant for some people who form uric acid or calcium stones.

Consider smaller portions of meat, poultry, and fish, and discuss suitable alternatives with a clinician or dietitian. You do not have to eliminate all animal foods, and you should avoid restricting protein so severely that you cannot meet your nutritional needs.

The best adjustment depends on the kind of stone you form and, when available, your urine test results. A general change in eating habits is not a substitute for a personalized prevention plan.

Evidence: Moderating animal protein is included in prevention advice for certain stone formers. Its usefulness is more specific to urine chemistry and stone type than the general advice to stay adequately hydrated.

6. Pair oxalate-containing foods with calcium

Oxalate is found in many plant foods. When calcium and oxalate are eaten together, they can bind in the gut, which may reduce the amount of oxalate that reaches the urine.

If you form calcium oxalate stones, ask whether your urine results suggest limiting high-oxalate foods. A clinician or dietitian may suggest pairing foods containing oxalate with a calcium-containing food at the same meal. The goal is an appropriate balance, not avoiding every food that contains oxalate.

Do not automatically cut out vegetables or other nutritious foods after one suspected stone. Without knowing your stone type or urine results, a restrictive diet may be unnecessary and difficult to maintain.

Evidence: This approach is used in prevention guidance for people with calcium oxalate stones, particularly when urine oxalate is high. It is less relevant to stone types that do not contain calcium oxalate and will not remove a current stone.

7. Include citrus if you enjoy it

Citrus foods and juices contain citrate. Citrate in urine can help reduce the formation of some calcium crystals, but consuming citrus does not necessarily raise urinary citrate enough to prevent kidney stones in every person.

You can include citrus as part of a balanced diet or add lemon to water for flavor if that helps you drink it. Choose unsweetened options when possible, and do not assume that a particular lemonade or lemon-water recipe delivers a medical dose of citrate.

If a clinician recommends prescription citrate for your stone type, citrus drinks are not a proven equivalent and should not replace it. Ask about an appropriate plan rather than adding supplements on your own.

Evidence: The research reviewed for lemonade and other non-prescription approaches is less conclusive than the guidance supporting adequate fluid intake. Evidence about citrate or a particular drink should not be treated as proof that ordinary lemon water prevents or dissolves kidney stones.

When should you see a doctor for kidney stones?

Seek emergency care if you have a suspected kidney stone with fever or chills, cannot urinate, have severe or uncontrolled pain, or keep vomiting and cannot keep fluids down. A blocked urinary tract with an infection can become dangerous quickly, even if the pain is not severe.

Contact a clinician promptly if you have blood in your urine, new flank or abdominal pain, or a suspected stone that has not been evaluated. Symptoms can have other causes, so a diagnosis should not be based on home remedies or symptoms alone. If you are pregnant, have only one kidney, have known kidney disease, or are caring for a child with suspected kidney stones, seek medical assessment rather than managing the situation on your own.

If a clinician has confirmed a stone, follow their instructions about pain relief, follow-up, and whether to strain your urine to collect the stone for testing. Ask a clinician or pharmacist which pain medicines are safe for you; common anti-inflammatory medicines may be unsuitable with kidney disease, ulcers, blood thinners, or pregnancy. Do not stop prescribed medication or substitute a home remedy for your treatment plan.

Avoid relying on herbal products, vinegar, or supplements as a cure. Their benefits for passing kidney stones are unproven, and some products can cause side effects or interact with medicines. A stone analysis or urine testing, when recommended, can help your clinician tailor prevention to the type of stone you form.