Antibiotics = Kidney Stones?

By Editorial Staff

If you've ever suffered from kidney stones, you know the pain others can only imagine. In fact, severe pain is the most common symptom when these small, pebble-like collections of salt and mineral develop in the urine. Passing them – via urination – is the way most kidney stones resolve, which can be just as agonizing.

With that said, why would anyone do something that increased their risk of suffering kidney stones? While inadequate water intake, poor diet, obesity and other modifiable factors can increase your risk, so can five classes of oral antibiotics: broad-spectrum penicillins, sulfa drugs, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and nitrofurantoin. The risks were highest for sulfa drugs and penicillins, and use by children under age 18 increased risk significantly compared to use by adults. These findings appeared in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Some health situations may merit antibiotics, of course, but they're definitely overprescribed, along with countless other medications. It definitely in your best interest to ask your doctor about the potential side effects and whether nondrug options exist whenever you're prescribed an antibiotic or other medication. Knowledge is power.



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