Urinary Stones – Speeding the Passage

The pain of renal colic – due to the passage of a kidney stone down the ureter, the narrow tube leading to the bladder – is reported to be excruciating. After the stone has reached the bladder, it can then pass through the urethra to the outside world; this stage is usually less painful, but it’s still very unpleasant. Stones, however, can form in the bladder as well as in the kidneys, and they produce their own symptoms. If large, they may cause difficulty in urinating, painful urination, or complete inability to urinate; if small they will pass through the bladdr outlet, but wthis will probably be painful. And they are associated with bladder infections – fever, increased frequency of urination, and so on.

Treatment may well include invasive measures, such as surgical removal, or lithotripsy (ultrasound to break-up the stone). Now a report in the medical journal Lancet has reviewed the use of drugs to speed the passage of stones down the urethra. Results from 9 studies of controlled clinical studies of calcium channel blockers or alpha receptor blockers were analyzed. Both types of drugs (more commonly used for cardiovascular conditions) increased the chances of passage of urinary stones without invasive measures by 65%. This may not seem very much, but it’s enough to support the idea of a ‘therapeutic trial’ before patients are put through more drastic procedures.

After passage, the type of stone should be examined so that the patient can be instructed on possible dietary or medical changes that should be made to prevent the formation of more stones.