Had a Kidney Stone Before?

For general education only — not medical advice or a diagnosis. Always check with your doctor.

Here's how to lower your risk of another.

Passing or removing a stone treats the event. Finding out why your body made one is a different question — and for most causes, once it's identified, it's genuinely treatable.

26%
chance of another stone within 5 years after a first episode, on average
EAU Guidelines 2026
15 fewer
stone episodes per 100 people over 5 years, just from drinking enough water
Hakam et al., JAMA Netw Open, 2024

A urologist treats the stone. I investigate why it formed.

That's essential care on its own — confirming the stone, treating it, removing it if it won't pass. What comes next is a separate question: why did your body make one, and what stops it happening again.

Roughly half of people who've had two stones never have a third; just over 1 in 10 go on to form them repeatedly. There's no way to know which you are without testing — only your blood and urine chemistry can tell you that. Once we've identified an abnormality, leaving it untreated means fewer than 4 in 10 people stay stone-free for even three years.

Live or work outdoors in Dubai? Heat concentrates urine and is itself a recognised stone risk factor — guidelines written for cooler climates understate it.

The reassuring part: this is one of the more fixable areas of kidney medicine. Most causes, once identified, respond well to a specific, targeted change.

What I can do for you now

1

Full testing, not a guess — blood work plus two 24-hour urine collections. One sample isn't reliable; your chemistry varies day to day.

2

A cause, not just an event — results usually show a specific pattern: too much calcium, oxalate or uric acid, too little citrate, or infection.

3

A plan matched to your result — sometimes diet alone, sometimes targeted medication. I'll say plainly where the evidence is strong and where it isn't — one commonly used drug lowers urine calcium reliably but hasn't been shown in a recent trial to actually cut recurrence.

4

Proof it's working — repeat testing after treatment starts. Assuming isn't good enough.

Diet advice for everyone who's had a stone.

Strong evidence

Drink more than you think

2.5–3L a day, water first. The single best-proven step there is.

Well established

Don't cut calcium

Low-calcium diets mean more stones, not fewer. ~1,000–1,200mg/day from food.

Reasoned, not proven

Go easy on salt

Under ~5g a day. No dedicated trial exists — the logic is sound urine chemistry, not proof.

Moderate evidence

Moderate meat and fish

~0.8–1g protein/kg body weight a day. Excess raises stone-forming substances.

Observational data

Cut back on soda

Sugary drinks are linked to higher stone risk; tea, coffee, and citrus juice to lower risk.

Not for everyone

Watch oxalate and vitamin C

If your results show high oxalate, it's also worth watching spinach, nuts, chocolate, and high-dose vitamin C supplements.

Ready to find out what's actually driving your stones?

One consultation, a proper set of tests, and a plan built around your actual results.

Book an appointment

Sources

  1. European Association of Urology. EAU Guidelines on Urolithiasis, 2026.
  2. Hakam N, et al. Outcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials Testing Changes in Daily Water Intake: A Systematic Review. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7:e2447621.
  3. Ferraro PM, et al. Soda and Other Beverages and the Risk of Kidney Stones. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013;8:1389–1395.
  4. Curhan GC, et al. Comparison of Dietary Calcium with Supplemental Calcium and Other Nutrients as Factors Affecting the Risk for Kidney Stones in Women. Ann Intern Med. 1997;126:497–504.
  5. Borghi L, et al. Comparison of Two Diets for the Prevention of Recurrent Stones in Idiopathic Hypercalciuria. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:77–84.
For general education only — not medical advice or a diagnosis. Always check with your doctor.