List of Medications

Allopurinol Blocks the formation of uric acid in humans. This forces the body to make an alternate chemical called xanthine which is easier to dissolve than uric acid. This medication is often used in pure uric acid stones, gout or whenever the uric acid levels in the blood or urine need to be reduced.

Aluminum Hydroxide This is occasionally used in patients with Struvite or infection stones to help bind intestinal phosphate and limit its absorption. It's also used as a substitute oxalate binding agent where calcium is not appropriate.

Aluminum Hydroxide Tends to cause constipation. Cannot be used in patients with kidney failure because of possibly dangerous accumulations in the body.

Amiloride A type of potassium sparing "water pill" or diuretic.

Beelith A magnesium supplement.

Bucillamine Experimental drug that increases dissolvability of cystine. Expected to be more effective with fewer side effects than penicillamine.

Calcitriol Another name for activated Vitamin D or Vitamin D3.

Calcitonin Hormone that increases calcium deposition in bone and is generally the exact opposite of parathyroid hormone.

Calcium Citrate The preferred type of calcium supplement for kidney stone formers. The extra citrate helps avoid any increase in calcium stone formation.

Captopril A blood pressure medicine which is thought to be able to bind with cystine and make it more dissolvable. While safe and well tolerated, its effectiveness in cystine stone disease is unclear.

Cellulose A strong binder of calcium in the digestive tract.

Cholestyramine A strong binding agent for oxalate in the intestinal tract. Takes the place of calcium in enteric hyperoxaluria. Effective, but tends to have side effects.

Codeine An oral pain medication of medium strength. An opioid.

Demerol A strong Opioid type of pain medication.

Diamox Normally used for glaucoma, this (Acetazolamide) medication will block excretion of acid from the kidneys and alkalinize the urine. Can be of use in severe cystinuria, but generally should be avoided in most stone patients if possible.

Dilantin A medicine commonly used for seizures. Can interfere with Vitamin D activity.

Diuretic A type of medication that causes the kidneys to make more urine. Can be used to increase urinary volume but only as a last resort. Some diuretics, like thiazide, can be used to help decrease stone disease while others cannot. Originally intended as therapy for blood pressure and heart failure.

Diuril A common thiazide medication.

Dyazide A high blood pressure medication composed of a thiazide and triamterene. Should not be used in stone patients because triamterene can sometimes form kidney stones by itself!

Elmiron Originally designed as a therapy for (Pentosan Polysulfate) interstitial cystitis, an unusual inflammatory condition of the urinary bladder. This medication restores the normal mucus coating of the bladder lining. There is evidence that Elmiron can be a strong inhibitor of calcium oxalate stone formation, but only limited human studies are available at this time. Still, it could be of some use in the most severe and intractable cases of high urinary oxalate.

Estrogen A female hormone. Will increase calcium in bone.

Fosamax A new class of medication that is designed for osteoporosis. Works almost as good as estrogen in replacing calcium in bone.

Hydrochlorothiazide The standard thiazide medication. Usually not the preferred agent in stone disease because it must be taken twice a day while other thiazides like Naqua and Lozol only need to be taken once daily.

Lithostat Blocks the chemical released by (Acetohydroxamic bacteria that allows struvite stones Acid or AHA) to form. Has moderate side effects so must be used carefully.

Lozol (Indapamide) A long acting water pill (diuretic) that has an almost identical function to thiazide but is not technically one of them. Will also take calcium out of the urine and return it to the bloodstream. Only needs to be taken once a day.

Magnesium Oxide Common magnesium supplements. (Beelith) and Magnesium Hydroxide

Moduretic Combination of thiazide and amiloride. The amiloride returns potassium to the blood that would otherwise be lost. Needs to be taken twice a day. A good substitute for Dyazide.

Morphine A strong opioid type of pain medication; usually requires an injection.

Naqua A long acting thiazide. Only needs (trichlormethiazide) to be taken once a day.

Nubain A potent pain medicine used for severe pain. Requires injection, not an opioid. Roughly equal to Morphine.

Opioid A group of medicines chemically related to extracts from opium. Morphine and Codeine are examples.

Orthophosphate An oral form of phosphate supplement.

Oxythiozolidine (OZT) An experimental medication that decreases liver production of oxalate by about one third.

Percocet and Percodan Oral tablets of a moderately strong Opioid medication.

Penicillamine A binding agent for cystinuria. Side effects are severe and common. Only about 50 percent of patients with cystinuria can tolerate this medication even though it is very effective.

Persantine Can somewhat reduce the excessive loss of phosphate in Renal Phosphate Leak.

Polycitra K A liquid form of potassium citrate. Also available as crystals in a packet than can be mixed with water or juice.

Potassium Magnesium Experimental form of citrate supplement. Not only provides high citrate boost to the urine, but also benefits stone prevention by adding the magnesium supplement. Will probably be the replacement for Urocit-K when it becomes available.

Prednisone The most common oral steroid. A very effective anti-inflammatory, but has several side effects.

Pyridoxine Another name for Vitamin B-6. Steroids A group of medications with similar chemical compositions that resemble natural anti-inflammatory agents in the body. They have many side effects including fluid retention and increasing urinary calcium. Talwin A moderately strong pain medicine. Not an opioid.

Thiazides The name for a group of medicines that are chemically similar. They are "water pills" in that they force the kidneys to produce more urine. They are unique because they can take excess calcium in the urine and return it to the bloodstream. This is particularly beneficial in older women with high urinary calcium levels and osteoporosis.

Thiola (Alpha MPG) Used to help cystine dissolve more easily. Has fewer side effects than penicillamine.

Triamterene A potassium sparing diuretic. (Dyrenium) Should not be used in kidney stone patients because it forms stones.

Urocit-K An oral tablet form of potassium citrate supplement. The wax matrix tablet will often appear in the stool and some patients don't realize that the medicine has been absorbed and only the empty wax shell is expelled.

UroPhos-K Experimental form of slow release orthophosphate. Avoids most of the side effects of orthophosphate supplements and is quite effective in calcium stone disease.

Vitamin D The vitamin that controls intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate from the digestive tract. Needs to be converted to its most active form, Vitamin D3, by the kidney to work. Vitamin D3 is also called calcitriol.