A common kidney stone crusher is a doctor's recommendation

Kidney stones are a common type of kidney disease, although the symptoms are less pronounced in most people. However, that does not mean the body will be okay with the stone. The longer you let it go, the kidney stones can get bigger and cause pain. Therefore, you may need kidney stone crusher drugs.

Choice of kidney stone crusher

Before finding out what kidney stone crusher drugs are suitable, first understand the type of kidney stone you are experiencing. This is important to determine the composition of the stone. The reason is, kidney stone treatment will be different for each person, depending on the type and cause of kidney stones.

Reporting from NYU Langone Health, there are a number of drugs that will be prescribed to you when you experience kidney stones as follows.

1. Alpha inhibitors (alpha blocker)

One type of drug that doctors usually recommend as a kidney stone destroyer is alpha blockers or alpha blockers. This medication is used to help relax the ureter muscles, the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Use of this medication also helps reduce pain that may be experienced when kidney stones pass through the urinary tract. In addition, smaller ureteral stones can pass more quickly within a few days.

According to research Journal of Pharmacy Technology Alpha blockers have their own way of destroying large kidney stones. Kidney stones with a size of 5-10 mm can be destroyed with this drug. alpha blockers it can also be used to remove stones larger than 10 mm after ESWL therapy.

2. Potassium citrate (potassium citrate)

Most patients who have uric acid stones do not have too much uric acid. They actually excrete urine with a pH level that is too acidic. If this happens, normal uric acid levels will dissolve in the urine and form crystals to become stones.

The role of potassium citrate as a kidney stone destroyer is needed. Using potassium citrate helps the body adjust urine pH and dissolves stones. When used in high doses, this drug also increases urine citrate levels, which can inhibit the formation of kidney stones.

3. Diuretic

Diuretics are not only used to treat patients with kidney failure, but can also be used to destroy kidney stones.

Diuretics, especially thiazide diuretics, can reduce the amount of calcium released into the urine. In fact, this drug also helps prevent the formation of kidney stones again, especially in patients who have high calcium levels in the urine.

Thiazide diuretics are more suitable for patients with kidney stones caused by calcium stones. However, you need to be careful and always follow the doctor's recommendations when using this diuretic. Using the wrong dose of the drug can endanger your health.

4. Allopurinol

As a kidney stone crusher that is often prescribed by doctors, allopurinol is included in the xanthine oxidase inhibitor drug class.

This kidney stone treatment works to reduce the amount of uric acid that the body produces. Thus, allopurinol helps prevent kidney stones from getting bigger, or even completely destroyed.

If needed, allopurinol can be combined with other drugs, such as potassium citrate or sodium citrate. Both can be used to help dissolve uric acid stones. The smaller the stone size and the closer it is to the urinary hole, the greater the chance of the stone being wasted with urine.

However, this drug is used as an effort to prevent gout attacks caused by kidney stones, not to treat them when they have occurred.

Other types of kidney stone medicine that your doctor prescribes

The four drugs above are often recommended by doctors as an effective destroyer of kidney stones according to the cause and type. However, there are other drugs that will be prescribed by doctors that support the process of treating kidney stones, which are as follows.

Pain relievers

Kidney stone disease is often accompanied by painful symptoms, especially in the lower back. However, this recurrent pain can be relieved with pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Both can be obtained by prescription from a doctor or at a drug store or pharmacy. However, make sure you read the instructions for using the medicine listed on the packaging label before using it.

Antibiotics

Patients with kidney stones caused by struvite stones will usually be prescribed a stone crusher as well as antibiotics. The use of antibiotics aims to help stop the growth and spread of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.

Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) antibiotics are commonly used to treat struvite kidney stones. AHAs are a class of antibiotics that are quite strong, so a doctor's prescription is needed when you want to use them.

Another way to treat and destroy kidney stones

In the case of kidney stones with a small size, usually the doctor will recommend how to destroy kidney stones naturally. For example, drinking lots of water will help dissolve small stones until they push up into the opening of the urethra. That way, the kidney stones will come out along with urine.

If you have a stone that is too large, that is, more than 2 cm, the medicine your doctor prescribes may not be very effective. Therefore, the doctor will recommend surgical removal of stones, namely ESWL therapy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

1. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)

ESWL therapy is a popular surgery for the removal of small to medium sized kidney stones. This kidney stone treatment uses sound waves to temporarily break down the stone and reduce its impact on the surrounding tissue.

Furthermore, the piece of stone that has been broken down will come out of the kidney along with the urine. Even though the urine is small and feels uncomfortable, ESWL is considered effective as a way to destroy kidney stones when the drug is no longer effective.

2. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy

In percutaneous nephrolithotomy, the doctor will use an instrument called a nephroscope to look for and remove kidney stones. Then, the doctor will insert the device directly into the kidney through a cut in the back.

If the kidney stone is large enough, the stone is broken down by laser into small pieces. After this operation, you may need to stay in the hospital for several days.

3. Ureteroscopy

Similar to ESWL, ureteroscopy is a procedure that is also preferred as a treatment for kidney stones located in the urinary tract. This surgical removal of stones looks inside the urethra and bladder to detect stones with the help of a cystoscope.

During this process, the doctor will also use a ureterscope, a tool that is longer and thinner, to see images of the lining of the ureters and kidneys. If stones are found, the doctor will remove them or break them into small pieces.

Ureteroscopy is usually an option when drugs to destroy stones and ESWL therapy are unsuccessful.