On October 8, 2000 during my first trimester with Caleb, I went in for my initial ultrasound. During the visit we learned that the baby was developing beautifully, but in addition to giving birth to a boy, I would soon be delivering 2 very large kidney stones (1cm and 2cm.) For those of you who have suffered with this ailment you know that these “stones” should have been labeled “rocks” instead because they were so large. It was like Plymouth and Gibraltar were growing in my kidney. Needless to say, the pregnancy and delivery were complicated and very arduous as a result of the stones. When Caleb was 11 days old, I was back in the hospital for my first ESWL (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy – a procedure that uses shock waves to break up a kidney stone into small pieces that can more easily fit through the urinary tract and pass from the body.)
Over the next four years I was in and out of the ER and hospital for a total of 7 lithotripsies and thousands and thousands of dollars. I changed my diet drastically and began consuming buckets of water, but because of an abnormal type of kidney (medullary sponge kidney) my body continued to make stones. This was getting old fast, and very expensive. There had to be a better way, so I began educating myself about urology and nephrology. I read everything I could find about kidney stones, their prevention and cure, including home remedies.
One Sunday at church, I casually mentioned one of the home remedies I’d read about to a friend and he said, “Yeah, I know about that cure, it worked for me – twice.” I was stunned, a home remedy given credibility by a trusted friend. With a bit of skepticism, I considered giving it a try. So during my next attack, I sent Wade to the grocery store to purchase the two common ingredients for the remedy. I followed the instructions of the remedy and waited. I only had to wait about 45 minutes before the 4mm stone passed. I was shocked, giddy, elated. It worked!!!! I had been relieved of the pain and hassle of a kidney stone with about $5 dollars worth of supplies and 45 minutes. This was revolutionary for me. Could this mean no more ER visits, no more huge sums of money spent on ESWLs, no more senseless pain? The answer for me has been YES !!!! I have not visited the ER due to kidney stones nor had an ESWL or any real stone pain for the past 3 years.
I continue to visit my family physician every 6 months for a KUB (kidney,ureter, bladder) x-ray for extra measure. When I do have a stone, I rush home to perform the remedy. When I return to the doctor’s office for a follow up x-ray they are always baffled about the expediency of the home remedy.
Like 80% of stone formers, I make calcium oxalate stones. Our kidneys are the cleaners of the body, they filter blood to remove excess mineral salts and other wastes. Part of the cleaning process is to produce urine that excretes the waste from the body. Kidney stones form when your urine becomes so saturated with calcium oxalate and other minerals that no more of it can dissolve into the urine. Its kind of like trying to dissolve too much sugar in your tea. So, the undissolved portion of the mineral develops into crystals. These crystals bunch together to form barbed stones that hurt like the dickens when they travel from the kidney, through the ureter, down to the bladder and out through the urethra. This process can be more painful for men (so I’m told) because the urethra in males is longer than in females. Up until the urethra, kidney stones are equal opportunity pains in the……you know where.
The remedy is simply chemistry in reverse. Chemistry forms stones in the first place, so it makes sense that chemistry can destroy them. For the low, low price of $49.99 you too can be kidney stone free and I will share with you the two ingredients you need for this home remedy. Just kidding. All you need is a 2 liter of Coca Cola and a bunch of asparagus (8 ounzes.) Within a 15 minute period, drink the entire 2 liter of Coke, wait 10 minutes then consume the pureed asparagus. It is important to puree the asparagus and eat this like a soup. I put lemon juice and a little salt for taste. Follow this by drinking several glasses of water. You will feel miserably full for about an hour, but relief should come quickly. During this time, I can actually feel the stone moving from my back and around my side. I have only minimal pain during this process. It sure beats the ER and $4000.
Please be smart about this. If you know you have a stone and it’s under.5cm then you might want to try the remedy. What can it hurt? But if you’re experiencing excruciating pain and you’re not sure what’s going on, GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!!! I’m not a physician, I’m just a kidney stone former who has found a home remedy that works for me.
So how does it work? From what I understand, the phosphoric acid in the Coke begins to dissolve the calcium oxalate stone, then the asparagus (which is a natural diuretic) helps expel what’s left. GROSS ALERT: (I guess if you’ve read this far, you don’t really care) I’ve actually done a little research of my own and put a previously passed stone in a bowl with Coke. After about 3o minutes it was a mushy mess. It had been dissolved. I did the same experiment with lemon juice and got the same results. During one particularly painful episode I knew I was facing a large stone, so I drank lemon juice and real lemonade for a week, when I did the home remedy I passed a smooth stone. It looked like a baby river rock. The lemon juice had knocked the edges off and had actually shrunk the stone so it could pass. Since then I have combined lemon juice with my 2 liter of Coke and have gotten very good results.
Once again, I’m not a urologist, nephrologist, or any other kind of “ologist.” I’m simply telling a story about my journey with kidney stones. To date, I’ve passed nearly a dozen stones with this remedy ranging from 1mm to 5mm in size. After hearing about a close friend who was in the ER because of a painful stone, I wanted to share my story. I merely hope that reading this will help someone else avoid the pain of kidney stones. It’s too gross and embarrassing to tell it for any other reason. Yuck.
Your stone-free friend – Heather.
I have used the same version of remedy with Kim, with great success. I have her down a whole squeezee of lemon juice, follwed by an entire can of Green giant cooked asperagus, then a can of coke. Her stones pass within 15 minutes. She now carries these ingredients in her car and in her desk.
eew
Did you really just spend that much time writing about kidneys and urethras?? And I can’t believe I actually read the whole thing. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t need to know about your science experiments with your bodily waste. You put your stone in a bowl and poured Coke on it? You describe another stone as “a baby river rock”. You have much bigger problems than kidney stones!
Melissa,
I may have spent a lot of time writing about kidney stones, but YOU READ IT!!!!
Seriously though, I hope at least one person can avoid kidney stone pain because I took an hour to write about an unpleasant subject.
Heather
Melissa,
Please grow up before making judgements on other people.
Heather has been kind enough to impart her knowelage to us and has even done some followup tests to prove her theory.
Unlike you she has a genuine desire to help others.
“Macten” – I appreciate that you are coming to Heather’s defense, however I was teasing Heather and she knows that my comments were not meant to be hurtful. I am thankful that she is sharing information that will be helpful to others – believe it or not, I too have a “genuine desire to help others”.
Macten, thanks for defending me against the mean and dreaded Melissa. She has a sharp tongue sometimes, but also a dry and hilarious sense of humor. She is a very good friend and we razz each other daily. I appreciate your comments.
Thanks to everyone who has emailed me personally to talk about your kidney stone issues. Keep ‘em coming. I am here to walk through this with you and share what I’ve learned.
Peace,
Heather
Heather,
I believe I remember when you first started having kidney stone difficulties that a research team in Dallas was interested in your case.
Do you know if that team has been able to make any more progress in their efforts?
j.
I can see this remedy of your’s working Heather, but 2 liters of Coke is a ton of sugar. Does it have to be Coke or that much? Some folks (many of us) have sugar disorders. Taking in that much Coke will send us into a tailspin of problems. Any suggestions?
Mickey,
I have heard from another friend that Diet Coke works just as well as regular Coke. It is the phosphoric acid that we need to dissolve the stones, the sugar content is not necessary. I do know that Dr. Pepper DOES NOT WORK in this recipe. It must be Coke. But if you try the Diet Coke please let me know how it goes.
Thanks for the important question.
Heather
Heather,
Thanks for the response. I will give the diet coke a try. will let you know how things turn out. the pain is located at my left side, in back at the moment. I’ve already accummilated 12,000 in surgery bills, so I sure hope this helps.
thanks again,
mickey
p.s.~~what state are you located in? I’m in Washington state.
mickey
Mickey,
That’s about what I’ve spent on medical bills associated with kidney stones. I haven’t been in the ER or OR since September of 2005. Before that I was there about every 8-12 months. This recipe has literally saved us thousands of dollars and lots of pain for me.
We are in Oklahoma, but we moved here from Bellingham, WA. Where are you in Washington?
Heather
I just found out I have a small kidney stone. I have no pain nor signs of it. It was found in a CT scan. Do you think your remedy will work or do you wait for signs of it such as pain? Thanks.
Suzanne,
This might be a good time to try the remedy. Do you know how big the stone is? I will occasionally do the remedy even when I’m not in pain just as a way to flush out my kidneys and keep the little ‘gravel’ from becoming stones.
Let me know how it goes.
Heather
After a month of pain and blood, I tried the asparagus and diet coke; (actually diet coke and 4 shots of coconut Rum per glass). Time was 10 AM. Laid down as I was returning from the third shift and was tired and in pain. By 4pm, I not only was awake, but peeing globs of clotted stones w/blood in clear urine! I couldn’t believe it worked, so I told my wife and she couldn’t believe it either. I have a medical condition (drug eluting stents, (2) in my heart), which require a medication called plavix, which doesn’t let those little platelets that are flying all around NOT be smooth and slippery, therefore, If I stopped taking it prior to Lipotripsy, I would have nothing to protect my heart’s arteries from yelling God save the Queen and all the platelets zoning in for Mama, and unfortuately causing my demise due to a coronary thrombosis. So, I was advised don’t stop your plavix prior to Lipotripsy.
In my judgement, I’d rather be bleeding a bit while pissing, than have a fatal clotting (thrombosis) in the heart. Problem was, this was getting old and my penis was getting all types of twings and twangs while little razor sharp pieces or sea coral bounced through its walls relentlessly.
The Plavix, was keeping the blood +++ gross and doing nothing to convince the hundreds of little stones to seek an exit.
The coke and asparagus served to like the flicker of a booger on a finger that just about flicked off, now for one day, ADW, I stopped Plavix, which caused a change in the viscosity of my blood and caused the red blood cells to now reach out and grab a stone here and there, and, like I said, with in 6 hours, I had several bloody clots fly out of my penis while I was urinating and they were each surrounding several sand size rocks, taking them with them. The bloody clots were also slippery enough to be larger than the circumfurance of my uthera and were able to squeeze out larger stones than seemed possible.
Now I’ve just got to find unsweetened Cranberry juice (yes, I am a type II diabetic as well and cant take all that glucose to consume 2L of crandberry Juice every day.).
Keep in mind, as others have said, you’ve got to keep drinking water and fluids while you least favor doing it.
Good Luck
Jimbo
[...] drank lemon juice and real lemonade for a week, when I did the home remedy I passed a smooth stone.http://heatherhodges.com/2008/03/10/gross-alert-kidney-stone-home-remedy/Home Remedy for Kidney Stones – Associated ContentJan 15, 2008 … And these can be dissolved [...]
My cousin is in severe pain with her kidney stones tonight and tried to do the remedy but she drank all but 5 oz. of the coke and puked it all up! What a waste of coke. I even had the pureed asparagus ready for her and everything. Oh well, I tried.
Pam,
I’m so sorry to hear about your cousin’s pain. Vomiting is a real possibility for someone in severe pain. How did it all turn out?
Heather
WARNING!
Another valid reason for starting this remedy early in the day is so you’ll make it home from the ER in time to sleep in your own bed. I tried the remedy as discussed on MANY web sites (2 liters of coke over 2 hours, followed by asparagus puree, followed by 2 liters of water of 2 hours). Ended up throwing my electrolytes out of balance- and THAT is some VERY freaky bizness! (Look up hyponatremia!) Won’t bore you with the details, but do be careful!!!
PS:- still have the stones….
should read:
…followed by 2 liters of water over 2 hours…..
Thank you, Heather, for the most informative and detailed evidence that I have found on the internet to date in support of the “coke/asparagus remedy” for kidney stones, which, by the way, has appeared to work for me yet again just this last weekend. As a health care professional — I’m a licensed clinical counselor here in Illinois — I’d like to pass the remedy along to other kidney stone sufferers, and my skeptical doctor, but I can’t find any support for the remedy in the medical literature. I strongly believe that the remedy deserves to be thoroughly researched and the findings published in a reputable medical journal. So if you or anyone else out there comes across any scientific evidence whatsoever in support of the remedy, such as proof that phosphoric acid breaks down calcium oxalate, please pass it along my way (scottlownsdale.com). Perhaps I can spur a medical study along with such information. Don’t get me wrong, I believe your report, Heather, and others on the internet, but I need more than what my colleagues would dismiss as “anecdotal” evidence. Thanks again.
Blessings,
Scott Lownsdale, Ed.D
Rockford, IL
Heather:
I forgot to add that I drank 5-6 DIET DECAFFEINATED cokes, instead of regular coke, for my kidney stone attack over the last weekend, followed by pureed aspagus. No reason to load up on sugar or caffeine during a kidney stone attack! This was the remedy passed along to me by my pastor, who told me that he paid for the remedy from an online website. Diet decaffeinated coke worked fine for him numerous times, and for me at two separate times, in dissolving the stones. The Coca-Cola website reports that phosphoric acid is in the beverage to add “tartness.” Also, I’ll add lemon juice next time I have an attack, because of your report.
Scott Lownsdale, Ed.D.
Rockford, IL
Hi, I am new here, been reading and thanks for all the info. I have just been diagnosed with two calcium stones, one in each kidney. One is 5mm and the other 6mm. Do you think I would be a candidate to try the coke remedy? I am skeptical because I tried the olive oil and lemon juice cocktail for about 4 days (2oz each time) Gross! Nothing happened. ShouldI take it at night or do it in the morning? Please help. This is my first time having them and I want to avoid surgery if at all possible. Thanks for your input.
Scott,
I’ve also had trouble convincing my urologist of the validity of this method. To date, I have not found any empirical or scientific data to support this method. I have conducted my own (rather limited) experiments of the effects of lemon juice and Coke on calcium oxalate stones. Unfortunately I have a little vile of previously passed stones and gravel that I placed in small glass bowls. I added freshly squeezed lemon juice to one and Coke a Cola to the other. I tested the stones at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes. At 5, 10, and 15 minutes, nothing had happened. By 20 minutes the stones were starting to dissolve and by 30 minutes they were a mushy mess. If at some point you are in a position to do a study on this, I would be happy to participate.
Christie,
When I had a large stone (5mm or larger) I drank real lemonade for about 5 days then did the remedy. I passed a stone that looked like a river rock. I still have it and someday I will gross everyone out and post a picture of it here. But what I would do is try the remedy, and if it doesn’t work, try consuming large amounts of lemons to knock off the sharp edges and reduce it in size before trying the remedy again. Good luck and let me know how it went.
-Heather
Thanks Heather!
I am going to start tonight with the lemons. I won’t be at work tomorrow or Friday so I will be sure to log on and give an update when I return on Monday. Have a happy 4th of July weekend!
Christie
And I wanna see the photo so I will know what to look for (not like I won’t see it coming) but stil!! My email address is chamba.diva@gmail.com
I wont gross out, pinky swear!!! LOL
Christie
Heather-
According to one of the Wikopedia references on “beerstone” — which is the unwanted calcium oxalate deposit left in vats and tubes in the brewing of beer –phosphoric acid is used by breweries to remove this unwanted deposit. Most kidney stones, as you know, are composed of calcium oxalate, and the Coca- Cola website reports that phosphoric acid is one of coke’s ingredients. This is certainly consistent with the findings of your own experiment.
Scott Lownsdale
Rockford
Heather, thanks for some very valuable information. I too have suffered from kidney stones for some time, however I had my first experience with Lithotripsy last week following a bout with a stone measuring 6×9mm that I could not pass. The Procedure went well but then I realized that I still had to pass the fragments so in reality, nothing much had changed. That is when I stumbled across your blog and read and re-read it with great interest. I thought that what have I got to loose, other than the stones.
I did the home remedy this morning, and then waited..and waited..and waited. I thought, oh well, they have either been all dissolved or it didn’t work. I forgot about it for a few hours and then all of a sudden, here they came. Every time I used the toilet. So far I have collected quite a batch of stones and fragments, well over a dozen, all within a few hours and all painlessly.
I am grateful for the information you provided and suddenly feel empowered to finally slay this dragon. I have already passed the information along to my brother-in-law who has been going through the same routine for the past few days.
Thanks for sharing for experience and knowledge.
Hi Heather,
I’m from Australia, browsing the net to see if I can find some help with this renal colic I am suffering with.
Don’t want to send money to someone that makes money from other’s pain.
Thankyou so much for allowing me to see this remedy, which I am hoping works. If not, I’ve lost nothing.
Will certainly add a post as to the results.
Gail,
I was in your same position several years ago and I’m sorry to say I did pay the $40 to get the remedy from a guy on the internet. I was disappointed and hopeful at the same time. Since that time I’ve done more research and tweaked the remedy to include lemons, which works better for me than Coke and asparagus alone. I wish you the best in your quest to be kidney stone free. Please let us know if you try the remedy and how it goes.
Heather
According to what I am reading, the phosphoric acid in the Coke begins to dissolve the calcium oxalate stone so bases on this information if you drink coke regulary it is should disolve the stones over time without having to do the aspargus. Is that correct? Also what size stone are you talking about?
Stacy,
I am going to refer you to an informative book called “No More Kidney Stones ” by Rodman, Sosa, Seidman, and Jones. You can find it on Amazon for around $12. One of the things I like about this book is it gives you dietary advice to avoid stones in the future. Some of the things to avoid are cola beverages, coffee, and tea. It sounds counter intuitive then to drink so much Coke in order to eliminate the stones. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the medical community does not endorse the Coke and asparagus remedy. Also, the asparagus is a natural diuretic, and will flush out your kidney’s and bladder, so in the recipe it is quite essential.
As to the size of the stone, I’ve had stones as large as 2 cm, but the largest stone I’ve been able to pass with this remedy is 5mm or half a centimeter. Can anyone else weigh in about the size of stones you’ve passed with the Coke and Asparagus treatment?
Hope this was helpful.
Heather
P.S. I must add that I’m able to pass larger stones than most people because my ureter (the tube between your kidney and bladder) is stretched out because I was forced to wear a ureter stint for several months during my first pregnancy. I will also add that any urologist trying to fit me with another stint will have to catch me first. If you’ve every had one, you will know what I’m talking about. Yikes.
Can i do diet coke ? Real cokemakes my kidneys SCREEM!!!
Yes, Diet Coke works. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Heather
HEY HEATHER! I AM SO SO EXCITED TO TRY YOUR REMEDY! I HAVE A LARGE KIDNEY STONE IN MY RIGHT KIDNEY AND A SMALL ONE IN MY LEFT. I HAVE HAD STONES BEFORE, AND I DO NOT WANT TO HEAD BACK TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR, GO FOR SURGERY……IM HEADING OUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TO GET MY COKE! AND ASPARAGUS!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU INSIGHT AND WISDOM!!!!
Heather– I’m trying this as I type.
The asparagus was actually pretty tasty. I don’t know if I can physically HOLD 2 liters of Coke on top of it but I’m trying…
Heather,
I have read this entire article. My husband is suffering from kidney stones for the last 4 yrs. Stone type : Calcium Oxalates. Last time we had a CT scan [which was 6-7 months ago], he had 3 stones on the left kidney and 2 stones on the right. Since the last 10 days, he gets severe pains and chills.
Few months ago, he passed a stone and I kept it just in case…..seems like today it’s going to help me. I am going to test the 30 min experiment with coke and see what results it produces. If the experiment works, I am planning to make him drink 2 litres of coke along with pureed asparagus mixed with lime. Hope this works for him.
Heather,
You have done a good service to kidney stone sufferers. I have used the Coke and asparagus cure a few times to good effect, and astonished a couple of urologists in doing so, however, i want to point out that anyone suffering from repeated episodes of renal calculi buildup or passing kidney stones should have his or her physician run a simple blood test for hyperparathyroidism, an until recently little known or understood endocrine disorder that causes high blood calcium, thus chronic formation of urinary calculi of, primarily, calcium oxalate, thus frequent episodes of kidney stone discomfort. The disorder, caused by a tumor that is usually fairly easily removed with 100% recovery of normal function, also causes a whole myriad of troublesome symptoms including, but not limited to, hypertension, depression, urinary incontinence and frequent urinary tract infections, loss of energy and drive, and even sometimes emotional instability. Wild! And who would know they are all related to single problem?
After years of suffering from some of the listed symptoms and a terrible time with repeated buildups of renal calculi and accumulation of stones in my bladder, multiple hospital procedures, and repeated drubbings by MD’s about “lifestyle changes” when I wasn’t guilty of all those sins of luxury that are supposed to cause the problem, a new urologist believed me and had the perspicacity to run a parathyroid hormone test, and bingo! Minor surgery a few months later, a four month recovery period and suddenly my years of hypertension, kidney stone trouble and depression are over.
Rick,
Great comment. When I was having repeat stones (every 6-8 months) they looked pretty closely at my parathyroid. Fortunately, I had a fantastic Nephrology/Urology team and they were tenacious about looking for the cause of my condition. We discovered that I have Medullary Sponge Kidneys which drain more slowly than normal kidneys giving stones a greater chance to form.
Thanks everyone who have made this post such a great resource to all kidney stone sufferers. Keep ‘em coming.
Heather
Heather,
I paid $17 for the cure on another website. That weekend, I did the cure. It was difficult for me because I do not like asparagus. My mom told me to open my eyes real wide and that stops the gag reflex. Within a couple of hours I felt it go from the bladder into the urethra. It has been stuck there now for 2 1/2 weeks. A emergency room visit confirmed that I no longer have the stone in my kidneys, but a ct scan only goes down to the bladder. My appt. with my urologist is not for another 3 weeks. With this no longer being in the kidneys, do you think lemons would work? I’ll try anything to get rid of this pain. I know that this cure works, I think it’s just my urethra is small. Darlene
Darlene,
I’m glad you got the stone out of your kidney, but mannnnnn….it sure hurts when it’s just sitting in your urethra. I would start pounding lemons TODAY to try to shrink it so it can pass.
Worse case scenario you get a few citric acid blisters in your mouth. Best case, it dissolves it enough for it to get through.
Please let us know how it goes.
Best wishes,
Heather
My husband is suffering from kidney stones. I came across your site and thought we would give it a try. So, at 12:00 this afternoon we rushed to the store to get coke and asparagus and did exactly what you said but no results yet. How long do you think it should take? Should he try it again? I know you are no Dr. but your testimony makes a-lot of sense. HELP PLEASE! We do NOT want to spend Sunday night in the E.R.
Heather,
I am a kidney stone former since 14 years now. I have passed stone as large as 12mm. Overall I have passed stones 4-5 times. All these stones are passed without this remedy as I was not aware of this remedy before. Now I am again suffering from stone. I had a blood test, urine test and X-Ray. Everything came out negative. X-Ray doesn’t show any stone. But I can feel the pain in bladder (Although pain is not that excruciating as it would if you have it in kidney). I am scheduled for CT scan in a week from now. Tried coke and asparagus treatment yesterday. Didn’t notice anything coming out. Although at times I felt some sand particles coming out but didn’t see anything in urine. Now I would like your opinion about when can I repeat this remedy. Shall I wait for some time or can I repeat it in 2-3 days again.
Your input will be highly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ahly
Ahly,
I’m sorry to hear you are suffering from another stone. I have had similar experiences when I thought I was having renal colic, and the x-rays showed nothing. I was so scared that I was having another stone that every little twinge made me believe it was there. If the x-rays are negative do you really want to spend the money on a CT scan?
If you are positive it is a stone, then I would go ahead and perform the home remedy again in a few days. But first I would start drinking large quantities of lemonade and lemon juice squeezed in water. I have used this method to shrink a large stone small enough so it could pass without any pain. The stone came out smooth like a river rock (just much smaller.)
Also, be sure to ALWAYS strain your urine. This way you will know whether you’ve passed gravel or not. If you have been to the ER or the urologist they will have probably given you a little strainer with a very small mesh. If you don’t have one of these use a regular kitchen strainer with a cheese cloth liner or paper towel. Obviously reserve the strainer for stone use only.
Best of luck.
Heather
Thanks Heather.
I will follow your advice and will let you know how it goes. My insurance covers CT scan expense, that’s the reason I am going for it. Keep up the good job you are doing.
God bless you.
Ahly
I can say that I know personally that this works like a charm. I was diagnosed with stones that were lodged in my kidneys back in 2004 and the doctors were like, “we’ll you just need to see if they pass.” Meanwhile, my kidney function was failing. one of the techs in the office knew I was into alternative medicine and secretly told me about the flush because he knew of another patient who it had worked for. Sure enough I did it, went back to the doctors and the stones had disolved and my kidney function was back to speed. I have done this several more times since and it works every time.
Heather,
For how many days before trying the home remedy again did you drink large quantities of lemonade and lemon juice squeezed in water.
I am drinking 4 lemons squeezed in water in a day. Not drinking lemonade instead I am using lemon juice. Do you think 4 lemons are enough per day?
Ahly
I would double that at least. And I did the lemonade and lemon juice for about 5 days then repeated the home remedy. You want to get a good concentration of citric acid in your kidney/bladder to start dissolving the stone. I know it’s a lot of lemons but it’s the only way I know to make it smaller so it can pass.
Good luck, we are all pulling for you.
I am reading this on behalf of my brother. I am hoping he will come to my house so I can do this for him and he can stop crying. He is 25 and the biggest baby I know. Does this work for men as well as it does women? From all I have been reading this could have been caused by many reasons but my brother eats a whole container of SALT with everything he eats, so I am guessing that this is the cause for his stones. He also said his stones were about half a golf ball, is that too big for this remedy? Please let me know cause I am about to tie him down and force feed him. I have rounded up 4 guys to help me. Thanks for the information though, it was not only helpful but hilarious!
Fridda,
Yes, it works for men and women both. In fact, the friend who first told me about it was a guy. Tell your brother it only feels like a gold ball. Has he had an x-ray to determine the actual size? Usually, the doctors will give it in millimeters. The biggest stone I’ve every had was 2 centimeters and I had to have it blasted (but that was before I found this remedy.) When a stone is really big I recommend forcing lemon juice and lemon aide for about a week before trying the remedy. The citric acid will start shrinking the stone even before the phosphoric acid gets to it. Good luck with the home remedy, there are a lot of people out there who have benefited from it, I hope your brother will be one of them.
Heather
Thanks so much for sharing this. A couple of weeks ago I unknowingly passed a stone that turned out to be calcium oxalate and included phosphate (does that make sense?) An ultrasound revealed a stone in my left kidney and a blockage (of stones?) near my right one. Blood and urine tests show healthy kidneys, thank G-d, but I’m stressing about the CT scan that will be performed this Wednesday. I understand you’re not a doctor and won’t hold you to medical advice, but I’m wondering if you would recommend that I do the coca cola/asparagus thing tomorrow (Tuesday) before the CT scan. Does the remedy work for calcium phosphate stones? I’m afraid of releasing the stones and then having them stuck in my bladder. Actually, I’m afraid of quite a bit right now, as all of this is new to me and I’m still scratching my head and wondering how I got these stones. Another question: should I add lemon to the cola? I’ll be using the diet coke, decaffenaited kind. Can I do less than 2 liters? Do you know how many cans that would be? Thanks so much for your advice.
one more thing: Both my general practitioner and my nephrologist strongly prohibit soft drinks (with the exception of clear ones, like diet sprite or seltzer). What do you think?
Rachel,
I’m so sorry to hear that you are suffering from stones. My advice is to go ahead and try the remedy tomorrow and add lemon juice to the Coke. You will need to drink a 6 pack of Coke cans in order to get the proper amount of phosphoric acid. Don’t forget to puree the asparagus and follow it with several glasses of water. In general it is not a good idea to drink sodas, coffee, or tea as they contribute to oxalate stones. The remedy is the only time I drink Coke and it is not causing me any trouble. Also, you will be following the soda with a diuretic and lots of water to wash it out. Don’t worry about the stone getting stuck in your bladder, it is infinitely better to get stuck there than in your kidney or ureter. I know how scary this is, but we are all pulling for you. After this is all over get the book “No More Kidney Stones” and it will help you learn more about why we make stones in the first place and how to prevent them. Good luck tomorrow.
Heather
I was in the ER two Sundays ago. They told me that they were sure I had passed the stone, as I had a ton of blood in the urine. On Monday, Election Eve, I had two regular appointment with my Surgeon and Internist. The Internist did another urine test, and sent me for a CT SCan and a IVP, (dye).
The IVP showed a ton of white in the right kidney and wouldn’t let the dye through, so it is still there. I’ve had sharp pains in back, the after test, nausea, chills, metal taste in mouth, ever since. I go to the Urologist on Monday afternoon. Afraid of what he will do.
I think I will try this tomorrow as it is too late now. Do you need the fresh asparagus, or if using canned, which I have, how many cans and do you still puree it. I have a food alergy to citrus, l but will do it anyway. I will also be using the Diet Coke.
Thanks for your help and wish me luck as I still have this bout of nausea, but no vomiting.
Ira (female)
Ira,
I’ve had a friend who uses canned asparagus instead of fresh. The recipe calls for 2 cups of pureed asparagus. The first couple of times I did the recipe without pureeing it and I didn’t get as good results. I will say a prayer for you today that all the bad side effects of the test will be gone as well as the stones, nausea and pain.
Heather
Thanks Heather:
My husband has gone out to the store to get me some things to try this. I have been doing the 2 oz Lemon Juice and 2 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead this morning. It is not very tasty, but hope that all works before Monday. I am so happy that I found this site and all the really good comments and new postings. I have been told by a few people not to do the water bath for breaking up stones, that it is too painful. These folks have had both, and said surgery is easier. If I have to do one, does anyone know which is best. Hoping this works so I don’t have to find out. Thanks so much Heather for taking the time to answer me. I have never posted on a site for anything before.
Ira
Ira,
I can’t recommend the olive oil treatment because I don’t know the science behind it. Perhaps someone else out there has tried it with success. Do you know the size of your stones and their location?
I’ve had numerous ESWL (lithotripsies) and for all but one I was sedated so they were not painful at all. I did have a big bruise on my back for a week after wards though. The one ESWL that I was awake for I wished they had put me under, I remember crying during the procedure, but I didn’t have to recover from anesthesia.
Heather
I just drank 3, 16.9oz bottles of diet coke, I couldn’t get the fourth one down, in 20 mins. I know you state in 15 mins at the top of this site. I put 2 oz. of fresh lemon in the cokes, a little in each one. I waited and ate the 8 oz. of pureed fresh asparagus. I notice some people are saying 2 cups but again, the top of this site says 8 oz, which is a little over l cup. I now need to drink the water. This is a little much for a person like me who does not drink that much in a day,lol. I hope I will do ok, or do you think I should try to get another coke in me first before the water.
I don’t know the size of the stone or stones. I had the two test this past Monday, and she let me look at the picture. It is in my right side just at the bottom of the kidney. She told me that since the dye didn’t pass through, that there was a stone under all the white, but that they could not see it for the white image.
I go to the doctor this coming Monday. It will be a week since the test then. That was the first appointment they had as I am a new patient. I might add that I have just had Ventral Hernia surgery on 10-9, and that I had stitches and a drainage tube. I hope this doesn’t have anything to do with hurting this as I feel so stuffed and cramping a little near the front of the stomach. I guess I am just too full. I like the asparagus so that wasn’t so bad, but drinking all that liquid is hard for me, but if this works it will all be worth it.
Ira
There comes a point in time where, out of sheer desperation, the most ridiculously insane idea seems appealing. We have reached that point. My husband is on kidney stone #4. You already know what his past has consisted of (pain, lithotripsy, $$$) After reading your blog today, I have gone to the store and spent $4.82 on Coke and Asparagus.
The “sell” to my husband was this: “I know this is going to sound insane, but it’s no more insane than convincing you that shoving a hose up your you-know-what and shooting sound waves at your body are a good idea.” “At this point what do you have to loose; either the stone or 5 bucks. I think it’s worth a shot.”
So, he laughed at me and said “Okay, we’ll try it your way, but if it doesn’t work out, I’m coming after you” (of course he is kidding, we’ve been married 27 years and we find humor in just about everything)
So tonight I am giving him the coke coctail with an asparagus chaser, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Annette,
Tell your husband that he is in my prayers tonight. I hope he had the same success with this home remedy that I have. If all goes well, he will be stone free soon and his doctors will be amazed. Just a note though: it’s always a good idea to go back in for a follow up x-ray to make sure the stones are completely gone.
Best Wishes,
Heather
Heather, well it didn’t work for us, he still has the stone. However, the pain has decreased. He still hasn’t had a CT Scan, so we probably will do that next week if we don’t end up in ER sooner. However, you forgot to mention that the coke and asparagus would also clean his colon. Last night he was in the bathroom singing “it’s not easy being green”. LOL at least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. We will see how things go over the weekend. Maybe it has softened and will go ahead a pass. At least he’s not in as much pain, which is a good thing.
I believe that God can make every experience you have good or bad be a tool so that you can help others. This appears to be your mission (A kidney stone mission? LOL… I think God also has a sense of humor). This tool you now have, gives you a chance to connect with others. Use it to glorify Him. Thanks for all you do.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your assistance…the info is really helpful.
My story is that I was having kidney pains on and off for exactly a year and it took doctors 1 year to diagonise the problem..the wrong diagnosis included ovary prolems, thrush, urinary tract infections,what not!!!!
My husband had his 30th b’day on thursday and so took thursday and friday off(today is saturday nite). I had my pain again on thursday,and was so afraid to go to the doctors all alone, I took him along, and then followed a series of blood and urine tests!! what a way to spend ones 30th!! I will sure make it up to him next year!
This time for the first time in a long time I went to a doctor that knew exactly what he was doing and was asked to go for a CT scan..and wolla!!! a big stone in the kidney!.
I have been on the internet since morning looking for herbal/home remedies and am certainly convinced by this one! I have seen herbal remedies work for my dad in India,so I do believ ethis anyway, and if it doesnt then I would simply think that it needs persistance, and I dont expect my 1 years problem to disappear in 1 day.
I have just this morning also tried the olive oil and lemon juice(2 oz) remedy.
Also I am really excited abt your coke&lemon remedy and will try it first thing tomorrow morning.
I have 2 questions here, if I may::
Firstly, do I have to use fresh lemons only? I actually have just used the long life bottled lemon juice from the fridge(was lazy to go to the grocery store).
Secondly, how do I know if a stone is really a stone? I saw a tiny pure white substance in the bowl ,but im not sure what it is….I looked up some pictures of kidney stones on google and found a match!..hopefully it really is a stone…and if it is then I dont have to go to my doctor with my reports on Monday….so I really am hoping to pass it out before Monday!
Lisa,
That is a miserable way to spend your 30th birthday. I’m glad you found answers finally.
To answer your questions (as best I can):
1. I have only used fresh lemons so I’m unsure of how the treatment will go with bottled juice. I would suppose that as long as it is real lemon juice it should be alright.
2, Kidney stones are tannish – white when then come out and then after they dry they become white. Some people pass “sludge” with this treatment. The kidney stones start to dissolve and they pass as goo. I’ve never experienced this. Mine usually come out still as stones. I do always strain my urine when I’m doing this treatment so I will know when then pass. Since this is your first time it would be very helpful to catch the stone and take it back to your doctor for an analysis. They will tell you what type of stone it is (calcium oxalate, struvite, etc) so you can alter your diet accordingly.
Best of luck,
Heather
Hello again: This has not worked for me, nor the Olive Oil/ Lemon Juice. I have not given up yet. They say that I have a 3 mm to 6 mm Stone stuck in the curve where the tube comes out of the kidney. I am scheduled for Lithotripsy, which I will be fully asleep, on 12-5. I have never had one of these and don’t know what to expect. Will I be pretty sore after this proceedure?
I am still hoping and praying for a miracle. I think I am going to repeat all of the above. The citris in the lemons sure made my throat sore.
I am a young female of 64, lol, and will try anything else that you can suggest for me to do. Do you think I can pass this sucker!
Thanks,
Ira
Ira,
I’m sorry to hear that you are still having trouble. That was about the size of my stone when I did the lemon juice therapy for a week. I consumed most of my lemons as lemonade from Chic-Fil-A. You can buy it by the gallon and it sure tastes a lot better than anything I could make at home. You have enough time to repeat it and see what happens. Worst case scenario, you get cancer sores. Ha.
If you do have to go through with the Lithotripsy, the worst part for me is recovering from the anesthesia. I always had a pretty nasty bruise on my back, but it was not too painful. It is certainly bearable, if you have to go through it, but I will be praying that you pass it before then.
Heather
Thanks Heather for your advice. I am just a little afraid of the Lithotripsy as I have never had to do this before. I passed a stone 7 years ago, and the pain in my back was horrible. Morphine shots and all of that, but I never saw the stone, and it was basically just one day of awful pain. This has been so different with a lot of blood in the urine, etc., and going on since 10-30. I had just had Ventral Hernia surgery on 10-9, so that is what concerns me, although they say it will be ok.
I won’t take up any more space on your site, but will continue to read all the comments, unless I am able to pass this by your remedy.
I know that it helps a lot of people, who like myself was in need of a cure. I wish all of them luck. Maybe it works best when you are in the first stages where the pain is so severe when it is moving. As of now, all I have is some dull pain occasionally, and still the blood in urine.
Thanks again for your help,
Ira
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for taking the time to inform the public on how to save thousands of dollars and get rid of needless pain. You are an angel and I personally thank you from the bottom of my heart. I just delivered two roughly 5mm stones and the pain was nothing compared to my last delivery two years ago. I have now changed my diet drastically and life is better than ever! Keep up the good work!!
Well, well, well…. I read the whole thread… First of all thank you Heather for taking the time to write all this good info to help others….. Now; I have not tried the remedy yet… buutttttt here’s what I can tell you…… For one thing remember that phosphoric acid is not only present in coke but in other products, as well as produce… Anyway; I was taken to the ER last week ( I was driving to work and felt unbearable pain in the groin area), the ambulance picked me up from Subway where I had stopped to use the bathroom, my urine was very bloody, because of the intense pain I feared my appendix had burst. I was discharged from the hospital with a kidney stone diagnosis (3mm), my treatment: lots of liquids and pain medication. My liver could not withstand the pain medication, I was nauseous and would throw up anything I ate or drank. My dad (a very ingenious man) had called to tell me that when he was younger (he grew up in Peru) they boiled water in a teapot and sometimes the teapot would have buildup (according to him some of it was calcium). The cleaning process was to boil a few POTATOES inside the teapot and that would remove all the build up and sediments inside of it. He said “go to the store and buy 2 bags of potato, boil the potato and drink the water with a squeeze of lemon.” I did as he said…. drank about 11/2 gallons of that water. I do not have any more pain anywhere and the weird thing is I did not pass the stone… did not see it. I am not sure if it dissolved (it was only 3mm) or not what really happened… Well; just wanted to share this with you guys…. God bless…
Gustavo
Heather, Just had to let you know we were back at ER last week, my husband has a “thick” gallbladder. It sure felt like all the other kidney stones he’s had in the past, same type of pain. Anyhow, had a HIDA Scan which measures the out put of the gallbladder, in my husband’s case the output was 0% which means his gallbladder isn’t working. So your coke/asparagus treatment didn’t work because it was the wrong thing we were treating!!! His gallbladder will come out next week, if we manage to stay out of ER over the holiday weekend. Again, thank you for your willingness to share info. We all have to help each other out, that’s what we’re here for!
I just drank a 2 liter of Coke with 2 lemons sqeeezed in it and downed 18oz of pureed asparagus. I’m now drinking my second glass of water. Very, very full!!!!! I have a sugar rush and slight caffiene buzz going from the Coke. I’m on day 12 of my very first (4mm) kidney stones descent from my left kidney. CT scan 2 days ago showed it to be 40% of the way down the ureter. Just wondering if I can expect the severe pain I had the first day and how long I can ecpect this to take. Thanks for this blog and I will keep you posted on my progress. God Bless!!!
Jon
I’m scheduled for surgery for the second time in 4 years and trying to function through the pain. I believe that my body just makes stones–it’s not in my family history and genetics and I drink a lot of water since the first go-round. I’m running to the store after submitting this comment. Thanks for sharing, you know it works, so it must! Last year i went through a cleansing with my mom–grapefruit and olive oil and what I saw come out (I used a strainer) my doctor said it couldn’t be stones. If this is what I need to do and it works, I’m game. The thing is, I kept reading about different diets and everything wasn’t making sense. I eat whole grains and leafy greens and berries for my overall good health but what I read said not to eat wheat and soy and some dark greens, yellow vegies and berries. Of course, I love nuts and chocolate too–worse offenders on any list! –thanks for sharing your story!–Leona
I’m on my 6th can of Coca Cola–and I really gotta go pee!! This is hilarious. My husband is on duty and waiting to hear from me, my g-friend is on the IM and checking in from time to time. I just feel so full!! I can’t wait for this to be over!!!
Leona,
I know, it feels like you are going to burst. Hang in there and get the asparagus down. I’m pulling for you. Let me know if you pass the stone tonight. Don’t forget to strain your urine, also look for a whitish goo; the stone may have dissolved.
Heather
Oh, I never drink sodas, let alone caffeine, I feel strange! A little headachy, not buzzing yet!! The asparagus is right here waiting for me!
I was wondering when it’s okay to go to the bathroom–do I have to wait till AFTER the asparagus AND the water??
it’s 11:30 and I’ve been straining but no sign of stone–pain is less, though. I probably should have done this on an empty stomach–some diarrhea–hard to strain pee with that going on at the same time…last week’s CAT scan showed 2 stones in right kidney–6mm and 3 mm–last time (4 years ago) I had a 1 cm. that was blasted and taken out in a net..forget what that procedure is called–I tried the olive oil thing 2 years ago as per my mother’s request–3 of us did it simultaneously (Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Seattle) I had a lot of stuff come out when I strained. Guess I need to do something like this Coca Cola cleanse every 6 months or so.
Woops! I just found I didn’t drink a half can of the Coke! Well, I had better try and get to bed cuz I need to go to work in the morning–Thanks for your concern!! I’ll keep you posted!
As part of my physical in March of this year, the blood in the urine showed up but because of a move and change in doctors it took me another 6 months and transfer of records to chase things down. The new guy put me on antibiotics and said I should be in pain and have frequent urination but I didn’t think I had either one. After a month and a re-check he ordered a CAT. I’m scheduled for surgery on Dec. 17 –the pain is getting worse–not unbearable yet–and I have the Vicodin and should go to ER if things get really bad before the 17th. I just don’t want to sit in ER and have them “manage the pain” until the surgery date–and I’m allergic to penicillin and morphine!
So, that catches you up with what I’m going through. After this process works for you–do you return to normal diet or do you restrict things?? What else do you do for your spongey type stone producing kidneys?
Leona,
I completely understand what your are going through right now. After my first episode with stones I knew I would do anything to avoid it in the future. The primary foods I avoid (or significantly reduce) are: spinach, berries, chocolate, sodas, all dark green leafys, sweet potatoes, nuts, and all forms of soy. These foods are high in oxalate which is the culprit in calcium oxalate stones. I bought the book “No More Kidney Stones” and it gives lots of information about how to change your diet to avoid stones in the future. If I do eat one of those “bad” foods, then I drink lots of water that day and I avoid all other high oxalate foods for a while. I know avoiding dark leafy greens, soy, and berries sounds counter to all the current dietary trends, but if you want to avoid stones in the future they have got to go. I fought it for a while and continued having stones.
There are lots of websites that will give the specific oxalate content of certain foods, so start educating yourself about what’s ok and what’s not. Don’t loose heart, there have been times I tried the remedy and nothing happened, then the next time it produced several stones. I wish you the best, and let me know how your journey progresses.
Heather
Here’s what happened-yikes! Before I went to the store for the coke, lemon and asparagus I was already feeling under the weather–due to stones or not, I dunno–by the time I ate the asparagus (like baby food) I was nauseous and my tummy was rumbling. It rumbled all night, like a rolling thunder storm! I stayed up all night trying to strain pee yet having diarrhea! I’m running a low grade fever and had the chills too. So–did I pass the stones? I dunno!! I feel like they’ve moved, though and the pain is just a dull ache – in the front near the groin instead of in the back! I’ve decided to wait closer to the weekend and try it again. I stayed home from work today. Thanks for the info on high oxalate foods-something I’ve been reading about a lot lately. I was kinda hoping I could eat what I want and cleanse more often, but that would be counter-productive! Most Hawaiian foods are high oxalate–and being a native hasn’t helped the kidney stone avoidance!! I’ve had a peaceful day.–Leona
That’s exactly what I would do, it sounds like you have at the very least moved them down. There was one time I was doing the remedy and my pain was so bad that all I did was throw up the coke and asparagus – yuck. One thing I’ve learned to do is take the remedy in the morning on an empty stomach. I can process the sugar and caffeine better that way.
Where in Hawaii do you live? I have roots in Hawaii, my middle name is Leilani.
Hi just wanted to say thank you for the info. I at 15 years old had a stone the size of a golf ball.Ihad the lazor surgery twice for the same stone and actually while waiting for the second surgery had a stone to get loged in the ducts comimg from the kidneys it doubled inlarged my kidney. I since know i get stones i usally just drank plenty of water and pass them. But i will definatly try its next time.
I wanted to ask a question to anyone who has had the lazor surery. Iam now 31 so its been over 15 years since i had that surgery. Was just wondering if anyone here has every experianced low kidney functioning numbers. my kidney functioning numbers a 57 they are supposed to be like 117. if so what was wrong and what happened. THANKS SO MUCH
Hi all~
I am a two time kidney stone sufferer. The first was three years ago on my right side…10mm broken up w/ Lithotripsy treatment. I had another “attack” two weeks ago on the left side. I ran across this blog and tried the treatment twice the same day the pain hit me. Actually, before I tried the Coke, lemon juice and asparagus I tried something else first which may or may not have helped. After the Lithotripsy the first time around I was given an instruction sheet telling me to lay on my stomach with my hips higher than my head and to tap (like a karate-chop motion) my side/back in the area of the affected kidney. This was supposed to help move the broken-up pieces of the stone along and pass them.
When my pain hit a few weeks ago I started drinking lots of water and (after pacing the floor in tears for about 45 minutes) I remembered the Lithotripsy post-op instructions. I lay on my bed with my head on the floor and had my husband pound my back where the pain was. Within 5 minutes the pain subsided. I did the Coke/Asparagus twice within that day to hedge my bet. I figure pounding your back can’t hurt, ya know? Maybe that will help someone else.
My question is this…I have since experienced UTI/Kidney infection symptoms. I visited my physician…I was already taking Amoxicillan given to me by my dentist after some dental work and she said no infection was showing up in my urine so the infection was being taken care of. But I just finished up the antibiotics today (10 day course) and I am still having burning like I have a UTI. Anyone else have this issue?
Thanks for the good info,
Cathy
Hello, and thanks for all your info – Great Stuff. I had my first about 3 1/2 years ago on my right side. I was living in Turks and Caicos Islands and did not want to go to the Doc´s there so I went online and Yep.. paid the $49.99 to get this same remedy, but to be honest within an hour or so I could actually peeeee, the pain was gone, and to me those were the best $50 buck I spent in my life. Now, at the beginning of July it hit me again, and the doctors gave some sort of treatment and this and that but nothing worked and I have been having the pains every month and a half ever since. That is until last week where it hit me twice in one week, and again just yesterday. Now yesterday was probably one of the worst days ever, I tried the remedy but the second I tried the asparagus I threw up like crazy… (yep, waste of coke) I do have some medicine that was prescribed for the pain (makes me sleepy) so I took one and went to sleep. I woke up and tried again, this time I downloaded the coke in about 20 min, 10 Min recess, then ate the asparagus, 4 glasses of water, and waited. I couldn´t pee before that – Ok so my ??? are (sorry people for the details) 1. Went No. 2 where all that came out was the coke, so what does that mean do I have to do it again? 2. I did pee fluently right away after that, and then like 3 times (during the early morning) fluently as well, but I did not see or feel any stone pass through. The time before (3 years ago) was the same and I do not have any stones on my right ride, sooo. What do you suggest I do? Thanks very very much for all – and sorry for the ramble or my english, I´m Dominican and haven´t written in english in a while….
take care and thanks…
Mario,
We are all commiserating with you. I have two thoughts, 1) did you strain your urine each time you did the remedy? It’s possible a small stone passed without your notice. This usually happens with women more since our urethra’s are larger, but anything is possible. 2) Its also possible that the coke dissolved the stone in the kidney and you only passed the remains. Do you still have pain? If not, relax and enjoy life for a while. You could always go and get an x-ray to confirm the stone is gone, but in your present location that may not be possible.
If you are not in excruciating pain now, I would hold off on the remedy for a while and see what happens, but then again, I’m not a doctor. Go with your instincts and let us now how you are doing. I’m praying for you.
Heather
Thanks, Heather – you are awesome by the way… I have not had any pains since I did the remedy, so I will hold on on doing it again until and if it starts again. Thank you very much, and I will enjoy life for now (je je je) as you suggest.
take care, o and PS: Had to look up ¨commiserating¨ ! nice word… jeje bye!
Hi Heather,
I’ve enjoyed reading your site while I sit here waiting for a 6mm to drop from my ureteric junction with the bladder. Excrutiating pain, ER, Dilaudid, etc…and the stone finally stopped just before my bladder. I will do ANYTHING to avoid a stent. I have had one before (by the way, this will be my 26th stone…I am a true stoner), and I think that the stent is worse than a stone, as my body tries spasmodically to get rid of it 24/7. I honestly think that stents are worse than stones.
I am, as my dr has always told me to do, drinking lemon juice like crazy, and praying that it will whittle the beast down enough to get it to pass.
12 years ago, when I had my first stone, there was no internet community, no information, nothing to help. I am glad I’ve found this site! I am not one to try the Coke/asparagus. The sound of it makes me sick, and I’ve done enough of that over the past two days. I did try the olive oil/lemon juice, and that came flyin’ right back up and made me worse. I’ll stick to the lemon juice and water. Today is day one on the lemon juice. I am also on Flomax once a day.
I think the worst part of it all is the not knowing. I am afraid to go out alone anywhere, as this stone actually caught me while my 8yr old was getting a hair cut. It hasn’t happened to me in years, but this is a pain you never forget the second it comes back. It takes your freedom away when you are so afraid that you’ll get an “attack”.
My one worry is that the huge amounts of lemon juice will actually make the other stones I have start to move – any comments on this?
Merry Christmas to all. All I want is one stone, please, Santa.
Heather,
I have had kidney stones about a dozen times since I was 16. I can promise you that I will try your remedy next time, because I know there will be a next time. I will let you know the out come!
Thanks!
Lance
Have read through this entire thread (and many others like it!) in a bid to learn something new to help my husband with his intense suffering. He’s been in agony for two full days, did the coke/asparagus around midday but has not been able to drink much water. He had an hour or so with relief and we thought it was all over, but he’s now writhing in agony again and it looks to be another sleepless night. Reading through this thread it’s scary to see how many people have so many recurring episodes of stones – yikes! This is our first experience with kidney stones, altho I’m a gall-stone survivor and have used olive oil/lemon juice to flush a 5cm gall stone so I know all about the pain. We have not consulted any medical advice but may have to tomorrow to see what’s going on. He does seem to think the stone or stones may have shifted as the pain is now in the front rather than in his kidney, but he sure is in a miserable state (and very hard to be around!!!!) Thanks for listening!
Sue,
The stones ARE moving. That is the initial sensation I feel when the stone is getting ready to pass. It is advisable for him to visit the doctor since this is his first experience with stones. A 2 minute x-ray will give you a lot of information about where the stone(s) is/are and their size. Once he passes the stone its also a good idea to take the stone to the lab so they can tell you the composition of the stone. This will help him change his diet in order to avoid new stones in the future.
Best of luck to you. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I’m not a physician, but I’ve been there myself many times.
Heather
Heather,
Thanks so much for responding (and so quickly!) You are truly providing a service with your experiences.
Today it’s Sunday and he’s still having these intermittent bouts of pain lasting about two hours, when he feels like something may be passing into his ureter. He says it’s bad but nowhere near as intense as a few days ago. But he has not passed anything visible – he’s using a strainer to catch whatever comes. He’s pretty much lying in bed (currently groaning!) and not eating much, mostly liquids, feeling constipated. Tomorrow I will try to get him to our doctor so we can schedule an x-ray and see exactly what’s going on.
Thanks again for your concern.
Sue,
I’m so sorry he is still in pain. One thing that the doctors have told me during an episode is to lie on my left side. Let me know what happens tomorrow at the doctors. I’ll be praying for him tonight.
Heather
Sue,
I’m so sorry that he is still in pain. One of the things the doctors have told me during an episode is to try lying on my left side. I’ll will be praying for him tonight and please let me know how things go tomorrow, my suspicion is that it is a very large stone.
Heather
Heather,
Tried the coke/asparagus regime today for the first time.
Successfully passed a stone a few years ago but this one has been a real “bugger”.
How long should I wait until repeating the process? Fresh or canned asparagus recommended?
Frank WV
Frank,
When this happens to me, I usually drink lemons and lemonade for a couple days and then repeat the remedy. I hope this helps.
Heather
Heather,
Repeat question……………..fresh or canned asparagus? 8 oz puree?
Some sites recommend the asparagus before the coke………what is your recommendation?
Frank
Frank,
Sorry about that…..I’ve never used canned asparagus. I’ve been told by a friend that canned is ok if that is all you have, but I would recommend fresh steamed asparagus. Again, I’ve never eaten the asparagus before the coke always after. I would be curious to see what happens if the remedy was reversed. Let me know how it goes.
Heather
Thanks so much for this site!
I’ve been fighting since Monday night with a stone and infection. The Vicodin makes me itchy so I have to limit it and take Benedryl (meaning I’m always in some pain and a bit itchy and stoned (in more ways than one) and dizzy and so tired it hurts to type and depressed by the situation and the chemicals…all while having my insides “shredded” and peeing in pretty shades of red). Meds and me just don’t get along. It’s hard to get to work between the pain and the drug hang-over and the fatigue, let alone DO my work when I do make it in.
So, I’m very happy to hear about something I can try (as soon as I can stop the dizzy long enough to get to the store!)!
I have a question…it’s probably silly, but I haven’t see this mentioned: I understand that fresh or canned asparagus can be used and that it needs to be pureed…but is it raw or cooked (steamed)? It seems to me that if I took fresh asparagus without cooking it, that it would just be in little chunks (but then, I’ve never tried to puree asparagus, so I have no idea).
Again, thanks for sharing all of this. I would love to get rid of this stone and be able to get some work done this weekend (I think the infection is stone-related, so I’m hoping once the stone is gone that my infection can clear up, too).
Kelly,
Yes, steam the asparagus and puree it in the blender. I usually eat about 2 cups with a squeeze of lemon and salt for taste. I hope this helps, good luck today I’ll be praying for you.
Heather
I had a kidney stone attack, my first, almost 2 months ago and the little sucker won’t vacate my bladder, saw it again on the xray today at the urologists. So now he wants to go in and yank it out but I am going to try this method to see if I can lose the little irritant myself. Question is this. I have a pacemaker for heart arythmia so can I use caffeine free coke? Also I noticed one of the recipes on here said 2 litres of coke and someone else said they just drank one tin of coke, can the one tin do it? Thanks for your help. I thought there must be some way to blow this thing out of my bladder without medical intervention. I have alot of health issues and if I can figure out how to get rid of these dern stones myself, all the better. They don’t know what kind of stone it is right now, does this work for all kinds of stones? Thanks for your help.
Since I am a new stone sufferer I have never tried to ’strain my pee for the stones’. Can someone tell me the best and easiest way to do this? Sheeesh I can’t believe I am talking about straining my pee,sigh. Anything though to get rid of this fricken fracken stone and figure out what kind it is and on my way to changing my diet so this doesn’t happen again. Did someone on here say 26 stones they had? I nearly fainted at the thought. Prayers are coming your way, 26 stones, wow. Thanks for all your help.
Heather,
I have great insurance for the next year. So, I am blessed. I have had four stones in my past and two Lithrotripsy proceedures which worked. I got on a stone prevention program at a major hospital and they Xrayed me every six months and told me no more stones.
But yet I had another one last year which was small and I pasted in the ER.
The ER doctor gave me a CT Scan and then said that I had another 12×12 mm stone (large) that would not pass. I also have a 3 mm in the lower same kidney.
These stones have not given me ANY pain for the whole time I have known I had them. The doctor that I used in this stone prevention program wants to do a uterosopic removal and I am not for that. She said the reason she did not know I had them all that time is because they are radiotranslucent and do not show up on x ray. (So why don’t you use a CT scan?) The radiotranslucent feature is typical only in uric acid formed stones. My previous four stones were calcium oxalate and did show up on xray so the doctor blew the up and it was no big deal.
Since I now can not put much faith in this program, I went to yet another doctor. This is now a year later. My insurance is over in December of 2009. So I feel like I can either deal with this big stone now or wait until it decides to deal with me on it’s terms.
For the last six months, I have been trying to disslove the stone with Uricit K (Potasium Citrate) and also lots of fresh lemon in water. It appears to be smaller by 2mm and has a big hole in the middle of it now.
The new doctor told me that he, unlike the other doctors can now see this on xray and he showed it to me. He wants to do a lithrotripsy next week which is fine BUT he wants to put a stint in me for 5 days because he said there would be a lot of gravel and small peices to pass and it would be painful and may get stuck. He said this is the way he would go if it was his stone.
I am now scared to death of the stint. He said about 30 percent of the people that have stints do not have any problem with them at all. He said 30% have a horrible time with them and 30% are in the middle. I am not finding that on the blogs but then again people do not write about good experiences. This would be the type of stint with the string and he will just pull it out five days later.
I don’t know what to do. The fist Doctor’s office called me to come in and I told them about the lithrotripcy and they said that that is the wrong way for me to go and I should have the uterosopic removal procedure.
I am sure getting a lot of attention for a guy without any pain from the stone.
I would love to hear from anyone that the stint is not that bad. Or, someone who had a lithrotripsy with a stone bigger than 10 mm and did not have a stint put in and yet did not get an issue with passing the gravel.
Any advice for a scared guy?
Carolyn,
I understand where you are coming from. I can’t believe I am talking about all this stuff in a public way either. But the way I strain my pee is with a little strainer they gave me the last time I was in the hospital. But if I didn’t have that I would use a very small mesh strainer from the grocery store’s kitchen utensil isle. This is the only way you will know if the little stuff passes. The big stuff you will obviously feel and maybe even see in the toilet.
Oh, and to clarify: you must use a whole 2 liter COKE A COLA. It cannot be Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Mr. Pibb etc. It CAN be caffeine free though. You need the phosphoric acid in the Coke, not the caffeine. Additionally, my only experience is with calcium oxalate stones. I have no idea if this remedy will work for struvite or uric acid stones. If someone makes these types of stones and has had success with this remedy, please let us know.
Heather
Jay (the scared guy),
I will tell you this, the doctors would have to CATCH ME before they ever put another stint in me again (and I can run pretty fast. Ha.) I had the most terrible experience with several stints and was on large amounts of pain medication to be able to just function. I couldn’t walk very far or even sit up comfortably, and I spent most of my time in the tub letting the water take the pressure off my bladder and kidney. For the first stint I was 7-9 months pregnant. But after the delivery, they left it in for 2 weeks before I had the ESWOL and they removed it. Even with the baby off my bladder, I still had a lot of pain from the stint.
I want to reiterate that I CANNOT give medical advice, but if I were you I would not have the procedure. Why put yourself through it if you are not having any pain? The stone is not moving and it is shrinking with the treatment you are on. It might very well get small enough to do the remedy and pass it on your own. I did not have success with the Uricit K (I was nursing my first child and it reduced my milk supply so I quit.) But I have had GREAT SUCCESS with lemon juice. I’m not usually the kind of person to slam traditional medicine, but they do want you in the OR so they can get paid, and they do not recognize natural remedies like the Coke/asparagus one. I would stay on the path you’re on and see what happens. But I usually choose the option with as little pain involved as possible. Let us know what you decide to do.
Best of luck.
Heather
Ok Ladies, here is the up date. I am taking your advice. At 7:35 a.m. I started drinking 2 liters of Classic Coke. I finished at 7:57 a.m. I have not had any caffine or suger in my diet for 3 years. I did not get sick to my stomach BUT I started to shake like I had the chills. I found that folding towels for my wife
(which I hate) seemed to take my mind off of it as I watched the bad ecomonic news on CNBC.
At 8:25 she served me a beautiful bowl of puree asparagus. 16 ozs with one fresh squeezed lemon and a little sea salt. It did not taste like asparagus. I just did not look at it and convinced myself it was oat meal and I finished it by 8:40.
Ok, I am now starting to drink the distilled water in a two liter bottle with four fresh squeezed lemons in the water.
This program is really was not so bad so far. I think doing this on an empty stomach helped. Also, I know for sure it helps to not be having any stone pain. I don’t think I could have done this if my hugh stone had been hurting me. I know from the past four stones I have had over the years that I can not even think about putting anything in my mouth while I am hurting.
I will strain the urine today and let you know the results of this experiment.
Thank you for your information, your support and those prayers. May this work and insprie others to at least give it a try.
Jay
Heather, thanks for posting all this. I’ve been battling these pests for about a year now and they won’t go away. This is some of the most practical information I’ve seen.
All the best to you and your family with your new adventures in Austin!
Mark Moeller
Hi Heather, I sent an email along but thought maybe I should have posted here instead. Anywho thanks for the reply and clarification on how much coke to drink. I was wondering if you could go over the order in which you should down these things, coke and asparagus and water and lemon. I am a bit confused about that. I am getting low back pain – just mild and wonder if it’s from that stone stuck in my bladder or is this another one on it’s way down? OH NOOOOOOO say it isn’t so. Does anyone know what that dull pain is? Just started yesterday. Thanks
I have read the comments by many and do thank you for this tip. I tried this about five years ago because it was publish in an online site and tried this. It did releive my pain some but I had to get surgery as many. Sites show that many people have same pain afterwards. Is this true or is this kidney stones. I am again in severe pain but do not have my insurance card which has changed so therefore I am not going to the hospital. Can anyone give me a little advice? My pain is on the right side under the pevic bone and I scream each night!
Heather,
I have now done the treatment of coke and asparagus four times since Feb. 3rd. I know there is no set amount of times for this and it depends on the size of the stone, but I wanted your opinion on how often and how many times I should do this? I am starting to hate coke. I still have felt nothing move or no pain. I just want it to at least get smaller so I will not have the stint. I am not sure when to go have another CT Scan. Can this be reasonably done in two weeks if I do the coke and asparagus four times a week? Thanks for your comments.
Jay
Heather ,
I want to thank you for sharing this home remedy i just wish i would of found it before i had surgery to put a stent in my ureter just 2 days ago!Im just 17 and i have a 7mm stone i cant even imagine the pain you had to go through with a 5cm stone.I just cant wait till march 2nd to get this thing out of me,all the medication the doctors gave me makes me puke and i cant keep any food down so i am going to try your method tonight,thanks so much again!
Jennifer
Dear Heather,
I just downed the coke and worked through the Asparagus.
I missed the steamed part and did it raw. I hope to hell this does not null the cure..
I have not had a coke in years and 2 liters is quite the task..
I’m now off to do the water and hope for results.
Thanks in advance,
Jim
Hi Heather im shelah i was dianosed with kidney stones in Nov. and its now mar. 1st. and im still suffering I now have a $45,000 hospital bill and nothing to show for it but an emense hatred for doctors who take our money and send us away more sick and confused than the state we came to them i’m going to try your remidy and im praying to God it works because im so sick of feeling bad i just want my life back thank you so much for your ‘free’ information others want to make money off of others misery
Hi Heather, I was reading your site with great interest my husband has been almost bed ridden for about 7 months now, he has had just about every test done and everything comes back fine, every time kidney stones was brought up we dismissed it as he has had them before and never ever have they even been similar to this…turns out today that he has a 12mm kidney stone it is already out of his kidney and it isn’t blocking anything he is concerned about the shock treatment as we have heard a lot of bad stories regarding this. I want to try him on the lemonade & fresh lemons for 5 days then try the coke & asparagus. I was wondering if you could ask Jay to contact me I would be interested to know if his 12mm stone had reduced in size at all after he had hi CT scan done.
Thanks!
Zoe
hey, my husband has been suffering since last friday (today is thurs). he has been thru er – tested and sent home with pain pills and told to drink a lot of water and they should pass. well it’s almost a week later and nothing has passed the pain is horrible – we can’t sleep and he hasn’t been to work in a week! no work on top of hospital / dr bills – i can’t take any more! well i’m about to head over to our local grocery store to buy coke, lemon juice and asparagus (which he’s never eaten a day in his life, lol) i’m going to make this concoction and pray that it works for him. please pray for me, as i hope we are as lucky as you have been and this will work for him too.
thanks again for your great FREE advice, all others want to charge us, when no one can afford any extras in today economy.
My brother has a 1cm kidney stone, according to the ER doctor. They sent him home though because he has no insurance, and the urologist we called won’t see him either because of this. So we are going to try this remedy and see what happens. He is taking Flomax and drinking a lot of water. He is prediabetic though, so we are going to try the caffeine free diet coke. I am wondering if phosphoric acid supplements would work just as well? I’ll let everyone know how it goes.
i have used a few natural remedies for my kidney stones. the best one so far that has really helped me out is stoneclr. you might want to ask your doctor about that one.
First of all ,thanks very much for your post. I did not scan trhrough all the posts. I’m just going to leave one recomendation . Pre mix the aspargus for enough time for the froth to separate. I personally mixed the asparagus and some distilled water right before consuption and needless to say–WHOOOOAAAWWWW. I dont want that to happen to anyone else. Again -Thank you much–Joe
Hi- I think I have kidney stones but I just got told from my doctor to go to Physical Theraphy for the back pain. Yet he hasn’t done anything to rule out Kidney stones. I am in massive pain and not too happy with him. I am going to go get a 2nd opinion. This is the fourth severe attack I have had in the past month and painkillers just mask the pain but definitely have not resolved the problem. Once I know if I truly do have stones then I will also try this remedy. I just saw the current medical research supporting carbonated beverages that do actually work on reducing the size of kidney stones and allowing them to pass. The medical research made mention of orange carbonated beverages and lemon carbonated beverages due to the higher acidic content but also mentioned some colas with lower acidic content. I am looking into this. Thanks, Karen