Homeopathy And Kidney Stones

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Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition; it is for educational purposes only. Please consult with a qualified health care professional if you experience symptoms of kidney stones.

My first personal experience with kidney stones was through my beloved grandfather when I was at the very tender and impression­able age of eleven. I still remember visiting him in the hospital and learning that the doctor went up into his body with a wire to catch and remove the kidney stone. A lot was left to the imagina­tion, as this was 1973 in a very conservative part of Germany, and certain things—such as questionable body parts—were never directly spoken of. My imagination, however, was al­ways quite active, and to this day I can’t get out of my mind the vision of a cold, hard wire being pushed up his you-know-what to catch a rogue kidney stone!

Little did I know that a few decades later, I would know of homeopathic remedies to do the job without any wires or hospitalization.

KIDNEY STONE OVERVIEW

Kidney stones (also known as renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis) consist of hard deposits composed of mineral salts. They are a common urological condition that affects a significant and increasing number of people worldwide.¹ It is estimated that kidney stones affect about 12 percent of the world’s popula­tion,² with a two-to-one male-to-female ratio and a peak incidence in the second and third decades of life.³

Kidney stones can cause severe pain (renal colic) if they obstruct the ureters, bladder or urethra while the body is passing them. They can also cause obstruction of and infection in the kidneys themselves, and frequent and incomplete urination and pus and blood in the urine. A stone that completely obstructs a ureter can lead to kidney damage as the urine backs up.

These pesky stones can vary in size, from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Stones of less than five millimeters in diameter usually pass spontaneously. Stones of five to seven millimeters have a 50 percent chance of passing, whereas those greater than seven millimeters in diameter almost always require some surgical intervention.⁴

Surgery can be performed via ureteroscope, a thin lighted tube equipped with a camera and special tools to find, snare and break the stone. Although this is a big improvement from the cruder method my grandfather endured, it is probably no more enjoyable; after all, who really wants a camera pushed up their urethra! Alternatively, surgical procedures can be employed that cut through the back into the kidney to remove the stone; these involve general anesthesia and come with all the risks of both anesthesia and surgery.

Other conventional treatment options include the use of shock waves or lasers to break up larger stones, allowing for easier passage, as well as medications for pain management. Currently, there are no allopathic medications to cure or prevent kidney stone recurrences. Lifestyle changes can be helpful to reduce the risk of recurrence.

HOMEOPATHIC APPROACHES

There are quite a few homeopathic remedies that may be useful in the case of kidney stones. Homeopathic remedies can be helpful for the management of kidney stones, as various remedies have been shown to help dissolve kidney stones, eliminating them or making them easier to pass. Remedies can also improve the underlying susceptibility to stone formation. It is important to consult with a trained professional to reduce the risk of serious kidney damage from poorly managed stones.

As always, remedies should be selected to match the overall symp­toms of the sufferer and could include constitutional and/or acute rem­edies. Paying attention to the affected side of the body and the quality of the urine, including deposits in the urine, can help with the selection of remedies.

BERBERIS VULGARIS

One of the most important remedies for kidney stones is Berberis vulgaris (commonly known as barberry). It can be used in a mother tincture as well as in potency. A mother tinc­ture is an herbal tincture where a plant’s active ingredients have been extracted with water and alcohol; this is then used to prepare the homeopathic potencies, so the tincture becomes the “mother” of many of the potentized homeo­pathic remedies made from plants. (The process is different for remedies made from minerals.)

Plants from the genus Berberis have a long history of medicinal and culinary use around the world. Medicinal uses of B. vulgaris in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) date back to over three thousand years ago, and in some other countries to more than twenty-five hundred years ago.⁵ All parts of the plants are medicinal, but extracts of the root bark are the most used parts for homeopathic preparations.

Berberis is a top remedy for persons expe­riencing symptoms such as intense lower back or flank pain as the stones are being passed through or stuck in the ureters, especially with twinging, shooting or radiating pain toward the bladder. The remedy is more often indicated for left-sided pain. Symptoms are worsened by movement, especially jarring movements or jumping. Pressure, burning or bubbling sensa­tions may be felt in the area around the kidneys, and urination may be difficult and painful, with increased frequency. There may be sandy sedi­ment or blood in the urine.

A study published in 2013 in India de­scribes the use of Berberis in an animal model for the prevention of kidney stone formation.⁶ Rats were given ethylene glycol to increase levels of kidney-stone-forming constituents in their urine, and the investigators measured parameters for renal damage. Administration of Berberis vulgaris normalized the mineral levels and the abnormal renal damage parameters. The authors concluded, “Homeopathic B. vulgaris root bark has strong anti-urolithiasis potential at ultra-diluted dose.” I often use Berberis in a 6X potency daily to support kidney function in many different circumstances. In the case of kidney stones, a lower potency could be used daily to try to help dissolve stones and ease symptoms, and in situations of very acute symptoms, a higher potency could be taken more frequently—for example, a 200C or even 1M potency taken several times a day in acute renal colic. (Again, this article does not con­stitute medical advice and is for informational purposes only.) Ideally, homeopathic remedies should be used “as needed”; if in an acute renal colic a selected remedy does not relieve symptoms in a short time, it is probably not the correct remedy, and you should try another one.

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM

Lycopodium is another important remedy for people affected by kidney stones and other urinary issues. It is more often indicated for right-sided kidney stones and pain. The sufferer may have severe backache before urinating, which subsides after voiding urine. The patient may also suffer with frequent urination or re­tained urine, and the urine may be loaded with red or yellow sediments. People who need this remedy often suffer from gas and indigestion as well.

In a multicenter observational study con­ducted by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy in New Delhi, India, Lycopodium clavatum was found to be one of the most often selected and most helpful remedies for the treat­ment of renal calculi.⁷ The researchers enrolled three hundred eleven participants in the study, following up with two hundred twenty for one year. All of the participants were examined with ultrasounds and X-rays of the kidney, ureter and bladder. After selecting a total of nineteen different homeopathic remedies for the individual participants, the researchers found Lycopodium to be effective in 40.9 percent of cases, followed by homeopathic Sulphur (12.3 percent), Pulsatilla (8.2 percent), Nux vomica (6.4 percent), Cantharis versicatoria (5.9 per­cent) and some others.

Out of the two hundred twenty cases, nearly half (48 percent) showed marked improvement with expulsion of kidney stones, and another 40 percent showed mild to moderate improvement. Only three participants showed no improve­ment, and only one got worse. The authors concluded, “This study proved the usefulness of a wholistic approach in treatment consider­ing individuality of patients and not just disease symptoms for remedy selection and outcome assessment.”⁷

HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS

This remedy is prepared from the bark and leaves of the popular flowering shrub hydran­gea. According to A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, published in 1902 by John Henry Clarke, this remedy “has a traditional reputation as a ‘stone-breaking’ remedy, having been used in calculus diseases for many years.”⁸ An in vitro study of homeopathic Hydrangea published in 2021 reported on the promising mechanism of dissolving calcium oxalate stones in humans (the most common type of kidney stone), “thereby inhibiting the crystalluria and its resultant injury.”⁹

Hydrangea may be appropriate where the sufferer has sharp pain in the back and notable white sediment and gravel in the urine. Urinary frequency and blood in the urine may also be present. Homeopathic Hydrangea is also a more frequently indicated and clinically success­ful remedy in prostate enlargement. So, if the patient has kidney stones and prostate trouble, this may be one to try.

CANTHARIS VESICATORIA

Cantharis is a fascinating remedy prepared from a species of blister beetle, also known as Spanish fly. Blister beetles produce a chemical called cantharidin for self-defense, which can cause blisters on human skin upon contact. Humans, being curious creatures, discovered that ingesting small amounts of the toxin can cause mucus membrane irritation in the genito­urinary system, which can trigger or intensify sexual arousal.

Homeopathy, based on the idea of “like cures like,” utilizes this ability to irritate the aforesaid mucous membranes to ameliorate common symptoms of urinary tract infections with intense burning during and after urination. This makes Cantharis a potentially useful rem­edy for kidney stones, too, if the symptoms fit.

SARSAPARILLA

Sarsaparilla is indicated if there is intense burning at the end of urination. It may be more indicated in right-sided kidney stones, similar to Lycopodium. The patient may have renal colic with pain radiating from the kidney to the bladder. The urine may contain sandy particles or slime.

LARGE STONES

While doing research for this article, I discovered several published case reports from India that describe very large stones expelled with the aid of homeopathic remedies. One such report involved a fifty-year-old man with a whopper of a kidney stone (measuring nearly seventeen millimeters or almost three-quarters of an inch), which he passed after only three doses over three days of Sarsaparilla 30C, a remedy selected specifically for his whole symptom picture.¹⁰ Interestingly, when the man passed the stone, it only measured thirteen mil­limeters, indicating that it had shrunk under the effect of the remedy even after only a few days. As mentioned earlier, stones greater than seven millimeters almost always require surgi­cal intervention.

Another report describes the case of a thirty-three-year-old male with a urethral stone, meaning a stone that had made its way down to the urethra, getting stuck near the prostate.¹¹ He complained of having experienced severe burning pain in the urethral region for twenty days and a constant urge to urinate despite passing only a few drops each time. His history revealed that he was very fond of street dogs, regularly feeding and playing with them, and had been bitten by them five to seven times since childhood. He was intolerant of heat and sunlight. His symptoms and history pointed to the remedy Lyssinum, a remedy made from the saliva of a rabid dog. Within two days of tak­ing the remedy, he passed an eleven-millimeter stone!¹¹ This case report is a good example of the importance of taking a complete case history.

A third report describes the case of a thirty-four-year-old married lawyer with symptoms of kidney stones.¹² Ultrasound examination con­firmed a twelve-millimeter stone in the middle of the calyx of the right kidney. The history-taking process found the patient to be “hard working, gentle, co-operative, desires company and loves to travel.” He also had a fear of ghosts and found it “difficult to sleep alone at night.” Based on the totality of his symptoms, the Phos­phorus remedy was selected. Within a few days, the man briefly suffered from colic symptoms and then expelled an eleven-millimeter stone!¹²

I’m sure my grandfather would have much preferred to pass his stone with such homeo­pathic support.

PETS

Both dogs and cats can also be affected by urinary stones, especially in the bladder. In dogs, stones are more common in breeds like pugs. They are often associated with a history of urinary tract infections. Veterinary medicine offers surgery, but the rate of recurrence is high, just as with humans. Being that urinary stones are a common occurrence in pets, homeopathy could be a helpful alternative to conventional management.

Berberis vulgaris as a mother tincture is often used and described in the veterinary literature for this purpose. I found an article written by a veterinarian describing the successful homeopathic treatment for bladder stones in a six-year-old female Po­meranian.¹³ Her symptoms included frequently raising her leg to urinate and painful straining but inability to void. Ultrasound and X-ray showed stones in the bladder. The vet gave Cantharis for the straining and burn­ing sensations and Berberis mother tincture as well as some vitamin C and an antibiotic for infection. Her symptoms quickly improved, and ultrasound and X-ray taken two months later showed complete disap­pearance of the stones.¹³

CONCLUSION

There is significant clinical and research data to support the use of homeopathic remedies in kidney stones. A well-indicated remedy may help to break up and shrink the stones so they are easier to pass, posi­tively affecting levels of minerals in the urine and relaxing the ureters or urethra to ease passage of existing stones. In addition, homeopathy may help to reduce stone recurrence, especially if combined with better lifestyle habits, such as eating a better diet, consuming more fluids and exercising.

See our many other articles on homeopathy at westonaprice.org/homeopathy/.

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SIDEBARS

SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY STONES
1. Severe pain in the back, side, lower abdomen or groin
2. Painful urination
3. Blood in the urine
4. Nausea and vomiting
5. Frequent urination
6. Fever and chills if an infection is present

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES THAT MAY HELP WITH KIDNEY STONES
BERBERIS VULGARIS: More left-sided symptoms, worse left side; shooting pain from the kidneys to the bladder; may help dissolve kidney stones and reduce risk of recurrence.
LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM: More right-sided symptoms; severe backache before urination, relieved after passing urine; person often has indigestion and gas as well.
HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS: More left-sided symptoms; plenty of white sediment in urine; sharp pain in loins; prostate enlargement.
CANTHARIS VERSICATORIA: Burning during and after urination; burning and cutting in the kidney area; frequent desire to urinate with small volume of urine passed.
SARSAPARILLA: More right-sided symptoms; intense burning after urination.

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REFERENCES

1. Romero V, Akpinar H, Assimos DG. Kidney stones: a global picture of prevalence, incidence, and associated risk factors. Rev Urol. 2010 Spring;12(2-3):e86-e96.
2. Alelign T, Petros B. Kidney stone disease: an update on current concepts. Adv Urol. 2018 Feb 4;2018:3068365.
3. Mohan H. “The kidney and lower urinary tract.” Chapter 20 in Textbook of Pathology, Fifth Edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, (P) Ltd, 2008, p. 714.
4. Kidney stones. Mayo Clinic, Jun. 3, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-condi­tions/kidney-stones/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355759
5. Rahimi-Madiseh M, Lorigoini Z, Zamani-Gharaghoshi H, et al. Berberis vulgaris: specifications and traditional uses. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2017 May;20(5):569-587.
6. Jyothilakshmi V, Thellamudhu G, Kumar A, et al. Preliminary investigation on ultra high diluted B. vulgaris in experimental urolithiasis. Homeopathy. 2013 Jul;102(3):172-178.
7. Siddiqui VA, Singh H, Gupta J, et al. A multicentre observational study to ascertain the role of homoeopathic therapy in urolithiasis. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2019 Feb;5(2):30-39.
8. Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol. II. London: The Homoeopathic Publishing Company, 1902, p. 917.
9. Telang RA. An in vitro study of Hydrangea arborescens, homoeopathic preparation as an inhibitor of Calcium oxalate cyrstallisation. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2021 Jan;15(1):24.
10. Gupta A, Gupta J, Siddiqui V, et al. A big urinary calculus expelled with homoeopathic medicine. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2008;2(4):50-55.
11. Sharma S, Wadhwani G. Experience with homoeopathy in a case of large urethral cal­culus. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 2013;7(4):176-180.
12. Chakma A. Renal calculi: an evidence based case study. RA Journal of Applied Research. 2015 Aug;1(7):227-234.
13. Unny G. Urinary stones in a 6-year-old Pomeranian. Hpathy (eJournal), May 18, 2022. https://hpathy.com/veterinary-homeopathy/urinary-stones-in-a-6-year-old-pomeranian/

This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2024

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