Since ancient times, medicine in our traditional impression is to treat diseases and save people, maintain health. "To be sick is to take medicine" has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. But no medicine is a panacea, and it is impossible to cure all diseases. Many medicines also have their corresponding indications, contraindications and adverse reactions, eating incorrectly or overdose, and the risk of urinary stones!
In the clinic, sometimes encounter such friends who suffer from urinary tract stones due to random medication, and according to their situation, the causes can be roughly divided into two types.
The two main causes of urinary tract stones caused by taking medication by mistake
1. Drugs that are easy to form crystals in the human body
Some drugs or it is metabolized after entering the human body, it will saturate in the urine to form crystals, then the component of this stone is the drug itself. For example, sulfonamides, triamterene, indinavir and so on.
Among them, indenavir is a protease inhibitor used to treat AIDS, which is easily absorbed by the small intestine and can be excreted by urine. Patients who take this drug for a long time are prone to urinary tract stones, and the prevalence is as high as 4% to 13%.
Triamterene is a common potassium-sparing diuretic in hospitals that helps the body excrete excess water and is often used in the treatment of high blood pressure. In addition, there are common antibiotics such as sulfonamides, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin.
2. Stones formed by drug reaction
Drugs that indirectly alter the acid-base environment or composition of the urine, such as vitamin D, which we are all familiar with, can cause hypercalciuria by increasing the absorption of calcium ions in the small intestine.
Is calcium supplementation the risk of eating out stones?
Most urinary system stones will contain calcium components, so many friends are worried that the ordinary diet has found calcium ions in the urine, then if you eat calcium tablets, it will definitely increase the risk of disease.
From the perspective of modern science, calcium does not increase or reduce the risk of stone, and reasonable arrangements for calcium taking time can be.
Most urinary tract stones are caused by the combination of oxalate and calcium in the urinary system, and oxalic acid is the key to the formation of stones. Many foods contain oxalic acid, and it is difficult to eliminate their intake.
In addition, vitamin C in the body can also be converted into endogenous oxalic acid, if the time to take calcium tablets is in the meal, then there will be a part of the calcium and oxalic acid in the food irreversible combination, the formation of calcium oxalate complex that is not absorbed by the small intestine, with the elimination of feces, reduce the absorption of oxalic acid, but reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in the urine, thereby reducing the occurrence of calcium oxalate stones.
To sum up, the formation of drug-derived stones is not only related to the characteristics of taking the drug itself, but also to our physical condition. Friends who usually do not like to drink water, have little urine output, have abnormal pH in the urine or have a history of stone disease, and the probability of suffering from urinary tract stones is also higher than that of ordinary people!