Causes & Risk Factors

Some causes of kidney stones can be attributed to conscious choices people make in their lifestyles, such as diet. The most likely cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough fluids. Eating too much calcium, protein, salt, or certain vitamins (Vitamin C, Vitamin D) can also lead to stone formation.

Patients can experience chemical problems with their metabolism, leaving high levels of calcium in the urine. High levels of other substances, such as oxalate (found in nuts, spinach, rhubarb and tea) and uric acid (a breakdown product of proten), and low levels of citrate or magnesium can also cause kidney stones.

Risk Factors

Three conditions can cause non-calcium-containing stones:

• Too much uric acid or high acid levels in the urine can cause uric acid stone formation.
• Pure cystine stones, which are caused by a metabolism problem at birth, are determined by family history.
• The last cause of non-calcium kidney stones is a recurrent urinary tract infection. Infection stones are found in 10% to 15% of kidney stone patients. Women are three times more likely to get infection stones. Other people at risk are:
  • People who have repeated urine infections, and
  • Those who have had reconstruction of the urinary tract.

Drug induced kidney stones

Certain medications may also cause "drug induced" kidney stones, such as ephedrine (most often found in cold medications and over-the-counter stimulants), guaifenesin (found in cough medicine), and indivar (used to treat HIV-positive patients).