Drugs
Various drugs and medicines can be a cause for the development of kidney stones. A very commonly used drug that can lead to the formation of kidney stones is allopurinol. This is taken by people who suffer from gout.
However, allopurinol can lead to the formation of so-called xanthine stones in the kidney. Allopurinol inhibits an enzyme that processes the metabolic product xanthine. As a result, xanthine accumulates in the kidney and stones can form.
Other drugs can also lead to the formation of kidney stones. For example, there are drugs that lead to the formation of crystals in the urine. These crystals do not dissolve in the urine and kidney stones are formed as a result.
Aciclovir and indinavir belong to this group. Both drugs have antiviral effects. Aciclovir is used in the treatment of herpes, whereas indinavir plays a major role in HIV therapy.
Antibiotics such as aminopenicillins, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and ceftriaxone can also contribute to the development of kidney stones. In addition to the drugs already mentioned, there are many other active ingredients that also promote the development of kidney stones. These drugs, however, do this by changing the composition of the urine.
As a result, some substances can no longer dissolve properly in the urine and stones form. These drugs include vitamin D preparations, calcium, magnesium and aluminum preparations and the diuretic furosemide. The drugs acetazolamide, which is used in glaucoma, and topiramate, which is used to treat various types of cramping disorders, can also lead to the formation of kidney stones. Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) can also be associated with an increased risk of kidney stones.
Stress and lack of exercise
If you don’t exercise enough over a long period of time, the body breaks down more calcium from the bones and calcium stones can form. However, stress in itself is not a cause for kidney stones. Stress is more likely to occur as a symptom or condition in patients suffering from symptoms caused by kidney stones.
It is typically accompanied by severe, colicky pain, which typically leads to a restless, unstable condition in the affected person. Stress can also be a factor that worsens some diseases that can lead to kidney stones. A good example is the chronic disease Crohn’s disease, in which stress is a major factor in the development of a relapse. However, no direct connection can be deduced from this. The assumption that stress leads to the formation of kidney stones has not been proven.
