Be Cautious of Spinach for Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones
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My Experience with Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones
Truly, it wasn’t a day much different than any other. I woke up, ate breakfast, then got to work. Work is stressful and fast-paced most days with lots of meetings to hold. Throughout the day, I worked as hard as I normally would and figured that the intense pressure in my back was from lack of sleep and an increase in stress.
As the workday came to a close, Isabelle made dinner and we ate in front of the TV on the couch. It was odd how I could feel the pressure in my back increasingly becoming taut, still, I thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the moment that I put my dinner plate down after finishing a delicious meal that I knew something was wrong. I sat there on the couch trying to watch TV with Isabelle when I noticed my eyes started to lose focus. There was a pain beginning to shoot through me in a way I had never experienced before.
“Are you okay?” Isabelle had asked me.
“I’m fine,” I replied back, refusing to believe that there was anything actually wrong with me and that this pain building would quickly pass. But it didn’t.
Generally, I’d like to say that I can handle my pain. And to be honest, I never in my life thought I’d have to say, “I think I need to go to the hospital.” But there it was. I had said it. Isabelle looked at me concerned but she didn’t quite understand.
“What?” She asked.
“I need to go to the hospital,” I repeated. “I thought it would pass, but I’ve never felt pain like this in my life.” Of course, I probably didn’t make it through all of those words. The pain liked to escalate whenever I spoke.
There was a fair amount of back and forth before we got in Isabelle’s car and drove to the nearest hospital. An experience I do not look fondly on. Between giving directions to the hospital, yelling in pain, and the bumpy road, I was not in a good condition by the time we got to the hospital.
Once I made it to the ER, I began yelling in pain again, but not by choice. They asked me some questions I don’t altogether remember and then sat me in a wheelchair. Isabelle was there and I remember almost passing out from the pain as they spoke to me. I was quickly taken to a room and from there, our guess at it being my appendix bursting was quickly calmed.
The doctor knew immediately what I had. “You have a kidney stone,” he said, rather expressionless despite the pain that I was expressing. He discussed a few things with me and then the nurse. He left the room and I didn’t see him again until the end of my stay.
I was put on some morphine relatively quickly, but it didn’t help at all. Never in my life did I ever think that morphine wouldn’t be enough for any amount of pain. It was as if I didn’t take anything. It wasn’t until they gave me an anti-inflammatory that the pain settled down a bit. It still hurt like hell, but I was quiet and calm for the first time all night. They took me for a scan immediately so that they could take a look at where the stone was.
I’ll save you the details, but I had a stone around 4mm that had formed and was coming down. I was prescribed meds and sent home being told I could pass it on my own. It didn’t take but another day or two and I was back at the hospital because the pain meds weren’t working. They forgot to prescribe me the anti-inflammatory that had worked the first time so I stayed another night at the hospital and then was released again, this time getting the meds I needed.
I met with my primary care doctor virtually and was told that I had calcium oxalate kidney stones, a type of kidney stone that ran on my mom’s side of the family. She had actually had one a few years prior to me. That was when I was given some material to study on the condition and a new diet was suggested to me, the low oxalate diet.
I spent another week and a half going through insane spouts of pain and more meds before the damned stone finally passed. Since then, I’ve seen a specialist and learned to make some changes in my life, mainly staying away from spinach entirely and eating less peanut butter or almonds.
As you might be able to tell from my experience, kidney stones are the worst. That had to be the worst pain I’ve ever experienced and maybe the worst that I ever will experience. Who’s to say for sure? But what I’ve gathered is that kidney stones are nothing to scoff at. I used my experience to warn those who may be prone to them and to let them know what they may want to avoid if they’d like to skip the painful event.
It is funny to me. We started this blog to talk about Isabelle’s celiac disease and to help others experiencing it feel less alone and to help them understand what the process is like and what you should look out for. Now, it seems like I have my own slew of issues that I never would’ve imagined having several years ago that I feel I can help others to understand (like my sudden sorghum allergy). Kidney stones being one.
What are Oxalates? What are Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones?
This question is what that I’ve found to be commonly asked. Most people do not understand what oxalates are or where they come from. An oxalate is found in organic material like plants, though it is also found in humans.
Plants produce oxalates as a means to get rid of calcium when there is too much of it. The oxalates will bind with the calcium in the plants as a means of waste. This is an important step in a plant’s natural life. However, oxalates are not necessary for humans which is why when we eat too many oxalates and also a lot of calcium, we are susceptible to getting calcium oxalate kidney stones, also sometimes known as “spinach kidney stones” due to spinach being so high in oxalates.
What Causes a Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone?
The main causes of a calcium oxalate kidney stone seem to lie between diet and not drinking enough water. For instance, if you are susceptible to these stones, cutting spinach out completely is a good call as that has the most oxalates out of everything else on the list. So high in fact, that while you can eat other things in moderation with oxalates, I was told to completely cut spinach out of my diet forever.
Some other common oxalate-rich foods are potatoes, beans, almonds, and other nuts or nut-butters. You will also want to avoid carbonated beverages. These were the things that stuck out most, so now, while I still eat those things, I’ve decreased how much I eat them and try to space things out so I’m not eating a bunch of high oxalate food on the same day.
If your diet consists of heavy oxalates, it can be hard to avoid calcium. We need calcium naturally and so when too many oxalates are consumed, that’s when the binding process begins and a kidney stone is generated. This is because when the oxalates bind to calcium it creates these stone-like entities that can harden and are most often jagged.
In fact, these calcium oxalate kidney stones are more described and classified as a crystal compared to the common stone moniker. These stones or crystals then sit in your kidney for weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes, if the stones are small enough, they may just dissolve or pass without your knowledge, but if they grow too big then they will eventually drop and that’s when the pain begins.
If calcium oxalate kidney stones do not run in the family then congratulations! You may have lucked out. These types of stones seem to be most common genetically. However, having said that, this does not mean that it is not possible to get calcium oxalate kidney stones. It just means that you are a lot less likely to get them.
How to Prevent Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones
Preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones is pretty simple:
1. Drink lots of water
After getting my last kidney stone, I now drink double the water that I used to. If this is an issue for you, I highly suggest buying a reusable straw. I got one for my tumbler cup and now I drink a ton more water without trying to just because of the nature of straws. You won’t even notice, but you’ll be drinking a lot more than before. You want your urine to be as pale or clear as possible. That’s how you know you’ve been drinking enough.
2. Watch your diet
Adjusting to a low oxalate diet and eating foods that you love with more oxalates in them in moderation will help you adjust to this new lifestyle without feeling like you’re missing out on everything you loved before. Moderation is key in living a successful life and avoiding future calcium oxalate kidney stones is no different! I love french fries and while I still enjoy them from time to time, I’ve actually come around to and very much enjoy fried plantains.
They taste similar, if not completely the same, and still have that fluffy consistency while remaining savory and delicious. Another suggestion is drinking things with citric acid in them. There is a chance that the citric acid will help reduce the size of any dormant calcium oxalate kidney stones that are in your kidney. Plus, who would complain about a glass of lemonade?
3. Listen to your doctor
While I know plenty about calcium oxalate kidney stones now that I’ve had the condition myself, I still highly recommend discussing any concerns with your doctor. Everybody is different and what may work for some, may differ for others. You want to make sure you’re paying attention to the best way to move forward. Listening to your doctor is key in this.
4. Be most careful up to 5 years after your last kidney stone
Currently, I have another calcium oxalate kidney stone sitting in my other kidney. It’s much smaller than my last one, but that can change. Your first 5 years after you pass a kidney stone are actually when you are most susceptible to getting another one. This is when you want to be most careful.
Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones Conclusion
To conclude on the topic of calcium oxalate kidney stones, know that you aren’t alone if you are experiencing them. There are many others out there that have experienced the pain of passing these kidney stones and who understand what you’re going through.
Continue to research all you can to understand your condition and warn others if you think they, too, are susceptible to calcium oxalate kidney stones! It’s a lot more common than you’d think.
If you would like to keep up with all the future updates of the Celiac Press, I highly recommend joining our newsletter by subscribing at the top right of any page. And keep on the lookout for any further posts about kidney stones and a low oxalate diet.
Another good resource for those who suffer from calcium oxalate kidney stones is in this article here by the Cleveland Clinic.
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