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Oxalate and Calcium
Long story so I will get to my question without details. I am lactose intolerant so I to do not take in much calcium as it is. Both my 24 hour urine tests tested high for both calcium and oxalate, thus making them the culprit to my many problems. So I am trying hard to not eat much if any oxalate and was also told to limit my dairy intake to two servings a day(not sure I was getting two in before anyway). I have read that actually I need to continue with my calcium (I am a very thin and tall female) and that I should eat my calcium and oxalate at the same time. My urologist told me to cut those along with sodium and to take 400 mg of magnesium and make sure I'm drinking no less than 100 oz of water a day, and use lemon juice or drink lemonade. I'm afraid to not take in calcium for risk of osteoporosis....and limiting oxalate is cutting out some really healthy foods. Help!! I want to do right by my body, but I'm reading conflicting articles. Do I cut it all out or do I eat them together??
Thank you so much for your responses. Yes, it is disturbing to think about all you exclude from your diet on a low oxalate diet. Honestly I pay a crap load for my health insurance and they denied a bunch of the treatment I recieved including the stent, which I promise I needed. I was so ill. Anyway, I'm sure I can't afford to see a dietician. I'm just going to ride this out until my next 24 hour urine and see what comes about.
shannon220,
Years ago when my stones were first tested, it was found that iron and calcium were what made up my stone. ( at least the one they tested back then) As a child, my parents always told me to drink lots of milk which everyone in my family did when I was younger. I continued the drinking of lots of milk until getting my first stone and finding out about the calcium makeup of my stone. At that point, 30 some years ago, I cut way back on milk drinking and in fact only used milk in the mornings in my coffee and MAYBE once in a great while with a bowl of cereal. OK, fast forward to recently when it was determined that I had Osteopenie which is not quite Osteoporosis but close to it. I was immediately told I should be taking in more calcium. After explaining my stone situation and calcium, the Dr said to take more Vitamin D then. I blame the Osteopenie on my cutting way back on my calcium intake all those years ago. Not sure what good it did anyway since I still got many stones in the years since.
I'm not sure if anyone really knows what to do or not to do to prevent more stones since, for example, I've heard that drinking lemon in your water or lemon aid make no difference and I've heard that they help to prevent stones too. My own Urologist told me basically that if you are prone to get them, you will. Drinking lots of water and using Flomax seem to be the only two things that everyone agrees on. I'd strongly suggest those twoi things to you for sure and anything else that you feel works with your situation.
Good Luck.
Years ago when my stones were first tested, it was found that iron and calcium were what made up my stone. ( at least the one they tested back then) As a child, my parents always told me to drink lots of milk which everyone in my family did when I was younger. I continued the drinking of lots of milk until getting my first stone and finding out about the calcium makeup of my stone. At that point, 30 some years ago, I cut way back on milk drinking and in fact only used milk in the mornings in my coffee and MAYBE once in a great while with a bowl of cereal. OK, fast forward to recently when it was determined that I had Osteopenie which is not quite Osteoporosis but close to it. I was immediately told I should be taking in more calcium. After explaining my stone situation and calcium, the Dr said to take more Vitamin D then. I blame the Osteopenie on my cutting way back on my calcium intake all those years ago. Not sure what good it did anyway since I still got many stones in the years since.
I'm not sure if anyone really knows what to do or not to do to prevent more stones since, for example, I've heard that drinking lemon in your water or lemon aid make no difference and I've heard that they help to prevent stones too. My own Urologist told me basically that if you are prone to get them, you will. Drinking lots of water and using Flomax seem to be the only two things that everyone agrees on. I'd strongly suggest those twoi things to you for sure and anything else that you feel works with your situation.
Good Luck.
Shannon, please take all the information the doctor gave you and talk to a dietitian. I read that low oxalate diets can be dangerous if you are not careful about it. You don't want to trade one problem for another and need to find balance. I read that when you consume oxalate foods you should also consume calcium at the same time so they bond and absorb before making it to your kidneys. Not sure if that is a myth or not, but it's information. The internet is full of conflicting information so you need to consult a dietitian.
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