Help with managing oxalates

[erinmarsh830]

I had a lithotripsy about 2 years ago, was pain free for about a year, but am suffering from abdominal pain again. a CT scan shows a total of 9 stones around 3mm in both kidneys.

I have been staying hydrated fairly well (probably could have done better though...), and am going to try to limit my oxalates more. I have looked around at charts for which foods are high and which are low, and the foods listed are very specific (fried potatoes, for example), so they obviously can't list ALL possible foods.

I was wondering if there is a way to tell if a food is high in oxalates by reading the label?

Are there indredients to watch out for, or is it good to stay away from goods with a lot of calcium?

Specifically I'm wondering about almond milk. I know nuts in general are high in oxalates.

Spinach is always top of the oxalate list... is that generally true for dark greens? specifically kale?

Wheat bran is also usually listed, so is whole wheat bread out? and if so, without dark greens or whole wheat, where
should your dietary fiber come from in a low oxalate diet?

My doctor recommended a glass of OJ a day. What is the benefit of that, and does a Cuties orange count?

I read an article from 2010 (I don't have the link, sorry) that talked about oxalates causing general abdominal/pelvic inflammation (and therefore pain), not just increasing the risk of kidney stones. Can you confirm this?

THANK YOU for your help!!

[erinmarsh830]

I did the urine collection test last year before my lithotripsy, and my doctor gave me these recommendations:
Sodium 2300-3500 g/day
Low Oxalate diet
Increase fluids
1 glass of OJ/day
Calcium 800-1200 g/day

In my research, I also found this site: http://www.kidneystoners.org/prevention/dietary-prevention/
Which says that based on the most recent research, a low oxalate diet actually has no effect on the oxalate content in urine. Have you heard this?

[David Rudnick, M.D.]

With that many stones you should have a 24 hour urine collection to evaluate your urine chemistry while eating and drinking your regular diet.  Only then can you know what aspects of your urinary chemistry are causing your stones.  Your oxalates may be normal, but your calcium might be high, vice versa.  Below is a link to a stone testing service that lists the oxalate contents of foods.  

http://litholink.com/gateway.aspx?page=OxalateDiet