(Calcul = Stone)
Are you living with kidney stones? You’ve come to the right place! This little town has been created just for you, offering access to a wide range of resources, from 24-hour urine collection protocols to replays of events organised by the CaP Disease Reference Centre at Nantes University Hospital.
Click on the different parts of the town to explore the content!
Kidney stones (also called “lithiasis”) affect 5 to 10% of the population. Most causes are benign but can be recurrent. About half of patients experience at least one more episode during their lifetime.
Some kidney stones cause no symptoms and are discovered incidentally during imaging for another reason. Others present with severe pain on one side of the abdomen or back, known as renal colic.
All patients with kidney stones should undergo dedicated blood and urine tests. A consultation with a urologist or nephrologist is recommended to assess risk factors, reduce the chance of recurrence, and diagnose any underlying conditions that might cause stones (for example, primary hyperparathyroidism or genetic causes).
If stones are large or painful, a urologist will determine whether surgery is necessary and carry it out based on urgency.
Find here various written documents and videos about kidney stones.
This section contains documents to help you properly carry out your follow-up biological tests.
People with kidney stones do not necessarily have poorer diets than others. Many genetic factors or predisposing medical conditions can increase stone risk.
Still, diet plays an essential role in managing kidney stones.
Good hydration is crucial to reduce urine crystallisation. Aim to produce 2 litres of clear urine over 24 hours, day and night. Depending on stone progression and underlying causes, your medical team may recommend even higher fluid intake.
Your healthcare team can assess aspects of your diet based on your 24-hour urine collection.
Dietary advice should be personalised according to your stone type, frequency of renal colic episodes, imaging results, and any urological surgeries.
Consult your medical team to adapt these recommendations to your individual situation.
Correcting dietary factors remains essential in all cases. Treatment options depend on the type of kidney stone.
Common treatments include thiazide diuretics, sometimes combined with potassium-sparing diuretics (for example, hydrochlorothiazide with amiloride). These medications help reduce calcium excretion in urine (hypercalciuria), lowering the risk of calcium stones. They can also improve bone health in cases of associated bone fragility.
Potassium citrate supplements play an important role. Available in various forms (diluted in drinking water or as non-reimbursed tablets), potassium citrate works in two ways: it prevents crystal formation by coating calcium, stopping it from binding to phosphate or oxalate; and it alkalinises the urine, preventing acidity. This alkalanising effect is particularly useful for uric acid and cystine stones, which are sensitive to urine pH. However, potassium citrate is contraindicated in severe kidney failure with high blood potassium levels (hyperkalaemia).
Other dietary supplements, including those promoted by naturopathy, have not been scientifically studied in kidney stone disease and may even be harmful. For instance, vitamin C sold in pharmacies can convert oxalate and promote stones, whereas vitamin C from fruits is associated with citrate, a natural inhibitor of stone formation.
Renal colic is usually a sudden, severe, one-sided pain located in the abdomen or flank, often radiating towards the genitals. It can be accompanied by visible (pinkish urine) or invisible blood (detected by urine dipstick). The pain can cause nausea and vomiting. It can be difficult to distinguish renal colic from other causes of acute abdominal pain, such as appendicitis.
If you experience renal colic, contact your local healthcare team or your referring urologist if the pain matches this typical presentation.
Seek URGENT medical attention if you have fever (which may signal a kidney infection called pyelonephritis), pregnancy, no urine output for several hours, only one functioning kidney (a blocked single kidney can cause rapid acute kidney failure).
During a renal colic episode, limit fluid intake to avoid increasing urine volume, as the stone blocks the urinary tract and causes pressure in the kidney.
LUNNE Association is a non-profit association consisting of kidney stone specialists (nephrologists, urologists, dietitians) and expert patients.
Their mission: Prevent urinary stones to protect kidney health!
Numerous teams, including the CALiPSO centre, are investigating the causes of kidney stones and strategies to prevent them.
New treatments, improved screening, and better patient referral are currently under study.
This site does not aim to list all ongoing research. For important scientific updates, check the Events section or follow our Linkedin feed.
Kidney stones can impact daily life, especially during sudden painful episodes. These episodes are often unpredictable and may lead to sick leave.
If you experience frequent absences, discuss with your doctor the possibility of registering your kidney stone condition as Long-Term Condition (ALD in France). This status can help with better support during sick days, especially for genetic causes.
Physical activity is not only possible but strongly recommended for kidney stone patients, given its benefits on physical and mental health.
However, pain from recurrent stones or fatigue related to treatments can make exercise challenging.
Alongside dietary management, physical activity helps prevent kidney stone disease by supporting metabolic balance and reducing risk factors like obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and insulin resistance.
Always stay well hydrated before, during and after exercise to maintain sufficient urine volume. A simple guideline: urine should remain clear and plentiful, indicating good dilution of stone-forming compounds.
Therapeutic education aims to improve quality of life. Several centres in France offer educational programmes for patients with kidney stones.
The CALiPSO Centre plans to provide therapeutic education soon.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on our Patients’ Days (see our Events section) and watch related videos on our YouTube channel @centrecalipso.
Kidney stones are often seen as a “benign” condition because they are common and not life-threatening. However, their impact on daily life can be significant, especially when they recur frequently. Intense acute pain, repeated hospital stays, anxiety about future attacks, and restrictive diets can all affect mood and mental health.
Some patients may feel misunderstood or isolated, particularly when medical tests come back “normal” but the fear of another painful episode persists. Stress, sleep disturbances, irritability, fatigue, and even symptoms of depression can occur.
Addressing the psychological impact is essential. Talking openly with your doctor or a psychologist forms a key part of managing your health. Treating sleep problems, which are common among anxious patients or those with chronic pain, can also improve overall well-being.
Traveling is not contraindicated for people with kidney stones, in fact, it can boost your mood!
However, certain precautions help reduce the risk of a sudden, painful colic caused by changes such as long journeys, diet shifts, or inadequate hydration.
Before you travel, consider these questions:
1- Do I have all my essential medical information with me?
(stone type, current treatments, recent tests)
2- Should I have a follow-up imaging exam before the trip?
(not right before leaving, but a few months earlier to check stone status and discuss risks with your urologist)
3- Will my diet change significantly during the trip?
(more salt, fewer fruits and vegetables, more processed or high-protein foods)
4- Have I planned for enough hydration, packed my usual medication, and included a backup prescription?
(painkillers, alpha-blockers, or other meds as advised by your doctor)
If in doubt, ask your doctor or nephrologist/urologist for advice before traveling, especially if visiting remote areas or abroad.
Medical care for kidney stones rarely addresses sexual health, though the condition can affect it. Persistent pain and fear of new attacks may impact desire, comfort, or confidence, for both patients and their partner.
These challenges are common and valid, even if rarely discussed. This section offers video resources to support you. Don’t hesitate to bring up sexual health with a trusted healthcare professional or your care team. Quality of life includes intimate well-being.
Some regions in France lack specialised resources for managing complex or recurrent kidney stones. To address this gap, our project “Tu m’prêtes ton spé?” (“Can I borrow your specialist?”) allows a kidney stone expert to visit other centres and share their expertise.
This involves joint consultations with the referring physician, patient, and visiting specialist to optimise care and follow-up. The specialist also delivers videoconferences or in-person talks to local healthcare providers, sharing best practices in diagnosis, diet, and treatment.
The project also aims to strengthen connections among patients, providing better information and reducing feelings of isolation linked to chronic illness.
Thanks to sponsorship from the Groupama Foundation for Health and Groupama Loire Bretagne, host centres incur no costs.
Discuss this opportunity with your healthcare provider and encourage them to contact us!
Content coming soon
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