Urolithiasis
Medical Therapy and New Approaches to Urolithiasis
The introduction of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has revolutionized the urologic practice in urolithiasis. [1] This technology has reduced considerably the morbidity of stone disease, by allowing relatively noninvasive removal of stones. Unfortunately, the facilitated removal of stones by ESWL has led some urologists to abandon or disparage the medical approach to stone management. This development is unfortunate, because the need for medical diagnosis and prevention has not diminished. Renal stone disease is characterized by a high rate of recurrence. [3] The propensity for stone recurrence is not altered by removal of stones with ESWL. [5] Ample evidence has accumulated, however, showing that a variety of medical treatments can prevent recurrence of stones. [9]
Amounts of Potassium & Magnesium in Snack Foods
If you have Bartter’s or Gitelman’s Syndrome you should know that diet alone cannot come close to correcting the potassium and magnesium deficiencies. At the same time, if you are going to eat a snack, you might as well have something that adds rather than detracts from your levels. Looks like a bag of peanuts would be a good choice, and popcorn would be a poor choice.
You may also be interested in a Chart of Foods High in Magnesium
Magnesium Oxide
Why is this medication prescribed?
Magnesium is an element your body needs to function normally. Magnesium oxide may be used for different reasons. Some people use it as an antacid to relieve heartburn, sour stomach, or acid indigestion. Magnesium oxide also may be used as a laxative for short-term, rapid emptying of the bowel (before surgery, for example). Magnesium oxide also is used as a dietary supplement when the amount of magnesium in the diet is not enough or there is a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium oxide is available without a prescription. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Magnesium Dosing Information for Health Care Workers
Indications, Dosing
- bowel preparation
- cardiac glycoside-induced arrhythmias
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation†
- constipation
- digitoxin toxicity
- digoxin toxicity
- dyspepsia
- eclampsia
- hypertension
- hypomagnesemia
- nutritional supplementation
- premature labor†
- seizure prophylaxis†
- status asthmaticus†
- torsade de pointes
- ventricular fibrillation†
- ventricular tachycardia†
Laboratory Diagnosis of Magnesium Deficiency
BY Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr., MD
Everyone needs magnesium. Well persons also, yet the American diet of middle class women provides much less than the 360 mg per day, the old RDA, and our American diet gives us only 120 mg per 1,000 calories per day. Now will all of you that eat 3,000 cal a day please rise!! Therefore all Americans need Mg.
Serum Creatinine
Brenner & Rector’s The Kidney, 6th ed., Copyright ? 2000 W. B. Saunders Company
Creatinine is a metabolic product of creatine and phosphocreatine, which are both found almost exclusively in muscle. Thus, creatinine production is proportional to muscle mass and varies little from day to day. However, production can change over longer periods of time if there are changes in muscle mass. Although diet ordinarily accounts for only a relatively small proportion of overall creatinine excretion, it is another source of variability in serum creatinine levels. Read the rest »
Medications
Medications and Supplements
The goal in treating Bartter and Gitelman patients is to correct the underlying electrolyte abnormalities and to prevent further wasting of these electrolytes. Below is a list of the most commonly used medications.
Prescription Medications 
Supplements
Magnesium, a Crucial Mineral
Magnesium is the second most abundant intracellular cation in the body (after potassium) and the fourth most abundant extracellular cation. Magnesium is a crucial cofactor for many physiologic processes. It is nature’s calcium channel blocker, has antiarrhythmic, antithrombogenic and vasodilating effects. Magnesium also works as a smooth muscle relaxant. Without this crucial mineral many people fall victim to the untoward side effects of a low intracellular magnesium level and most physicians fail to recognize these symptoms. Read the rest »
Bartter Abstracts
Medical journals online will show a summary of medical articles. The summary is called an “abstract”. Sometimes just reading the abstract will tell you enough. Sometimes after reading an abstract you might want to read the full article. Then you can go to a medical library or public library and ask them to obtain the article for you. There are 23 abstracts listed.
Gitelman Syndrome
Gitelman’s syndrome is a rare inherited defect in the renal tubule of the kidneys. This defect causes the kidney to waste magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride in the urine, instead of reabsorbing it back into the bloodstream. Urine calcium levels are lower than normal, despite normal serum values. This syndrome does not cause kidney failure nor does it cause the kidneys to function abnormally. The kidneys are normal. The problem is the reabsorption of important electrolytes and minerals.